Join me for a fast paced and highly engaging presentation how leaders from across a credit union can engage and support marketing efforts. 

I'll be leading on a 2.5 hour hands on AI learning lab and presenting on the value of onboarding. Two sessions with great content for bank and credit union leaders.

This one’s for the leaders shaping what’s next in small business banking, from smarter marketing and digital strategy, to rethinking how we lend, and how we serve customers in a changing economy.

I’ll be joining a powerhouse lineup of banking execs, including Stu Richards, Abbas Merchant, and Mike Lee on a panel to talk about "Gen AI, Generative Optimization and Personalized Content at Scale". We'll dig into real, actionable ideas (not just theory). This is a dynamic, and fasty evolving, topic that I see Marquis and ZAG Interactive clients navigating everyday.

In addition to my session, the conference will focus on:

💡 Fast-paced sessions, peer roundtables, and conversations that connect strategy to results.

🧠 Insights from industry leaders, helping you shape future strategy.

🏦 Banking professionals looking to grow their customer and community impact. 

AI in Banking: Real World Lessons for Bankers

A candid look at the current state of AI in banking, featuring real-world stories from banks actively rolling out AI, and the practical lessons learned. This session will explore how banks are creating time saving automations and applying everyday use cases, to areas of friction and cultural hang-ups that are stalling growth. Plus, hear some regulatory insights. These examples show what happens when AI is applied with intention, and what goes wrong when it’s not.

Here’s how you can use AI to amplify the talent on your team. 

In my latest piece in The Financial Brand, Jordan Csepregi, VP of Marketing at HealthCare Associates Credit Union and I, explore how credit unions, banks, and all FIs can use AI to help their people work better, faster, and with more creativity. Strong leaders are using AI to develop stronger employees.

The big takeaway? 👉 AI isn’t a magic wand. But it can give your marketing team a head start every day.

We outlined four action plans you can put into practice right away:

🔹 Free your team from time-draining tasks

🔹 Give them smarter starting points for content and campaigns

🔹 Spark new creative energy

🔹 Build confidence instead of fear

When leaders lean in and provide clear direction, AI can amplify the talent on your team.

Click here to read more.

Why do so many CRM investments fall flat?

(Hint: it’s not the software, and we’ll share insights during our webinar.)

Marquis is partnering with the American Bankers Association to share how banks can move from stuck to strategic with CRM. Real success depends on people, leadership, and culture, not just technology. This webinar is designed for all roles and levels of an organization that are involved in a CRM. 

What we’ll unpack together:

 🔹 How to build a CRM plan that works for every stakeholder

 🔹 Implement with purpose: clear roles, actionable data, and cross-bank alignment

 🔹 Drive adoption and accountability so CRM becomes part of your culture, not just another tool

 🔹 Think critically about friction points and landmines

This session is about leadership, culture, execution, the real difference makers that make CRM work. 

Need guidance on why your CRM efforts are falling flat or stuck? 

(Hint: it’s not the software.)

I’m hosting a free webinar to help you unpack why CRM success is driven by people, leadership, and culture. Marquis’ CRM is deployed by many banks and credit unions and we can see firsthand what works, and what’s holding FIs back. 

Here’s what we’ll explore together:

🔹 How to build a CRM plan that actually works for every stakeholder

🔹 Turning CRM into a tool your team wants to use, not one they ghost after go-live

🔹 Creating alignment across front end users, support, and leadership

🔹 Driving adoption and accountability that lasts

This isn’t a tech demo. It’s a practical session on how to transform CRM from “that system we bought” into a strategy your entire bank or credit union believes in.

✨ If you’ve ever been frustrated by low adoption, siloed data, or “CRM scars” from past attempts, this is your chance to get unstuck.

We analyzed Marquis driven marketing campaigns across 95 FIs, banks and credit unions, reaching 5 million+ customers or members. I wanted to give a lot of insights across onboarding, lending, direct mail vs. email, and more! This is a great chance to benchmark yourself, consider new ideas, and see what's working in banking today. It's great timing as you get into budget season and start to think about 2026 planning.

I really enjoyed writing this piece and I hope you get a lot of value from reading it. 

Some quick takeaways from the FREE e-book.

✅ Direct mail is outperforming email in many campaigns.

✅ Automated emails deliver a 3X lift vs. one-offs.

✅ Onboarding campaigns are crushing it with double-digit response rates.

✅ Omnichannel (direct mail + email) is the clear winner for ROI.

The lessons? Relevance wins, timing matters, and channel mix is more important than ever. If you want to see what’s really working in acquisition, onboarding, deposit growth, and reboarding, this wrap-up is worth the download.

👉 Get the eBook here.

How does AI view your bank or credit union?

In my latest piece for The Financial Brand, I took a look at Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) vs. traditional SEO. It's not well understood, but it’s growing in importance. I know I don't have all the answers, but I also know AI can help you learn more, quickly.

Plus, there are ready-made prompts you can copy and paste to jumpstart your learning.

The article unpacks:

 🔹 What GEO actually is (and how it’s already reshaping search)

 🔹 Why traditional SEO tactics alone won’t cut it in the AI-driven search era

 🔹 What AI really thinks of your brand

Not sure how to use AI to your benefit? Ask AI! 

You don’t need to be a tech wizard to start experimenting. Just plug in the prompts and see how your brand shows up when AI engines do the searching for your customers, members, and prospects.

📖 Read the full article here.

The New Growth Formula: Checking Acquisition + Onboarding + AI

Click here to see more. 

We focused on how to:

☑️ Sharpen your checking acquisition strategy

☑️ Rethink onboarding to build long-term member value

☑️ Use generative AI to unlock both productivity and creativity in your marketing workflow

With insights from my work with Marquis clients across the country, real examples, real challenges, and real results. And through interactive exercises and collaboration, students learned from their fellow credit union marketers who are tackling the same growth questions you are.

I’m excited to be speaking at the America's Credit Unions Operations & Member Experience Council and Technology Council Conference 2025 (Sept 28 – Oct 1).

The first 90 days of a member’s journey aren’t just important, they’re make-or-break and directly contribute to the long-term loyalty and profitability of a new relationship. At Marquis we see this impact firsthand and I'm exciting to bring insights to all the attendees. 

In my session, we’ll review:

 ✨ What the data reveals about onboarding behaviors that actually drive engagement, satisfaction, and product adoption

 ✨ A real-world case study from a credit union that transformed its onboarding approach

 ✨ How marketing automation, digital solutions, and staff engagement can work in harmony across multiple channels and touchpoints

You'll learn:

 ✔️ Fresh insights to help you reconnect on this important topic

 ✔️ Actionable strategies to kickstart, revamp, or refine onboarding (hint: it's not just a cross selling activity)

 ✔️ The financial impact of good, or bad onboarding, over the life of the relationship.

If onboarding, or more importantly lifelong loyalty and relationships, is on your growth agenda, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Ever wonder how other content creators take a single idea and turn it into a polished webinar, engaging article, or standout eBook? 

As a guest speaker I walked through how I build content with the support of AI. 

 CU Leadership Conference with 1200+ Leaders

I’m thrilled to speak at a leading event for growth-minded credit union leaders — the 2025 CU Leadership Convention, happening August 12–15 in Las Vegas.

My session: “The Modern Credit Union Leader: What It Takes to Win with Marketing in 2025”

We’ll unpack what Marquis knows is working in today’s market, and how smart CUs are aligning marketing, growth, and leadership in bold new ways.

Here’s why this event should be on your radar:

✔️ Connect with 1,200+ CU leaders – including board members, CEOs, and executives shaping the future of our movement

 ✔️ Deep-dive into 8 breakout summits tackling marketing, innovation, talent, and strategy

 ✔️ Walk away with real insight from the country’s top-performing CU experts (warts and wins included)

Excited to Be Teaching Onsite at the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin - Madison!

I’m honored to return to GSB at UW–Madison, this time as a faculty member. As a proud Class of 2014 graduate, it's incredibly rewarding to be back on campus to teach a course that reflects the future of our industry:

👨‍🏫 "Curious to Confident: Hands-On AI Immersion."

GSB has long been a leader in shaping financial professionals, and it’s exciting to see their continued leadership by helping bankers understand the responsible, real-world use of AI. With actual use cases to practice, they'll be equipped to return to the office and immediately make a meaningful impact in their role, and everyone around them. 

As a bonus, I’ll also be doing a short session on using AI to better understand FiSim, GSB’s industry-leading banking simulation. These are practical, transferable skills leaders can use the moment they're back in the office.

Turn Lifetime Value and Customer Profitability into Action

Most banks and credit unions talk about lifetime value and profitability, but few have defined it or taken any steps to make it actionable. 

I'll be hosting Marquis' webinar "Making Sense of Relationship Value". We'll cut through the complexity and give FI's a practical approach with actionable use cases to help you grow.

You’ll walk away with: 

✅ A smarter way to define value 

✅ Campaign strategies that target profitability 

✅ Tools to align your team and drive results

✅ Real-world use cases. Actionable strategies. A simple model you can actually use. 

The Deposit Advantage Playbook 

6 Quick Moves + AI Prompts for Smarter, Low Cost Deposit Growth

Growing deposits is more than marketing top of the market rates for large wins, it’s also about long-term loyalty, financial empowerment, and sustainable growth.

This e-book gives you six proven deposit growth opportunities, plus the generative AI prompts to make them actionable. 

Click here to download the e-book.

Checking acquistion, onboarding, and how gen AI can transform your marketing results. 

Click here to learn more. 

Understand how gen AI can help your bankers work with small business customers. With over a dozen prompts you can copy and paste, you'll be able to accelerate and transform how you help this important customer base. 

Click here to read the article. 

Very exciting to bring everyday AI to bankers at the Stonier Graduate School of Banking. We'll have an immersive hands on learning lab, giving students the tools to be AI leaders when they return to their bank. 

ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking

ChatGPT and other generative AI tools are transforming bank marketing by transforming productivity and sparking creativity. This session explores how to use everyday AI responsibly and effectively, helping you create marketing campaigns that drive growth. Gain practical insights into leveraging generative AI to create marketing plans, content and supporting materials. From direct mail and email campaigns to banker training and manager resources, you'll see how to draft a campaign in under an hour. With actionable insights and examples, this session equips you with the tools to produce brand-aligned, customer-centric campaigns that saves time and deliver results.

Click here to learn more. 

I loved writing this article for The Financial Brand with my good friend Laura Doolin from TruStage!

We took her communication insights and blended them with my AI knowledge and work with clients at Marquis. The result: 4 practical AI strategies any bank or credit union can use to communicate better and faster with members/customers and the community.

💡 Bonus: We included AI prompts you can copy and paste so you can accelerate your learning and see what effective prompts really look like in action.

The key takeaway? 👉 AI is most valuable when it gives your team a head start, not when it's the last step.

Articles like this reinforce how powerful the right AI starting point can be for:

✅ Drafting clearer member/customer emails to build your brand

✅ Writing with empathy during a crisis

✅ Creating impactful press releases and media-focused content

✅ Ensuring internal alignment across your team

📖 Read the full article here:

This engaging session focused on the regulatory and risk of gen AI, plus many use cases to help attendees jump into tranforming how they work. 

Click here to learn more. 

The American Bankers Association is focused on developing future bank leaders. With the Community Bankers Council, I'll be sharing with leaders from every state how they can apply gen AI in their roles. And more importantly, apply it across their banks and states. This immersive session will help bank leaders see how they be more productive, work more creativity, upskill themselves and their teams, and improve communication. 

My session ➡️ Insight to Action: Turning Member Value Into Strategy ⬅️ is built for leaders who want more than theory. We’ll break down complex concepts like lifetime member value, household profitability, and acquisition into something you can actually use in your credit union right away.

✅ How to move from “perfect models” to practical ones using tenure + net interest margin

✅ Smarter ways to measure profitability that fit your CU (not someone else’s)

✅ Aligning marketing with finance so your team can act with confidence

I'm excited to talk to our clients about AI at our user's conference in Dallas, TX. Taking place in late April, it's the best opportunity to immerse yourself in all of Marquis' solutions and how we can best help you grow your bank or credit union.

Session 1: AI Usage for the Compliance Professional.

Session 2: The State of AI. A panel with myself, focusing on bank and credit union applications. And Paul Baier from GAI Insights, the premier source for enterprise Gen AI news, research, and applications. 

4/15/2024 - I've reprised my everyday AI presentation to incorporate more insights on the regulatory environment, how to use Microsoft Copilot, and additional tips and tricks. You'll walk out of the breakout session ready to immediately use AI to be more productive and creative. 

Click here to learn more. 

The Financial Brand Form Breakout Session Speaker

As a 2014 GSB grad, it's really exciting to give back to the community. Plus, with client engagement at Marquis it's been awesome to gain greater insights on how banks from across the country are transforming with technology. Reach out with questions.

I'll be teaching on the application of gen AI in banks. How to manage risks and, the fundamentals of prompting, and sharing real-life everyday use cases. 

Click here to learn more.

On stage for not one, but two sessions! 

April 7-9 in Traverse City, MI

Session 1: AI in Banking - Strategic Insights and Practical Applications

In the marketing track, I'll share insights and demos that you can apply immediately to improve the success of your campaigns and make you more productive. 

Session 2: Empowering HR Leaders with AI

In the HR track, I'll talk through how to get your bank started with gen AI and demo use cases for the HR professional. 

Michigan Bankers Best Conference

April 2 in Wisconsin Dells, WI

AI for the HR Professional

ChatGPT, and other generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, can transform how HR professionals work by streamlining processes, enhancing productivity, and improving communication. This session offers a foundational understanding of how to responsibly use AI in HR. 

Attendees will learn the basics of prompting through demonstrations of everyday applications for HR professionals. From drafting job descriptions, working through difficult employee issues, and improving your communication to different demographics, AI can transform your productivity and make you a more effective leader. You'll walk away with actionable insights you can begin to apply immediately. Discover how everyday AI can empower HR professionals by supporting your success, the success of your workforce, and the success of your organization.

WI Bankers HR Conference

March 26-27 in Grand Rapids, MI

My speaking topic is "Leveling Up Data Strategies with Practical Opportunities and Gen AI Solutions". A full session on practical solutions and video demos you can easily apply--with an assist from AI. It will be jam packed!

Marketing Compliance You & Lending Conference

Your Silent Competition is Winning: Are You Even in the Game?

Many banks and credit unions are struggling with checking account acquisition and retention. The result? A slow but deadly negative churn that erodes their customer base while competitors quietly gain ground.

I break it all down in my latest article in The Financial Brand, with expert insights from my fantastic colleague, Sue Schabert. If you’re feeling the pressure of checking acquisition, this is a must-read.

Click here to read the article.

Click here to see supporting webinar and ROI calculator. 

Everyday AI for Professionals is Thursday, March 20: 6-8 pm

This course is focused on professional use and it is not specific to banking. I wanted to bring a more holistic training opportunity to Madison College. If you work in an office, on a computer, or own a small business, this course is for you. If you need to be more productive, creative, or upskill yourself or others, sign up today. Our focus is ChatGPT, but the knowledge is transferable to any gen AI tool. 

Click here to learn more. 

The race for checking acquisition is on in 2025. If you missed our live webinar - we got you covered!

Most banks and credit unions are still sitting on the sidelines—missing out on a massive opportunity. Meanwhile, big banks are aggressively winning over your customers and members.

What’s your acquisition strategy? If your institution isn’t playing offense, you’re losing ground.

Click here to watch the webinar and read the supporting documents.

"Everyday AI for Bankers"

March 14 in Bloomington, IL

I'm excited to speak at the Illinois Bankers Association The ONE conference and show attendees how they can transform their work with ChatGPT. Gen AI is reshaping how we work, but there's no instruction manual to help you get started. And many use cases can be moonshots for most FIs.

In my session, I'll give you everyday real-life examples you can apply immediately. I'll be covering:

✔️ Managing Risk with AI: How to engage with gen AI responsibly. 

✔️ Navigating the Regulatory Landscape: Key tips to avoid regulatory pitfalls.

✔️ Prompting Strategies: How to "talk" to AI to transform productivity and creativity.

✔️ Real-Life Demonstrations: Everyday use cases you can apply immediately. 

The ONE Conference

Everyday AI for Everyday Usage is March 10

I built this course to be a general overview for anyone who wants to learn how ChatGPT works. Truly a focus on everyday use cases for all age ranges. 

Everyday AI for Everyone

Your Data Deserves Better. Is Your Strategy Keeping Up?

Banks and credit unions sit on a goldmine of data—but are you using it to its full potential?

The problem? Most institutions struggle to connect the dots between data and action. That’s why we created this free playbook—a step-by-step guide to help you level up your data strategy and start seeing results.

Click here to download the e-book and watch the webinar. 

The regulatory and legal environment for gen AI is still evolving. But there are clues and insights. Learn more about the bipartisan House report and how you can start to think more critically about responsible use. 

Read the article here.

Published January 9, 2025.

12/11/2024 - AI has been the most rapidly adopted technology in human history, and organizations around the world are leveraging AI to become faster and more efficient. But what are you doing to learn and benefit from AI? If you haven’t dug in quite yet – don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Click here to learn more.

Graduate School of Banking at Wisconsin Online Seminar

11/13/2024 - The American Bankers Association is hosting their Ag Bankers in Milwaukee, and I'll be sharing insights on how to get started with gen AI. 

Click here to learn more.

ABA Annual Ag Conference

10/9/24 - Excited to be a guest panelist with some outstanding speakers. The conferencve was an excellent opporutnity to learn from and share insights with marketers from around the midwest. 

Click here to learn more. 

Digital Marketing for Financial Services 

9/23/2024 - My article explores the emerging threat of AI voice cloning and its impact on customer verification processes. As AI technology can now convincingly mimic human voices, fraudsters are better equipped to bypass traditional security measures. The article emphasizes the urgency for financial institutions to adopt more secure methods, such as One-Time Passcodes (OTP) sent via text or email, and highlights the solutions offered by companies like Novotta to enhance verification practices. It’s a wake-up call for organizations to adapt their security strategies in response to this sophisticated AI-driven risk. 

Click here to read the article.

Published in The Financial Brand

11/6/2024 - Banks and credit unions need to understand how regulators view the application of gen AI tools. This article focused on my one-on-one discussion and provides actionable insights to help you think critically about your first steps with this transformational technology. 

Click here to read the article.

Published in The Financial Brand

10/18/2024 - Understand and apply actual, real world prompts to dramatically become more productive with gen AI tools. 

Click here to read the article. 

Published in The Financial Brand

10/23/24 - Speaking presentation helping bankers understand and learn everyday applications for gen AI. 

Click here to learn more. 

Illinois Bankers Association

6/11/2024 - I joined the GAI Insights team to talked about AI. Loved the change of pace, talking to active users of gen AI solutions about automating marketing content. This was a great chance for some show and tell with more advanced applications!

Click here to watch the webinar.

GAI Insights Podcast

9/30/24 - Great to be onsite in Greensboro to speak and present everyday AI solutions for bankers. 

Click here to learn more. 

North Carolina Bankers Association

9/18/2024 - My article on how businesses can navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, particularly in marketing, in a way that’s both practical and safe. It addresses the fear and uncertainty surrounding AI adoption and offers actionable insights on how to manage risks, such as regulatory concerns and the need for human oversight. Contributors share valuable tips on starting with basic AI applications, updating company policies, and ensuring employees are trained and well-informed, making AI an accessible tool rather than a daunting challenge.

Click here to read the article.

Published in The Financial Brand

6/4/2024 - This webinar shared practical immediate uses to member bankers to help guide them through Gen AI solutions like ChatGPT, explaining its capabilities, key AI concepts, and practical applications such as crafting effective prompts, tailoring content for different audiences, creating financial materials, improving HR interactions, and upskilling with AI tools.

Learn more here.

5/24/2024 - How do I get started is the most frequent question I get asked when talking about using AI. And it makes sense, ChatGPT, Gemini, and others solutions literally do not come with an instruction manual. This transformational technology requires some critical thought to get it off the ground, but then you’ll find it’s a rocket ship to greater productivity and creativity!

Click here to learn more. 

Alkami Guest Blog Series

7/1/2024 - Very honored to be recognized by Bank Beat! They have been writing about and supporting community banks for many years. To have their recognition with all the great things happening with AI means a lot. 

Click here to read the article.

Published in BankBeat

7/22/2024 - Dan Novalis, Chris Bates, and myself spend 45 minutes exploring all the easy and creative ways you can use ChatGPT to improve your marketing and content creation. Plus, some great bonus ways to supercharge your everyday use of AI.

Click here to learn more.

Click here to watch the video podcast.

6/20/2024 - Prompts are the language of AI. If you take time to learn how to prompt, and stack prompts, you’ll find real magic with AI. Read the blog to help kickstart great results that will immediately transform how you work.

Click here to learn more.

Alkami Guest Blog Series