Agenda

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Breakfast & Registration

8:00 AM – 8:05 AM
Day One Welcome
Michelle King, CEO, Bank Director
Laura Schield, President & COO, Bank Director
Bank Director welcomes all attendees to this year’s Bank C-Suite Summit in our hometown of Nashville, TN.

8:05 AM – 8:35 AM
The State of Our Industry
In this session, hear the current state of the banking industry and the underlying factors driving change and creating opportunities for community banks today.

8:35 AM – 9:05 AM
Unlocking the Power of Your Strategic Vision
Discover how to elevate your bank’s potential by mastering the art of strategic planning. Panelists explore the intricacies of creating and executing a robust strategic plan that not only aligns with your bank’s mission, vision and values but also responds adeptly to market trends and competitive pressures.

9:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Peer Exchanges: Session 1
A highlight of the Bank Director events, during the Summit, banker participants are divided by similar titles, roles and responsibilities to candidly discuss and debate various topics and issues facing banks today. All peer exchanges are led by an industry advisor and are conducted in a closed-door, off-the-record setting.

Technology-Focused Peer Exchange

• Digital Strategy
• Artificial Intelligence
• Talent: Building Your Team
• Making the Right Investment
• Integration Challenges
• Risk Considerations
• Due Diligence Best Practices

Human Resources & Talent-Focused Peer Exchange

• Talent
• Compensation
• Succession Planning
• Developing the Next Talent Pool
• Incentive Compensation – does it align with your strategic plan?
• Creating Your Growth Plan:  What’s Next?

Marketing-Focused Peer Exchange

• Data
• Products/Services
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• CRM
• Niche Banking
• Branding
• Competition

Finance & Risk Focused Peer Exchange

• Balance Sheet Management
• Growth Initiatives & Strategy
• Growing Organically
• Competitive Threats
• Making the Right Investments
• Risk Management
• Technology Budget: Impact on the Bank
• IT Risks
• Regulation
• Credit Risk

10:40 AM – 11:10 AM
Weathering Uncertainty
Equip your team with the skills needed to effectively identify and mitigate diverse risks, including credit risk, operational risk and information security. This session offers practical training to enhance employees’ risk management capabilities, ensuring they can proactively protect your institution against potential threats. Transform your workforce into a frontline defense in today’s dynamic risk environment.

11:10 AM – 11:40 AM
What’s Happening in Washington
What are the latest regulatory updates, and how do they impact our industry? During this session, learn about recent regulatory changes and how they influence bank operations, risk management and overall performance.

11:50 AM – 12:30 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)

Breakout 1: Building an Impactful Bank Brand
This session delivers actionable strategies to develop, articulate and amplify a brand identity built for tomorrow’s market. Discover how to craft compelling narratives, leverage data for impactful marketing and cultivate a unified brand experience that engages all stakeholders, while also learning to protect and adapt your brand through market shifts.

Breakout 2: Retaining Top Talent in a Competitive Environment
Discover effective strategies for keeping top performers engaged and committed in a competitive job market. This session explores approaches for creating a supportive workplace culture, offering growth opportunities and implementing retention-friendly policies to ensure your organization attracts and retains the best talent.

Breakout 3: Open Banking & BaaS: Building Your Ecosystem Strategy
Take an in-depth look at how banks can strategically leverage Open Banking principles and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) models to create new revenue streams, expand market reach, and foster innovation. Explore partnership models, risk management in an ecosystem and the technology stack required.

Breakout 4: The Crypto Conundrum: Balancing Innovation and Compliance
Stablecoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain offer banks innovation but face contradictory regulations across jurisdictions creating compliance challenges. This session explores key regulatory conflicts and actionable risk mitigation strategies to consider.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Networking Lunch

1:30 PM – 2:10 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)

Breakout 1: Building Resilient Brands in an Era of Digital Disruption
As fintech competitors challenge traditional banking relationships, established institutions need to leverage their advantage in trust while accelerating digital transformation. Discover strategies for managing reputation that can turn into a competitive advantage.

Breakout 2: Leading with Purpose
Discover how effective leadership goes beyond self-interest to drive team success. Learn actionable strategies for fostering a collaborative and supportive environment that empowers your team to thrive. Unlock the potential of leading with purpose and creating a culture of shared success.

Breakout 3: Building Cybersecurity in an Era of Evolving Threats
Learn the best practices for building a robust cyber resilience strategy, ensuring operational continuity and protecting your organization against evolving threats in today’s digital environment.

Breakout 4:  The Vendor Blind Spot
Uncover risks beyond direct vendors in their sub-contractor networks. This session reveals how secure partnerships can expose your bank to major financial, operational and reputational threats, including from competitors. Gain actionable strategies for robust due diligence, effective contract management and enhanced oversight to safeguard your institution from these cascading vulnerabilities.

2:20 PM – 2:50 PM
Evolution or Extinction: Point/Counterpoint Debate
A favorite of Bank Director conference attendees, this session has experts go head-to-head, passionately debating the future viability and strategic purpose of bank branches. Get ready for a heated – and informative – session!

2:50 PM – 3:20 PM
Assessing the ROI of Your Tech Stack
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, financial institutions are faced with the question of investing in technology to drive efficiency and innovation. But how do you determine if these investments are truly delivering value? This session equips you with the knowledge to clearly articulate the value of your technology investments, ensuring they align with your organization’s goals.

3:20 PM – 3:35 PM
Refreshment Break

3:35 PM – 4:35 PM
Peer Exchanges: Session 2
Building on the first round of peer exchanges, banker participants return to their same peer groups and attend the second round of peer exchange sessions facilitated by industry leaders.

4:45 PM – 5:15 PM
The Power of People
This session examines how a strong culture and empowering leadership foster a motivated workforce that adapts to change and drives innovation. Discover how these dedicated teams are not only meeting today’s financial challenges but also shaping the future of community banking.

5:15 PM – 6:15 PM
Networking Peer & Guest Reception
Sponsored by: HC3

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Breakfast

8:00 AM – 8:05 AM
Day Two Welcome
Michelle King, CEO, Bank Director
Laura Schield, President & COO, Bank Director
As we begin day two of the Summit, Michelle and Laura reveal key findings from this year’s Bank Director research and what is top of mind for bank executives based on respondent feedback.

8:05 AM – 8:35 AM
Maintaining Your Competitive Edge
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing economic landscape, financial institutions face constant pressure to innovate and stay ahead of the competition. This panel discussion brings together industry leaders and experts to share their insights on strategies for maintaining a competitive advantage.

8:45 AM – 9:25 AM
Breakout Sessions (select one)

Breakout 1: Branch Strategies for Digital-First Customers
Examine successful branch evolution strategies that strike a balance between cost optimization and customer needs. Learn how banks are repurposing real estate, redefining staff roles and creating hybrid service models that drive engagement while improving operational efficiency.

Breakout 2: Bridging the Skills Gap
This session provides insights into identifying existing skills gaps in the executive team, developing targeted training programs and fostering a culture of continuous learning to equip leaders with the competencies necessary to navigate today’s complex financial landscape.

Breakout 3: The Transformative Role of Community Banks in the Digital Era
This session explores how community banks are embracing technology to enhance customer experiences, streamline operations and maintain their crucial role in local economies. Learn about innovative strategies these banks use to balance traditional values with modern solutions in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

Breakout 4: Navigating Compliance & Regulations for Operational Excellence
This session will provide comprehensive updates on essential regulations, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. Participants gain practical and actionable insights aimed at not only ensuring compliance with these complex regulations but also strategies that organizations can implement to streamline their compliance processes effectively.

9:25 AM – 9:40 AM
Refreshment Break

9:40 AM – 10:40 AM
Peer Exchanges: Session 3
Banker participants return to their previous peer exchange groups for the third round of peer exchange sessions facilitated by industry leaders.

10:50 AM – 11:20 AM
Keynote: Building Essential Skills to Elevate Leadership
This keynote session explores the foundational leadership skills including strategic thinking, emotional intelligence and effective communication which are essential for cultivating a high-performing culture within banking organizations. Discover how investing in professional development and skill-building can empower leaders to inspire their teams, drive innovation and navigate the complexities of the modern banking industry.

11:20 AM – 11:50 AM
Identifying the Next CEO
In today’s dynamic banking landscape, aspiring CEO candidates must equip themselves with a diverse array of skills and competencies that go beyond traditional banking expertise. Join us for an engaging session where seasoned CEOs from leading financial institutions share their insights on the essential skill sets that pave the way to the corner office.

11:50 AM – 11:55 AM
Closing Remarks