Acquire or Be Acquired 2025 Presentations

Ownership Options and Tax Matters for the Closely Held Bank
Peter Weinstock, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Navigating Fraud, Profitability and Demand in Commercial Banking
Debbie Smart, Senior Product Marketer, Commercial Solutions, Q2
Gita Thollesson, Manager, Strategic Advisory Services, Q2
Katherine Weislogel, EVP, Head of Treasury & Payment Solutions, Synovus Bank

Another Perspective on the Bank M&A Outlook
Bill Burgess, Managing Director & Co-Head of Financial Services Investment Banking, Piper Sandler & Co.
Kevin O’Keefe, Managing Director, Piper Sandler & Co.

Understanding the New Regulatory Climate for Fintechs
Mark Chorazak, Partner, Co-head Financial Institutions Regulatory Group, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Adam Cohen, Partner, Co-head Financial Institutions Regulatory Group, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Top Considerations for Buyers and Sellers in Bank M&A
James Hemmer, Managing Director, Hovde Group, LLC
Alberto Paracchini, CEO, Byline Bank

What the Board Needs to Know in 2025
Robert Fleetwood, Partner & Co-Chair of Financial Institutions Group, Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP
Al Laufenberg, Managing Director, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company

Five Questions that Determine a Profitable Client Relationship
Scott Earwood, Director of Community Solutions, White Clay
Jerry Vascocu, President, b1BANK

Today’s Pre-Planning Considerations to Align the Interests of Executives and Shareholders Within Tomorrow’s M&A Event
Anthony Eppert, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Brian Marek, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Debunking Common Misconceptions of Debit and Credit Card Profitability
Candace DeBarger, Director of Payments, Profit Resources, Inc.

Banking Trends and Best Practices in Financial Risk and Performance Management
Ken Levey, Managing Director, Empyrean Solutions, LLC
Bryan Ridgway, Director, Performance Management, Empyrean Solutions, LLC

Building a Derivatives Playbook: 3 Tailored Strategies for 3 Bank Profiles
Charles Berkeley, Chief Financial Officer, North Easton Savings Bank
Frank Fiorilli, Managing Director of Bank Solutions, Derivative Path, Inc.
Isaac Wheeler, Managing Director of Balance Sheet Strategy, Derivative Path, Inc.

Aligning Senior Leadership for an M&A World
Dr. Julie Bell, Director, Leadership Advisory, Chartwell Partners
Scott Petty, Managing Partner, Chartwell Partners

M&A Mechanics for Thinly-Traded, Family-Owned, and Privately-Held Institutions
Blake Crow, Partner, Eide Bailly LLP
Michael Holdren, Partner, Eide Bailly LLP

Insights from Two Perspectives: Navigating through M&A Compensation Challenges
Laura Hay, Partner, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC
Darren Moskovitz, Partner, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC
Susan O’Donnell, Director, ConnectOne Bank

Using Wealth Management to Harness Data and Drive ROI to the Bank
David Benskin, Founder & CEO, Wealth Access Inc.

Navigating the Waters of Bank M&A: A Director’s Compass
Dennis Merkley, Member, Howard & Howard
Joe VanFleet, Member & Co-Chair Financial Institutions Practice, Howard & Howard

The Return of Bank M&A: Have the Rules of the Game Changed?
Peter Losty, Director, D.A. Davidson & Co.
Chuck Stubbs, Managing Director, Co-Head of Financial Institutions Investment Banking, D.A. Davidson & Co.

How Banks Should Make the Decision to Buy or Sell
Josh McNulty, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Beth Whitaker, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Strategies for Succession: Maintaining Independence Amidst Today’s Challenges
Doug Hiatt, Of Counsel, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
Caitlin Houlton Kuntz, Shareholder, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
John Houlton, Chairman, First Bank Elk River
Katie Wahlquist, President, CEO & Board Chair, Star Bank

Lessons Learned: Navigating the Complex Landscape of M&A Regulatory Approvals
Rob Azarow, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Amber Hay, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Michael Mancusi, Partner, Arnold & Porter

Driving Small Business Lending Growth with Data and Technology
Stephen Hayes, Head of Data and AI Strategy, Lenders Cooperative

Unlocking GenZ
Mischa Lumiere, VP Product & Experience Design, Visa USA Inc.

Traditional Finance & Fintech: Where Do We Go From Here…Together?
Chris Daniel, Chair, Global Fintech & Payments, Paul Hastings, LLP
Lawrence Kaplan, Chair, Bank Regulatory, Paul Hastings, LLP
Jason Shafer, Of Counsel, Paul Hastings, LLP

Thriving or Surviving? Navigating Bank Liquidity and Industry Advice
Laura Hamilton, Senior Vice President, Performance Trust Capital Partners, LLC
Kelly Potes, CEO, ChoiceOne Bank

Building Strategic Advantage in Banking With Data
Jeffery Kendall, Executive Chairman & CEO, Nymbus
Siya Vansia, Chief Brand & Innovation Officer, ConnectOne Bank
Jody Guetter, CMO, Nymbus

Dan Milgrom, Chief Customer Officer, MANTL

Valuation, Liquidity and Capital Considerations for Privately Held Banks
Suzanne Marra, Partner, RSM US LLP
Frank O’Connor, Senior Director, RSM US LLP
Lincoln Talbert, SEVP, Chief Financial Officer, Texas Regional Bank

Accounting & Auditing Update: What Banks Should Consider for 2025 & Beyond
Ashley Ensley, National Industry Leader, Forvis Mazars
Mike Ososki, Partner, Forvis Mazars

The Real (ROI) Value of Relationships
Soren Bested, Chief Operating Officer, Agent IQ
Kelly Fischer, SVP, Chief Information Officer, Nicolet National Bank

The Bond Market’s View of Community Banks
Van Hesser, Senior Managing Director, Chief Strategist, KBRA

Future Commercial Lending Success Through Consumer Loans
Joe Ehrhardt, CEO & Founder, Teslar Software
Derek Gibson, Chief Operating Officer, Legacy National Bank

Less Fluff, More Action: Six Concrete Ways to Realize Value From Your Data
Daniel Haisley, Chief Product Officer, Apiture

Building an All-Weather Balance Sheet With Derivatives
Todd Cuppia, Managing Director, Balance Sheet Risk Management, Chatham Financial
Eric Newell, Chief Financial Officer, Eagle Bancorp, Inc.
Kalen Van Maanen, Director, Client Relationship Management, Chatham Financial

Risk Resilience in Banking: Navigating Uncertainties & Embracing Innovation in Banks Below $1B in Assets
Erica Crain, Managing Principal, Valuation & Risk Advisory Services, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Susan Sabo, Managing Principal, Financial Services, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Grow Deposits by Meeting Small Business Customer Demand
Derik Sutton, Chief Marketing Officer, Autobooks

Family Feud: 2025 Banking Priorities Showdown
Philip Bryan, EVP, Chief Banking Officer, Reading Co-Operative Bank Heath Fountain, CEO, Colony Bank
Ryan Hildebrand, EVP, Chief Innovation Officer, Bankwell Financial Group
David Reiling, Chairman & CEO, Sunrise Banks
Nathan Baumeister, CEO & Co-Founder, ZSuite Technologies, Inc.

Building the Smarter Bank
Terry Earley, Chief Financial Officer, Veritex Community Bank
Eric Weikart, Partner, Cornerstone Advisors

Funding the Future: Raising Capital for Closely Held Banks
Zak Kinchen, Director, HORNE LLP
Tim Morgan, Partner, HORNE LLP

​​Leveraging Digital to Drive Core Deposits
John Betts, Chief Financial Officer, Community Savings
Nikhil Lakhanpal, Co-Founder, Narmi
Sumant Pustake, Executive Vice President, Berkshire Bank

Private Equity Activity in the Banking Sector
Aaron DiRusso, Managing Director, Raymond James Financial, Inc.
Kevin Kooman, Managing Director, Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Beyond the Mystery: A Bank Officer’s Guide to Equipment Leasing and Finance
Kirk Phillips, President & CEO, Wintrust Commercial Finance
Rick Ross, Executive Vice President, First Financial Bank
Bob Rinaldi, President, Rinaldi Advisory Services

How U.S. Banks Will Face the Pivot from Liquidity Pressures to Higher Credit Costs
Nathan Stovall, Director of Financial Institutions Research, S&P Global Market Intelligence

Balance Sheet with Both Eyes Open: Diversification Through Partnerships & Non-Interest Income
Greg Bierl, Director of Revenue, TruStage Compliance Solutions
Erin Simpson, EVP, Chief Operations Officer, Encore Bank
Josh Williams, EVP, Chief Banking Officer & Head of Partnerships, Seattle Bank

How Tax Credits Can Drive Positive CRA Consideration & Loan Growth
Brian Graney, Principal, Marble Cliff Capital
Jack Kukura, President, Marble Cliff Capital
Tony Schoen, Chief Financial Officer, First Savings Bank

How Technology and Regulation are Shaping the Future of Banking
Christopher Wolfe, Managing Director, Head of North American Banks, Fitch Ratings, Inc.

Merger of Equals and Strategic Partnerships – How Are They Different, How Are They Done?
Scott Brown, Partner, Luse Gorman, PC
Lawrence Spaccasi, Partner, Luse Gorman, PC

Lessons Learned in Managing the Invisible Risks of Brand Strategy & Branch Conversion
Gina Bleedorn, President & CEO, Adrenaline

Effectiveness and Efficiency: How to Leverage a Global Talent Pool to Grow Your Bank
Kevin Conway, Director – Lending Specialist, Acuity Knowledge Partners Inc.
David Park, EVP, Commercial Banking and Treasury Management, Axos Bank
Rajul Sood, Managing Director, Banking, Acuity Knowledge Partners Inc.
Doug Bowers, Senior Advisor – Banking, Acuity Knowledge Partners Inc.

Nightmare on ALM Street: One Last Scare
Mark Fischer, Managing Director, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Jeffrey Mazur, Managing Director, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

Understanding The Strategic, Competitive and Regulatory Landscape of Generative AI
Sarah Grooms, Chief Administrative Officer, Banking Strategies, Wintrust Financial Corporation
Canh Tran, CEO & Co-Founder, Rippleshot

Influence of Banktech on the Current Landscape
John Guzzo, Managing Director, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company

Unlock Better Banking: 3 Strategies to Harness Technology for Growth
Michael Ball, EVP of Marketing, Kinective

Stratification in U.S. Banking: The Drivers and Their Credit Implications
Jeffrey Berg, Associate Managing Director, Financial Institutions, Moody’s Ratings
Megan Fox, Vice President, Senior Credit Officer, Financial Institutions, Moody’s Ratings