(This article was first published on LinkedIn here)

On 4th September I was supremely pleased and proud to bring the financial services marketing community together in Singapore for the inaugural APAC Financial Marketing Leaders’ Summit 2025, at the Singapore Land Tower Tower, supported by the CIM | The Chartered Institute of Marketing, the World Media Group, Ashbury Communications and ON24 and kindly hosted by Reuters. From the first coffee to the final applause, the day was full of energy, insight, and genuine connection. Marketers from across the region came ready to share best practice, challenge assumptions, and build something lasting. With lively panels, audience interaction, and plenty of networking, this annual Summit already felt like a connected community.

Pictured: Peter Murray

A Warm Welcome

Peter Murray, Commercial Director for Asia Pacific at Reuters, opened the day with a heartfelt welcome, noting how pleased he was to see the Financial Marketing Insights Summit series - already a fixture in EMEA and the Americas - arrive in APAC. His message was clear: this is a community worth building, and Reuters is proud to help foster it.

Delegates had flown in from across Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and beyond, bringing a truly regional perspective to the conversations. Many attendees had crossed paths before - at previous companies, campaigns, or conferences - and the sense of reunion gave the morning a gentle buzz. This wasn’t just a gathering of professionals; it was a meeting of minds who’ve weathered the same storms and shaped the same industry.

Reuters later posted on LinkedIn that they were delighted to host this meeting of CMOs and marketing leaders from across the financial services industry. Peter himself added:

“Congratulations on Year 1 in Asia! What a wonderful event bringing together marketers, the newsroom and publishers. I had some great conversations today and look forward to elevating financial marketing excellence with the members.”

Pictured left to right: Kevin Chung, Adam Harper and Jacob Howard

Navigating Digital Transformation: From Hype to Help

I moderated the day’s first panel and opened with three Slido polls that revealed a nuanced picture of AI adoption in financial services marketing:

• What’s the major factor preventing your use of AI? Top answers in order of vote share: Compliance (or other internal hurdles), Data Security, Cost, Regulation.

• Is your marketing budget increasing for 2026? 76% said no.

• Are you currently getting value from AI? 91% said yes.

Kevin Chung, Chief Strategy Officer at WRITER, shared how his company helps financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and Franklin Templeton embed enterprise-grade AI solutions. He said that in the future, your teams will include numbers of AI agents helping you. One standout use case: generating a first-draft “Morning Market Report” that saves teams an hour each day by summarizing overnight market movements, and allowing personalised mailouts.

Adam Harper of Ashbury Communications emphasized AI’s power to surface deep audience insights. “In the old days, people relied on dated surveys. Now, AI analytics give us an instant read on what clients care about - so we can tailor messaging with precision.”

Adam also launched Ashbury’s new report at the Summit: Relevance in 2025 – Topic Trends for the Financial Sector in APAC and MENA, powered by InferenceCloud.ai, which uses real-time data to reveal what’s resonating most with financial institutions and their clients across APAC and MENA. As Adam posted on LinkedIn:

“We cover #AI, Star Wars, the global elite, automata and Tesla, among other things, so you won’t want to miss this!”

The panel closed with a quiet consensus: AI isn’t replacing marketers - it’s becoming their most powerful colleague.

Pictured from left to right: Mohit Gupta, Liza Ding, Roslyn Queeley and Susan Peter-Marcus

Brand and Purpose: Realising ROI

Moderated by Susan Peter-Marcus, formerly a CMO at Nasdaq in NY and now Founder of Amplify Impact Private Limited, this session opened with a personal note. Susan shared that her move from New York to Singapore was driven by a desire to help marketing prove its positive impact. “This session,” she said, “is right on the money for me.”

Roslyn Queeley from Standard Chartered offered a vivid example: when her team helped a Sales Head win a major RFP, the ripple effect was immediate. “Suddenly there’s a queue forming to work with Marketing,” she said. “That’s how you show value - by driving revenue and building trust.”

Deutsche Bank’s Mohit Gupta brought storytelling into the mix, sharing a personal anecdote about his five-year-old building a toy plane out of plastic blocks. The lesson? Purpose drives creativity - and creativity drives transformation. He drew a parallel to Lego’s turnaround story, and to Deutsche Bank’s own brand claim: “With deep dedication.”

The panel agreed that attribution remains a challenge. Metrics like MQLs help, but the real currency is influence - especially at board level. As Nasdaq's Liza Ding referenced, speaking the language of the business, building strong relationships with Sales, and aligning marketing to commercial outcomes are crucial.

Pictured from left to right: Miyoung Kim and Jamie Credland

The Editor’s View: Macro Forces, Micro Lessons

A perennial favorite at FMI Summits, the Editors’ View panel offered a zoom-out from marketing mechanics to the macro forces shaping our world. Miyoung Kim, Companies Breaking News Editor at Reuters, joined Jamie Credland of the World Media Group for a wide-ranging conversation on business, politics, and the shifting sands of global influence.

They explored how different countries and corporations across APAC are planning ahead - offering a candid look at the intersection of policy, perception, and corporate strategy. Miyoung spotlighted the companies making waves across the region and shared how her team navigates story selection: collaboration, fresh angles, and speed.

“Those are the same muscles we need in marketing,” one delegate noted. “Speed, story, and relevance.”

The World Media Group later reflected on LinkedIn:

“The momentum continued at the Financial Marketing Leaders Summit hosted by Reuters, where Jamie joined Breaking News Editor, Miyoung Kim, on stage. Together they explored the global ripple effects of President Trump’s tariffs and how corporations across APAC are adapting and responding.”

The takeaway? Great marketing doesn’t just follow the news - it understands how it’s made.

Pictured from left to right: Erica Kerner, Julie Nestor and Seema Punwani

Sports Marketing in Financial Services: Passion, Purpose, and Priceless Reach

This session, moderated by R3’s Seema Punwani and featuring Erica Kerner of Standard Chartered and Julie Nestor of Mastercard, brought the room to life with tales of sponsorship, fandom, and the power of sport to build enduring brand equity.

Erica shared the remarkable longevity of Standard Chartered’s partnership with Liverpool FC - 15 years and counting. The Liverpool brand is global, and in Standard Chartered’s key markets across APAC and MENA, it’s more than a club - it’s a movement. Even unofficial shirts in remote villages carry the Standard Chartered logo. Earlier this year, the bank flew the Liverpool team to Hong Kong for a client event. The stadium was packed, and the sea of Standard Chartered logos was a marketer’s dream.

Julie Nestor followed with Mastercard’s equally impressive portfolio, including F1 McLaren. Their iconic “Priceless” campaign continues to evolve, now with “Team Priceless” - an open, always-on ambassador program that invites anyone to join. The viral reach is extraordinary, and the emotional connection is real.

Both speakers emphasized the rise of inclusive sports, especially women’s events, which are breaking attendance records and reshaping the sponsorship landscape. Julie mentioned a Regent Street pop-up in London focused entirely on women’s sports - a sign of where the momentum is heading.

Erica later reflected on LinkedIn:

“It was a pleasure joining Seema Punwani of R3 and Julie Nestor from Mastercard on stage to discuss the power and relevance of Passion Points & Sports Marketing in Financial Services… And of course it’s always fun to have so many Liverpool Football Club fans in the room with so many great questions!”

This session reminded us that sports marketing isn’t just about visibility - it’s about identity, community, and belonging. And in financial services, those values matter more than ever.

Pictured from left to right: Hannah Ayme, Sharyn Foo and Chris Wright

From Transaction to Trust: Marketing That Builds Enduring Partnerships

Expertly moderated by Chris Wright of Resonate Global Advisors LLP, this panel may have been brief, but it was rich with insight. The conversation focused on partnership marketing, stakeholder management, and account-based marketing (ABM) - all under the umbrella of trust.

Sharyn Foo of HSBC spoke about the importance of working closely with relationship managers to build dedicated client campaigns. “It’s about creating strong partnerships,” she said, “not just transactions.” She also referenced HSBC’s sponsorship of golf in Singapore - a subtle nod to how brand and relationship marketing can intersect.

Hannah Aymé of Capital Group brought a global lens to the discussion. As Managing Director of Marketing for Global Strategic Relationships, she leads the marketing strategy for Capital Group’s most important clients. Her collaborative, solutions-oriented approach has delivered revenue-generating campaigns and built high-performing global teams.

One standout initiative: Hannah helped launch a CMO club in Singapore, creating a space for marketers across industries to share best practices and build community. It’s a quiet but powerful example of trust in action - marketers supporting marketers, beyond the boundaries of competition.

This session reminded us that in financial services, trust isn’t just a value - it’s a strategy. And the best marketing doesn’t just drive results - it builds relationships that last.

Pictured: Caroline Wiemann

From Insight to Impact: AI-Driven Engagement in Financial Services

Caroline Wiemann of ON24 took the stage with a brisk, data-packed presentation that made a compelling case for digital-enabled campaigns. In just 15 minutes, she delivered a masterclass in how financial services marketers can use AI and analytics to scale engagement, personalize outreach, and extend the life of their content.

While she acknowledged the value of in-person events - this Summit included - Caroline noted that physical formats often limit interaction and traceability. In contrast, webinars offer full analytics, audience segmentation, and the ability to repurpose content as the foundation for longer lead-nurture journeys.

She showcased examples of financial institutions using ON24’s platform to great effect, leveraging AI to transform a single session into multiple content formats - quickly, compliantly, and with measurable impact.

“A webinar isn’t the end of a campaign,” she said. “It’s the beginning.”

The audience scribbled notes and snapped photos of the slides, which will be made available post-event. It was a short session, but one that left a lasting impression - especially for marketers looking to do more with less.

Pictured: Satwant Wishart

Marketing to the Machines: AI as Audience

Satwant Wishart of Casey Wishart & Partners returned to the FMI stage for the third time this year - previously in Dubai and London - with a message that continues to evolve: AI isn’t just a tool for marketers. It’s now one of their most influential audiences.

She opened with a show of hands poll that revealed a striking shift: nearly every attendee now uses AI platforms like ChatGPT as a search method. Yet few marketers are actively optimizing their content to ensure their brand appears in AI-generated responses. That gap, Satwant argued, is both a risk and an opportunity.

The session introduced the concept of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) - a new framework for making content machine-readable and contextually relevant. This means:

• Structuring content in clear, digestible formats

• Using conversational tone and bullet points

• Providing transcripts for multimedia assets

• Publishing long-form, credible thought leadership

• Earning citations from reputable sources

In essence, it’s a return to substance. The algorithms powering AI prefer depth, clarity, and authority - qualities that marketers once prized before the rise of short-form content.

Satwant later reflected on LinkedIn:

“While everyone is seeing the shift from Google search to AI search, my (very unscientific) live poll suggests few marketers are optimizing their content for large language models to make sure their brand shows up in its answers. Congratulations and thank you to Jacob Howard, FCIM for hosting another great event - fantastic turnout and insightful content as always."

Just to say, Casey Wishart is the studio behind all the Summit videos - and they’ve been fantastic.

This session didn’t just highlight a trend - it offered a strategic lens for marketers to stay visible in a world where machines increasingly shape human decisions.

Pictured: Lena Goh and Chris Wright

Brand and Influence in Financial Services: A Conversation with Lena Goh

The Summit closed with a rare and insightful keynote interview between Chris Wright and Lena Goh, Managing Director of Public Affairs at Temasek. As one attendee whispered, “How did you manage to get her?”

Temasek is a global investment company headquartered in Singapore, with a portfolio valued at over SGD 382 billion (USD 283 billion) as of 2024. Its holdings span financial services, telecommunications, transportation, and consumer goods. Many of Singapore’s most iconic institutions - from Singapore Airlines to Singtel and DBS Bank - are part of the Temasek ecosystem.

Lena’s role places her at the heart of Singapore’s brand, reputation, and global positioning. When asked about AI, she shared how her team works to counter misinformation and hallucinations - while also gaining early access to emerging technologies.

“We’re not just managing a brand,” she said. “We’re managing a nation’s reputation.”

The audience was captivated. Lena’s clarity, composure, and strategic insight left a lasting impression - and her presence underscored the Summit’s ambition: to connect marketing with influence at the highest level.

Final Thoughts

From AI to attribution, sports to storytelling, the APAC Financial Marketing Leaders’ Summit 2025 delivered a day of insight, connection, and quiet transformation. With a stellar speaker lineup and a warm, collegial atmosphere, the event marked a milestone for Financial Marketing Insights in the region.

This wasn’t just a Summit, it was a signal - that APAC’s financial marketers are ready to lead, connect, and shape the future.

Thank you to all who attended and once again our sponsoring partners. Stay tuned for the official highlights video, produced by the brilliant team at Casey Wishart & Partners.

And until next time - keep building, keep connecting, and keep marketing with purpose!

Jacob

To find out more, follow along on LinkedIn at Financial Marketing Insights - and our next webinar is on October 15 and next event on December 10.