Most go-to-market (GTM) transformations don't start with big declarations. They start with a small group of people who see a better way and decide to prove it.

That's exactly how the Marketing Operations team at Palo Alto Networks led one of the most compelling go-to-market shifts in recent years: from a lead-centric model to an opportunity-first approach powered by Buying Groups.

This wasn't a theoretical exercise.

Their shift delivered real-world results: more opportunities, higher win rates, faster pipeline progression, and larger deal sizes.

Plus, it showed how Marketing Ops can drive GTM alignment across Sales, IT, and leadership teams at scale.

Let's unpack how they made it happen and how they used LeanData to bring it to life.