Gary Survis

Famous 4th century Roman Stoic Seneca once said that luck happens when preparedness meets opportunity.
The brilliance of this ancient ideal is that only when you are both prepared and have an opportunity can you take advantage of luck.
I feel my job as an Operating Partner in the Onsite Marketing Center of Excellence is to help our portfolio companies be prepared to take advantage of the many opportunities in front of them.
I say to my team that every day is a great day to do marketing… and I deeply believe it! Marketing is complex, sometimes misunderstood, and often imperfect.
But I know that you don’t become a successful enterprise without it.
I started my marketing journey over 30 years ago at American Express and have been a practitioner of the craft ever since.
Before joining Insight full time, I was a CMO-for-rent for our portfolio companies.
In 2013, I took the helm of marketing as CMO for portfolio company Syncsort (now Precisely) and stayed in that role until exit in 2016, when I joined Insight full time to establish the Marketing COE.
I live for the side hustle and mine is sustainability.
I have worked in sustainability-focused companies since 2004.
I have leveraged this experience in developing an expertise around the study of business and sustainability.
I have been teaching graduate students at University of Pennsylvania and Wharton since 2013.
Today, I also advise our companies on ESG issues and advise our cleantech companies in our portfolio.
When I am not doing marketing or teaching, I have a very full life that includes interests cooking, wine, genealogy, travel, and, most importantly, my family