In this episode of the Financial Marketing Insights podcast, we spoke with Bianca Bass, CMO, Privalgo and youngest-ever board member of an FCA-regulated firm, about her journey from copywriting to the boardroom, and how psychology, empathy, and commercial rigor shape her approach to brand building.

From Vogue Dreams to Fintech Strategy

Bianca’s career began with a dream of journalism and fashion, but the realities of a recession-era job market led her into copywriting - and eventually into brand and content roles at household names like John Lewis, Selfridges, and TripAdvisor. “It was a great foundation,” she shared, “but I needed more measurability. I needed to know what I was contributing.”

That hunger for impact led her into the startup world, where she built marketing functions from scratch, immersed herself in sales, and redefined what it means to be a commercially-minded marketer.

Marketing as a Commercial Engine

At 3S Money, Bianca didn’t just lead marketing - she built an inbound engine that delivered measurable revenue, challenged assumptions, and earned her a seat on the board. “I wanted them to stop thinking of marketing as synonymous with hemorrhaging cash,” she said. Her approach was grounded in trust-building, radical honesty, and a willingness to audit not just marketing, but the business itself.

She shadowed sales calls, rewrote pitch decks, and built content that ranked for long-tail keywords like “Can a non-resident director open a UK business account?” - unsexy, but essential. “I didn’t ask for budget. I asked questions. I showed up.”

From Marketing Director to Chief Customer Officer

Bianca’s philosophy is rooted in immersion. “Can you hear the customer?” she asks her team. “Can you imagine what they’d order if you invited them to lunch?” She encourages marketers to move beyond PDFs and personas, and into real human understanding - even in B2B.

Her teams often include talent from B2C backgrounds, chosen for their fresh perspective and emotional intelligence. “B2B is actually deeply emotional,” she explained. “There’s reputational risk, complexity, and fear. We have to speak to that.”

The Neuroscience of Trust

Bianca is currently pursuing a Master’s in psychology and neuroscience for mental health - not just for personal growth, but to sharpen her professional lens. “Expertise rewires the brain,” she explained. “CFOs are neurologically primed to scrutinize. That means we have to work three times harder to win trust.”

She’s applying insights from neuroscience to everything from dashboard design to email subject lines. “If you talk about loss, it might trigger shame. That’s not engagement. That’s avoidance.”

As CMO at Privalgo, she’s taking a slower, more intentional approach to brand building - one that prioritizes positioning, emotional resonance, and cultural nuance. “We do fewer things, but we do them really well.”

Pattern Interruptions and Inspirations

Bianca’s inspiration comes from outside the echo chamber - art exhibitions, printed newspapers, and the UX of The Economist. “If Omega is marketing to high-net-worth individuals, and so am I, what can I learn from that?” she asked. “I want rogue references that sharpen my thinking.”

She’s also applying neuroscience to sales training, encouraging pattern interruption and emotional engagement. “Even saying ‘This is a cold call’ at the start can shift the dynamic,” she noted. “It’s about keeping people curious.”

Leadership, Learning, and the Long Game

Bianca’s story is one of reinvention, rigor, and relentless curiosity. From building inbound funnels to studying the brain’s fear center, she’s redefining what it means to be a marketing leader in financial services.

Her message to fellow marketers: “You already have everything you need.”