Conductor Names Wei Zheng CEO as Company Expands Answer Engine Optimization Strategy

Enterprise digital visibility company Conductor has named Wei Zheng as its new Chief Executive Officer, elevating her from the role of Chief Product Officer she has held for the past five years. The appointment signals a strategic shift as the company moves to position Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) as a company-wide priority.

Zheng joined Conductor after earlier product leadership roles at Trifacta and Informatica, where she worked across data preparation, big data, and data virtualisation. At Conductor, she was responsible for the company's product direction, helping shape its move toward a broader data platform and the development of its AEO offering.

In her leadership announcement, Zheng reflected on a foundational product investment made several years ago. According to the source, that investment — building a holistic data platform capable of bringing together the signals shaping a brand's digital presence — became the basis for Conductor AI and the company's broader AEO platform.

Zheng's appointment carries a clear strategic emphasis. She has argued that AEO cannot be confined to marketing alone, given that AI systems are increasingly influencing the broader customer journey — from product research and company comparisons through to purchase decisions. Conductor has said it is going "all-in" on AEO, with a focus on trusted intelligence, enterprise-ready solutions, and data that can help customers understand how their brands appear across AI-driven discovery environments.

The promotion follows the leadership of Seth Besmertnik, Conductor's co-founder and outgoing CEO. Zheng credited Besmertnik with providing the autonomy and trust necessary for long-term product investments, as well as building a culture centred on people and customers. The transition is described by the source as both a change in leadership and a continuation of work developed during Zheng's tenure as CPO.

Conductor describes itself as an enterprise digital visibility and marketing technology company. Its platform has expanded from SEO and digital visibility into AEO and AI-focused workflows designed to help enterprises understand and improve their presence across emerging discovery channels. The company's C3 2026 conference is scheduled for 28 October in New York City, with a focus on AEO and agentic workflows.