AEO Trailblazer Awards by Conductor

Meet the 2026 AEO Trailblazers

The AEO Trailblazer Awards recognize the marketers turning answer engine optimization into measurable impact. Meet the 2026 winners setting the standard for visibility, accuracy, and authority in AI-powered search.

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About the award

Every new discipline has its early leaders. The AEO Trailblazer Awards highlight the individuals and teams defining what effective AEO actually looks like and setting the standard for AI-driven discovery.

What makes an AEO Trailblazer?

Different industries. Different strategies. Same level of execution. The signals below reflect what strong, scalable AEO looks like today.

AI market share

Winning teams aren’t just ranking—they’re capturing AI market share. Trailblazers consistently appear and are cited in AI-generated answers across the topics and entities that define their category.

Answer-first content

The best answers address real customer questions clearly and directly. Trailblazers create helpful content while making information easier for AI systems to interpret and surface.

Operationalized AEO workflows

AEO isn’t a one-off initiative. Winners are embedding AEO into the workflows that power content creation, technical optimization, and ongoing site improvements.

Measurable ROI

Trailblazers are connecting AI visibility to measurable ROI and real business outcomes. The impact of AEO is felt across brand strength, competitive standing, and pipeline influence.

Meet the 2026 AEO Trailblazers

From enterprise teams to individual leaders, these Trailblazers are shaping how brands appear, surface, and get cited in AI-driven discovery.

Mastercard

Kerry Elsdon

SVP, Global Head of Digital Marketing and MarTech

Airbnb

Brandon Duncombe

Global Polling and Media Lead

Ernst & Young

Lou Cohen

Director, Digital Marketing & Demand Generation COE Leader, Americas

Ernst & Young

Jen Cusenza

Associate Director, Digital Experience Leader, Americas

Hines

Ayan Murtaza

Digital Marketing Manager

PNC

Eric Mayhue

VP, Sr. Organic Growth Marketing Manager

Women in Tech SEO

Areej AbuAli

Founder, Women in Tech SEO

Sonos

Aleks Merkovich

Senior SEO Manager

Mars

Daniel Cortés

Integrated Media Effectiveness Manager

AutoZone

Alex Gillespie

Sr. Manager, SEO & Content Strategy

Ping Identity

Shawn Anders

Senior Manager, SEO & Web Experience

Brunswick

Kathryn Stensby

SEO Analyst, Enterprise Digital Product Management

Clemson University

Lainey Graham

Senior Executive Director of Marketing

Lloyds Banking Group

David McLeay

Innovation Manager

DAP

Deborah Podema

Senior Digital Marketing Manager

Splashtop

Trevor Jackins

Senior Digital Marketing Manager

Collibra

Alex Gosney

Senior Manager Marketing Operations

JD Finish Line

Katelyn Geary

SEO & GEO Manager

Sandisk

Jonathan Johnson

Sr. Director Web, eCommerce and Performance Marketing

Topo Athletic

Michael O'Brien

Marketing Director

StickerGiant

Jarrad Lokes

Head of Product Management

Beth Israel Lahey Health

Haley Palazini

Executive Director, Digital Experience

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - ALSAC

Shannon Seaton

Senior Strategist - SEO and Content

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - ALSAC

Joe Hanna

Senior Advisor, Content Architecture

Response Mine Interactive

John Saenz

Director SEO

Response Mine Interactive

Jeremy Sampson

SEO & Content Strategist

Title Nine

Sarah Cosentino

Senior eCommerce Specialist

Title Nine

Carlie Burkhard

Senior Manager of eCommerce

Merck

Michael Moore

Associate Director, Global Wed Strategy and Analytics

Merck

Gaurav Dobriyal

Associate Director, Solution Architecture

Iris North America

Crys Kelly

Director, Data Strategy & Intelligence

Virtua Health

James Mergenthal

Director of Marketing Technology

Thrivent Financial

Daniel Morrison

Lessons from the 2026 AEO Trailblazers

This year's Trailblazers show that AEO success is not accidental. Across industries, leading teams are treating AI answer engines as a primary visibility channel, aligning content and technical work around shared priorities, and building structured information designed for machine interpretation.

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