Growth – M&A and Organic Expansion Workshop

This workshop helps banking leaders evaluate the full spectrum of growth options available to their institution, from M&A transactions to organic market expansion to sharpening their competitive differentiation. Participants leave with a clearer understanding of which growth path aligns with their bank’s strategic vision, stakeholder expectations and operational capacity.

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Breakfast & Registration

10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Welcome & Introductions

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Peer Collaboration Session 1: The Current M&A Landscape
This session provides banking executives with a clear-eyed view of the current M&A market for community and regional banks. Participants examine valuation trends and deal structures relevant to their asset range and work through a strategic framework for evaluating whether to pursue acquisition, seek a merger of equals, sell or remain independent. The session emphasizes aligning strategic options with board and shareholder objectives, helping leaders move beyond default assumptions about growth and make decisions grounded in their institution’s specific circumstances and market realities.

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Peer Collaboration Session 2: M&A Execution & Due Diligence
This session guides participants through the practical realities of executing a bank transaction once the strategic decision is made. Participants learn how to prepare their institution for a potential deal, navigate the due diligence process effectively to uncover both risks and opportunities and understand the integration challenges that determine whether a transaction creates or destroys value. The session highlights common M&A pitfalls that erode shareholder value and provides best practices for integration planning, helping leaders approach execution with the discipline and foresight that successful transactions require.

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Lunch

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Peer Collaboration Session 3: Organic Growth Strategies
This session explores how banks can grow market share and expand their footprint without pursuing M&A. Participants learn to identify high-potential growth opportunities within their existing markets and develop strategies to capture share from competitors. The session covers leveraging digital capabilities to extend reach and enhance service offerings, and examines pathways for expanding into new markets, business lines, and customer segments. The focus is on practical, achievable growth strategies that align with the institution’s current capabilities and capital position.

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM
Refreshment Break

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Peer Collaboration Session 4: Your Bank’s Uniqueness
This session challenges banking leaders to identify and lean into what makes their institution genuinely distinct in a crowded market. Participants develop actionable differentiation strategies grounded in their bank’s unique strengths, rather than chasing competitors or copying industry trends. The session focuses on clarifying what your bank does best, communicating that differentiation to the market and aligning organizational resources behind those strengths. Participants leave with a sharper understanding of how their bank’s uniqueness can become its most defensible growth strategy.

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Wrap Up and Q&A

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Welcoming Peer & Guest Reception
To kick off the Summit, we invite all participants – and their guests – to join us for refreshments and light hors d’oeuvres.