What does it actually look like to roll out AI at enterprise scale inside one of the world's most recognisable technology companies? Craig Mills, APAC Head of Demand Generation and AI Marketing Transformation Lead at IBM, shares the real story: the internal lockdowns, the false starts, the springtime of ideas that fizzled, and the hard-won clarity that followed.

Craig walks through IBM's shift from experimentation to intentional, use-case-driven execution in 2026, with a focus on email marketing as an underrated strategic weapon. He also shares a simple three-part navigation framework any B2B marketer can apply, regardless of the size of their organisation.

Guest Introduction

Craig Mills is the APAC Head of Demand Generation and AI Marketing Transformation Lead at IBM. With over two decades at IBM, Craig has led marketing transformation across Asia Pacific, focusing on data-driven demand generation and the practical adoption of AI across complex, multi-market enterprise environments.

Key Topics

IBM's AI adoption arc: from pre-GPT predictive analytics through the GPT moment, internal lockdowns on AI use, the launch of IBM watsonx in 2023, and the shift to focused execution in 2026
The "client zero" experience: how IBM employees lived the AI transformation firsthand through changes to HR systems, well before the broader market caught up
Why email marketing is Craig's number one AI use case and how IBM is moving from successful pilots to systematic, micro-targeted execution at scale
Micro-segmentation at enterprise scale: how AI enables hyper-personalised outreach to audience pockets that were previously too small to justify the investment
The people-process-tools interconnectivity challenge: why enterprise AI is so difficult and why most organisations are still struggling to get it right
Craig's three navigation points for B2B marketers: get closer to customers and partners, get closer to your product, and go faster
Building maximum mental flexibility: why clarity of mission is the prerequisite for individual speed and creative agility in an AI-driven environment
The IBM Enterprise 2030 finding: 79% of executives expect AI to drive significant revenue by 2030, yet only 24% know where it will come from

Resources and Links

Tools

IBM Enterprise 2030 Report -Craig's North Star on AI strategy: 79% of executives expect AI to drive significant revenue by 2030, but only 24% know where it will come from.
This Week in Startups -Podcast by Jason Calacanis. Craig recommends it for building a startup mindset inside large organisations.
IBM watsonx -IBM's enterprise AI platform, launched May 2023, central to IBM's AI transformation story.
Microsoft Copilot -AI productivity tool Craig uses to move faster through emails and meetings.
Claude -Anthropic's AI assistant, used by Craig for external customer research.

People Mentioned

Jason Calacanis -Entrepreneur and host of This Week in Startups. Craig spent a year listening to build a startup mindset within IBM.
Ray Dalio -Founder of Bridgewater Associates. Craig follows him for his geopolitical frameworks and historical perspective on the forces shaping the world.

Companies

IBM -Global enterprise technology and consulting company.

Also mentioned

Diablo - The classic video game. Apparently the only thing more addictive than playing with AI tools at midnight.

Contact & Credits

Host: Shahin Hoda

Guest: Craig Mills

Produced by: Shahin Hoda and Alexander Hipwell

Edited by: Alexander Hipwell

Music by: Breakmaster Cylinder

APAC's B2B Growth Podcast is Presented by xGrowth

IBM's AI Marketing Journey from Experimentation to Intentional Execution with Craig Mills

APAC's B2B Growth Podcast

IBM's AI Marketing Journey from Experimentation to Intentional Execution with Craig Mills