Alpha Institute Launches the Agentic Growth Council, an Invitation-Only Network for Senior Leaders Driving Growth in the Age of AI

NEW YORK, June 10, 2026 - The Alpha Institute for AI Governance, the independent research, policy, and education arm of Alpha Governance Group, PBC, today announced the launch of the Agentic Growth Council, an invitation-only forum for senior leaders accountable for AI-driven growth at enterprise scale. Membership is open to chief growth officers, chief marketing officers, CEOs, presidents, SVPs of growth, and select academic experts.

Every major company is investing in AI, yet few are converting that investment into durable, compounding growth. The gap between AI spend and realized commercial value has become one of the defining challenges of this decade. This is not only a technology issue. It is a governance issue that touches ownership of the growth agenda, decision-making at machine speed, and how boards and executives hold systems accountable for results. The Agentic Growth Council is designed to close that gap.

The Council is a confidential, practitioner-led forum for leaders operating at the intersection of growth, governance, and enterprise transformation. Operating under the Chatham House Rule, it provides a trusted environment for senior executives to exchange perspectives, challenge assumptions, and develop practical approaches to AI-driven growth that boards can evaluate, regulators can understand, and organizations can scale. Its work is grounded in the belief that governance is the infrastructure that enables AI to become a durable business advantage rather than an unmanaged source of risk.

The Council’s work extends beyond its members. Research, benchmarks, and board-ready frameworks developed through the Agentic Growth Council will be published by the Alpha Institute for AI Governance for boards, AI companies, and the broader growth and marketing community. The objective is to translate insight into operating guidance that leaders and directors can apply with confidence.

The Agentic Growth Council is part of a broader system of leadership councils created by the Alpha Institute to apply continuous AI governance to critical enterprise functions. Each council focuses on a domain where AI, governance, and long-term value creation intersect, forming a comprehensive view of what effective AI governance looks like in practice.

Najoh is a growth and marketing leader with 35 years of transformation across Procter and Gamble, Merck, Bayer, Logitech, and Mars Petcare, most recently as President and Global Chief Growth Officer at Mars Petcare, a 30 billion dollar business where she led the growth agenda across 130 markets. She has built iconic brands across consumer goods, healthcare, and technology, including Pampers and Always at P&G and Royal Canin and Pedigree at Mars, and has led enterprise turnarounds and large-scale digital and AI-enabled transformation inside complex global organizations.

Prior to Mars, she served as Global Chief Marketing Officer at Logitech, where she led worldwide marketing, brand, direct-to-consumer commerce, and transformation across more than 120 countries. She was recruited into Mars Petcare into a newly created role to unify brand and experience across a rapidly scaling portfolio and accelerate growth through digitalization and consumer-centric transformation.

A Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO 50 honoree and Adweek Brand Genius award recipient, Najoh is also co-founder of the Black Executive CMO Alliance. She is known for making the complex clear and grounding executive teams in moments of ambiguity, and operates at the intersection of AI and growth to help organizations translate investment into measurable commercial outcomes.

[Read more: Najoh Tita-Reid on LinkedIn]

Esi is Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Unilever, where she leads the company’s next generation of marketing and drives growth across one of the world’s largest consumer goods portfolios. Named one of the world’s 50 most influential CMOs by Forbes, she brings over 30 years of experience spanning Unilever, Coty, and Procter and Gamble, and has served as President of Unilever USA and CEO of Unilever Personal Care North America, overseeing a 5 billion dollar portfolio that includes Dove, Degree, SheaMoisture, Vaseline, and Axe.

She serves on the Board of Directors of lululemon and Williams-Sonoma, and previously served on the board of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. Her board work reflects a focus on governance, brand strategy, and long-term value creation.

Esi is recognized not only for her commercial leadership, but for shaping brand platforms that drive both cultural relevance and business performance. She has led a transformation at Unilever centered on accountability and a culture that converts. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in what she calls Passion Power.

[Read more: Esi Eggleston Bracey on LinkedIn]

Jim Lecinski serves as Distinguished Research Fellow of the Alpha Institute for AI Governance, where he anchors the intellectual and research foundation of the Agentic Growth Council.

He is a Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he teaches Marketing Strategy, Omnichannel Marketing, and AI in Marketing, and is a multi-time recipient of top teaching honors, including Kellogg Professor of the Year.

He brings more than 30 years of industry experience, including a 12-year tenure at Google, where he served as Vice President of Customer Solutions for the Americas. He is a widely recognized authority on digital transformation and AI in marketing, advising leading companies and delivering keynote insights to global executive audiences.

His work, including Winning the Zero Moment of Truth, introduced frameworks that reshaped how marketers understand digital behavior and decision making. His latest book, The AI Marketing Canvas: A Five-Step AI Plan for Marketers, published by Stanford University Press, provides a practical framework for applying AI to marketing, with a fully updated second edition released in January 2026.

[Read more: Jim Lecinski on LinkedIn]

“The growth function is at an inflection point. AI is not a tool you adopt. It is a transformation you have to lead. The Agentic Growth Council creates a confidential environment for leaders to work through that transformation with peers facing the same level of complexity and accountability.”

Najoh Tita-Reid, Co-Chair, Alpha Institute Agentic Growth Council

“Growth in the age of AI requires judgment, governance, and candid peer exchange. This Council is designed to support leaders operating at the highest level and to ensure the work translates into real impact for organizations and the broader market.”

Esi Eggleston Bracey, Co-Chair, Alpha Institute Agentic Growth Council

“Most companies are not realizing the full growth potential of their AI investments. The Agentic Growth Council brings together practitioners and rigorous research to understand what drives results and how to translate those insights into frameworks that leaders and boards can apply.”

Jim Lecinski, Distinguished Research Fellow, Alpha Institute for AI Governance

The Alpha Institute for AI Governance is the independent research, policy, and education arm of Alpha Governance Group, PBC. The Institute defines what effective AI governance looks like in practice through board-ready research, policy development, and executive education designed for real-world application.

Through its councils, ratings, publications, and training programs, the Institute equips directors and senior leaders to oversee AI with clarity, confidence, and a standard of care that meets the expectations of investors, regulators, and society.

The Agentic Growth Council is invitation-only. Membership is open to senior leaders serving as Chief Growth Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, CEO, President, or SVP of Growth at enterprise organizations, along with select academic experts. To express interest, visit alpha.ac/institute/council/agc.