Explore every episode of the podcast Two in Twenty

Twink is joined by Arlene Ingram of JP Morgan Asset Management, who discusses her career journey, the complexities of strategic marketing in a global context, and the balance between brand and performance marketing. 

Arlene emphasises the importance of data and AI in modern marketing, defining success in financial services, and the necessity of continuous learning and career development.

Our host Twink Field interviews Malcolm Fried, CMO of Ninety One, about how a focus on fundamentals and positioning were instrumental in helping the firm navigate a challenging few years for the asset management industry.

They also explore targeted marketing strategies, the balance between data and creativity, and building a strong brand identity. As always, Malcolm shares his advice for those with aspirations in the industry.

 Featuring in this episode, Kirsten Hastings, White Marble's Head of Content, is joined by by Rick Alexander, CEO of The Shareholder Commons and Rebecca Vodel, Marketing Consultant at White Marble. In this episode, they discuss what is meant by market-wide systematic risks, identifying and addressing these risks and what it takes to be considered an official systems steward. 

Kirsten Hastings, White Marble's Head of Content and Twink Field, CEO and founder of White Marble are joined by Mark Doyle, formerly EVP Strategic Marketing & Product at Natixis. In this episode they dive into the world of marketing and the multi-affiliate model, talking through the challenges and opportunities – not only from a brand perspective, but also a budget one – and whether it is possible to have a unified multi-affiliate culture.  

In this episode, Kirsten Hastings, Head of Content at White Marble Consulting and Lisa Mattes Senior Marketing Executive are joined by Lucy Ronan, Impact and Sustainability Manager at Octopus Group.

White Marble achieved B Corp certification in 2023 and with Octopus Group gearing up for recertification, in this podcast they delve into the reasons companies want to achieve B Corp certification, what the process is like and how it has shaped the companies.

In this episode Kirsten Hastings is joined by Cordelia Hughes Regional Vice President, Financial & Legal at RWS Group, and Lauren Glossop, Marketing Consultant at White Marble. In this podcast they delve into the challenges facing the financial services industry when it comes to delivering regulatory compliant content in multiple languages, the growing threat of AI and ensuring accessibility.

In this episode Kirsten Hastings, Head of Content at White Marble, is joined by Pratibha Vuppuluri, Managing Partner at Unreasonable Collective, and Benjie Elston, President – North America, Head of Sustainability, at White Marble.  During this episode  they delve into a range of topics, including why setting up a corporate sustainability agenda is just a first step – albeit a crucial one, how good partnerships can play an important role, and why mentoring should be part of the equation.  

In this episode Kirsten Hastings, Head of Content at White Marble, is joined by David Lewis, Programme Director at the London Business School and co-creator of the QI Index, and Esther Armstrong, Associate Director at White Marble.   During the episode they delve into the topic of culture; specifically, how companies can measure and monitor it, why employee engagement surveys are not necessarily the best way to do it, and how to engage and bring along  culture naysayers.   

In this first episode of Two in Twenty Kirsten Hastings, Head of Content at White Marble Consulting, is joined by Michelle Calcutt, Director of Client Experience at Aviva Investors, and Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble. Over the course of the 20 minutes, they delve into a range of topics, including what makes or breaks the customer experience, where CX should sit within an organisation, and what areas companies should prioritise. 

White Marble and tml Partners brought together senior marketers in investment management to discuss the importance of nurturing and demonstrating culture, as a key dimension of building authentic sustainability credentials and addressing some of the key challenges facing the investment management industry today. 

 We were interested in the characteristics that made true leaders in sustainability stand out from the crowd. As features such as TCFD reporting, UK Stewardship Code adherence and the integration of diversity and inclusion policies become the industry standard, the one differentiating factor still available to brands is culture. We have observed that many of the brands recognised in the industry as being leaders in sustainability are also those with a reputation for a robust, clearly-articulated culture.   

This podcast includes a 'Reflection of the Day' and some key takeaway points from Benjie Elston and Emma Morrison. 

When the term influencer marketing is mentioned we immediately associate it with a B2C strategy and of people promoting products on Instagram and TikTok. Although influencer marketing has been around for over 15 years it is only recently that B2B industries, like financial services, have started to adopt it. 

In today’s episode Twink is joined by Tim Williams, CEO of Onalytica and Theodora Lau, Founder of Unconventional Ventures, to discuss how marketers within asset management can add influencer marketing to their campaign toolkit. 

Themes covered in this episode: 

·       The essentials of influencer marketing – what it is, how to start and the process

·       Making the case internally – best practice engaging stakeholders on influencer campaigns

·       Influencers and remuneration options

·       Example campaigns in financial services 

·       Making the greatest impact with your campaign

Introducing the participants: 

Theodora (Theo) Lau is an author, public speaker and advisor, whose work seeks to spark innovation to improve consumer financial security. The founder of Unconventional Ventures, she focuses on developing and growing an ecosystem of corporates, entrepreneurs, and VCs to better address the unmet needs of consumers. A co-host of One Vision, a podcast on fintech and innovation, Theo is also a regular contributor for top industry events and publications, including Journal of Digital Banking, Harvard Business Review, Irish Tech News and Nikkei Asian Review.

Tim Williams has over 15 years of experience connecting brands with their key Influencers across political, traditional media and social media channels. He joined Onalytica in 2012, becoming CEO in 2014. During this time Tim has personally led the Influencer program strategy and implementation for brands such as Microsoft, Barclays, IBM, Thomson Reuters, The Gates Foundation and RSPB helping incorporate social Influencer relations into their marketing & communications strategy.

In this episode of Two in Twenty, Ian discusses his extensive career at Baillie Gifford, highlighting the company's growth and the evolution of its marketing strategies. 

Ian talks about the importance of communication, especially during challenging times, and shares insights on facing activist investors like Saba. Ian also explores the future of marketing in financial services, particularly the role of AI.

With Investment Week’s - Women in Investment Awards round the corner, we took the opportunity to talk to one of the front runners and truly delve into what it means to be a ‘marketing influencer’ and a ‘marketing role model’.  In today’s episode Twink is joined in the virtual studio by nominee Alex Leay, Group Head Wholesale Marketing & Head of UK Marketing at HSBC Asset Management.

Themes covered in this podcast:

·       The key marketing areas Alex focuses on

·       Adjusting to a leadership position and how to motivate the right standards and behaviours 

·       Changing leadership styles 

·       Challenges experienced over the past year or two and turning things around

·       What marketers should focus on to be a leader in their field

Introducing the participant:

Alex is the Global Head of Wholesale Marketing and the Head of UK Marketing at HSBC Asset Management. Throughout her 14-year career at HSBC, she has held numerous senior marketing and propositions roles, covering various asset classes and client segments. Prior to HSBC, Alex was Global Head of External Comms at Thomson Reuters, where Portfolio Managers were one of her favourite client groups! Alex leads the HSBC Asset Management Working Parents group and holds a BBA in Management from Lancaster University and a post graduate qualification from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

ETFs have been one of the most successful financial innovations in the past few decades and are heading for yet another record year. But what makes ETFs so successful and attractive to investors?

Ready to provide the answers are Nic Basson, marketing strategist in ETFs, and Alex Olivares, head of EMEA campaign marketing at Invesco, who join Twink in the virtual studio to discuss the history and opportunities for ETFs.

Themes covered in this episode: 

·         The history and landscape of ETFs

·         The differences between ETFs and mutual funds

·         The growth of ETFs and why more and more investors are using them in their portfolios

·         The next stage for ETFs

·         Key considerations for marketers when looking to market ETFs

Introducing the participants: 

Nic Basson was head of marketing for Source ETF before its sale to Invesco in 2017, where he had a number of senior roles, recently responsible for Marketing Strategy and Planning at Invesco for the EMEA region. Prior to this he worked in equity sales at Bank of America Merrill Lynch covering EEMEA and LatAm equities. Nic also holds a Master of Commerce from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Alex Olivares is head of EMEA campaign marketing at Invesco. Prior to that he held various global marketing roles at Source ETFs, Capital Group and AllianceBernstein. He enjoys learning about seemingly disparate topics and has worked in management consulting, US politics and investment banking. Alex holds an MBA from TRIUM (London School of Economics, New York University, HEC Paris) and a BA in English Literature from the University of Chicago.

Unsure how the UK pensions industry actually works? Not to worry, we have it covered in today’s AIM High episode: The legacy and leadership of the UK pensions industry. Accompanying Twink to discuss this subject is Charlotte Moore, a freelance Communications Consultant and Jo Sharples, Partner and CIO at Aon.

Themes covered in this podcast:

·  The UK pensions industry landscape and how defined benefit (DB) pensions schemes have evolved

·  The challenges pension schemes face in relation to the UK government’s ‘investments big bang’ push

·  Are the UK government and the UK regulator at odds with each other over risk?

·  The knock on effect of Osborne’s pensions reforms and freedom of choice

·  Challenges for DB and defined contribution (DC) pension schemes in the next 5 – 10 years and how pension schemes will evolve

·  How marketers of institutional houses can do a better job in communicating with gatekeepers of big pension schemes

Introducing the participants:

Charlotte Moore is an award-winning freelance journalist and communications consultant who specialises in pensions. She writes regularly for a number of publications such as Professional Pensions and IPE. Charlotte also helps asset managers produce readable blog posts, white papers, monthly updates and book chapters.

Jo Sharples is a Partner in Aon's Investment Practice and is the Chief Investment Officer for Aon’s DC Solutions. She has over 20 years of experience in the pension and investment industry and is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. Joanna is responsible for the development and implementation of delegated investment solutions for DC pension schemes, working closely with Aon’s UK delegated team.

Welcome back to another episode of AIM High. In today’s podcast we take a slightly different approach as Twink is joined in the studio by Benjie Elston, Director and Head of Sustainability at White Marble, who shares the findings from our latest in-depth investor research. 

Accompanying Benjie and Twink is Ross Duncton, Head of Marketing & Direct at BMO Global Asset Management (EMEA), who shares his reflections on how he managed to achieve such great success in this space.  

What’s covered in this podcast? 

• Which asset managers rank as leaders or laggards within ESG and responsible investing 
• Why might an asset managers fall behind in this space 
• The process behind BMO’s success  
• Qualities marketers need to drive responsible investing within their organisation 
• Key findings and insights from WMMs recent investor research  
• The nuances between institutional and wholesale audiences  

Introducing the participants: 

Ross Duncton is a highly experienced marketing lead with over 15 years of experience working in the financial services industry. Formerly with Prudential and Acromas Financial services, Ross has a thorough understanding of financial marketing, product management, commercials and operational capabilities. 

Benjie Elston, Product Director, heads up the sustainability practice at White Marble, leading the way in pushing the development and education of ESG for clients and the wider industry. With 12 years of business development experience within the asset management industry, Benjie has experience as a product specialist for Newton’s ESG team, assisting those looking for help to find clear brand and product articulation. 

Digital technology implementation continues to evolve and the way we interact with social media is transforming too. With all this evolution, it is clear firms not investing time and resources into their social media creation and distribution strategy risk being left behind. 

Best practices for creating content and social engagement is therefore the topic of today’s episode where Twink is joined by Vince Gorgan, Director of Marketing at Lord Abbett and George Owen, Founder & Director of Itch Media. 

Themes covered in this episode: 

• The starting principles and expectations we should have when planning social content 
• How the industry is evolving and embracing social 
• Best practice for creating and sharing on social 
• What a good creative brief looks like 
• Convincing stakeholders of the merits of social (budgeting & resourcing).  
• Key considerations when creating content for social channels 

Introducing the participants: 

Vince Grogan, Lord Abbett’s Director of Marketing, is a 28 year veteran of the financial services industry, with a broad range of clients under his belt across the US and Europe at firms including Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Oppenheimer Funds. Vince has extensive experience developing and successfully executing integrated marketing strategies spanning digital, content, channel and core marketing. 

George Owen founded ITCH in 2013, leading a team of filmmakers, animators and editors in delivering content solutions to clients across multiple sectors. Significant growth in the last few years thanks to their results-focused creative executions has seen ITCH create global campaigns for the likes of Ernst & Young, Nestle and Canon. Prior to ITCH, George worked in the wonderful world of reality TV working for the likes of Endemol and the BBC. 

The FCA Assessment of Value reports came into effect in September 2019 due to a lack of transparency in the financial industry. The reports were introduced to prompt asset managers to assess the value of each fund and take corrective action if it does not offer good value. However, the ambiguity and lack of understanding of what is involved in these reports has brought with it concerns from across the industry as asset managers question what value these reports will provide to the end consumer.  

In today’s episode Twink is joined by three industry experts; John Bennett, Head of Adviser Proposition at Sparrows Capital Limited; David Ogden, Head of Compliance at Sparrows Capital; and Esther Armstrong, Marketing Consultant at White Marble Marketing, to discuss the ‘good, bad and the ugly’ of the new FCA Assessment of Value reports.  

Themes covered in this podcast: 

• An introduction to Assessment of Value (AoV) reports 
• How the asset management industry has responded and what lessons have been learnt  
• The accessibility and purpose of the AoV reports 
• Improvements that can be made to AoV reports and the next steps 
• Tips for marketers to help drive better consistency and clarity with AoV reports  

John Bennett has a financial services career spanning 30 years in the City of London. He has a broad range of experience having advised HNW individuals as Managing Director of the financial advisory arm of a top 20 accountancy practice as well as with Man Investments as Head of UK Retail Distribution and subsequently at UBS, managing UK distribution for their alternative investments platform. 

David has a wealth of experience in compliance having joined the regulator IMRO in 1992. Since ending his time there, he has held positions in compliance in both retail and institutional investment management. Following on from his thirteen-year spell as Head of Compliance at Seven Investment Management, David has now taken the compliance reins at Sparrows Capital. 

Esther Armstrong is an award-winning writer and content strategist within the investment management industry. Esther joined White Marble back in 2020 as a marketing consultant and brings over a decade of experience in financial services marketing and communications, previously holding positions at Money Observer, Interactive Investor, Portfolio Adviser and BNY Mellon.   

Giving presentations is a required skill in modern society and while it can seem easy enough on the surface, delivering cut through presentations that truly engage audiences is a very much sought-after skill.  

In today’s episode Twink explores how to make presentations impactful and deliver cut through for your audience as she is joined by the experienced Dylan Emery, Editorial Director at Last Word Media.  

Themes covered in this podcast:  

• What do the best presentations have in common? 
• Differentiating through messaging to engage audiences 
• How marketers can help fund managers think differently about pitch content 
• How to deliver cut through in online events 

Introducing this week's guest:  

Dylan Emery is an experienced editorial director within the asset and wealth management industry. He co-founded the publishing, research and events company Last Word in 2005 and is a regular chairman of investment conferences and awards ceremonies. In addition to Dylan’s editorial flair, he also runs an improvised theatre company which regularly performs in the West End and around the world.   

A learning mindset is crucial for a digital focused world. In the past 18 months all industries have undergone a digital evolution with work processes and culture being transformed. In this moment, having the drive and ambition to be consistently learning can be a business’ differentiator, while those that are unable to learn and adapt are the ones who are left in the dark.  

In today’s episode Twink delves into the importance of a learning mindset with Farley Thomas, Founder & CEO of Manageable and Barbara Rupf Bee, Head of EMEA at Allianz Global Investors. 

Themes covered in this podcast: 

• The importance of a learning mindset 
• The difficulties when asking questions, especially in early career 
• How can we instil greater curiosity into our own approach and that of our teams? 
• The evolvement of recruitment in the asset management industry 
• How are businesses best channelling and encouraging ambitious, curious individuals – without the manager or business feeling challenged themselves? 
• Is the desire and opportunity to learn in our mid careers, changing the roles we seek and decisions we make?

Introducing the participants: 

 Before founding Manageable and True Dawn, in 2020 and 2014 respectively, Farley spent over two decades in client-facing roles, focused in financial services. For over ten years he directed global functions and businesses at one of the world's largest banks and has led teams in over 30 countries. Farley has accumulated management, sales, marketing and product-development experience and is a language scientist with a habit of learning a little about a lot of languages. 

Barbara joined AllianzGI in 2019 from UBS, where she led its wealth management business in Germany. Previously, she served as the Head of EMEA Global Client Group at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management responsible for distribution and business development. Barbara spent eight years working with teams in the UK, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Asset Managers Group, a specialist asset manager focused on Emerging Europe, Russia and Africa. 

The Middle East is considered by many as an opaque market, it can be difficult to know who the end investors are and the industry is extremely relationship driven, making patience a key contributing factor to the success of asset managers in this region.  

In today’s episode Twink looks to unravel the fundamentals of the investment industry in the Middle East as she is joined by two industry experts; Nigel Sillitoe, CEO of Insight Discovery; and Emmanuel Laurina, Head of Middle East & Africa at State Street Global Advisors. 

Themes covered in this episode:  

• Nature & fundamentals of the Middle Eastern investment industry 
• Key considerations to being successful in the regions. 
• Choosing the appropriate marketing strategies and tactics  
• Leveraging globally produced concepts for marketing content or campaigns in the Middle East 
• The Middle East and sustainability  
• Emerging trends over the last 12 months 

 Introducing the participants: 

Nigel Sillitoe is a high-profile executive within the financial services sector and a regular speaker on the conference circuit being voted one of the most influential executives in the offshore financial services industry in both 2018 and 2019. CEO of Insight Discovery, Nigel has worked with numerous clients for strategic communications including one of the largest asset management companies in the US and the biggest asset management firm in Europe. 

Emmanuel Laurina is an experienced sales and marketing leader with over 20 years’ experience within the investment management industry. Having started his career with BNY Mellon in 1997, Emmanuel now heads the Middle East and Africa region at State Street Global Advisors as well as being a member of the company’s senior leadership team, EMEA’s executive management team, and EMEA’s diversity and inclusion committee. 

Growing an audience, as we’ve all experienced, is a difficult task. In our increasingly digital world it can feel hard to compete with all the other companies now pushing seemingly endless quantities of content out online. If the pandemic has reaffirmed anything over the last 12 months it is that quality matters more than quantity. The businesses that thrived in the pandemic are the ones that got the content right and at the right time.  

In today’s episode Twink explores content to build audiences as she’s joined by Kennedy Lynn, marketing analyst at White Marble Marketing and Vered Zimmerman, founder and managing director at FinText. 

 Themes identified in this podcast: 

• Key considerations when trying to build audiences  
• Measuring the success of your content approach  
• Managing consistency across all departments 
• How to compete and get through on social media 
• Mistakes asset managers make when attempting to building trust with audiences 

Introduction to the participants: 

Vered Zimmerman is an experienced investment writer who helps financial services firms stand apart in a saturated, noisy market. Starting her career in maths and computer science, Vered soon realised she could use Natural Language Processing to generate better content and point to what readers find engaging. This led to the creation of FinText in 2019, a company that provides investment marketers data-backed insights on content clients want to read.  

Kennedy Lynn is a recent graduate from University of Westminster in London where she obtained her master’s degree in digital business. Since then, Kennedy has concentrated on learning and improving her data analysis skills and recently joined White Marble Marketing to use her analysis skills to help maintain and grow White Marbles benchmarking service.  

Twink is joined by Ross Duncton of Columbia Threadneedle, who shares his career journey, and tells us the importance of understanding product and market dynamics. He also discusses his role in building sustainable brands, and the challenges of aligning multiple stakeholders in investment trusts. 

Ross highlights innovative marketing strategies, particularly the use of digital and social media to engage with everyday investors. As always, the conversation concludes with insights on defining success in marketing, and the importance of balancing customer needs with commercial objectives.

Ahead of International Women’s day on Monday 8 March, we thought it would be a great opportunity to share with you this enlightening podcast on women in leadership roles. 

In this episode, Twink is joined in the virtual studio by Jayne Fieldhouse, Non-Executive Director at BlueBay Asset Management and Karen Brade, Director at HeiQ. 

Themes covered include:

1.       A reflection on careers from past to present. 

2.       Remaining motivated and thriving between dual roles.  

3.       The importance of being brave and bold in your career.

4.       Keeping curiosity alive as a leader – working through the pandemic. 

5.       Career growth advice for the next generation.

 Introducing the participants:

Jayne Fieldhouse is a highly driven global marketing and communications professional with a vast range of core expertise ranging from crisis management to media relations, Jayne’s primary focus is building formidable marketing and communication infrastructures to enhance the performance, exposure, and profitability of companies. 

Karen Brade has 25 years of experience in international finance, specialising in private equity investing, portfolio management and emerging markets. Since beginning her career in London with Citibank, Karen has held a number of non-executive board positions as well as leading international fundraising and investor relations for Commonwealth Development Corportation and Actis. 

2020 is the year that will stay in our minds forever. The year that impacted us all in completely different ways and that transformed all areas of industry, including marketing. Although predicting the future is difficult, 2021 holds more promise thanks to the roll out of vaccines, but for those of us in this industry one question still remains: what will the marketing landscape look like in 2021?

In our first episode of the new year, Twink is joined by Vincent Hooplot, Chief Strategist and Member of the Board at Fundamental Media and Managing Director at Hooplot Associates to discuss tactical trends and strategic plans for 2021. 

Themes covered in this episode:

-          The change in relationship between asset managers and media buyers

-          Strategic planning for clients in 2021

-          Challenges and opportunities for asset managers in 2021

-          How the market is responding to less long-term visibility but more fluid short-term planning cycles 

-          The change in media mix from 2020 to 2021

Vincent Hooplot is a business-driven marketing strategist with more than two decades of international industry experience at board level. Being educated in business administration and with experience across most continents, Vincent is focused on designing winning strategies followed by relentless execution. In addition, Vincent has had exposure to various industries, from energy to internet service providers and from fashion & retail to financial services. 

In a world where clients are faced with an array of content and choice, the businesses that survive in 2021 will be the ones that find new ways to engage and connect with audiences.

In this week’s episode Twink is joined by Lori Stahl, Strategic Brand Storyteller and Heidi Bryant, Author and Marketing Director at CRU to discuss the art of storytelling in marketing. An often overlooked idea in traditionally ‘professional’ industries, the untapped potential of storytelling can open up new areas for marketing teams.

Themes covered in this podcast: 

-          The importance and different types of storytelling

-          Adding this to your marketing strategy to influence and engage clients better

-          Positioning storytelling internally

-          Where it fits in the marketing mix

-          Tools and tips for improving and measuring the impact of storytelling

Lori Stahl is an experienced brand storyteller with experience working at creative agencies in diverse roles for almost 20 years. Lori prides herself on bringing together strategy and creativity to bring a unique perspective, translate and amalgamate inputs from diverse stakeholders for varied audiences in omni-channel environments. Taking a holistic approach to storytelling, Lori ensures that character and tone effectively tell the right story, for each target audience and deliver the desired outcome. 

Heidi Bryant is a highly motivated, experienced, international marketer with over 26 years’ experience growing businesses through the power of measurable, marketing strategies. Most recently Heidi has been consulting on marketing strategies for a number of different clients within varying business sectors; Financial Services, SaaS, Fintech, Arts, Domestic Services, and Tourism. In addition, In Heidi’s spare time, she’s a qualified translator from French and Spanish into English and in 2018 became a children's author.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected companies all across the globe and created a peculiar workforce environment where employees can no longer have in person conversations with their colleagues or clients. This has forced business leaders to develop new workplace operations to stay close to clients and continue to motivate employees.  

In today’s episode Twink is joined in the virtual studio by Marie-Laure Humbert, Senior strategist and executive director with the Business Strategy team of Strategic Advisory Solutions, to discuss engaging clients and motivating teams in the new normal.

Themes covered in this podcast:

-          Talking to clients about handling a crisis

-          The change curve

-          Tips for dealing with burnout and zoom fatigue 

-          Creating virtual relationships, both internally and externally

-          Learning from a crisis

Marie-Laure is an accomplished financial professional with over 20 years’ experience in financial markets gained in front line business development roles including cross-border sales. During her career, she gained international and multi-cultural experience working in Europe, Asia and the US with firms such as UBS, Citibank and Morgan Stanley.

Welcome to part two of our podcast series: Building an ESG Business & Brand. 

In part two, Twink is re-joined by Benjie Elston, Product Director at White Marble Marketing and Carlo Fassinotti, Head of Advisory Marketing at Nordea Asset Management to take a deeper dive into the fundamentals of ESG.

Themes covered in part two:

-          Dealing with trust issues and greenwashing

-          Balancing commerciality and resourcing ESG

-          Improving a brands authenticity with ESG

-          ESG measurement and reporting

-          How the market is evolving and the future of ESG

For those that missed the first part, where Carlo, Twink, and Benjie explored engaging people on ESG and clients understanding of ESG, SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement, check it out here.

Although ESG investing isn’t new, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of maintaining investment exposure to companies that pursue sustainable goals. Now more than ever, ESG is something investors can no longer afford to ignore. 

In light of the ever-growing prominence of ESG, we have produced a two episode series on building an ESG business and brand that saw Twink joined by Carlo Fassinotti, Head of Advisory Marketing at Nordea Asset Management and Benjie Elston, Product Director at White Marble Marketing. 

Main themes covered in part one:

-          Motivating, organising, and aligning a business with ESG investing 

-          Engaging people externally and internally on ESG

-          The danger of getting ahead of client demands

-          Understanding the scope of the term ‘ESG’

-          Clients understanding of SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement 

Carlo has been with Nordea since 2011 where he started off as a Product Specialist (2011-2013). In 2014, he opened the Madrid Sales Office and was part of the Iberia Sales Team (2014 – 2018). Presently he is the Head of Advisory Marketing, responsible for effective and focused marketing and communication efforts across Nordea Asset Management.

In essence, sales and marketing are both working towards the same goal, however, how they have traditionally done this has differed greatly. Marketers have focused on analysis and process, whereas sellers have focused on relationships and results. Fast forward to recent years to find sales and marketing teams are now starting to work together with greater cohesion. Understanding the benefits that each side brings is leading to better qualified leads, stronger relationships, and overall increased revenue. 

In today’s episode Twink is joined by James Smee, CEO & Principal Consultant at Bridge, to take a deeper look into the relationship between sales and marketing, with a particular focus on sales enablement, ABM and ROI.

Themes covered in this podcast:

-          Defining sales enablement, has it evolved into something different and more structural than the traditional role of marketing?

-          ABM (Account-based marketing) – fundamentals, best practice & effectiveness 

-          The increasing challenges in measuring ROI

-          How marketers can show effectiveness in their sales enablement strategies

-          How to align your sales and marketing approach – particularly as 2021 strategies and budgets are being debated.

James Smee is a highly successful and proven business leader with 20+ years commercial experience in hands-on, fast-growth organisations. Before launching Bridge back in 2018, James co-founded a highly decorated digital agency called Purestone with a final sale to global communications agency LEWIS in 2013. Having operated at C-level in a number of B2B sectors both client and agency side, James is a multi-award-winning digital marketer with a passion and highly creative flair for marketing and business development. 

Although the Asian asset management industry accounts for a mere 5 per cent of global investment fund assets, compared to Europe at 33 per cent, in recent years the Asian asset management industry has gained rapid momentum, outpacing growth anywhere else in the world. 

The Asian asset management industry is very unique. There is no common regulatory framework, culture and language significantly differ from country to country, and the landscape to reach your audience is complicated by the wide ranging media popularity in a saturated market.

In this week’s episode, Twink discusses the nature and fundamentals of marketing in Asia, as she is joined by Lydia Lee Head of Marketing, APAC at UBS Asset Management and Catherine Hooper, Head of Marketing, Southeast Asia at Janus Henderson Investors, APAC.

Themes covered in this podcast:

-          Challenges of executing an integrated regional marketing strategy 

-          Key considerations when building a presence in Asia

-          Challenges in leveraging globally produced concepts for developing content or campaigns for Asia

-          The prevalence of ESG in the Asian market

-          The impact of covid-19 and marketing trends that have emerged since the pandemic 

Lydia Lee is an experienced Head of Marketing with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. An all-round dedicated marketing professional with a Bachelors Degree in Economics from Murdoch University Lydia is skilled in asset management, management, leadership and marketing,

Catherine Hooper is a broad marketing communications expert within financial services and retail sectors across Asia Pacific and Europe. Degree educated at Aston University, Catherine specialises in communications, campaign development and brand management for both product and service-led businesses. 

The US asset management industry is the largest in the world with assets under management totalling over $50 trillion, double the size of Europe’s assets of between $26 - $30 trillion. With products so similar but audiences so different, each market requires a different approach and strategy.

In this week’s episode Twink is joined by Cynthia Holahan, Marketing Director of North America at Ninety One, and Gabriel Altbach, Head of North America at White Marble Marketing, to discuss the essentials of the US asset management industry and managing the need for localised campaigns for successful cross Atlantic marketing. 

Themes covered in this podcast: 

-          The major differences between the European and US markets 

-           Industry localisation beyond semantics

-          The prominence of digital marketing as a visible strategic function for US asset managers

-          Trends and challenges for US asset managers 

-          The slow progression of ESG in the US asset management industry 

Cynthia Holahan is a financial services marketing and communications professional with more than 17 years’ industry experience. Prior to joining Ninety One, Cynthia held roles as Vice President, of OppenheimerFunds and Goldman Sachs where she was responsible for brand, digital and content strategy, innovative cross-channel marketing techniques and corporate strategy.

Gabriel Altbach is a well-recognised expert with over 21 years’ experience in the global asset management industry working predominantly in the US, with additional stints based in Italy and the UK. His experience spans a wide range of roles, from his start as a Financial Advisor at UBS (then PaineWebber), to serving as Global Head of Strategy and Marketing for Pioneer Global Asset Management and Amundi Asset Management. 

Understanding your target market is crucial for marketing success, yet, so many companies fail to take their clients’ needs into consideration when they plan marketing activities, and focus on their product. An effective segmentation process should always start with the customer, identifying their needs and building a product or service that satisfies these. 

As segmentation becomes an increasingly important role in a marketer’s strategy, today’s podcast episode focuses on the challenges and practicalities of this often-neglected field. Twink is joined by Babatunde Awopetu, Group Strategy and Marketing Director at Optegra, and Tabra Trezise, Digital Services Manager at White Marble Marketing.

Themes covered in this podcast:

-          Defining segmentation

-          Best practice segmentation 

-          Challenges for effective segmentation

-          The practicalities of segmentation

-          Tips for marketers thinking about their own approach to segmentation

Baba Awopetu is an experienced marketer with a natural gift for developing strong marketing strategies. Having completed his master’s degree in strategic marketing at the University of Greenwich, Baba went on lead marketing teams in the healthcare industry. Currently working as Group Strategy and Marketing Director at Optegra Eye Hospitals, Baba was formerly Marketing Director, EMEA, at Leica Microsystems where he was responsible for delivering vision, strategy and tactics with clarity and precision.

Tabra Trezise leads White Marble’s digital practice, helping clients define their digital strategy, launch their websites, as well as develop and establish their social media channels. As a skilled digital professional, Tabra has a broad foundation of experience across digital strategy, digital marketing and integrated campaigns. She has worked with global teams across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific with brands including Telstra, Sensis, AIA and T. Rowe Price.

In this conversation, Paul Zettl shares his extensive career journey in financial services marketing, discussing key experiences at various firms. He emphasizes the importance of building effective agency relationships, optimizing marketing structures, and creating value-added programs. 

Thought leadership is an essential part of any content strategy, providing key insights and the ability to motivate and inspire team members. However, there’s an argument that thought leadership’s identity has changed over time, along with business’ growing ability to promoting content through digital formats. 

So, what role does thought leadership play in today’s marketing mix?

In this episode, Twink discusses thought leadership with Paul Zettl, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Marketing at Cohen & Steers, and James Whitman, Head of Client Communications and Content at Aviva Investors. 

Themes explored in this podcast:

-          How has thought leadership’s identity changed over time?

-          Stimulating and generating ideas for thought leadership and best practice content planning 

-          Achieving cut-through in congested digital heavy communications channels

-          Achieving a strong, authentic, consistent voice 

-          Tips for marketers putting their content strategy into practice 

Paul Zettl, Senior Vice President and head of Global Marketing at Coheen & Steels is a highly accomplished leader with over 20 years’ experience building brands as a strategic product marketer. Prior to joining Coheen & Steers, Paul was Group Vice President, Head of Product Marketing and Offer Management at T. Rowe Price, where he oversaw product marketing and offer management for the US intermediary business, as well as the launch of a global enterprise brand campaign that included cross-company integrated advertising. 

James is Head of Client Communications & Content at Aviva Investors. Having previously held a similar role at Aberdeen Asset Management (as it was then known), he has over ten years’ experience in creating and managing investment content, and over 15 years’ experience in financial services. Responsible for global content strategy, editorial quality, production and management (with much help from colleagues), he is always looking for ways to do things differently – whether that be through achieving more effective cut-through or simply finding production efficiencies. A big advocate of always-on content marketing, he spearheaded Aberdeen’s Thinking Aloud content platform and, more latterly, created The Little Book of Data at Aviva Investors. He is a lead editor on AIQ – AI’s thought leadership magazine and content platform.

The eventing industry – worth over $1tn globally – is at the sharp end of the disruption caused by the coronavirus. Corporate events, conferences and trade exhibitions have been cancelled due to the impact of social distancing and working from home. Once this crisis has been overcome, will the delivery of events ‘return back to normal’ or remain in a digital proposition?

In this week’s episode, Twink talks to Jon Rosies, Event Marketing Consultant at Virtual & Hybrid, and Amy Calvert, Director at 1331 Events, to discuss the way we’re rethinking the role and delivery of events in a new working world. 

Themes covered in this podcast:

-          The future of the events industry

-          How budgets will be allocated across events 

-          The opportunity to reinvigorate events with more innovation – will this enable a better return on investment?

-          The practicalities for future events and likely timeframes for doing them

-          Tips for event managers 

Jon is a senior marketing leader and experiential specialist, with specific expertise in event marketing and multimedia. During his 30-year career he has worked alongside the marketing and business development teams of some of the world’s leading investment firms, technology companies and publishing houses in Europe, the US and Asia. Combining hands-on technical production with strategic marketing expertise, he now supports marketing directors and their teams define event marketing strategy and deliver brand experiences in digital and live settings.

Amy Calvert is an experienced event specialist with over 20 years’ experience delivering large-scale events and conferences that span over 25 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US. From corporate events for investment banks and top asset management firms to global tech companies and retailers, Amy’s  global experience includes conferences for 1000 people in New York, PGA golf tours, parties, dinners and table planning for up to 500 people and bespoke C-Level thought-leadership events.

COVID-19 has pushed marketing to the forefront in many businesses as the full client experience is now being delivered digitally. Sales and marketing teams are working together more closely than before and investment officers now seek out their marketing departments’ help to develop online client engagement strategies. Does this present an opportunity for marketers to build relationships and strengthen engagement with key stakeholders across the business.

In this week’s episode, Twink talks to Jackie Boylan, Head of the UK Adviser Platform at Fidelity International, and Curt Custard, Chief Investment Officer at Newton Investment Management, to discuss stakeholder management, impact and influence.

Themes covered in this podcast:

-          The prominence of marketing within investment management companies and how it is cultivated at a cultural and individual level

-          Tips on how to approach and get attention of senior stakeholders 

-          How to prioritise the stakeholders you need to engage with

-          Tips for dealing with old-school, antagonistic stakeholders who are patronising towards marketing

-          How marketers can build and maintain stronger relationship with key stakeholders i.e. sales teams, investment managers and compliance

Jackie Boylan is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Upon joining FundsNetwork in 2017, Jackie assumed the responsibility for the management and development of the service and experience that FundsNetwork delivers to advisory firms. Prior to joining the Fidelity, Jackie spent 22 years at BT Financial Group, where she held a number of management positions and was  instrumental in enhancing the customer and adviser experience.

Curt Custard is responsible for all aspects of Newton’s global investment processes and team. He joined Newton in 2017 to lead the investment teams for the firm, including the portfolio managers, research analysts and the trading function. Prior to joining Newton, Curt was head of the Global Investment Solutions division of UBS Asset Management where he oversaw a 130+ person investment team in five locations.

In our remote working world, marketing teams are finding themselves incredibly busy - some are thinking about recruiting, while many other companies are struggling. There seems to be a real polarisation to how marketing teams are faring through this period. In today’s podcast we address this issue, as Twink talks to Charlie Walters, Director of CW Learning Ltd and Ruth Johnson, Director at INK HR. They discuss how to handle team growth and reduction. 

Themes covered in this podcast: 

-          Key considerations for an effective recruitment strategy

-          Best practice interview process and considerations for interviewing, recruiting and onboarding someone remotely 

-          Most effective methods of talent retention 

-          How to go about having those tough conversations with individuals and how best to manage the wider team

-          Tips on how to manage, right-size and create a cohesive, motivated team

 Ruth Johnson, an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, and qualified in Advanced Employment Law, is a highly qualified business coach, trained in performance assessment and analysis. Prior to setting up her own compliance practice, Ruth was head of HR at Lane4 Performance Management, an award-winning leadership development consultancy. Ruth’s early HR career began at Andersen Consulting, and she subsequently worked for Goldman Sachs, both on the trading floor and within the investment bank.

Charlie Walters is a highly experienced trainer, facilitator, and leadership consultant within the financial services industry. Before setting up CW Learning, Charlie was a Management and Personal Development Tutor at Fitch Learning and most recently led the learning and development team at Schroders. 

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. 

Remote working has rapidly swept across the UK due to social distancing. Many of us may start to experience unanticipated mental health consequences from mandated remote work. As this leads to elevated levels of stress and anxiety, it is imperative that employers recognise the importance of workplace mental health.

In this week’s episode Twink welcomes back Janice Benning, Founder and Director of NeuroVitality Ltd to discuss how we can manage for mental health – a topic that is very much in the forefront now as we cope with isolation. 

Themes covered in this podcast: 

-          Spotting the ‘warning signs’ in individuals

-          Approaching friends or colleagues to start a conversation about their mental health

-          How managers can support employees who are showing signs of being mentally unwell

-          The risk to people’s mental health when moving back to the office 

-          How we can support ourselves and others to try get back to a healthier place

 Janice specialises in creating and delivering individual and group training sessions promoting resilience, wellbeing, and personal development both in and out of the workplace. As someone who is passionate about ensuring others maintain health and balance in a challenging business world, Janice established NeuroVitality Ltd to prevent ill health, absenteeism, and improve staff retention rates. 

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers.

Since the financial crisis, global public investors have increased their allocation to real assets at a steady pace, research highlights. The volatility of markets at the moment, in addition to traditional fixed income becoming less attractive, have caused investors seeking protection. Real assets offer an appealing solution. This week, Twink discusses the role real assets play in a portfolio, as she’s joined by Alex Farlow, Head of Risk-based Solutions at Square Mile and Ruli Viljoen, Head of Manager Selection at Morningstar.

Themes covered in this podcast:

-          What are real assets?

-          How the allocation to real assets has changed in the past 10 years

-          Inputs and considerations to typically consider when putting a portfolio together

-          Liquidity issues that arise with this search for income 

-          Tips for marketers and how they can showcase their company’s capabilities 

Alex Farlow heads up the risk-targeted/volatility-managed research and co-leads on multi-asset fund research for Square Mile. In addition, he also comments in the financial press and produces articles on topics within his specialist research areas. Prior to joining Square Mile, Alex worked at Morningstar OBSR, predominantly working with IFAs – building and servicing investment and product best-advice panels.

Ruli Viljoen joined Morningstar in 2019 through the company’s acquisition of OBSR, where she had worked since 2009. Most recently, she served as head of investment research for Morningstar's open-end manager research in the UK. An experienced professional working in the UK fund research industry since 1996, Ruli has worked at TriAlpha Investment Advisors, Nedcor Investment group and Pavilion Capital.

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers.

Building high-performing leadership teams is essential for business success, and this is arguably even more crucial in highly unusual operating environments. This week Twink talks about what makes a good leader and how teams can improve, as she’s joined by Andy Brown, Director at etc Advisory and Farley Thomas, Founder of True Dawn.

Find out more about:  

-          The growing importance of coaching and mentoring 

-          What makes a good leader

-          How the demands of leadership have changed over time 

-          Ways to improve team dynamic 

-          Tips for investment marketers working on their leadership skills

Andy Brown, Director of etc Advisory, provides transformative support for agency founders and leaders based on the three pillars of clarity, tools, and talent. With over 20 years’ experience in leadership roles, Andy is an accomplished adviser who thrives when working with enthusiastic and audacious people. 

Farley Thomas, Founder of True Dawn, is an experienced coach and leadership adviser, working with a diverse set of clients who lead high-growth businesses. Drawing on over two decades of achievement in leadership, Farley helps organisations grow by sparking valuable conversations, developing actionable insights and identifying and shifting unconstructive work patterns. 

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. 

We shine a light on investment trusts this week, looking into what makes this a good investment choice, and why it is difficult to promote them. Twink is joined by Ross Duncton, Managing Director, Head of Marketing & Direct at BMO Global Asset Management (EMEA) and Annabel Brodie-Smith, Communications Director at Association of Investment Companies (AIC). This episode has been recorded remotely, following Covid-19 lockdown measures. 

Themes covered in this podcast

-          Why investment trusts are a good investment choice

-          The advantages of a closed-ended structure and who this will likely appeal to 

-          How the audience of investment trusts is changing over time

-          The difficulties with marketing investment trusts

-          How the F&C investment trust celebrated and marketed it’s 150-year milestone

 Ross Duncton is a highly experienced marketing lead with over 15 years’ experience working in the financial services industry. Heading marketing teams in other large financial firms such as Prudential and Acromas Financial services, Ross has a thorough understanding of all marketing competencies, product management, commercials and operational capabilities. 

 Communications Director at the AIC, Annabel Brodie-Smith manages the PR team whose role it is to communicate the uses and benefits of investment companies and VCTs to the media, advisers, wealth managers and private investors. In addition, Annabel is also responsible for co-ordinating the AIC’s RDR programme and overseeing the AIC’s adviser and training seminars. 

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. 

In today’s episode Twink is joined by Stuart Alexander, Co-Founder and CEO of Gemini Investment Management as they address Fund Governance within the Investment Management industry. Although Fund Governance has always been around, it is only in the last twelve months it has become a more prevalent issue. High profile fund failures such as Neil Woodford and Peter Young, who cast a long shadow over the investment industry, are prime examples of the growing need for increased regulation and governance. 

Themes covered in this podcast: 

-          The growing importance of fund governance 

-          How Woodford changed the investment industry

-          The growing need for accountability across all areas of a business 

-          The roles and responsibilities of the management committee to ensure correct governance 

-          Marketers role within fund governance

 Stuart Alexander has over 30 years’ experience in the fund management industry, previously working at other large asset managers such as Invesco and Morgan Grenfell. As an experienced professional, he has successfully launched a number of businesses in the asset management industry and has overseen the growth of many of these businesses in the UK and globally. 

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. 

We are joined by Courtney Waterman, Head of Creative Marketing at Ninety One (previously Investec Asset Management) to talk about creating a new asset management brand. Also in studio with Twink is Dan Cordoni, Associate Creative Director, and Richard Sherwell,  Client Partner at Publicis Sapient.  

 Themes covered in the podcast:

-          Unique challenges in creating a new brand 

-          Insights into stakeholder management 

-          How to brief your creative agency and work with them to deliver on it

-          The process and challenges of creating a brand name

-          Building brand identity, narrative and articulation 

 Courtney Waterman is a highly experienced marketer with over 25 years’ experience in asset management, leading marketing teams at firms such as Janus Henderson, Blackrock and Schroders. 

 Dan Cordoni is the Creative Lead at Publicis Sapient, a digital transformation partner helping established organisations get to their future digitally-enabled state. With more than 15 years’ experience operating at the boundary of design, strategy and technology, Dan joined Publicis Sapient over two years ago to help create highly relevant, beautifully crafted experiences that define brands and unlock business value.

 Richard Sherwell, Client Partner at Publicis Sapient’s Financial Services vertical, specialises in working with wealth and asset management clients. During the last 15 years he has led a variety of brand, marketing, creative campaign and technology engagements. He has worked at small, medium and large agencies, always focusing on the wealth and asset management sector.

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. 

In this episode, our guest Kelly Mikhailoff emphasises the importance of building a strong team culture as the foundation for success. She discusses the significance of recognising and celebrating diversity within the team, which fosters an environment where individuals feel valued and empowered. 

This week we discuss digital innovation in financial services. Twink is joined by Olivia Vinden, Head of Fintech and Innovation at Alpha FMC and Andrew Scott, Managing Director of White Marble Marketing.

Olivia leads Alpha’s UK fintech & innovation practice, advising on emerging technology and its impact on asset and wealth management operating models. She holds the MIT Fintech Certificate, is a member of the advisory panel of Velocity – the fintech accelerator from the Investment Association, and leads several client forums on innovation.

Andrew Scott joined White Marble in 2017 with experience spanning 20 years in the UK, most recently leading digital across Hermes, M&G and Investec Asset Management. He is highly experienced in working with major financial services brands to develop and implement digital strategies.

Themes covered in the podcast include:

- Building genuine customer experience through new platforms and harnessing AI

- Building new skills in teams to help overcome resistance to change and regulation barriers

- Fintech solutions to assess large data sets and the importance of clean data to implement new systems

- How AI fits into the marketing mix

- Knowing how to use data: actionable insights vs vanity measures

- Best practice: how to get started and implement change by getting your base data right, building your tech stack and implementing data points across the whole customer journey

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. 

We discuss the impact of wellness on efficiency in the workplace. A topic not widely discussed until relatively recently, there is now growing understanding and openness about wellness in our lives. Our guest is Janice Benning, a resilience coach and a training director of NeuroVitality. She focuses on prevention rather than cure and promotes awareness and insight into resilience, well-being and prevention.  

The AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, White Marble Marketing CEO and Founder, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM), is part of the landscape of content and resources we create specifically for marketers within the investment management world. 

ESG, sustainability and impact are prominent themes on most investment managers’ agendas, alongside the need to differentiate their approach from that of their competitors. This week we discuss the opportunities and challenges for marketers as they help to shape their firms’ positioning in this regard.  

To help us make sense of it all, we’re joined by Lloyd McAllister, a Responsible Investment Analyst at Newton Investment Management, and Holly Mackay, founder of Boring Money. 

Themes covered in this podcast:
- Where the drive for ESG has come from
- The spectrum of ESG terms
- ESG trends
- Challenges to delivering credibility and authenticity in regards to ESG
- Pitfalls marketers make when trying to set out ESG credentials 
- How is this space evolving 

The AIM High podcast is hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing and The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is focused on conversations with a range of investment industry experts talking about the opportunities and challenges of financial services, the evolution and impact of products, practical investment marketing insights and personal development for careers. 

Welcome to the AIM High podcast, hosted by Twink Field, CEO and Founder of White Marble Marketing, for The Association of Investment Marketers (AIM). AIM creates content and resources designed specifically for marketers within the investment management world. The AIM High podcast is built around conversations with a range of experts talking about the industry, product, practical tips and personal development for marketers in the investment industry. 

AIM is passionate about marketing being recognised as an influential and strategic part of a business and provides investment marketers with resources, events and courses to help them improve industry knowledge, develop their careers and build their network.

Subscribe for alerts for AIM High, with a new episode every two weeks and find out more about what AIM offers at investmentmarketers.com

This week Twink is joined by Heather Hopkins from NextWealth and Fergus McCarthy from Standard Life Aberdeen, to discuss the UK advisory market. They bring insight for understanding who your clients are and what journey they’ve been on to get to this point.

Heather Hopkins is a data and research expert specialising in retail investment distribution, and founded NextWealth to help platforms, life companies, asset managers, financial advisers and technology companies see what’s next in wealth. Previously Heather has held positions including the head of Platforum, a market-research firm servicing the UK platform market owned by Centaur Media, and the head of research for Hitwise, an internet data analytics company, working from London and Tokyo.

Fergus McCarthy has more than 20 years' sales experience in the financial services industry, having worked in senior roles at BNY Mellon, Investec Asset Management, Martin Currie and AXA Investment Managers before joining Standard Life Aberdeen as UK Distribution Director. Leading the Regional Accounts team, he discusses utilising the breadth of his industry experience to deliver the Investment and Platform ambitions in the UK Wholesale market.

Themes covered in the podcast include:

• Helping advisors with customer acquisition

• Sales and marketing working together to bring the clients voice into the business

• Understanding the target market

• Creating consumer ready content

• Reaching advisors with shrinking sales teams

If you would like more information about market research into the industry, NextWealth and the Personal Finance Society (PFS) have published a comprehensive benchmarking study for financial advice businesses. It covers the profile of financial planners and their firms, the future of financial advice businesses, investment propositions, technology infrastructure and outsourced support.

You can download the free report here: https://investmentmarketers.com/podcast/aim-high-the-changing-uk-advisory-market/