I’m Marla Pieton, M.A., Vice President of Brand, Public Relations & Influencer Marketing at Alkami. I lead Alkami’s brand and web, public relations, influencer marketing, and research programs, helping banks and credit unions understand how digital banking, data, artificial intelligence, marketing strategy, and account holder expectations are changing financial services.

I bring more than 25 years of marketing leadership experience across financial services, fintech, healthcare, and multi-unit retail. Before joining Alkami, I served as Vice President of Marketing at Segmint, a predictive data analytics and marketing solutions provider for banks and credit unions that was acquired by Alkami in 2022. Earlier in my career, I was Vice President of Marketing at Farmers National Bank in Canfield, Ohio, where I helped launch the bank’s digital strategy, managed marketing and public relations, and supported rebranding initiatives and acquisitions.

My academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations from Youngstown State University and a Master of Arts in Media Management from Kent State University. This combination of formal communications education and hands-on financial services experience shapes the way I approach thought leadership by translating complex industry research, market shifts, and technology trends into practical guidance for financial institution leaders.

My published work appears on Alkami.com, The Financial Brand, American Banker, Bank Director, CUInsight and more, where I write about digital banking maturity, business banking, artificial intelligence in banking, data-driven marketing, generational banking trends, account holder engagement, and strategies for banks and credit unions to grow relationships.

I lead Alkami’s public relations and corporate communications strategies. In this capacity I have authored press releases, appeared on podcasts, and participated in media interviews across outlets such as CUBroadcast and the Banking Transformed Podcast.

I also lead the research initiatives, including the Retail and Business Banking Digital Sales & Service Maturity Models, developed to help financial institutions evaluate performance, identify growth opportunities, and accelerate digital transformation. Through Alkami’s research program I author or co-author several research reports each year, including the annual Generational Trends Study.

For Alkami-published thought leadership content, I collaborate with internal subject-matter experts, research partners, product leaders, and industry voices to ensure articles are accurate, timely, and grounded in credible data. My goal is to provide practical, trustworthy insights that help financial institutions make more informed decisions in a rapidly changing market.

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