Recap
Season 6 of FCS MOVES launched on September 22 with a candid conversation between Krista Phillips, Chief Customer & Transformation Officer at M&T Bank, and FCS Board Director Hailey Brent of BNY Investments & Wealth.
Krista, who joined M&T in January, described her newly created role as an opportunity to unify marketing, sponsorships, customer experience, and data analytics under one umbrella. Her mandate: ensure the customer remains at the center of every decision.
With more than 960 branches across 12 states and Washington, D.C., M&T has long positioned itself as both a major financial institution and a trusted community partner. Krista emphasized how her team is charged with deepening that balance—using modern data tools while sustaining the bank’s people-first approach.
The discussion highlighted M&T’s powerful NFL partnerships with the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, as well as its commitment to listening, learning, and local engagement.
Key Takeaways
1. Transformation with the customer at the center
Krista oversees a broad portfolio spanning brand growth, performance marketing, analytics, sales enablement, and customer experience. By weaving these functions together, she aims to ensure that every initiative reflects customer priorities and insights.
2. Data as the foundation of personalization
M&T’s “Customer 360” program stitches together data across business lines to power predictive analytics and more relevant conversations. Krista described her team’s constant cycle of testing and learning—from creative choices to channel strategies—anchored in real customer feedback.
3. Sponsorships as true partnerships
Rather than simply “hanging a sign” on a stadium, M&T approaches sponsorships as partnerships that touch every part of the bank. NFL tie-ins with the Ravens and Bills fuel authentic community engagement, extend brand reach, and even support education programs like Touchdown for Teachers.
4. Balancing scale with community trust
Krista framed M&T as “the confidence of a big bank, the comfort of a small one.” This dual identity allows the institution to combine financial strength with the personal touch of local bankers who know their clients.
5. Advice for emerging marketers
Krista encouraged younger professionals to lean into curiosity, ask questions, and network fearlessly. She reflected on her own early career hesitations and underscored that finding your voice—and surrounding yourself with diverse, knowledgeable colleagues—leads to better outcomes for both teams and customers.
We’re excited to launch Season 6 of FCS MOVES — our Members Only Virtual Event Series — when Krista Phillips, Chief Customer & Transformation Officer, M&T Bank, will be our guest speaker.
On Monday, September 22, Krista will return to the FCS’ virtual stage, this time representing M&T Bank, which she joined in January of this year. Krista will be interviewed by FCS Board Director & YMC Committee Chair Hailey Brent of BNY Investments & Wealth.
In Krista’s newly created role at M&T, she is responsible for a unified remit that covers marketing, sponsorships, customer experience, and data analytics. With a focus on transformation, Krista says her role involves putting “the customer at the center of every conversation.”
Did you know…?
- M&T Bank has a dominant regional footprint with over 960 branches, spanning 12 states —from Maine down to Virginia, plus Washington, D.C.
- M&T Bank’s positioning, “Understanding What’s Important,” is a decade-long platform built around real customer stories and community ties, representing the backbone of its marketing/communications.
- M&T Bank is one of the few banks with two major NFL platforms: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore (naming rights now extended through 2037) and a new deal as a founding partner of the Buffalo Bills’ Highmark Stadium, opening in 2026.
In gratitude to Krista, the FCS will donate $1,000 to the children’s charity of her choice: Children’s Beach House, which helps children, families, and communities build futures of hope and transformation through early childhood education, after-school programming, residential camps, and family wrap-around services.
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For information on individual and corporate membership, please contact FCS Admin/Comms Coordinator Juliet McAlee.
