Acquire or Be Acquired 2025 | Bank Director | 26 January 2025 | JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge, 5350 E Marriott Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA

The conference provides senior leadership teams with numerous opportunities to network with peers that share an interest in exploring financial growth opportunities, strategic initiatives and business partnerships. This annual conference is widely regarded as the industry’s premier strategy event for a bank’s CEO, board of directors and their executive team seeking new growth opportunities.

Over the course of three days, bank officers and directors in the financial industry gain a better understanding of the current state of the economy, explore paths to creating greater shareholder value and focus on how the competitive landscape continues to evolve.

Sessions focus on key topics, such as:
• What to Expect From Washington
• Balance Sheets and Valuations
• Transforming Your Bank for the Future
• Creating a Growth Focused Strategic Plan
• Embracing AI
• M&A Best Practices
• New Risks in Banking
• Recruiting & Retaining Talent

Over the course of three days, bank officers and directors in the financial industry gain a better understanding of the economy, explore opportunities for enhancing shareholder value, provide insight into how the competitive landscape is evolving and explore financial growth opportunities and strategic planning ideas that go beyond M&A.

2025 Speakers

MODERATORS:

Jim McAlpin
Board Member, Bank Director

Kiah Haslett
Banking & Fintech Editor, Bank Director

Brian Leibfried
Head of Client Insights, Performance Trust Capital Partners, LLC

Nathan Baumeister
CEO & Co-Founder, ZSuite Technologies, Inc.

Rob Blackwell
Chief Content Officer & Head of External Affairs, IntraFi

Emily McCormick
Vice President, Editorial & Research, Bank Director

Bill Herrell
Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Bank Director

Isaac Wheeler
Managing Director of Balance Sheet Strategy, Derivative Path, Inc.

Nathaniel Harley
CEO & Co-Founder, MANTL

Jody Guetter
CMO, Nymbus

Michelle King
CEO, Bank Director

Naomi Snyder
Editor-in-Chief, Bank Director

Kara Baldwin
Partner, Crowe LLP

Kalen Van Maanen
Director, Client Relationship Management, Chatham Financial

Christopher Olsen
Managing Partner, Olsen Palmer LLC

Bob Rinaldi
President, Rinaldi Advisory Services

Tony Schoen
Chief Financial Officer, First Savings Bank

Doug Bowers
Senior Advisor – Banking, Acuity Knowledge Partners Inc

Sal Inserra
Senior Advisor, Bank Director

SPEAKERS:

Thomas Brown
CEO, Second Curve Capital

Laura Schield
President & COO, Bank Director

Thomas Michaud
President & CEO, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company

Mark Kanaly
Partner, Alston & Bird LLP

David Sandler
Managing Director & Co-Head of Financial Services Investment Banking, Piper Sandler & Co.

Mandi Simpson
Partner, Crowe LLP

Joshua Jordan
Director of Digital Engagement, Jack Henry

Robert Keil
Chief Fintech Officer, FinWise Bank

Sara Seguin
Principal Advisor, Fraud & Identity Risk, Alloy

David Boyle
CEO, Burke and Herbert Bank

Gerard Champi
President, Peoples Security Bank & Trust Company

Jonathan Harrell
Chairman & CEO, Generations Bank

Jay Blandford
CEO, Abrigo, Inc.

Jeffery Kendall
Executive Chairman & CEO, Nymbus

Ginger Siegel
North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard

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

Travis Hill
Vice Chair, FDIC

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

James Hemmer
Managing Director, Hovde Group, LLC

Alberto Paracchini
CEO, Byline Bank

Robert Fleetwood
Partner & Co-Chair of Financial Institutions Group, Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP

Al Laufenberg
Managing Director, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company

Jill Flaherty
First Vice President, Business Development, COCC

Jo Jagadish
Head of US Digital Banking and Commercial Bank Products, Services & Innovation, TD Bank

Leanne Lange
Managing Director, Client Strategy, Strategic Resource Management, Inc.

Joseph Hooper
Supervisory Special Agent, FBI

Lisa Sotto
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Pierre Naudé
CEO & Chair of the Board, nCino

Matt Veneri
Head of Investment Banking and Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

Steve Williams
CEO & Partner, Cornerstone Advisors

Scott Earwood
Director of Community Solutions, White Clay

Jerry Vascocu
President, b1BANK

Anthony Eppert
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Brian Marek
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Candace DeBarger
Director of Payments, Profit Resources, Inc.

Ken Levey
Managing Director, Empyrean Solutions, LLC

Bryan Ridgway
Director, Performance Management, Empyrean Solutions, LLC

Charles Berkeley
Chief Financial Officer, North Easton Savings Bank

Frank Fiorilli
Managing Director of Bank Solutions, Derivative Path, Inc.

Dr. Julie Bell
Director, Leadership Advisory, Chartwell Partners

Scott Petty
Managing Partner, Chartwell Partners

Curtis Carpenter
Senior Managing Director, Hovde Group, LLC

Tim Dively
National Digital Growth Director, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Chris Gufford
Executive Director, Commercial Lending, nCino

Christine Hurtubise
VP of AI/ML Engineering, FIS

Alexis Hershey
Chief Digital Officer, Midwest BankCentre

Alexander Sulpasso
EVP, Client Experience Officer, GSB

Blake Crow
Partner, Eide Bailly LLP

Michael Holdren
Partner, Eide Bailly LLP

Laura Hay
Partner, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC

Darren Moskovitz
Partner, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC

Susan O’Donnell
Director, ConnectOne Bank

David Benskin
Founder & CEO, Wealth Access Inc.

Dennis Merkley
Member, Howard & Howard

Joe VanFleet
Member & Co-Chair Financial Institutions Practice, Howard & Howard

Peter Losty
Director, D.A. Davidson & Co.

Chuck Stubbs
Managing Director, Co-Head of Financial Institutions Investment Banking, D.A. Davidson & Co.

Josh McNulty
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Beth Whitaker
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Gary Svec
Managing Director, Investment Banking, Performance Trust Capital Partners, LLC

Mark Dreux
Global Financial Services Leader, ID DataWeb

Barry Adcock
Sales Executive, Quantalytix, Inc.

Jeff Nowicki
Chief Banking Officer, Treasury Prime

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

Rob Azarow
Partner, Arnold & Porter

Amber Hay
Partner, Arnold & Porter

Michael Mancusi
Partner, Arnold & Porter

Stephen Hayes
Head of Data and AI Strategy, Lenders Cooperative

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

Chris Daniel
Chair, Global Fintech & Payments, Paul Hastings, LLP

Lawrence Kaplan
Chair, Bank Regulatory, Paul Hastings, LLP

Jason Shafer
Of Counsel, Paul Hastings, LLP

Laura Hamilton
Senior Vice President, Performance Trust Capital Partners, LLC

Kelly Potes
CEO, ChoiceOne Bank

Aaron Donaldson
Principal, RSM US LLP

Kurtis Lin
CEO & Co-Founder, Pinwheel

Heidi Wicker
Co-Chair, Banking and Financial Services, Stinson LLP

Craig Sanders
Partner, Moss Adams LLP

Steve Sanders
Chief Information Security Officer & Chief Risk Officer, CSI

David Ruffin
Principal, IntelliCredit, A Division of Infusion Marketing Group

Mike Maddox
President & CEO, CrossFirst Bank

Lee Stuart
CEO, NBC Bancshares, LLC

Wyatt Abernethy
EVP, Treasury & Payments, Veritex Community Bank

Steve Curley
Chief Banking Officer, Western Alliance Bank

Derik Sutton
Chief Marketing Officer, Autobooks

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

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

Mike Horrocks
SVP, Corporate Strategy & Product Marketing, Baker Hill Solutions, LLC

Adam Kenney
Chief Product Officer, Numerated

Devesh Khare
Chief Product Officer, MeridianLink, Inc.

Bob Craig
EVP, Strategic Business Development, Green Check

Tony Repanich
President & CEO, Shield Compliance, LLC

Joseph Silvia
Partner, Duane Morris LLP

Brian Graney
Principal, Marble Cliff Capital

Jack Kukura
President, Marble Cliff Capital

Christopher Wolfe
Managing Director, Head of North American Banks, Fitch Ratings, Inc.

Scott Brown
Partner, Luse Gorman, PC

Lawrence Spaccasi
Partner, Luse Gorman, PC

Andrew Fuller
EVP, CFO & CRO, Poppy Bank

Bill Hoving
SVP, Business Development, The KeyState Companies

John Tull
SVP, Director of Strategic Finance and Treasurer, Atlantic Union 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.

John Roddy
Head of Financial Services Investment Banking, Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Ted Rosinus
Managing Director, Stephens Inc.

Kevin Schalk
Principal, Baker Tilly US, LLP

Gary Bronstein
Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP

Dory Wiley
President & CEO, Commerce Street Capital, LLC

ohn Behringer
Partner, RSM US LLP

Mac Thompson
President & Founder, White Clay

Peter Thies
Managing Director, Pearl Meyer

Bruce Wedderburn
Chief Sales Officer, Integrity Solutions, LLC

Dan Goerlich
Partner, PwC

Eric McLaughlin
Partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Mark Fischer
Managing Director, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

Sarah Grooms
Chief Administrative Officer, Banking Strategies, Wintrust Financial Corporation

Canh Tran
CEO & Co-Founder, Rippleshot

Michael Ball
EVP of Marketing, Kinective

Jeffrey Berg
Associate Managing Director, Financial Institutions, Moody’s Ratings

Megan Fox
Vice President, Senior Credit Officer, Financial Institutions, Moody’s Ratings

Jonah Crane
Partner, Klaros Group

Eugene Ludwig
Founder & CEO, Ludwig Advisors

Andrew Olmem
Partner, Mayer Brown

2025 Sponsors

• Abrigo
• Acuity
• Adrenaline
• Agent IQ
• Alden Investment Group
• Allied Payment Network
• Alloy
• Alston & Bird
• Amount
• Apiture
• Arkatechture
• Arnold & Porter
• AtCLevel
• Atmos Financial
• Autobooks
• Bakerhill
• Bakertilly
• Bankjoy
• BankTech Ventures
• BFKN
• BHGFinancial
• Blanchard
• CD Valet
• CDW
• ChartwellPartners
• Chatham Financial
• Checkalt
• CLA
• COCC
• CommerceStreet
• Community Capital
• Continental
• Cornerstone Advisors
• Coviance
• Crowe
• CSI
• Davidson Investment Banking
• Davis Polk
• Deluxe
• Derivative Path
• Dinsmore
• Directlink
• DuaneMorris
• EideBailly
• Empyrean Solutions
• FHLBank
• FI Navigator
• FIS
• FitchRatings
• Forvis Mazars
• Fredrikson
• Green Check
• HC3
• Horne
• Hovde Group
• Howard & Howard
• Hunton Andrews Kurth
• ID Dataweb
• Infinant
• Infusion IntelliCredit
• Integrity Solutions
• IntraFi
• Jack Henry
• Janney
• K&L Gates
• KBRA
• KBW
• KeyState
• Kilpatrick Townsend
• Kinevtive
• Lenders Cooperative
• Linken Finance
• Ludwig Advisors
• Luse Gorman
• MANTL
• MArble Cliff Capital
• MAsterCard
• Mercer Capital
• Meridian
• Meridianlink
• Microsoft
• MJC Partners
• Moody's
• Mossadams
• Narmi
• Ncino
• NFP
• Nymbus
• Olsen|Palmer
• Pannos Marketing
• Paul Hastings
• Pearl Meyer
• Performance Trust
• Pinwheel
• Piper | Sandler
• Plaid
• PNC
• Port
• Pri
• Pwc
• Q2
• Quantalytic
• R&T Deposit Solutions
• Raisin
• Raymond James
• Rinaldi
• Rippleshot
• RSM
• S&P Global
• Shield Compliance
• Skadden
• SRM
• Stephens Inc.
• Stinson
• Strategycorps
• Teslar Software
• Treasury Prime
• Trustage
• Visa
• Wealth Access
• White Clay
• Wysh
• Zsuite Tech