In this episode of the Financial Marketing Insights podcast, we interviewed Tom Hughes, Chief Marketing and Communications at Gemcorp Capital on why the role of leadership, brand and storytelling matter more than ever in today’s asset management landscape.

Tom Hughes has spent his career at the intersection of marketing, communications, and investor relations - a blend that has shaped his approach to one of the most complex challenges in financial services today: building understanding and conviction in a nascent asset class. As Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Gemcorp Capital, he is helping define how emerging‑market private credit is explained, experienced, and ultimately adopted by institutional investors.

His path into financial services marketing began in the early 2010s, when a role working with financial institutions introduced him to the discipline. A move into Allianz Global Investors set the foundation for a career spent across client experience, investor relations, and brand - experience that now informs his leadership at Gemcorp, where the stakes are high and the narrative matters.

Gemcorp invests across the emerging world, with a particular focus on Africa, financing infrastructure, energy, and development projects that require deep expertise and on‑the‑ground understanding. It is high‑touch work in markets where human judgment is irreplaceable - and that reality shapes Tom’s philosophy of how the firm must communicate.

Humanising a Complex Business

Gemcorp is founder‑owned, entrepreneurial, and deeply specialised. But specialisation can create distance. Tom recognised early that investors needed a clearer sense of who the firm is, how it thinks, and who is behind the decisions.

“We wanted people to understand the individuals behind the business - their experience, their perspective, and the way they approach opportunities in emerging markets.”

That insight led to GemCast, the firm’s video‑podcast series. It was not conceived as a marketing experiment, but as a strategic response to a business need: making the organisation more visible, more relatable, and more human.

Audio, Tom argues, is uniquely intimate; video adds depth and presence. Together, they allow investors - and the broader ecosystem - to see the people behind the capital.

The impact has been cultural as much as commercial. GemCast has become a touchstone internally, a place where portfolio managers, founders, and subject‑matter experts share their thinking. New joiners see it as a rite of passage. And across the organisation, colleagues reference episodes as a way of understanding parts of the business they previously had little visibility into.

It is brand‑building in the most literal sense: creating familiarity, trust, and shared identity.

Educating a Market Still Taking Shape

Emerging‑market private credit is still early in its institutional adoption curve. Investors recognise the benefits, but allocations remain limited. Tom describes this as the “misconception gap” - a space where understanding has not yet translated into action.

That gap makes education central to Gemcorp’s strategy. It shapes the firm’s external communications, its investor‑relations conversations, and the cadence of its content.

“This isn’t a simple product switch. It requires investors to think differently about their asset allocation and the role this type of credit can play. That takes time, repetition, and clarity.”

Marketing, in this context, becomes a strategic function. It is not about promotion; it is about building a category. And category‑building is slow, deliberate work - the kind that demands consistency and conviction.

Building Brand with a Three‑Year Horizon

When Tom joined Gemcorp 18 months ago, he set a clear ambition: to build the leading brand in emerging‑market private credit within three years. That long‑term horizon has been essential in aligning the organisation around brand investment.

The founders understood the importance of reputation and visibility, which made the strategic case straightforward. The more delicate challenge was encouraging senior leaders to embrace video, content, and the personal visibility that comes with it.

Today, those same leaders actively propose new GemCast topics and see the platform as a strategic asset. The shift reflects a broader truth: when brand work is tied to commercial objectives, internal adoption accelerates.

AI, Efficiency, and the Risk of Sameness

Tom’s perspective on AI is pragmatic and refreshingly grounded. He sees its value - particularly in accelerating first drafts, summarising transcripts, and freeing teams from time‑consuming tasks - but he is clear about its limitations.

“AI helps with efficiency, but efficiency isn’t the goal of marketing. Differentiation is.”

In an industry where products are increasingly commoditised, he argues that firms risk blending into a “sea of sameness” if they rely too heavily on algorithmic content. AI can produce competent copy, but competence is not competitive advantage.

He uses a simple analogy: technology is the stereo; content is the music. A sophisticated sound system is irrelevant if the music lacks originality.

Tom also raises a point few leaders discuss: the impact of AI on junior talent. Early‑career marketers traditionally learn by doing - researching, drafting, editing, and iterating. If those foundational tasks are automated, the learning curve flattens.

“There’s real value in the early, hands‑on work. It builds judgment, understanding, and confidence. We shouldn’t lose that.”

His view is not anti‑AI; it is pro‑craft. Technology should elevate creativity, not replace it.

Where He Finds Perspective and Ideas

Tom draws inspiration from immersion - in markets, in business, in biographies, and in the work of peers across the industry. He reads widely, listens to long‑form content, and pays close attention to how other firms communicate.

“Nobody should be too proud to learn from what others are doing and adapt it in a way that fits their own organisation.”

He also values time to think. A long commute gives him space to reflect, write, and consider how Gemcorp’s narrative can evolve. Inspiration, he believes, is not accidental; it requires intention.

And, as he admits with a smile, football remains a constant source of energy and escape - a reminder that passion, competition, and storytelling exist far beyond the boardroom. The World Cup was in full swing during our conversation, and for Tom, the sport offers a different kind of clarity: the drama of strategy, the importance of teamwork, and the joy of watching something unfold in real time.

A Strategic, Human Approach to Modern Marketing

Tom Hughes’ work at Gemcorp Capital illustrates how modern financial‑services marketing is evolving. It is no longer about volume, velocity, or efficiency. It is about clarity, education, and human connection. It is about building trust in complex markets. And it is about creating a brand that reflects the expertise of the people behind it.

Emerging‑market private credit is still taking shape as an institutional category. Gemcorp is helping define it. And Tom’s approach - thoughtful, strategic, and grounded in human storytelling - shows how marketing can lead that journey.