Agenda

Pre-Conference Peer Exchanges | Monday | June 12

Bank Audit and Risk Peer Exchanges
Bank Director hosts its popular peer exchanges the day prior to our annual Bank Audit & Risk Conference. Small groups of experienced audit and risk committee members, as well as senior bank executives — along with outside advisors — meet in closed-door, off-the-record peer groups for candid discussions about various issues and challenges facing officers and directors.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Networking Peer + Guest Reception
To cap off the day, we invite all participants – and their guests – to join us for refreshments and light hors d’oeuvres.

Conference Day One | Tuesday | June 13

Today’s sessions touch on governance, enterprise risk management, accounting issues, regulation, cybersecurity, tax planning, cannabis banking, ESG issues, strategic planning and more. Day One of the Bank Audit & Risk Conference covers a great deal of ground in a short period of time to help participants understand the complexities of the financial sector when it comes to audit and risk.

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

8:00 AM – 8:10 AM
Welcoming Remarks
Michelle King, President, Bank Director
Laura Schield, Chief Operating Officer, Bank Director

8:10 AM – 9:00 AM
Banking in the Current Environment
Brandon Koeser, Senior Manager, Assurance Services, RSM US LLP
The macroeconomy, increasing regulatory focus and growing external factors are influencing bank risk at an increasing rate. In this session we set the stage on how each of these factors are impacting banking today and what you should consider for tomorrow to minimize the risk to your organization.

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM
The Realities of Regulation
James Bergin, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Erik Walsh, Counsel, Arnold & Porter
Moderated by: Rob Azarow, Partner, Arnold & Porter
This session explores the leading bank regulatory, examination and enforcement issues that all bank audit and risk committees must be prepared to manage.

9:50 AM – 10:05 AM
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by: Sittadel

10:05 AM – 10:55 AM
Risky Business
Gary Bronstein, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Tim Eischeid, Partner, FORVIS
Will Robinson, CEO, Encapture
Moderated by: Naomi Snyder, Editor-in-Chief, Bank Director
There are countless risks facing banks today. What are the most prominent ones, and what can your bank do to mitigate these risks as efficiently and effectively as possible?

11:05 AM – 11:55 AM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
Participants have the opportunity to select from one of three breakout sessions to attend, all of which are high-level in focus.

Breakout 1: How to Use Data to Manage Risk at Your Bank
Erica Carlson, Principal, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Todd Sprang, Principal, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Banks are overwhelmed with data from customers and other sources. This session discusses ways to harness that data to generate value and growth for your institution.

Breakout 2: Embracing the Volatility Brought on by CECL
Patrick Vernon, Senior Manager, Advisory Services, Crowe LLP
Following a second wave of the CECL adoption, two common questions continue to rise to the forefront for both initial adopters and second-wave adopters alike: How have reserves been trending given recent economic volatility and inflation concerns? How should model validation be incorporated into a robust risk management strategy? This session provides feedback on real trends observed in the industry and shares experiences as to how CECL reserves have fluctuated in recent months. Topics discussed include common pitfalls observed in the integration of a model risk management strategy and pillars of an effective plan for CECL model validation.

Breakout 3: Managing Credit Risk in Uncertain Economic Times
Trang Sumpter, Director, Moss Adams LLP
When the unknowns can be scarier than the knowns, it’s best to be prepared. This goes beyond simply providing data tables and charts, but really understanding credit risk management from a holistic view. This session provides organizations from the board to senior management at financial institutions several key credit best practices in managing their credit risk while managing growth.

11:55 AM – 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch

1:00 PM – 1:50 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
Participants have the opportunity to select from one of three breakout sessions to attend, all of which are high-level in focus.

Breakout 1: Reimagining the Internal Audit
Stacia Vernon, Senior Manager, Consulting Services, Crowe LLP
Financial services organizations have changed radically – and are still changing – but the internal audit process has not kept pace with that change. This presentation helps reinvent your internal audit by revealing four “Pillars of the Future” to help you transform your process to adapt to change. Discover tangible ways to not only make your internal audit process more human centered but also leverage technology and data to improve your processes as you innovate and move into the new age of internal audit.

Breakout 2: Why Getting More From Your Loan Review Is Now Critical
David Ruffin, Principal, IntelliCredit, A Division of QwickRate
A loan review is a strategic asset for community banks and should be treated like one. While this hasn’t been the case for decades, bankers are now realizing that new, dramatically improved processes – ones that can also be used for both internal and annual reviews – will not only make loan reviews more efficient, effective and less intrusive to credit teams’ day-to-day schedules, but provide a source of valuable information to help the bank detect risk earlier. This capability is especially critical during unsettled credit times. This session covers innovative approaches and best practices that can profoundly reduce the burden that a loan review traditionally placed on community bank teams – while also making this important discipline a more constant and strategic tool for minimizing credit risk that lies ahead.

Breakout 3: Transformative Teams: Turning “Cost Center” Functions Into Strategic
Innovators
Michelle Prohaska, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, Nymbus
This session discusses strategies for creating or developing transformative compliance, risk, audit and operational functions that support your innovation efforts – whether in partnership with fintechs, internal initiatives or something in between. We dive into best practices for due diligence, managing third-party risk and partnering with internal and external teams to drive innovation forward.

1:50 PM – 2:05 PM
Refreshment Break

2:05 PM – 2:55 PM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
Participants have the opportunity to select from one of three breakout sessions to attend, all of which are high-level in focus.

Breakout 1: Demystifying Zero Trust Security
Omar Refaqat, Managing Director, Crowe LLP
During this breakout session, we delve deeper into Zero Trust security by exploring the foundational concepts that apply at the organizational level. We move beyond the buzzwords to understand how this security model offers a comprehensive and adaptive approach to minimize the risk of cyber-attacks and breaches. We also touch on the federal government’s adoption of zero trust principles and related regulatory expectations documented by the FFIEC, particularly as they impact financial institutions. Finally, we discuss a set of principles that directors can utilize to oversee the technology risk management function of their institutions.

Breakout 2: Building and Scaling a Best-In-Class Cannabis Banking Program
Josh Lanouette, Head of Financial Crimes and Business Process Transformation, Northern Bank & Trust Company
Stacy Litke, VP, Banking Programs, Green Check Verified
More banks than ever are now serving the state-legal cannabis industry, garnering low-cost deposits, additional fee income and a host of other benefits. But what goes into running and scaling a successful program? In this session, hear directly from a bank at the forefront of this line of business and take away practical insights on how to work safely and effectively with cannabis-related businesses.

Breakout 3: Compensation, Regulatory Oversight & Liquidity – What Have We Learned?
Todd Leone, Partner, McLagan
Chris Richter, Associate Partner, McLagan
Given the downfalls of SVB and Signature, what does that portend for incentive compensation plans? While the dust is clearly settling, a few things are very clear. First, this is different from the Great Recession in many ways. Second, proper risk review of incentive plans is both important and needs to evolve. Last, with any crisis, more regulation is coming.

3:05 PM – 3:15 PM
What Your Peers Think
Emily McCormick, Vice President of Editorial & Research, Bank Director
In this session we share key findings from our Bank Director research and insight studies.

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Highlights From Our 2023 Risk Survey
Emily McCormick, Vice President of Editorial & Research, Bank Director
Craig Sanders, Partner, Moss Adams LLP
Hear about the most noteworthy results from Bank Director’s 2023 Risk Survey, sponsored by Moss Adams LLP.

3:30 PM – 4:20 PM
Walking A Tightrope: Cyber Risks
Ben LeClaire, Senior Manager, Plante Moran
Joshua Sitta, Co-founder & CISO, Sittadel
Moderated by: Kiah Haslett, Managing Editor, Bank Director
In today’s operating environment, cybersecurity risk is one of the top risk management concerns for many banks. During this session, we dig into why it’s imperative for bank directors and executives to be actively involved in overseeing the management of technology and cybersecurity risks.

4:20 PM – 5:20 PM
Networking Peer + Guest Reception

Conference Day Two | Wednesday | June 14

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Breakfast

8:00 AM – 8:15 AM
Day Two Welcoming Remarks
Michelle King, President, Bank Director
Laura Schield, Chief Operating Officer, Bank Director

8:15 AM – 9:05 AM
Regulation, Risk & Resiliency: Lessons From A Former Bank Regulator
Sydney Menefee, Partner, Crowe LLP
In this session, a former bank regulator shares insights from working with successful (and unsuccessful) banks over 20 years. Topics include: how to navigate pending legislation, regulation and “supervision by speech,” the biggest risk facing banks (hint: it is not the Big 3 – compliance, credit or cyber) and how strategic risk management is at the root of truly resilient organizations.

9:15 AM – 10:05 AM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
Participants have the opportunity to select from one of three breakout sessions to attend, all of which are high-level in focus.

Breakout 1: Cyber Risk and Community Banks: A Rapidly Evolving Exposure
Justin Corey, SVP, Head of Business Development, NFP
Lauren Kim, Managing Director, NFP
Cyber risk mitigation has become a critical aspect of day-to-day operations across a wide array of industries. As a response, the global cyber insurance market has experienced unprecedented volatility and has become considerably more difficult to navigate. Premiums have increased exponentially while coverage has become more restrictive, underwriting more laborious, and adequate limits harder to obtain. How does the Community Bank sector fit into this new normal? What steps can your bank take do to be proactive?

Breakout 2: How to Value the Performance of Your Loan Review Department
Peter Cherpack, EVP, Senior Director of Credit Technology, Partner, Ardmore Banking Advisors, Inc.
Bank boards are concerned about future economic conditions and the impact on loan portfolios, but it is getting harder to find and retain credit risk professionals. A bank’s loan review department should be a true third line of defense to protect the bank from credit risk. What process should you follow to determine if it is bringing the bank the value it should? Join Ardmore Banking Advisors for a tactical review of attributes of a successful, effective and efficient loan review department. Know the questions to ask, like: Is our department scope appropriate for our sized bank? Is our penetration and staffing sufficient? Are we leveraging available technology? Understand the right answers and what improvements are possible to improve your capabilities.

Breakout 3: A Vendor Management Program
Dana Polentz, Director, Audit & Advisory, RADD LLC
Financial Institutions must ensure their vendor management programs are reviewed at least annually in order to ensure relationships, mitigate potential risk and to stay in compliance with regulatory requirements. A vendor management program is more than just having policy and procedures in place. It ensures vendor selections are in line with policy; contracts include confidentiality and privacy concerns/standards; contracts and SLAs are measured according to vendor risk rating; and appropriate oversight of vendors occurs to ensure expectations are met and/or termination has occurred.

10:05 AM – 10:20 AM
Refreshment Break

10:20 AM – 11:10 AM
Breakout Sessions (select one)
Participants have the opportunity to select from one of three breakout sessions to attend, all of which are high-level in focus.

Breakout 1: Mitigating Compliance Risk with Machine Learning
Will Robinson, CEO, Encapture
With changes in regulatory requirements, how does a bank or fintech navigate the changes, attain and maintain compliance talent and uphold data integrity across the banking platforms? Many are turning towards automation to keep up and minimize risk. Join us in this session to learn how many banks are leveraging machine learning to make banking and compliance document processing faster and easier.

Breakout 2: 10 Questions on the State of Fair Lending from Banker to Fintech
Mark Dreux, Consultant, Stratyfy
Shannan Herbert, EVP Inclusive Credit, Stratyfy
The CFPB has made it clear that underwriting models must search for less discriminatory alternatives or face fair lending non-compliance. In this session, we discuss the tools and techniques available in the market that will not only help you remain compliant (by reducing bias) but also increase your revenue.

Breakout 3: The Importance of Board Evaluations
Jim Plagge, President & CEO, Bank Iowa
Kristina Schaefer, EVP, Chief Risk & Administrative Officer, General Counsel, First Bank & Trust
Moderated by: Emily McCormick, Vice President of Editorial & Research, Bank Director
Board evaluations can play a prominent role in improving corporate governance practices, but too many bank boards don’t assess their performance regularly or leverage the results to truly enhance their oversight capabilities. In this session, gain a real-world perspective on the board evaluation process, and how the results can be used to create positive change at the board and committee levels.

11:20 AM – 12:10 PM
Risk & Audit Issues
Mary-Margaret Henke, Audit Committee Chair, InBank
Steven Kent, Director & Risk Committee Chair, Byline Bank
Moderated by: Jack Milligan, Editor-at-Large, Bank Director
This panel of bankers discusses the latest issues and topics surrounding audit and risk committees.

12:10 PM – 12:15 PM
Closing Remarks
Michelle King, President, Bank Director