Megan Bowen: Most Admired Business Leader to Watch 2025

Every company hits a moment when the future isn’t about repeating what worked, but redefining what will.
For Refine Labs, that moment came this year.

When Megan Bowen became majority owner and CEO, it wasn’t a handoff. It was a rebuild - a new era for the company and for the kind of leadership that shapes it.

From Grit to Growth

Megan’s story was recently featured in Resilient and Transformative: Leading Refine Labs Into an Era of AI, Innovation, and Culture-Driven Success.
It’s not a highlight reel. It’s an honest look at the choices, risks, and principles that got her here - from early startup days to leading through market shifts, acquisitions, and now, transformation.

She’s built her career on doing the hard things most people avoid. Taking a pay cut to start over in a new industry. Building teams from scratch. Leading companies through IPOs and exits. And now, stepping into ownership during one of the most dynamic periods in B2B marketing.

“A leader’s inner world becomes their outer world, and in turn, the company’s reality. For me, doing the inner work isn’t optional - it’s essential.”

That belief sits at the core of her leadership - and it’s reshaping how Refine Labs operates.

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Redefining What Success Looks Like

This next chapter is about more than growth. It’s about building a company that values people as much as performance, purpose as much as profit.
Megan’s approach flips the traditional model on its head. When employees are supported, challenged, and trusted, they build better outcomes for customers - and that drives better business results.

“People success equals customer success equals business success.”

It’s a simple formula, but it’s one that few companies actually live by.

The Future of Refine Labs

Under Megan’s leadership, Refine Labs is reimagining how B2B growth works. AI isn’t a buzzword here - it’s a tool that’s used intentionally. The systems we’re building are designed for long-term efficiency and creative innovation, not short-term wins.
By 2028, Megan’s vision is clear: Refine Labs will be the global talent destination for top marketers and the leading partner for AI-enabled, sustainable growth.
But the story is about more than goals. It’s about how you lead when everything changes — when markets contract, when the team shrinks, when the playbook no longer applies.

“There’s no growth without discomfort. The biggest wins often start as the stickiest problems.”

A Story Still Unfolding

The feature captures that tension - the mix of resilience, curiosity, and grit it takes to evolve both a company and yourself at the same time.
It’s the story of what happens when leadership meets reinvention head-on.

Read the full feature: Resilient and Transformative: Megan Bowen, Leading Refine Labs Into an Era of AI, Innovation, and Culture-Driven Success

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