Join us for an insightful conversation with Jon Stona, who leads marketing at Airwallex, one of the fastest-growing fintechs in the world.

Operating across 130+ markets from their Singapore headquarters, Jon shares how they've built a modern marketing organisation that balances global consistency with local authenticity.

From the critical importance of product marketing to bold brand moves like their McLaren F1 partnership, this episode explores what it takes to scale marketing in the fintech space while challenging traditional B2B playbooks.

Key Topics Covered

Global Marketing Architecture

• Why Airwallex chose to build their marketing function from APAC rather than traditional hubs like Silicon Valley
• The strategic advantage of hiring talent familiar with fragmentation and global trade
• Managing distributed teams across multiple time zones and regions

Product Marketing as Foundation

• Why product marketing is the most under-invested function in marketing
• Jon's goal to grow product marketing to 10% of the marketing organisation
• The four-dimensional coverage model: product suites, geography, industry verticals, and competitive intelligence

Brand Building in Fintech

• The trust equation: reliability + credibility + intimacy - self-orientation
• How the McLaren F1 partnership addresses all four trust components
• Measuring brand impact through awareness surveys, pipeline metrics, and employee sentiment

AI and Marketing Evolution

• Practical AI implementations using tools like Writer and Profound
• The paradigm shift in SEO and content strategy
• Why AI advancement might make first-principles marketing even more important

Notable Quotes

"You're not marketing to business decision makers. You're marketing to humans who happen to make business decisions."

"If your core is strong, even as a human being, then the rest tends to get strength from that."

"Data is important, but data should not override common sense."

"Never lose sight of first principles... all good marketing starts with good insight."

Key Takeaways

1. Geography isn't destiny - Core marketing capabilities matter more than location when scaling globally
2. Product marketing is critical - It's the foundation that makes all other marketing efforts effective
3. Trust is multi-dimensional - Especially in fintech, building trust requires a strategic approach across multiple touchpoints
4. Human connection wins - Even in B2B, you're ultimately marketing to humans, not businesses
5. Bold moves differentiate - In a crowded market, calculated risks and creative approaches cut through the noise

Rapid Fire Insights

• Must-read resource: "Nudge" - behavioural economics and decision-making
• Key advice: Don't get trapped doing the same playbook everyone else uses
• What excites him most: The transformational potential of B2B marketing beyond marginal gains

Guest Bio

Jon Stona leads global marketing at Airwallex, a fintech unicorn that has grown from a Melbourne coffee shop startup to serving customers across 130+ markets.

Based in Singapore, Jon oversees marketing strategy for one of the world's fastest-growing financial infrastructure platforms, with a focus on building product marketing capabilities and bold brand initiatives that challenge traditional B2B conventions.

This episode is perfect for marketing leaders looking to scale globally, fintech professionals interested in brand building, and anyone curious about the future of B2B marketing in an AI-driven world.

In this conversation, Caleb Ralston discusses the intricacies of personal branding and content creation, emphasising the importance of sustainability and authenticity.

He critiques the common advice of niching down, arguing that it can lead to creator burnout and audience fatigue.

Instead, he advocates for a broader approach that allows for personal interests to be integrated into content.

Caleb also shares insights on starting a personal brand, the significance of clarity in branding, and the importance of hiring strategically to address content creation bottlenecks.

He highlights the need for data-driven strategies and the value of case studies in building trust with audiences.

The discussion concludes with rapid-fire questions that encapsulate Caleb's philosophy on personal branding in the age of AI.

Takeaways:

• Niching down can lead to creator burnout.
• Sustainability in content creation is crucial.
• Be authentic to avoid losing trust with your audience.
• Hiring should address specific bottlenecks in content creation.
• Views are important, but conversions matter more.
• White papers can be effective if they contain relevant information.
• Building personal brands within organisations can enhance trust.
• Picking an ideology as an enemy can be more effective than targeting individuals.
• Clarity in branding helps guide content strategy.
• Integrating personal interests into content can keep creators engaged.

Caleb is a brand strategist, content producer, and creator mentor who’s worked with names like Gary Vaynerchuk, Leila & Alex Hormozi, and other leading voices in entrepreneurship. He now helps founders and creators scale content in a way that’s sustainable, strategic, and honest.

Follow Caleb on:

• YouTube: @calebralston
• LinkedIn: Caleb Ralston
• Instagram: @calebralston
• Twitter / X: @calebralston

Resources Mentioned:

• YouTube: How to build a brand - Full course
• Workbook download
• Gary Vaynerchuk – Crush It
• Patty Galloway

Subscribe to the xG Weekly Newsletter for weekly insights on B2B growth across APAC: https://xgrowth.com.au/newsletter

Tired of being seen as sales support?

David Heyworth reveals how marketing leaders can break free from the order-taking trap and own the entire go-to-market motion.

From building sales discovery teams that report to marketing to creating personalised experiences that win enterprise deals, David shares battle-tested strategies for transforming marketing from a cost centre into a revenue-driving growth engine.

Discover how shifting the focus from lead generation to revenue unlocks more strategic impact, strengthens alignment with sales, and drives meaningful growth through account-based selling.

Key Takeaways

• Stop talking leads, start talking revenue - Frame your impact as "$1M in pipeline opportunities" not "100 MQLs generated"
• Own the sales discovery process - Build SDR teams that report to marketing for full funnel control
• Be in the room where it happens - Get marketing into weekly sales meetings as strategic partners, not vendors
• Account-based selling beats ABM - Focus on "us" outcomes, not just marketing campaigns
• Listen with intention - Use "two ears, one mouth" to gather sales intelligence and customer insights
• Prove your model first - Start with sales champions, show results, then scale across the organisation
• Customer intimacy is your B2B superpower - Direct customer engagement beats digital analytics every time
• AI is your wingman, not your replacement - Use it to scale content creation and personalisation efforts

Memorable Moments

• The "crickets" story: How poor event execution taught valuable lessons about sales alignment
• The Defence Coin case study: Creating meaningful, personalised experiences that cement relationships
• The conversion breakthrough: How rapid response transformed lead quality

Who Should Listen: Marketing leaders frustrated with being seen as support functions, CMOs looking to drive revenue ownership, and anyone struggling with sales-marketing alignment in complex B2B environments.

Subscribe to the xG Weekly Newsletter for weekly insights on B2B growth across APAC: https://xgrowth.com.au/newsletter