Opening Keynote Speaker

To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence
James Olson
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

8:15 - 9:15 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 5

James Olson, former chief of CIA counterintelligence, will take the audience into the world of espionage as he lived it during his 31-year undercover career. His presentation focuses on “traitors I have known” as he discusses his personal experiences with American spies who betrayed our country for money, ego or sex. He describes why these traitors did what they did, how they operated and how they got caught. Olson will answer questions about his career, the CIA, current events or anything else on the audience’s mind. He also will provide an overview of his new book, “To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence.”

Closing Keynote Speaker

Getting a Grip on the Economy
Dr. David Kohl, Professor Emeritus
Virginia Tech

9:45 -11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6

At 10 years and counting, the U.S. economy is in a record expansion. However, storm clouds are building on both the global and domestic fronts. Is the global economy moving from free trade to decoupling? How will this affect strategic business decision making? Which lead and lag economic indicators should banks be watching on their dashboards to help predict the future status of the economy? Dr. David Kohl will discuss these topics and the major mega trends that will drive your business model in the next decade.

General Session Speakers

2020 Election Outcome: Trump vs. ?
Stephen Happel, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Economics
W.P. Carey School of Business
Arizona State University

9:45 - 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 5

The national Blue Chip Economic Indicators® forecasters are predicting 1.8 real GDP growth for 2020. What does this mean for next year’s presidential election? Some argue that the U.S. economy is in trouble, regardless if President Trump wins re-election or a Democrat wins.

America has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from bad economic times. A huge government debt, a lack of free trade and election campaigns focusing on significant wealth redistribution pose a pertinent question — can the U.S. economy see its way to the high and sustained growth that has led many to enjoy its remarkable benefits? Stephen Happel explains that it will, but it may take substantial time to get there.

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Fast, Faster, Fastest: Surveying the Landscape of Real-Time Payments
Timothy Mills, AAP, Vice President
The Clearing House Payments Company

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5

The payments industry has long envisioned real-time payments, and now they are here. From same-day ACH to RTP and the yet to be deployed FedNow service, community banks now have a variety of options to consider when it comes to meeting the need for speed by their customers. Tim Mills shares insight into the how the various faster and real-time payment options stack up to one another. This session will review the key drivers and expectations that have fueled the journey to real-time payments. The program will wrap up with a discussion on the steps every community bank needs to take to develop an effective real-time payments strategy.

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An Update from the FDIC
Nick Podsiadly
General Counsel
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

8 - 8:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6

The national Blue Chip Economic Indicators® forecasters are predicting 1.8 real GDP growth for 2020. What does this mean for next year’s presidential election? Some argue that the U.S. economy is in trouble, regardless if President Trump wins re-election or a Democrat wins.

America has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from bad economic times. A huge government debt, a lack of free trade and election campaigns focusing on significant wealth redistribution pose a pertinent question — can the U.S. economy see its way to the high and sustained growth that has led many to enjoy its remarkable benefits? Stephen Happel explains that it will, but it may take substantial time to get there.

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Best Practices for Banking Cannabis-Related Businesses
Michelle Sullivan
Dama Financial

8:45 - 9:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6

Michelle Sullivan will discuss the regulatory perspective, supervisory expectations and best practices associated with providing banking services to cannabis-related businesses. Community banks that are considering providing services to cannabis-related businesses will benefit greatly from this information-packed session.

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Breakout Session Speakers

Harnessing Data to Separate the Signal From the Noise
Shahar Ziv, Senior Director, Global Strategy & Growth
PayPal

2:15 - 3:15 p.m. and 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5

With rapid advances in technology and increasing troves of data, data analytics is making a difference in how banks operate and compete for a bigger share of customer’s wallets. The key to improving and transforming lies in gaining actionable insights from the best data. Yet, most organizations are not structured to take advantage of the increasing power of data and ensure that investments in data science and predictive analytics yield a return. This push to accelerate progress can be overwhelming in determining where to start, how to weave data into each part of the organization and how to gain actionable insights from the data. Shahar Ziv will frame the landscape that is catalyzing the need for predictive data and analytics as he shares insights on how data is transforming banking institutions and the types of benefits that successful institutions are deriving.

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The Essentials of On-Boarding
Ann M. Knutson, SPHR
First Bank Financial Centre

2:15 - 3:15 p.m. and 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This adage still holds true, especially with new hires. On-boarding is a prime opportunity for employers to win the hearts and minds of new employees. If you truly want an on-boarding program that drives retention and performance, the new employee orientation is simply the first step in a longer journey. Ann Knutson explains why it is imperative for employers to use a structured on-boarding experience that turns new hires into long-term valuable employees. She outlines strategies for developing, implementing and measuring an on-boarding program and best practices to welcome new hires of all ages to your bank.

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Increasing Our Cybersecurity Posture
Allen North and Matthew Case
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

2:15 - 3:15 p.m. and 3:30  -4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5

Allen North and Matt Case from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis will discuss the current cybersecurity landscape in banking and how financial institutions can increase the security posture of their organizations to better defend against and respond to cyber events. 

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