JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge
January 30 – February 01, 2022

Saturday, January 29

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Celebrating Women In Leadership Reception
Sponsored by: Piper Sandler & Co. and Bank on Women, Inc.
With so many top executives and board members traveling to this conference on Saturday, this private reception provides female executives an opportunity for women in banking to meet their contemporaries from across the United States.

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
First-Time Attendee Reception
Sponsored by: Bank Director
Concurrent to our Women In Leadership Reception, we welcome first-time attendees to our Acquire or Be Acquired Conference. Meet members of the Bank Director leadership team as well as others who are attending the conference for the first time.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Welcoming Reception & Registration
Sponsored by: Piper Sandler & Co.
While winter grips much of the country, we’ve found early evening in Arizona to be a welcome change for many joining us. Kickoff the conference by catching up with old friends and making new connections.

Day One | Sunday, January 30

Acquire Or Be Acquired: Exploring Your Growth Options
While many recognize the consolidating nature of the financial sector, it’s not only the number of banks that has changed; the competitive dynamics of our industry have changed too. On the first day of the Acquire or Be Acquired Conference, we surface a number of key issues, concerns and concepts for 2022. Attendees can expect a day filled with conversations around economic, environmental and technological events of the past twelve months coupled with forward-facing presentations geared to staying relevant and competitive.

6:45 AM – 8:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast

8:00 AM – 8:05 AM
Day One Opening Remarks: Ask Better Questions
Al Dominick, CEO, Bank Director
Al Dominick, Bank Director’s CEO, kicks off our 28th annual Acquire or Be Acquired Conference, sharing the most significant shifts in the business of banking over the past year.

8:05 AM – 8:50 AM
Outlook 2022: Banking on the Banks
Thomas Michaud, President & CEO, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company
As in previous years, KBW President & CEO, Tom Michaud, opens our Acquire or be Acquired Conference with an in-depth look at growth, competition and consolidation.

8:50 AM – 9:30 AM
Transformation Through Technology
Nathaniel Harley, CEO & Co-Founder, MANTL
Anthony Morris, SVP, Global Banking Strategy, nCino
Steve Williams, President & Partner, Cornerstone Advisors, Inc.
Moderated by: Anton Schutz, President, Mendon Capital
We all know that banks must utilize technology to compete, but technology can also radically alter a bank – and allow it to move from just surviving to thriving. Hear how to utilize technology to transform your bank from three perspectives.

9:30 AM – 9:50 AM
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by: The Kafafian Group

9:50 AM – 10:30 AM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
Participants have the opportunity to select from one of six breakout sessions to attend, all of which are strategic and high-level in focus.

Breakout I: What The Board Needs To Know in 2022
Robert Fleetwood
, Partner, Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP
Al Laufenberg, Managing Director, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company
This breakout session continues the “Need to Know” series that has consistently been a popular highlight at this conference for many years. Gain practical insight on what CEOs and directors need to know in 2022 and beyond.

Breakout II: How to Grow and Keep on Growing
Peter Weinstock
, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Beth Whitaker, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Regulations, accounting rules, risk management, internal controls, model validation, policies, systems and procedures have all been developed so that banks must adjust as they reach $250-$300M, $500M, $1B, $2-$3B and $6-$10B in total assets. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act along with other implementing regulations have also changed what is required by banks. This presentation covers how your bank can prepare for each asset range and what is needed for bank staffing and other systems that must adjust as your bank reaches these asset benchmarks.

Breakout III: How To Successfully Gear Up For A Deal
Mike Daniels
, President & CEO, Nicolet National Bank
Kirk Hovde, Managing Principal & Head of Investment Banking, Hovde Group, LLC
The most successful acquirers are typically the best prepared acquirers. This session provides real-world advice on a best-in-practice approach to M&A and how to successfully prepare and execute an acquisition from start to finish.

Breakout IV: Banking M&A: Looking Beyond the Balance Sheet
Van Dukeman, Chairman, President & CEO, First Busey Corporation
Phillip Maurer, Regional Vice President, nCino
Mergers and acquisitions are surging in the current economic landscape. Join experts from nCino as they discuss M&A trends, review examples of FIs leveraging technology as part of their M&A strategy and share how to navigate integration hurdles before, during and after a merger or acquisition. Learn how cloud-based technologies can help FIs either continue their growth trajectories or become a valuable asset to another organization.

Breakout V: ESG: What Is It and Why Is It Important?
Brandon Koeser, Industry Analyst, RSM US LLP
Regardless of a bank’s location or if it is public or private, ESG matters. It could make a difference between securing capital or missing out on opportunities, achieving top-line growth or losing customers, enjoying strategic freedom or suffering restrictions on your business. Now more than ever, the focus is on gaining alignment around organizational purpose, values and the goals of society.

Breakout VI: Forward-Thinking Bankers’ Top 2022 Resolutions: Change ALCO Conversations and Act Now to Prepare for Market Shifts
Chris Ely, Managing Director, IntraFi Network LLC
Matthew Pieniazek, President & CEO, Darling Consulting Group
Few banks will succeed at achieving pre-COVID net-interest-margins without changing the conversation at asset-liability committee meetings and taking steps to prepare for market liquidity to recede. Learn why bank C-suites are instrumental in setting the tone for critical NIM-impacting discussions, such as separating core deposit wheat from the pandemic chaff and employing strategies to grow franchise value.

10:45 AM – 11:25 AM
The Biden Effect: Changes Banks Should Expect in 2022
Gary Bronstein, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Kevin Schalk, Partner, Baker Tilly US, LLP
Matt Veneri, Head of Investment Banking, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Moderated by: Al Dominick, CEO, Bank Director
The Biden administration promises changes to the regulatory landscape, and we’re already seeing increased pressure in some areas. From the perspective of an investment banker, an attorney and an accountant – what should your bank expect – and be prepared for – as we move forward in 2022?

11:25 AM – 12:05 PM
Positioning Your Bank For Sustainable Growth
Eric Corrigan
, Senior Managing Director & Head of the Financial Institutions Group, Commerce Street Capital, LLC
Jonathan Hightower, Partner, Fenimore Kay Harrison LLP
Sal Inserra, Partner, Crowe LLP
Moderated by: W. Kirk Wycoff, Managing Partner, Patriot Financial Partners, L.P.
You want to grow; you need to grow, but how do you best position your bank for growth? What do you do – and maybe more importantly, what do you not do? This session features an investment banker, an attorney and an accountant – all sharing lessons and advice from working with banks and boards.

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10:45 AM – 11:25 AM
FinXTech Session: New Recipes for Success
Rilla Delorier, Director, Coastal Community Bank
Aaron Donaldson
, Principal, Technology and Management Consulting, RSM US LLP
Booshan Rengachari, Founder & CEO, Finzly
Moderated by: Mike Butler, President & CEO, Grasshopper Bank
As technology solutions available to the banking industry continue to abound, finding the right solution that aligns with the bank’s strategy can be a challenge. This session focuses on the importance of marrying bank strategy with technology investment, measuring whether the ROI is worth the investments and being brave enough to take the leap with a new technology.

11:25 AM – 12:05 PM
FinXTech Session: Macro and Micro Strategies That Influence Your Technology Roadmap
Neil Whittaker, CEO Europe, Strategic Resource Management, Inc.
Join SRM’s Neil Whittaker to discuss how business strategy optimization leads to a better technology roadmap, investment, and integration. This session covers the macro items that need to be considered before technology integrations occur, and also retells how SRM dug deep into a bank client’s comprehensive business strategy and built a Bank on a Page assessment to better predict the technology needed for short- and long-term success.

12:05 PM – 1:05 PM
Networking Peer & Guest Lunch
Sponsored by: Vedder Price

1:05 PM – 1:20 PM
Three Fintech Questions To Ask Your Team This Week
Al Dominick, CEO, Bank Director
Dan O’Malley, Co-Founder & CEO, Numerated Growth Technologies
Numerated, the fastest growing fintech software company in the U.S., works with banks totaling $1T to digitally transform how they lend. In this one-on-one conversation with this tech company’s CEO, Dan O’Malley, we explore what he’s learned from working with banks. In addition, we raise three questions your team can ask of companies like his.

1:20 PM – 2:00 PM
How to Value Your Bank
Curtis Carpenter
, Senior Managing Director, Hovde Group, LLC
How do you determine the acquisition value of a bank in today’s market? What are the major factors determining that value and how are they changing?

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1:20 PM – 2:00 PM
FinXTech Session: Repositioning Your Customers’ Experience
Brendon DiBella, Chief Revenue Officer, StreetShares, Inc.
Nikhil Lakhanpal, Co-Founder, Narmi Inc.
Benjamin Wallace, CEO, Summit Technology Group
Moderated by: Michelle King, President, Bank Director
An outstanding customer experience can set your bank apart from the competition while a mediocre one can really set you back. This session features three technology providers that can help your bank rise to the top. Hear success stories from these technology providers and get ideas for what your bank can do to enhance your customers’ experience.

2:15 PM – 2:55 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
These afternoon breakout sessions highlight topics related to organic growth, mergers & acquisitions and strategic initiatives your bank might consider as you plan for the year ahead.

Breakout I: Finding and Paying for an Acquisition
Randy Johnson, President & CEO, Oakstar Bank
C. Robert Monroe, Partner, Stinson LLP
This presentation focuses on an acquirer’s acquisition goals from the perspective of a bank CEO (who has completed two transactions in 2021) and Counsel, on topics involving acquisitions. The topics include: (1) why acquire, (2) identifying a target, (3) target characteristics, (4) funding, and (5) acquirer’s long term goals.

Breakout II: Retaining Talent in a Highly Acquisitive and Competitive Market
Dan Kaufman, Partner, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC
Susan O’Donnell, Partner, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC
Frank Sorrentino, Chairman & CEO, ConnectOne Bank
Acquisitions, mergers of equals, IPOs, fintechs and denovos have created new challenges for retaining bank talent. This session discusses emerging pressures on compensation programs and how banks can effectively retain executives and key talent in a market of increased consolidation and competition. Topics include: (1) defining peers in a more diverse business market, (2) example compensation strategies in MOE’s, high growth and non-traditional banking areas (e.g. fintech) and (3) strategies to enhance retention of key talent in this new environment.

Breakout III: Curating the Right Digital Experience for Your Customers
Chris Cox, Chief Operating Officer, Apiture
Jennifer Dimenna, Vice President of Xpress Product, Apiture
Following a year of global change, consumer’s shift to digital banking has created an exciting opportunity for financial institutions. One of the most challenging obstacles many institutions are still working to overcome, however, is how they can continue to provide the personalized and reliable customer experience digitally that they were once able to provide in-person. In this session, we discuss the importance of developing a customer experience based on your consumer’s needs, how to discover and work with the best third-party partners to differentiate your platform and the importance of prioritizing design and ease-of-use in your digital platforms.

Breakout IV: Emerging Accounting Issues and the Impact on Banks
Lyle Alexander, Partner, BKD, LLP
Jason Rader, National Financial Services Industry Partner, BKD, LLP
This session highlights select accounting and reporting updates specific to the banking industry. The session also covers certain upcoming accounting standards, best practice observations from early adopters and other accounting updates affecting banks in today’s environment.

Breakout V: Exploring the Next Frontier in Business Account Opening
Nathaniel Harley
, CEO & Co-Founder, MANTL
85% of businesses report a bad onboarding experience with their bank. Join fintech MANTL to discover a first-of-its-kind business account opening solution and learn best practices for improving operational efficiency by balancing automation and human touch. Informed by proprietary research, this session explores what businesses expect and the role that digital plays in maintaining the primary financial institution relationship.

Breakout VI: Why You Should Be Thinking Differently About Capital Allocation Strategies
Gary Svec
, Managing Director, Performance Trust Capital Partners, LLC
Over the last 30 years, time has been on our side whenever we have encountered cyclical credit risk in the banking business. The primary goal was to arrive at the end of the credit cycle without a dilutive capital event. Basic capital allocation strategies were unchanged for the banks who were not exposed to the risk of dilution, both during the credit cycle and after it subsided. Notably, at the end of each of the three previous credit downturns, Net Interest Margin and structural ROTCE were stronger than when the recession started. This time, however, is very different; time is not on our side. This session discusses the actions CEOs should be taking to avoid having all capital allocation chips bet on a single outcome.

2:55 PM – 3:15 PM
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by: Mercer Capital

3:15 PM – 3:55 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
Conversations continue with a second round of afternoon breakout sessions — participants select one of six opportunities.

Breakout I: Fintech and Non-Bank Investments and Acquisitions
Neil Grayson
, Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Brad Rustin
, Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Brennan Ryan
, Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
As the convergence of traditional banking and fintech continues to accelerate, banks are increasingly turning to investing in, and acquiring, innovating technology companies and solutions. This session discusses regulatory considerations to take into account when contemplating these transactions.

Breakout II: Prepare for Impact: CECL’s Effect on M&A Strategy
Jon Tomberlin, Managing Partner, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP
For acquirers and sellers, the current expected credit loss (CECL) standard impacts transaction pricing and valuation. Learn how your bank can proactively address this impact through due diligence planning, credit marks and trends and incorporate these details into filings and proxy statements.

Breakout III: Integrating Your Acquired Workforce in Today’s Challenging Environment
Craig Sanders, Partner, Moss Adams LLP
Cultural integration is as challenging as ever, between the socially isolated environment, ongoing digital transformation and the constantly evolving impact of COVID-19 on how team members view their working environment going forward. Further, the management of change is being influenced by evolving environmental, social and governance strategies and initiatives. Learn key trends to consider as you plan your integration.

Breakout IV: Advice and Counsel for Potential Sellers
Scott Brown, Partner, Luse Gorman, PC
Lawrence Spaccasi, Partner, Luse Gorman, PC
When the board is considering putting the bank up for sale, what issues should be addressed first to achieve the highest offer possible? Think of this as the corollary to fixing all of the things needed to put your house on the market.

Breakout V: How To Put A Winning Digital Strategy to Action
Mike Butler, President & CEO, Grasshopper Bank
Siya Vansia, Chief Brand & Innovation Officer, ConnectOne Bank
Moderated by: Nikhil Lakhanpal, Co-Founder, Narmi Inc.
Everyone knows they must embrace digital to stay competitive. What’s not so obvious is how to successfully execute a digital transformation strategy and deliver profitable growth. Narmi Co-Founder Nikhil Lakhanpal sits down with the most innovative leaders in banking for an honest conversation where they discuss where to start, how to effectively navigate change and ultimately deliver value that can’t be found anywhere else. You will come away with a winning mindset that will take you through the next decade of digital growth.

Breakout VI: Speeding to Technology Savings: A Transformational Approach to Merger Contract Negotiation
Brendon Falconer, Chief Financial Officer, Old National Bank
Ryan Rackley, Partner, Cornerstone Advisors, Inc.
In mergers and acquisitions, time is money. Unfortunately, merging banks do not have the luxury of time when steaming towards the deal close and operational integration. During this short time window, bank executives must ensure that a disciplined negotiation playbook is leveraged to exceed earnings accretion targets expected from I.T. savings. Importantly, the vendor decisions made and the structure of these contracts must position the combined organization to remain competitive with digital and I.T. in the future. In this session, Ryan Rackley from Cornerstone Advisors will share the firm’s proprietary 100-day negotiation playbook, and Brendon Falconer from Old National Bancorp will share how this process was put into action in the bank’s groundbreaking merger with First Midwest Bancorp. In an era when scale efficiencies will be achieved by leveraging technology, contract negotiation is fast becoming one of the most critical levers in shareholder value creation.

4:10 PM – 4:50 PM
Creating Possibilities For Greatness
Joseph Adams, CEO, 1st Security Bank
Kenneth Vecchione
, President & CEO, Western Alliance Bancorporation
Moderated by: Kara Baldwin, Partner, Crowe LLP
Based on the latest iteration of Bank Director’s RankingBanking study, hear from two banks that topped our list.

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4:10 PM – 4:40 PM
FinXTech Session: Assessing Your Payments Strategy
Adom Greenland, CFO, ChoiceOne Bank
Derik Sutton
, Vice President of Marketing, Autobooks
The lines between financial services providers continue to blur, with cutting-edge platforms being introduced to facilitate payments
with or without a bank. With so much attention being placed on the payments space, this session illuminates the strategies and tactics banks should employ to protect – and enhance – their payments business.

4:50 PM – 5:30 PM
Subtle Trends That Bankers Need To Talk About
Bill Burgess, Managing Director, Co-Head of Financial Services Investment Banking, Piper Sandler & Co.
Jonathan Talcott, Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Andrea Usai
, Associate Managing Director, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
Moderated by: John Eggemeyer, Founder & Managing Partner, Castle Creek Capital LLC
So much is changing, and in order to stay competitive, bankers must be in-the-know. This session offers some key trends that bankers should keep in mind as they plan for the future.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Networking Peer & Guest Reception
Sponsored by: Diligent Corporation

 

Day Two | Monday, January 31

What’s driving merger activity? Who cares about your stock? What’s going on with your profitability? Building on Sunday’s presentations and conversations, we dedicate a number of Monday’s sessions to exploring one’s financial growth options while surfacing key business issues to help keep you relevant and competitive.

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
Sponsored by: IntraFi Network LLC

7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Discussion Groups (select one)
This morning’s discussion groups offer participants the chance to interact with peers and an industry advisor around a shared topic of interest. Six discussion groups run concurrently, so attendees may select one to attend.

Discussion Group I: How Banks Should Make the Decision to Buy or Sell
Peter Weinstock
, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Decisions made even before bankers engage with the other side foretell the likelihood for success. This session discusses how to play the negotiating game in the most effective manner for both sellers and buyers. We also examine the role of the directors in the process.

Discussion Group II: How Effective Communication Strategies Impact the Bottom Line of Your Merger
Rick Hall, Managing Director, Banking and Financial Services, BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.
There are several key financial impacts that acquiring banks face to ensure a successful merger, among which include core conversion, product migration, human resources and footprint consolidation. However, one area that is often minimized in its value is communication strategies. During this session, attendees learn how merger communications have evolved well beyond regulatory approval and account migration and should include audiences well beyond effects to customers and relate directly to the long-term financial success of your merger.

Discussion Group III: Is Your Finance Team Telling the Right Story?
Ken Levey, Managing Director, Empyrean Solutions, LLC
Bryan Ridgway, Senior Sales Engineer, Empyrean Solutions, LLC
The current banking environment, defined by economic uncertainty, increased regulatory burdens, technology and digital transformations, expanding customer demands and growth volatility requires that your finance organization be experts across a number of areas, including accounting, data governance and analysis, economics, industry trends, performance measurement, planning, risk management, reporting and analytics. With this broad purview of information and expertise the finance area should be both a key strategic partner and the chief storyteller for the organization.

Discussion Group IV: Executive Talent Strategies and Succession Planning
Sean O’Neal, Principal, Chartwell Partners
Scott Petty
, Managing Partner, Chartwell Partners
What steps are you taking to make sure you have the right talent surrounding you in your C-suite and boardroom to lead your organization? How are you addressing succession planning in key positions as you look 3 to 5 years out? How will you compete for the digital and technology experts you need to drive your strategy forward? How are you addressing diversity in your executive suite and boardroom? Join this interactive discussion session as we answer these questions and related human capital topics.

Discussion Group V: u200bGrowing Revenue in a Changing Fee Income Environment
Chad Hoffman, President & CEO, Richwood Bank
Mike Holt
, Partner, Profit Resources Inc.
Interchange income has long surpassed overdraft revenue as the number one source of deposit-based non-interest income. But have you maximized its potential at your bank? During this session, we explore and discuss how to maximize interchange and other sources of deposit-based revenue plus how this all fits with the context of buy/sell situations.

Discussion Group VI: The Benefits of Getting a Credit Rating
Van Hesser, Senior Managing Director and Chief Strategist, KBRA
Kroll Bond Rating Agency has challenged conventional rating agency thinking and rated many well-run community and regional banks. Today, more than 150 banks have used a KBRA rating to become more competitive in institutional deposit gathering, have strengthened their competitive position in loan markets and more efficiently accessed capital.

8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
Day Two Opening Remarks: Sweeping The Shed
Al Dominick, CEO, Bank Director
Bank Director’s CEO, Al Dominick, welcomes the audience to the second day of the Acquire or Be Acquired Conference.

8:45 AM – 9:25 AM
The New Normal: Building Scale & Profitability in the Age of Convergence
Scott Anderson
,
Head of Investment Banking, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company
Joseph Berry,
Co-Head of Investment Banking, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company
Alan Lane, CEO, Silvergate Bank
Michael Perito, Managing Director, Research, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company
Sanjay Sakhrani, Managing Director, Research, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company
Daniel Sheehan, u200bu200bChairman & CEO, Professional Bank and Professional Holding Corp
To kick off the second full day of the conference, we take a look forward at how fintech & technology are changing our industry and will hear from leading bank and fintech analysts as well as 2 industry leaders.

9:25 AM – 10:05 AM
Investment Bankers’ Advice on Mergers & Acquisitions
Ed Losty, Managing Director, D.A. Davidson & Co.
John Roddy, Managing Director, Head of Financial Services, Raymond James Financial, Inc.
Frank Sorrentino, Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group, Stephens Inc.
Moderated by: Richard Adams, Jr., President, United Bankshares, Inc.
Over the past few years, technology costs – and paper-thin margins – spurred many banks to consolidate. With merger activity picking up speed in 2021, we enter the new year with new perspectives on what makes for a successful deal. Hear from three top investment bankers on what they learned from specific deals in 2021 and what they suggest and recommend when it comes to an acquisition – or exit – in 2022.

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8:45 AM – 9:25 AM
FinXTech Session: How Fintech Partnerships Can Help Every Bank or Credit Union Build a Specialized National Offering
Greta Lovenheim Capps, Customer Data & Analytics Director, PwC
Dean Nicolacakis, Partner, PwC
What happens in Vegas. stays in Vegas?” Not any longer. In fact, whether you’re a super-regional holding company, a regional powerhouse, or even a community bank or credit union, you should be rethinking your approach to geographic acquisition and servicing. In this session, PwC shares its latest research on how and where consumers bank, what they expect, and how financial institutions can react. As leading firms improve their ability to segment buyers, it’s no longer good enough to target based on physical proximity. We’ll look at how competition is changing, and opportunities you can pursue regardless of your size. Banks are executing these strategies by partnering with fintech to accelerate time to market and integrate into evolving ecosystems.

9:25 AM – 10:05 AM
FinXTech Session: Marketing Campaigns Go High Tech
Marco Bernasconi, President, North Brookfield Savings Bank
Rob Heiser, Co-Founder & Executive Vice Chair, Segmint, Inc.
For years, community banks had to sit on the sidelines while the biggest banks rolled out sophisticated marketing and revenue-generating programs using artificial intelligence. That’s no longer the case. This session shares how all banks can take advantage of turnkey platforms designed for community banks.

10:05 AM – 10:30 AM
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by: Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP

10:30 AM – 11:10 AM
Breakout Sessions (select one)

Breakout I: Optimizing Your Swap Program: Growing Earnings in 2022 and Beyond
Patrick Ryan, President & CEO, First Bank
Brad Voss, EVP & CFO, Triumph Bancorp
Moderated by: Bob Newman, Managing Director, Chatham Financial
More and more banks are using interest rate swaps in their commercial lending business to win long-term fixed-rate deals. Yet many banks choose to limit their interaction with these powerful tools at a tremendous opportunity cost to their bottom line. In this session attendees hear from bank executives who overcame some familiar areas of resistance to transform their swap programs, opening new doors to enhance earnings while keeping balance sheet risk in check.

Breakout II: Building an Acquirer
Lowell Harrsion, Partner, Fenimore Kay Harrison LLP
Jonathan Hightower
, Partner, Fenimore Kay Harrison LLP
Jackson McConnell, Chairman & CEO, Pinnacle Financial Corporation
Jude Melville, President & CEO, b1BANK
With consolidation serving as a key tool for achieving growth, many banks are looking to grow into acquirers. However, questions abound as to how an organization prepares to grow through acquisition. This session provides two contrasting perspectives on incorporating M&A into a growth strategy through discussing the experience of Business First Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFST, $4.4 billion in assets) and Pinnacle Financial Corporation (privately-held, $1.8 billion in assets).

Breakout III: Leveraging Data Before, During and After a Merger
Patricia Ferrick, President, FVCbank and FVCBankcorp, Inc.
Kim Snyder, CEO & Founder, KlariVis
How do you manage the significant influx of data when two institutions combine? Approaching data as a strategic asset from the onset will ensure that the combined institution is positioned to use the data for customer insights, risk management and portfolio reporting.

Breakout IV: A Primer on a Growing Breed of Bank Acquirers: Credit Unions & FinTech Companies
Michael Bell, Co-Chair, Financial Institutions Practice Group, Honigman, LLP
Jay Wilson
, Senior Vice President, Mercer Capital
Credit unions and fintech companies have increasingly emerged as potential bank acquirers, and these transactions can create a win for both buyer and seller. The acquirer (CU or fintech company) can enhance growth, scale and efficiency in light of a challenging operating and margin environment while also producing a positive outcome for the selling bank. This session gives a primer on these transactions from both a legal and valuation perspective by examining case studies and providing greater insight on how CUs and fintech companies value bank acquisition targets and discussing key strategic, financial and legal considerations for these types of transactions.

Breakout V: Compensation Considerations, Before, During and After M&A
Judy Gavant, EVP & CFO, Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc.
Loreen Lagatta
, Consultant, Pearl Meyer
Moderated by: Laura Hay, Managing Director, Pearl Meyer
There are many things to consider in M&A transactions. When it comes to compensation, compensation structures can either support or detract from a well-laid out acquisition or exit strategy. In this session, executive compensation and banking experts will explore compensation structures, policies and practices that support a bank’s desire to sell or acquire. Attend this session to receive practical guidance around aligning pay philosophies, retaining and rewarding key talent before and after the transaction and ensuring CIC agreements to ensure a smooth transition for all.

Breakout VI: Digitizing Commercial Lending: How to Power Personal Experiences
Digitally and at Scale
Joe Ehrhardt
, CEO & Founder, Teslar Software
The PPP process highlighted many inefficiencies and cumbersome paper-based bottlenecks present in the loan process. It also demonstrated that personal experiences can happen digitally and at scale. Moving forward, it will be a competitive imperative for banks to digitize all aspects of commercial and SBA lending that are currently being handled manually, allowing them to fulfill loans and grow commercial relationships with increased visibility and speed. In this session, we share strategies and tips for how banks can digitize the commercial lending and SBA process to significantly boost efficiencies while maintaining the personal, meaningful connections these customer relationships require.

11:20 AM – 12:00 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)

Breakout I: The Digital Lending Ground Swell: 3 Banks’ Radical Organic Growth Strategies
Matthew Crennan, SVP, Senior Portfolio Credit Risk Manager, Dime Community Bank
Jerry Plush, Vice Chairman, President & CEO, Amerant Bank
Sean Willett, EVP & Chief Administrative Officer, Five Star Bank
Moderated by: Dan O’Malley, Co-Founder & CEO, Numerated Growth Technologies
Community banks are quickly embracing fintech to organically grow their business lending portfolios. Join this C-Suite executive panel discussion to hear from 3 banks that are leveraging digital lending to unlock their organic growth & profitability strategies for 2022 and beyond.

Breakout II: The Acquirer’s Perspective: Best Practices, Lessons Learned & Characteristics of a Seller That Merit a Premium Price
Christopher Olsen, Managing Partner, Olsen Palmer LLC
Dan Rollins, Chairman & CEO, Cadence Bank
This moderated ‘fireside discussion’ with an accomplished bank acquirer reveals key findings applicable to sellers and buyers alike. For prospective sellers, hear what an acquirer actually looks for in a target including which characteristics merit a premium price… and which do not. For would-be buyers, the session will explore best practices, areas of value creation, and key risks in an acquisition.

Breakout III: Stay Competitive and Unlock Value through a Digital Operating Model
Chris Coleman, Senior Manager, Financial Services, West Monroe Partners
Dean Konick, Senior Principal, Financial Services, West Monroe Partners
How do you unlock the value from within your organization and leverage your operating model in today’s digital age? A digital op model is required for banks seeking to leverage digital technology to gain insight into operations. When banks do this right, leadership teams create a scalable digital foundation, better deploy human capital, improve client experience starting in the back and middle office and accelerate growth. This session explores a more practical approach to deploying a “digital” operating model for banks.

Breakout IV: Embracing Uneven Competition: Striking Beneficial Deals with Credit Unions
Mark Ryerson, Attorney and Counselor, Howard & Howard
Joseph Silvia, Attorney and Counselor, Howard & Howard
Jude Sullivan, Attorney and Counselor, Howard & Howard
Banks and credit unions compete in many traditional areas of finance but sometimes with different rules. This session examines the ability to embrace the uneven competition between banks and credit unions to highlight how and why transactions between banks and credit unions develop. We also examine the process of a credit union buying a bank, as well as the potential avenue for a bank to buy a credit union – yes, it’s possible!

Breakout V: Stacking the Deck: Secrets of High-Performing Banks
Dr. Sean Payant, Chief Strategy Officer, Haberfeld
What do high-performing banks do differently, and what can we learn from them? We define high-performing banks as those who have achieved the top 5% on ROE for 5 consecutive years. During this session, we evaluate the data from banks that made the cut. How do they derive this extraordinarily high level of performance? It might surprise you.

Breakout VI: LIBOR Cessation: Navigating a Brave New World
Rogier Kamerling
, Treasurer, Atlantic Capital Bank
Dan Krieter
, Director, BMO Capital Markets Corp.
Moderated by: Gerrit van de Wetering, Director, BMO Capital Markets Corp.
LIBOR can be used on legacy loans until June 30, 2023, but banks must have ceased originating LIBOR products as of December 31, 2021. In this session, a panel of capital markets experts discusses: market liquidity and pricing for SOFR, BSBY, Ameribor (from loan, fixed income and derivatives markets perspective) and transition mechanics / considerations for bank loan and accounting systems, documentation, adjusting A/L modeling (depending on chosen index).

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch
Sponsored by: MJC Partners LLC

1:00 PM – 1:05 PM
Welcome Back
Emily McCormick, Vice President of Research, Bank Director
Jackie Wall
, Vice President of Bank Services, Bank Director
Bank Director shares results from our annual research studies as well as cumulative findings from the over 80 Board Performance Surveys that our bank members have completed this year.

1:05 PM – 1:25 PM
Digging Into The Results
Rick Childs
, Partner, Crowe LLP
Emily McCormick, Vice President of Research, Bank Director
Bank Director’s research lead and Rick Childs, Partner at Crowe LLP, share their insights from our annual M&A research survey.

1:25 PM – 2:05 PM
Embed or Be Embedded?
David Foss
, President & CEO, Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.
Todd Nagel, President & CEO, IncredibleBank
Dale Oberkfell, President, Midwest BankCentre
Erik Skovgard, President & CEO, Lincoln Savings Bank
Moderated by: Al Dominick, CEO, Bank Director
“Banking as a Service” and “open banking” are not the same. A wise man once said that the importance of the former depends on your strategy, while your survival depends on the importance of the latter. To explore this dynamic, we welcome the perspectives of several notable CEOs from the financial services industry.

2:20 PM – 3:00 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)

Breakout I: King of the Hill: Mobile App Edition
Dave DeFazio
, Partner, StrategyCorps
Join StrategyCorps’ Dave DeFazio for a live look at the tools fintech disruptors have created to help tech-savvy consumers reimagine their everyday banking tasks while enticing them with new places to save their cash – instead of in checking accounts at your financial institution.

Breakout II: Understanding the Impact of M&A Transactions on Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation & Related BOLI Plans
Chris Pezalla, EVP, Chief Actuary, Newcleus
Explore potential changes in control provisions, expense accelerations, tax landmines and insurable interest considerations, along with how the transaction structure can have a material negative impact on the tax treatment of the inside buildup in BOLI.

Breakout III: Harnessing the Power of Your Customer’s Financial Data to Drive Towards Your Bank’s Growth Objectives
Amy Engallina, Executive Director, Retail Bank Brand Management, USAA
Jennifer Levesque-Mergl, VP, Online & Mobile Transformation, M&T Bank
Moderated by: David Hall, Director of MX Catalyst, MX Technologies Inc.
Financial data powers visibility into user behavior and enables the sophistication that banks need to truly understand their customers. In this session, David Hall of MX Technologies’ Client Consulting team talks with Jennifer Levesque-Mergl from M&T Bank and Amy Engallina from USAA to discuss the challenges keeping banks from unlocking their data and effectively taking action on those insights to provide meaningful guidance and recommendations that enabled them to deliver personalized digital experiences for their customers and drive towards their bank’s growth initiatives.

Breakout V: Crypto/Digital Assets – A Threat or Opportunity for Your Bank
Dave Mansfield, CEO, BankProv
Matthew Schell
, Partner, Crowe LLP
Bitcoin, Ether, Dogecoin, NFTs = Digital assets…. a new world full of strange names and acronyms is quickly emerging in the financial landscape. This session provides an introduction to the world of digital assets, the markets in which they trade, the players, the principal risks, the regulatory setting and….how this new world intersects with traditional banking. While many banks are starting to analyze and engage with a variety of digital asset applications, we discuss the factors to assess if this is a threat or opportunity for your bank.

Breakout VI: Big Loans Are Not Enough
Gita Thollesson, Senior Solutions Strategist, PrecisionLender | Q2
After taking on a ton of liquidity in 2020, commercial banks prioritized loan growth in 2021. Volume numbers rose but often at the expense of profitability. Just “doing more loans” won’t work in 2022. Join us for this session as we show how banks can: better understand each relationship’s profitability; expand client conversations beyond loans; and develop better collaboration between credit and treasury.

3:00 PM – 3:20 PM
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by: Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

3:20 PM – 4:00 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
This afternoon, choose from one of six sessions and learn how you can make your bank more efficient or grow from within.

Breakout I: Fee Income Opportunities – Leverage Technology to Enhance International Payments and Foreign Exchange Capabilities for Your Commercial Customers
Tom Loffredio, Head of Business Development, Derivative Path, Inc.
For many banks, international wire operations are viewed as back-office cost centers. Yet there is a significant revenue opportunity hidden in plain sight. Main Street banks are leveraging technology to offer better access, more competitive pricing and a more robust foreign exchange platform to their small and medium-sized business customers. This session explores the costs, benefits and opportunities available to grow non-interest income via international payments and foreign exchange.

Breakout II: ESG – Assessing Banks’ Exposure & Incorporating the Ratings Process
Megan Fox, Vice President, Senior Analyst, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
Focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) is intensifying and banks are facing rising interest in their ESG risks from investors, regulators, customers and employees. Moody’s incorporates banks’ exposure to ESG risks in its ratings and is publishing scores on banks’ exposure to these risks providing transparency and comparability to investors.

Breakout III: Predicting Growth in the 2022 Economy
Barry Ripes, SVP, Financial Services Leader, Equifax, Inc.
Without access to a crystal ball, predicting the future of lending and identifying opportunities is harder than ever. How will the pandemic continue to impact businesses? Will Main Street continue to rebound? When will the economy normalize and what does that look like? Join Equifax as we explore what we’ve learned from the past 12 months and what we expect to see in 2022.

Breakout IV: Cloud Compliance: Improve Your Speed to Market
Chris Appie, President, Compliance Systems LLC
Erin Simpson, EVP, Chief Operating Officer, Encore Bank
Managing your ecosystem of fintech partners keeps getting more complicated. Cloud-based compliance can help you align your fintech solution strategy and improve your operations with a model of real-time product and compliance deployment. Join this session to gain strategic insights on how cloud compliance services can evolve your lending and OAO digital delivery and manage risk across your enterprise.

Breakout V: Fintech Partnerships, Joint Ventures and Hot Topics
Heather Cozart
, Partner, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP
The world of fintech is increasing in prevalence and popularity among many banks. If your bank has entered into or is considering a fintech partnership or joint venture, hear what should be top of mind.

Breakout VI: Beating Fintechs in the Fight for Customer Engagement
Rob Guilfoyle, Co-Founder of Abe.ai (an Envestnet Solution) & VP, AI Products, Envestnet, Inc.
Driven by fintech innovation and the pandemic, the competition for customer loyalty is ever accelerating. Additionally, consumers are increasingly seeking guidance on how to build financial stability in their lives. In this session, we uncover how banks can better align with their customer’s goals and help them achieve financial wellness through the delivery of hyper-personalized financial insights with actionable recommendations.

4:10 PM – 4:50 PM
The Impact of ESG
Robert Azarow
, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Ning Chiu, Partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Moderated by: Jennifer Docherty, Co-Founder, Director & CEO, Bank on Women, Inc.
Institutional investors increasingly want to invest in companies that disclose their progress on environmental, social and governance issues — or ESG. And regulators and lawmakers are enhancing their focus on issues like climate change that fall under the ESG umbrella. Ratings agencies are rapidly including it in their credit ratings, and large depositors may be considering it as part of their business relationship with their bank. It’s time for bank leadership teams to get seriously proactive about ESG. Our panel of experts discuss how banks should focus on this hot topic.

4:50 PM – 5:30 PM
Why Diversification and Differentiation Are The Drivers of 2022
Ira Robbins
, President & CEO, Valley Bank
Eric Sprink
, President & CEO, Coastal Community Bank
Moderated by: Al Dominick, CEO, Bank Director
Hear from top CEOs from across the country who are running today’s best banks as they share their insights on cultural and organizational changes that drive their business transformations.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Networking Peer & Guest Reception
Sponsored by: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company

 

Day Three | Tuesday, February 1

For many companies, a failure to innovate typically ties back to tradition. We know that change cannot happen in a vacuum, so the topic of modernizing one’s business appears throughout our final day’s program.

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast

7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Discussion Groups (select one)
This morning’s discussion groups offer participants the chance to interact with peers and an industry advisor around a shared topic of interest. Six discussion groups run concurrently, so attendees may select one to attend.

Discussion Group I: Dissecting Recent M&A Deals
Craig Mancinotti
, Managing Director, ProBank Austin
Richard Maroney, Jr., Managing Director, ProBank Austin
This discussion reviews case studies of recently announced M&A deals. Post-COVID deals have included more strategic MOE transactions to drive scale and add market strength. In addition, the wave of cash deals from various types of buyers provides interesting pricing and return analysis. Specific deal terms will be reviewed including buyer profiles, pricing dynamics, pro forma capital ratios, earn-back results, market reaction and more to assist in understanding today’s M&A environment.

Discussion Group II: Sharing in the Dream: How to Create and Capture Wealth for Executives in an M&A Event
Brian Marek
, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
There are many alternatives to consider when designing compensatory arrangements (including severance, change-in-control, bonus and equity awards agreements). To that end, this session covers: how to identify the right key employees; things to consider before a change-in-control transaction is imminent; the shareholders’ perspective, including the impact of equity on dilution; the attractiveness to the buyer of certain pay structures; and designing plans that maximize the amounts paid to executives.

Discussion Group III: The Digital Transformation of Governance
Jack O’Neill, Regional Sales Director, Diligent Corporation
As the world continues to go further and further into the digital realm, governance and the board must evolve with it. During this session, Diligent covers the importance of digitizing your board, why it matters in the financial services industry and the impact that digital transformation can have on security, risk and innovation.

Discussion Group IV: Partner Selection: Cultivating Potential Partners List
Robert Toma, Managing Director, Financial Services Investment Banking, Raymond James Financial, Inc.
Management teams and boards should incorporate a regular review of potential merger partners, including potential targets, strategic merger candidates and up-stream buyers. During this presentation we review best practices for: (1) identifying and cultivating a prospect list and (2) a regular review and evaluation of potential buyers, including regular monitoring of business performance, growth prospects and valuation.

Discussion Group V: Using Client Profitability to Optimize Shareholder Value
Mac Thompson, President & Founder, White Clay
Do you know how your clients impact shareholder value? Understanding how your bank deploys capital and its financial return is critical to drive bank performance. Visibility to client profitability and return on capital provides the insight to optimize which segments of the portfolio to grow, improve, or exit. Client profitability can align your bank-wide management and incentive processes with shareholder value instead of habitual activities that may not directly impact that value.

Discussion Group VI: Impacts of Amended SEC Rule 15c2-11 on Community Bank Over-the-Counter Trading
Laura Hamilton, Vice President, OTC Markets Group Inc.
Scott McComb, Chairman, President & CEO, Heartland Bank
This session addresses the impacts of amended SEC Rule 15c2-11, which affected over 400 community banks that trade over-the-counter on OTC Markets. We provide an overview of the rule changes and how it benefits the ecosystem of broker-dealers and retail and institutional shareholders. We also provide an update on OTCQX Banks, which now has over 100 members and continues to offer a lower cost alternative to listing on NASDAQ and NYSE while increasing shareholder value ahead of a M&A deal.

8:30 AM – 8:40 AM
Day Three Opening Remarks
Naomi Snyder
, Editor-in-Chief, Bank Director
Bank Director’s Editor-in-Chief, Naomi Snyder, opens the third and final day of this year’s Acquire or Be Acquired Conference.

8:40 AM – 9:10 AM
Critical Factors of a Successful Merger
Joshua Carter, Partner, PwC
Daniel Goerlich, Partner, PwC
Most banks start well with investors but it’s also critical to engage your leaders, communities and key customers at the start of the journey. This session explores the various approaches banks have taken to engage these key stakeholders and the critical success factors and lessons learned from several past transactions.

9:10 AM – 9:40 AM
Building for Growth in Small Business Banking
Jo Jagadish, Head of Corporate Products, Services & Innovation, TD Bank, N.A.
Derik Sutton, Vice President of Marketing, Autobooks
Small business banking is a massive opportunity for banks. It is also one of the fiercest battlegrounds when it comes to banks having to compete with large tech providers such as Square, PayPal, Quickbooks and more. Join this session as Derik Sutton, VP of Marketing at Autobooks, talks with Jo Jagadish, Head of Corporate Products, Services and Innovation at TD Bank, about how TD Bank is building a small business growth plan aimed to stand out from the banking competition, and also stand up to the largest of technology providers.

9:40 AM – 10:00 AM
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by: Finzly

10:00 AM – 10:40 AM
Breakout Sessions (select one)

Breakout I: Winning the Battle for Small Business Borrowers
Carlos Naudon
, President & CEO, Ponce Bank
Jorge Sun
, CEO & Co-Founder, LendingFront
The future of SMB financing and relationship building is using a merchant’s payment data in combination with their point of sale (POS) system. Fintech giants are doing it – you can too! Learn how and don’t get left behind.

Breakout II: How to Tame the Credit M&A Wildcard – Even with Current Stellar Banking Metrics
Greg Dingens
, Chief Strategist, QwickAnalytics, A Division of QwickRate
David Ruffin
, Principal, IntelliCredit, A Division of QwickRate
While virtually all banking performance metrics are exceeding early pandemic fears, credit remains the most difficult to project, especially when assessing it during M&A. This session shows how to better factor the current credit uncertainties (growth, opportunity, quality, culture) into your M&A proformas – and with approaches that fit the times, not emulating the decade-old last crisis.

Breakout III: MortgageTech & Proptech: What You Need To Know
John Guzzo, Managing Director, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company
Jason White, Managing Director, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company
This session covers the evolution and growth of the mortgage and real estate technology industries since the Great Recession and the proliferation of single-point solution companies. The discussion also includes an overview of the recent drivers of massive M&A consolidation and technological innovation in this space, which has been further accelerated as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Breakout IV: The Greatest Opportunity to Capture Value in the Bank M&A Space Today
Kate Lynch, Managing Director, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Valuation trends that were true for the last 25 years shifted during the pandemic, creating a mismatch between valuations and fundamentals for certain segments of the bank industry. This presentation presents a strategy for buyers and sellers to capitalize on the valuation mismatch, utilizing a case study from an actual bank M&A transaction that PNC advised on during 2021.

Breakout V: The Future of Community Bank Strategic Planning and M&A
Kamal Mustafa, Chairman, Invictus Group
This is the future of community banking (hint: it’s not fintech or digital banking). In this session, Invictus chairman Kamal Mustafa, the former head of global M&A at Citibank, discusses the keys to post-pandemic strategic planning and M&A. These are the simple concepts that any bank CEO can and must follow to maximize shareholder value and gain a competitive advantage in an ever-shifting landscape.

Breakout VI: Super Deposits 101: From Fintech to Non-Banks, Everyone Is Coming For Your Deposits
Kelly Brown
, CEO & Chair, American Deposit Management, LLC
It used to be about gathering deposits, but now it’s about managing them. In today’s upside-down deposit world, banks either have too many deposits or not enough, leaving income on the table and making budgeting and planning a challenge. During this session, learn the latest strategies from around the nation in managing your deposits in ways you’ve not thought of. This session also provides tools and insights to take back to your bank and put into practice immediately. Don’t miss it!

10:50 AM – 11:25 AM
Can Chime Ring the Bell at a $30B Valuation?
Jeffery Kendall, Chairman & CEO, NYMBUS
AJ Malhotra, Managing Director, Insight Partners
David Sandler, Co-Head & Managing Director, Investment Banking Financial Services Group, Piper Sandler & Co.
Moderated by: Al Dominick, CEO, Bank Director
With so much money being poured into fintechs, we wrap up the Acquire or Be Acquired Conference by asking: are their subsequent valuations justified? Rather than looking only at profitability via a traditional balance sheet, we explore how companies like Chime (and others) continue creating value in other ways.

11:25 AM – 11:30 AM
Closing Remarks
Al Dominick
, CEO, Bank Director

1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
L. William Seidman Annual Acquire or Be Acquired Golf Tournament
Sponsored by: BrightFi and FHLBank Atlanta
Enjoy the afternoon playing golf with your peers. While the tournament is FREE to registered conference attendees, space is limited. Reserve your spot today!

5:45 PM – 7:00 PM
Closing Peer & Guest Reception
Sponsored by: BrightFi and FHLBank Atlanta
Attendees and their guests join in the fun to see who is this year’s winner of the L. William Seidman Golf Tournament!

 

For more information, please email [email protected] or call our events department at 877-397-7595.