6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Welcome Reception
Join us at the 2 View Ballroom and Veranda to mix and mingle with attendees and their guests during this exclusive CEO retreat.
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Welcome Dinner
After the reception, we invite attendees and their guests to join us for dinner at the 2 View Ballroom and Veranda. After dinner, each person will have the opportunity to relive one of the most iconic putts in U.S. Open History – Payne Stewart’s historic and legendary putt from 1999 at the Pinehurst No. 2.
7:15 AM – 8:00 AM
Attendee & Guest Breakfast
Before our sessions and conversations, attendees and guests join us for breakfast in the North Room.
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Welcome and Introductions
Michelle King, CEO, Bank Director
Laura Schield, President & COO, Bank Director
Michelle and Laura welcome all participants and coordinate introductions of all bankers involved in the Exchange. We review the schedule and tee up our time together.
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Refreshment Break
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
Peer Conversations – Governance
The group discusses board performance, board governance and process, covering topics such as:
Board Performance
- Board Engagement
- Board Composition
- Board Recruitment
- Board Evaluation
Board Governance and Process
- Board Committees and Membership
- Ensuring Independence from Board Members
- Board Agendas
- Board Meeting Cadence
- Role of the Board vs. Role of the Executive Team
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Refreshment Break
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Peer Conversations – Making Technology Work
Topics like these are discussed during this moderated conversation:
- Aligning Digital Strategy with Overall Strategy
- Adopting and Deploying New Technology
- Technology Budget
- Partnering and Investing Via Accelerators, Incubators, Fintech Consortium and Fintechs
- Promising Technologies at Your Bank
- Your Bank’s Culture of Innovation
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Networking Lunch
Attendees continue off-the-record conversations over lunch in the North Room.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Peer Conversations – Growth Strategies
This moderated discussion focuses on topics such as:
- Consumer-Driven Growth
- Non-Bank Competition
- Build vs. Buy Strategy
- Alignment of Digital Strategy with the Bank’s Overall Strategy
- Leveraging Digital Platforms to Expand the Bank’s Market
- Fintech Consortium or Investor
- Innovation Leader at Your Bank
- Digital Currency
- Use Cases for Artificial Intelligence
1:30 PM – 1:45 PM
Refreshment Break
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM
Peer Conversations – Capital Allocation Considerations
The group discusses these topics during this moderated conversation:
- Guiding Principles for Capital Allocation Decisions
- Target Hurdle Rate
- Durability of Return
- Sustainability of Return
- Efficiency Ratio vs. Net Overhead
- Accessing Capital
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Wrap-Up
Michelle King, CEO, Bank Director
Laura Schield, President & COO, Bank Director
3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Let’s Play The Cradle
Attendees and guests enjoy the afternoon playing golf on The Cradle Short Course. The Golf Channel calls The Cradle “the most fun 10 acres in all of golf.” Twisting fairways, deep bunkers and undulating greens make up for the length The Cradle lacks, while still keeping the experience a worthwhile challenge. Enjoy the simple fun of the game, where everyone can easily play this 9-hole round of golf.
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Networking Dinner
Attendees and their guests are invited to dinner in The Ballroom, overlooking Pinehurst No. 9.
7:15 AM – 8:00 AM
Breakfast
Attendees and guests join us for breakfast in the North Room before we begin our second day of sessions and conversations.
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Peer Conversations – Succession Planning, Talent & Culture
This moderated discussion focuses on succession planning, talent acquisition, retention, development and compensation.
- Succession Planning for CEO and Other C-suite Executives
- Filling Key Roles – from Inside and Outside
- Is the Talent You Have, The Talent You Need?
- Recruiting Talent
- Developing Talent
- Characteristics of Ideal Candidates
- Other Talent, Culture and Compensation Challenges
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Refreshment Break
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
Peer Conversations – Risks
The group has a discussion around general risks, IT risks, reputational risks and regulation:
- Top Three Risks for Your Bank
- Tools Used to Manage Risk
- Chief Risk Officers
- CTO vs. CISO
- Management of Enterprise Risk
- IT Risks – Cyber Risk, Cybersecurity, Ransomware
- Vendor Risk
- Reputational Risk
- Top Three Regulatory Compliance Challenges
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Refreshment Break
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Peer Conversations – What’s Needed & What’s Next for 2026?
Michelle King, CEO, Bank Director
Laura Schield, President & COO, Bank Director
Based on all of the discussions that have occurred throughout the event, Michelle and Laura close the meeting with a recap and follow-up on top-of-mind issues the group would like to address.
- Differentiating Your Bank
- What Does Your Bank Solve For?
- Reviewing Market Analysis
- Scaling in a Niche
- Does Your Bank’s Name Serve You Well?
- Utilizing Data Effectively
- Competing Against Credit Unions
- Customer Experience and Customizations
- Anticipating the Needs of Your Customers
- Creating a Chick-Fil-A Experience
- The Excuses Not to Do Something
- Banking Is Not Complicated – Have We Made It So?
12:00 PM
Boxed Lunch for Attendees and Guests
12:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Activities at Pinehurst
Choose one of the following options:
Spa Treatment of Choice – Massage or Facial
The Spa at Pinehurst offers the opportunity to immerse oneself in true tranquility. In the hands of skilled masseuses and wellness professionals, you’ll feel the weight of the world slip from your rejuvenated shoulders as you experience serenity with a pinch of Southern hospitality added in. Escape into relaxation at this luxury spa in North Carolina.
12:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Play Pinehurst No. 2 Golf Course
Donald Ross’s masterpiece, No. 2 at Pinehurst, has served as the site of more single golf championships than any other course in America. It has also hosted back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships in 2014, and recently the 2024 U.S. Open. And as the U.S. Open’s anchor site, the future looks bright indeed. The championship returns in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047. Come walk in the footsteps of legends and play the holes that will birth a new generation of icons as well.
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Networking Reception
After returning from the afternoon’s activities and having time to refresh, we gather attendees and guests in the Kendall Room at The Carolina Hotel for heavy appetizers and cocktails.
