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Kyall Mai didn’t got down to transform a poster boy for B2B advertising’s long run. But as leader innovation officer at Esquire Bank, and now ANA’s 2025 B2 Marketer of the Year, that’s precisely the place he’s landed.
His way? Less about glossy tech for the sake of it, and extra about development advertising round empathy, AI and precise usefulness. All in a class – banking for regulation companies – rarely recognized for emotional resonance or creativity.
“We’re in an industry that doesn’t usually get credit for this kind of work,” Mai tells The Drum. “That’s changing.”
The award could have been passed out days in the past, nevertheless it speaks to years of effort: a gradual reshaping of Esquire’s advertising engine into one thing sharper, extra non-public, and admittedly, extra human.
Marketing with which means
“For me, this award’s personal,” he says. “As a Vietnamese boat refugee, it’s a full-circle moment – especially in a year marking 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. It’s a quiet tribute to my parents’ sacrifice.”
That backstory is helping provide an explanation for Mai’s urge for food for chance and reinvention. Under his management, Esquire Bank has made daring bets – on generation, on emotional storytelling, and on the concept that B2B doesn’t need to imply dull.
It’s additionally helped gasoline expansion. The financial institution made Fortune’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies record this 12 months and expanded into new markets like California. But Mai insists the larger shift has been interior.
“We started asking harder questions,” he says. “What if AI, data and storytelling weren’t separate strategies – but parts of the same machine?”
That shift powered Esquire’s westward push. “We’re asking lawyers to walk away from legacy banking relationships. That’s no small ask,” says Mai. “So we built campaigns that show we understand them better than anyone else.”
It’s a transfer sponsored by means of critical infrastructure. “This award reflects a multi-year investment in our digital-first, customer-centric banking model,” he provides. “We’ve built the tech stack – and the marketing capabilities – to support it.”
Want to move deeper? Ask The Drum
Enter LawyerIQ
That funding presentations up in LawyerIQ, the financial institution’s AI-driven content material platform, constructed to mix first-party knowledge with insight-led storytelling.
“It’s not just pushing out content,” Mai explains. “It’s understanding the specifics of a law firm’s needs – then showing up with something that actually helps.”
He’s satisfied that emotion belongs in even the driest sectors. “Challenging the status quo isn’t a campaign line for us. It’s the culture. We’re obsessed with the customer.”
That obsession presentations within the financial institution’s transfer campaigns, which place Esquire as the simpler wager over greater incumbents. “We know our customers well enough to say, with confidence, ‘We can serve you better.’ And we can prove it.”
AI, however now not as a bolt-on
While many nonetheless deal with AI as a artful add-on, Mai says it’s foundational to how the group works.
“We didn’t tack AI onto our process – we rebuilt our process around it,” he says. “It’s powering how we personalise, recommend content, track performance, and even collaborate internally.”
That has actual operational affect. “AI freed up time we used to spend on repetitive tasks – so now we can work more closely with sales, iterate more often, and actually think,” says Mai.
It’s additionally converting perceptions internally. “Marketing’s now a testing ground for the rest of the business,” he says. “We’re showing you can scale without losing the human touch.”
And whilst he’s bullish on AI, he’s now not starry-eyed. “If you just follow what the tools give you, your work won’t stand out. AI can help – but your perspective is still the difference.”
Advice for the following technology
When requested what he’s discovered from reshaping a advertising serve as round AI, Mai is candid.
“We started out thinking it would just help us write better email subject lines,” he laughs. “But it’s raised the bar on everything.”
His recommendation for rising B2B entrepreneurs?
“Don’t fear the tech – learn it. But don’t lose sight of the fact that marketing is still about human connection. AI won’t replace your instincts.”
“Bring your voice. Make it personal. That’s the bit AI can’t do.”
Given his personal trail – from refugee to innovation chief – that private contact obviously is going a ways.
