Recap
FCS Chicago made a triumphant return with a sold out breakfast hosted at Northern Trust’s Global Conference Center on Tuesday, June 10. The event focused on “Marketing and Communicating in Volatile Times” and featured a panel discussion with Tara Giuliano, Chief Marketing Officer, Nuveen; Angela Gholson, Head of Wealth Management Marketing, Northern Trust; Stephanie Lerdall, Head of Corporate Communications, Morningstar. The conversation was moderated by Raakhee Mirchandani, VP Custom Programming and Anchor, The Trust at The Wall Street Journal.
The panel talked about how their teams are navigating volatility, driving engagement, and embracing innovation — all while staying anchored in authenticity. The panelists stressed the importance of brand consistency, even amid shifting political and economic tides. They also emphasized that now is the moment clients are paying closest attention, and advised that marketing teams need to be ready with content, spokespeople, and tools to respond in real time.
Building trust through personalization and advice-led content emerged as a common theme. Some financial brands are leaning heavily on proprietary research to shape both their messaging and their market strategy, particularly in the growing realm of private markets. Internally, aligning external and internal comms was described as essential — with employees positioned as brand ambassadors. (See Turning Employees into Brand Ambassadors for more on that topic.)
Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) was also a major discussion point. Our panelists were candid about AI’s role at their firms in content targeting, efficiency gains, data synthesis, and even transforming workflows, all without compromising the high-touch experience clients expect. Finally, they shared practical frameworks for fostering innovation across their teams, as exemplified by Nuveen’s dedicated “Innovation Days” and competitive intelligence workshops.
Key Takeaways:
- Stay Consistent, Stay Ready: Don’t pivot your brand with every market swing — but do enable your team to respond quickly with relevant content.
- Internal = External: Treat employees as your first (and best) spokespeople.
- Make AI Practical: Focus on AI that drives efficiency and improves access to insights (e.g., with employees and advisors).
- Lead With Usefulness: Content should solve problems, not just promote brand.
- Build for the Long Game: Use research to shape campaigns and investor education that align with long-term trends.
The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group served as the programming partner for the event, which was also sponsored by Wentworth Financial Communications.
In gratitude to the speakers, FCS Chicago donated $1,000 to Kids First Chicago, an education nonprofit that brings together Black and Latine families in solidarity to create stronger public schools to support all children in Chicago.
Reported by Kevin Windorf, CEO, FCS; CMO, 2112 Communications
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.
FCS Chicago returns in a big way, presenting “Marketing and Communicating in Volatile Times,” a breakfast event hosted at Northern Trust on Tuesday, June 10.
Fundamentals matter, especially during times of tremendous uncertainty in the markets. This panel discussion will address how advanced analytics and AI-driven digital technologies can be used to help marketing teams deliver content that matters. We’ve invited three marketing and communications leaders to share how their brands cut through customer anxiety and market noise to deliver a core and unchanging tenet of investing: Focus on strategic goals that can turn volatility into opportunity.
Our panelists will be:
- Tara Giuliano, Chief Marketing Officer, Nuveen
- Angela Gholson, Head of Wealth Management Marketing, Northern Trust
- Stephanie Lerdall, Head of Corporate Communications, Morningstar
The conversation will be moderated by Raakhee Mirchandani, VP Custom Programming and Anchor, The Trust at The Wall Street Journal.
Sign up to be a Content Champion Sponsor and receive 5 tickets plus branding before and at the event.
Breakfast/registration opens at 8:00am, with the programming running from 8:30-9:15am… ample time for networking before/after the content. Come out and meet up with new and old friends!
Our thanks to Northern Trust (Sheryl Markov), our host sponsor, and The WSJ | Barron’s Group (Lisa Barnhart), our programming partner, for making this event possible.
For more information about FCS Chicago, please contact FCS CEO Kevin Windorf.
