Observed Signal · Jul 28, 2026 · Hiring · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
EY’s John Rudaizky Reflects on B2B Brand Shift
After 13 years at EY, John Rudaizky is stepping back from his role as global chief brand and marketing officer and moving into a strategic advisor position. He argues B2B buyers are more emotional than marketers assume and says the sector has increasingly embraced creativity, storytelling and brand-building once reserved for consumer marketing. Hired in 2014 under EY’s Vision 2020 plan, Rudaizky helped develop platforms such as Better Questions, EY.ai and Studio+ and oversaw a significant rise in EY’s Brand Finance ranking. He also warns that AI will democratize average output while raising the value of distinctive creative and stresses the importance of responsible AI in professional services.
Profile of a major professional-services brand leader highlights B2B marketing's embrace of creativity and the role of AI and responsible use — useful directional insight for brand and martech teams but not an industry-shifting policy or platform change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- John Rudaizky spent 13 years at EY and is stepping back from his role as global chief brand and marketing officer to become a strategic advisor.
- EY hired Rudaizky in 2014 under its Vision 2020 plan, which aimed to double the size of the business.
- Rudaizky helped shape EY brand platforms including Better Questions, EY.ai and Studio+, and oversaw a rise from 75th to a top-10 AAA+ brand in Brand Finance’s rankings.
- He credits consumer-trained marketers, LinkedIn and Cannes juror Tom Stein with helping establish a standalone B2B category at Cannes Lions three years ago.
- At Cannes, Rudaizky said AI will flatten the middle of the market while making standout creative imagination more valuable and emphasised that responsible AI is crucial for firms handling sensitive client data.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“EY hired Rudaizky in 2014 under its Vision 2020 plan, a strategy to double the size of the business....”
“He also credits LinkedIn and Cannes juror Tom Stein with helping establish a standalone B2B category at Cannes Lions three years ago, raisin...”
“At Cannes this year, he sat on a panel with photographer Rankin, Eva Longoria and WPP’s Rob Reilly and came away convinced the technology wi...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Publicis Pro CEO: Brand Matters More in AI Age
Jon Lonsdale, chief executive of Publicis Pro and juror on The Drum B2B Awards Industry jury, argues that brand investment becomes even more important for B2B marketers in the AI era. He says AI is a seismic shift but that human judgment, taste and experience remain critical. Lonsdale predicts a closer alignment between brand building and sales conversion, expects opportunities to expand creator and influencer marketing into B2B in 2026, and urges the industry to attract new talent into B2B marketing. The article appears as part of coverage around The Drum B2B Awards, with entries closing July 23.
Michael Ruby: Great B2B Outshines Consumer Work
Michael Ruby, co-founder and chief creative officer of Park & Battery and juror for The Drum B2B Awards, argues that B2B marketing tells larger, higher-stakes stories than much consumer work and that its creative demands are routinely underestimated. Ruby — whose agency won 2026 Ad Age A‑List B2B Agency of the Year and ANA B2B Agency of the Year — criticizes B2B brands for confusing professionalism with sameness and says successful brands take human-focused creative risks. He also says AI replaces parts of the process rather than people and that superior strategy, prompting and creative judgment amplify AI output. Ruby rejects the brand-versus-performance dichotomy, advocating integrated growth strategies and leaders who can hold complexity across business, creativity, data and technology.
EY Consolidates Agencies into Studio+ to Reimagine Creativity
EY has consolidated 37 prior agency acquisitions into a single group called Studio+, placing design and creativity at the core of business transformation. Led by Pierre Beaufils, EY’s global deputy vice-chair for consulting, Studio+ combines strategy, business, technology and design under one brand and employs around 7,000 people. Beaufils argues AI should be a force multiplier that frees time for deeper creative work rather than merely increasing speed. Studio+ reported double-digit year-on-year growth and has been used to win back global e-commerce work from a Korean electronics manufacturer by offering a single, consolidated client construct.
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