Acquire or Be Acquired 2026 Presentations

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

What the Board Needs to Know in 2026
Robert Fleetwood, Partner & Co-Chair of Financial Institutions Group, Barack Ferrazzano
Al Laufenberg, Managing Director, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company

Banking On Uncertainty
Jeffrey Berg, Associate Managing Director, Moody’s Ratings
Megan Fox, Associate Managing Director, Moody’s Ratings

Community and Regional Banks: Buy, Sell or Reinvent
Paul Heller, Advisor in Residence, EY
Lindsay Lawrence, Group Head Deposit Services, Everbank
Matthew Matzen, Director of Corporate Development, UMB Bank
Moderated by: Rahul Chandarana, EY-Parthenon Americas Banking & Capital Markets Sector Leader – Partner, EY

The Reemergence of Mergers-of-Equals in the Banking Space
Michael Barry, Senior Managing Director, Head of Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regions, Hovde Group LLC
Carl Carlson, Chief Financial & Strategy Officer, Beacon Financial Corporation

Balance Sheet Strategy: Concentration Management, Optionality and M&A Flexibility
Jorge Puente, Co-Head FIG Strategies, Managing Director, Cantor Fitzgerald
Chris Sanger, Head of FIG, Managing Director, Cantor Fitzgerald
Ryan Smith, Co-Head FIG Strategies, Managing Director, Cantor Fitzgerald

Charting the Future: A Blueprint for CEO Succession Success
Julie Bell, Leadership Advisory, Chartwell Partners
Scott Petty, Managing Partner, Chartwell Partners

Implementing a Profitable Growth Strategy for Today and Tomorrow
Robb Blume, President & CEO, Community First Bank of Indiana
John Denkler, President & CEO, First State Bancshares
Jim Edwards, CEO, United Bank
Moderated by: Brett Rawls, Head of Client Engagement, Profit Resources, Inc.

Stop Leaving Money on the Table: Tools and Strategies for Relationship Banking
Erika Small, EVP, Chief Financial Officer, Studio Bank
Scott Earwood, Head of Community Bank Division, White Clay

Your Finance Team: The Critical Link Between Strategic Planning and Execution
Bryan Ridgway, Director of Performance Management Solutions, Empyrean Solutions, LLC
Ed Young, Managing Director, Empyrean Solutions, LLC

New Ways Banks Can Drive Growth in 2026 Through Cannabis Banking
Kevin Hart, Founder & CEO, Green Check
Stacy Litke, VP, Banking Programs, Green Check

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

Harnessing Fintech Partnerships to Drive Growth and Efficiency
Andrea Smiddy-Schlagel, EVP, Treasury Management Line of Business Manager, First Financial Bank
Maggie Tuschinski, EVP, Chief Digital Officer, First Financial Bank
Moderated by: Tony Hall, Field Chief Technology Officer, Q2

Inside the Deal: M&A Insights for Closely Held Financial Institutions
Blake Crow, Partner, Eide Bailly LLP
Michael Holdren, Partner, Eide Bailly LLP

Strategic Insights for Boards, CFOs & Executive Leadership: Accounting, Auditing & Regulatory Oversight
Lyle Alexander, Partner, Forvis Mazars
Mike Ososki, Partner, Forvis Mazars

Leverage the Moment: Core System Strategy That Drives M&A Success
Danelle Hawig, Senior Vice President, ICI Consulting

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

Transform Operations, Elevate Experiences: A Strategic Approach to Banking Excellence
Michael Ball, EVP of Marketing, Kinective

Securing Finance in the Age of AI, Identity Threats and Emerging Fraud
Seckin Yilgoren, Senior Vice President, Security Solutions, North America, Mastercard

Navigating M&A Through An Evolving Landscape
Neal Arnold, President & CEO, Sunflower Bank, N.A.
Rory Ritrievi, Chair, President & CEO, Mid Penn Bancorp, Inc. and Mid Penn Bank
Frank Sorrentino, Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group, Stephens, Inc.

Don’t Forget the Fed! Regulatory Requirements in Ownership Transitions for Closely Held Institutions
Doug Hiatt, Shareholder, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
Caitlin Houlton Kuntz, Shareholder, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

High-Risk, High-Reward: Mastering the Art of Onboarding and Oversight
Tony Repanich, President & CEO, Shield Compliance

Keys to Evaluating Strategic Alternatives & Maximizing Shareholder Value
Chuck Stubbs, Managing Director, Financial Institutions Investment Banking, D.A. Davidson

Turning Data Into Profit: Using Data to Evaluate Operations and Decisions
Al Doering, Chief Lending and M&A Officer, Stearns Bank
Laura Espeseth, Chief Administrative Officer, Bridgewater Bank
David Heneke, Principal, CLA

Modernizing With Purpose: A Community Bank’s Core Transformation Journey
Aleda DeMaria, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, PeoplesBank
Jeffery Kendall, CEO & Chairman, Nymbus

Doing Deals in the Age of Shareholder Activism
Kevin Daniels, Managing Director, Mergers & Acquisitions: Activism and Raid Defense, BofA Securities
Charlotte May, Partner, Covington & Burling LLP
Samantha Kirby, Partner, Covington & Burling LLP

IT Integrations and Implementations: A Survival Guide for Non-IT Leaders of Closely Held Financial Institutions
Bill Clarkin, Managing Director, RSM US LLP
Brandon Koeser, Director, RSM US LLP

The Devil Is in the Details: Metrics for Credit & Operational Excellence
Joe Ehrhardt, CEO & Founder, Teslar Software
Derek Gibson, EVP, Chief Operating Officer, Legacy National Bank

Post-M&A Reality Check: Unifying Tech, Clients & Teams Without Breaking Your Wealth Group
Scott Grauer, EVP, Wealth Management, BOK Financial and CEO, BOK Financial Securities, Inc.
John Handy, President & CEO, Commerce Trust
Moderated by: David Benskin, Founder & CEO, Wealth Access Inc.

M&A Unveiled: The Essential Due Diligence Playbook for Banks
Rob Azarow, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Amber Hay, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Michael Mancusi, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Kevin Toomey, Partner, Head of Financial Services, Arnold & Porter

Where Has All the Risk Gone? The Bond Market’s View of Community and Regional Banks
Van Hesser, Senior Managing Director, Chief Strategist, KBRA

When Reversing Beliefs Bring Results
Adela Lowers, VP, Treasury Product Manager, First Horizon Bank
Amy Mailloux, Director of Treasury Management Sales, First Horizon Bank
Sharon Pamuk, SVP, Head of Cash Management Sales & Product, Apple Bank
Moderated by: Jill Feiler, CEO, ZSuite Technologies, Inc.

Corporate Governance for the Privately-Held Community Bank: What Boards and Management Need to Know
David Hooper, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
John Martin, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Syd Whitlock, President, The New Washington State Bank

Strengthening Credit Resilience: Processes, Contingencies and Culture
Raleigh Green, VP, Credit Risk Management, Bank Independent
David Ruffin, President, Credit Risk Solutions, OptimaFI (formerly Infusion)

Developments in Stablecoin
Gary Bronstein, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP

Tech-Enabled Agility: Transforming Deposit Management to Stay Competitive
Kevin Bannerton, EVP, Chief Business Development Officer, R&T Deposit Solutions

Beyond the Branch: Redefining Relationship Banking for the Digital Era
Matt Longmeyer, Chief Information Officer, Bank First
Brendan Marston, Chief Operations Officer, Bank First
Moderated by: Soren Bested, Chief Operating Officer, Agent IQ

Technology’s Impact on Shareholder Value
Mark DeFazio, President & CEO, Metropolitan Commercial Bank
Brad Smith, Partner, Cornerstone Advisors

Community Bank M&A – Getting to “Yes” Faster
Scott Coleman, Partner, Ballard & Spahr LLP
Kenneth Haglund, Partner, Ballard & Spahr LLP
Beau Hurtig, Of Counsel, Ballard & Spahr LLP

Harnessing Hedging: Strengthening the Balance Sheet, Deepening Relationships and Driving Growth
Todd Cuppia, Managing Director, Balance Sheet Risk Management, Chatham Financial
Ray Reitsma, President & CEO, Mercantile Bank
Kalen Van Maanen, Managing Director, Chatham Financial

Assessing the Competitive Landscape and Impact on Bank Capital Raising and M&A Activity
Nathan Stovall, Director of Financial Institutions Research, S&P Global Market Intelligence

Rethinking CDs in the Digital Age: Turning a Classic Product into a Modern Growth Engine
Mary Grace Roske, Head of Marketing and Communications, CD Valet

M&A as a Line of Business
Aaron DiRusso, Managing Director, Raymond James Financial, Inc.
Jude Melville, CEO, b1BANK
Matthew Paramore, Managing Director, Raymond James Financial, Inc.
Clint Stein, President & CEO, Columbia Banking System

The Strategic and Competitive Advantage of AI: What Community Bankers Should Know
Canh Tran, CEO & Co-Founder, Rippleshot

The Regulatory Pendulum – What It Means for Banks
Christopher Wolfe, Managing Director, Head of North American Banks, Fitch Ratings, Inc.

Ahead of the Curve: Why High-Performing Hedging Programs Excel as Others Falter
David Cortes, Head of Capital Markets & Corporate Treasurer, SmartBank
Frank Fiorilli, Managing Director of Bank Solutions, Derivative Path, Inc.
Isaac Wheeler, Managing Director of Balance Sheet Strategy, Derivative Path, Inc.

Better Management Data Starts With Better Data Management
Barry Adcock, Senior Performance Strategy Consultant, Quantalytix, Inc.
Christopher Aliotta, CEO, Quantalytix, Inc.

Profits in Plain Sight – How C-Corps Can Reduce Their Income Tax Expense by 10%
Bill Hoving, SVP, Business Development, KeyState
Eric Newell, SEVP & Chief Financial Officer, EagleBank

AI in Action: How ChatGPT and Claude Can Power Deposit Growth & Primacy
Mike Butler, CEO, Grasshopper Bank
Nikhil Lakhanpal, Co-Founder, Narmi

Digital Transformation Gut Check – What It Really Takes to Succeed
Alec Dicks, Partner, Chief People Transformationist, Alacrity Partners
Steve Monahan, Partner, Chief Enterprise Transformationist, Alacrity Partners

Executive-Driven Growth: Turn Marketing Insight Into Action
Ben Udell, SVP Product Marketing & Innovation, Marquis

Intro to Bitcoin for Banking Leaders
Andrew Begin, Chief Strategy Officer, Galoy Inc.

Safely Leveraging AI to Enhance Efficiency and Compliance as the Foundation to Strategic Growth
Ronny Chapman, AI Strategist and Partner, Encore Bank
Amy Ferguson, Communications Manager, TruStage Compliance Solutions
Erin Simpson, EVP, Chief Operations Officer, Encore Bank

Mastering the Margin: High-Impact Strategies for Sustainable Profitability
Dick Burch, Performance Banking Consultant, Deluxe Corporation

Digital Deposit Growth: Unlocking New Customers and Deepening Relationships
Len Eschweiler, Chief Revenue Officer, FIS Amount