Session Descriptions
Breakout Session Descriptions
Column headers with buttons are sortable from A-Z and Z-A
| DESCRIPTION | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALM: A Strategic Compass | LaChrisha Dourisseau, Vice President, Solution Consulting - Cores, Deposits & EPM/ECM Diana Jacobsen, Solution Consultant |
Fiserv, Inc. | In today’s environment, ALM is not just a defensive tool; it’s a strategic compass guiding banks through uncertainty. Institutions that embrace agile, data-driven,and forward-looking ALM practices will not only survive but thrive. ALM is no longer just about compliance; it’s about navigating your next steps. Join this session to learn more. |
Intermediate |
| The Antidote to Activism: Build a Fortress, Not a Target | Gary Svec, Managing Director, Investment Banking | Performance Trust Capital Partners | In today’s volatile financial landscape, community banks face increasing pressure from activist investors and opportunistic acquirers. This session, “The Antidote to Activism,” equips executives with proactive strategies to fortify their institutions against unwanted takeovers. With real-world examples and actionable insights, this presentation empowers bankers to shift from reactive to resilient, helping ensure their organizations remain in control of their future. Join us to explore how preparation, transparency and strategic foresight can be your best defense. |
Intermediate |
| Balance Sheet Management Themes and Strategies | Scott Hildenbrand, Head of Depository Fixed Income | Piper Sandler | Join Scott Hildenbrand, head of depository fixed income at Piper Sandler, for an insightful session on the evolving landscape of balance sheet management. Hildenbrand will provide updates on current themes impacting financial institutions, with a particular focus on the effects of interest rate volatility and broader macroeconomic shifts on balance sheet health and performance. He will discuss strategies that optimize capital structure, enhance liquidity and manage risk, and will use case studies to contextualize these ideas and help management teams prioritize initiatives that add value to their franchise. |
Intermediate |
| Beyond ALM: How AI Will Redefine Banking Analytics for the CFO | Steve Wofford, CEO Austin Wofford, Vice President |
Kohl Analytics Group | For years, financial institutions have relied on static, assumption-driven models for ALM, liquidity analysis, deposit behavior and CECL forecasting. Those tools served well when markets were stable, and change was gradual. But in today’s environment, where interest rates, liquidity positions, and member behavior shift rapidly, traditional approaches often fall short. A new generation of artificial-intelligence methods is emerging that can learn from vast data sources, adapt continuously and explain what’s driving its forecasts. These methods borrow proven techniques from industries such as energy trading, logistics optimization and gene sequencing, where AI systems already anticipate complex, real-time dynamics. Now, those same capabilities are being applied to balance-sheet strategy, liquidity forecasting, deposit modeling, hedging and credit-loss estimation. This session translates those advances into plain language for finance leaders. Attendees will see how these developments could transform the analytics that CFOs, treasurers and ALCOs depend on and what steps they can take to prepare their institutions for this next generation of AI-enabled forecasting and decision support. |
Intermediate |
| Beyond Static Annual Budgets: Why CFOs Are Moving to Continuous Forecasting | Graham Goble, CEO | BankBi | In a world defined by interest rate volatility, liquidity pressures and rapid market change, the traditional annual budget no longer provides the visibility or agility modern financial institutions need. CFOs are breaking free from the limitations of static budgeting and embracing continuous forecasting — a dynamic approach that keeps financial plans aligned with real-world performance all year long. Join us for this session to discover how continuous forecasting is transforming finance from a backward-looking exercise into a living, strategic process that empowers CFOs and finance teams to respond faster, plan smarter and lead with confidence. |
Intermediate |
| The Big Easy Breakdown: What’s New in Accounting & Financial Reporting | Stephanie Ballard, Audit Senior Manager Allison Minnis, Audit Partner |
Crowe LLP | This session will hit all the right notes as we explore the latest developments in every-evolving audit and financial reporting landscape. From FASB updates and regulatory shifts to emerging accounting hot topics, you’ll leave with practical insights to keep your organization and clients in tune with the evolving standards. Whether you’re a preparer, auditor or financial leader, this session promises a dynamic mix of timely guidance, trend analysis and forward-looking perspective. This session will cover a discussion of newly issued or proposed accounting standards, emerging topics and other current events. Topics will include accounting for credit losses on purchased loans, new reporting requirements, accounting for software costs and other hot topics relevant to the banking industry based on current events." |
Intermediate |
| Capital Strategy: Managing Growth, Risk & Regulation in Uncertain Times | Adam Mustafa, President & CEO | Invictus Analytics | Financial institutions face a unique paradox: growth opportunities are opening even as regulatory expectations and economic risks evolve. Capital planning has never been more critical. This session will address the most pressing themes shaping the industry today and into the future: Regulatory Tailwinds and Headwinds: Explore how quiet deregulation and shifting supervisory focus may reduce capital burdens for community banks if management teams know how to take advantage of them. Economic Scenarios That Matter: From tariff-induced recession risks to interest-rate uncertainty, understand how stress testing and risk convergence frameworks can help banks prepare without overreacting. Positioning Capital for Growth: Learn how to allocate capital in advance of a potential lending wave, maximizing shareholder returns while staying within regulatory guardrails. Modern Challenges in Risk Management: Address recurring issues in CECL implementation, CRE concentration management and capital planning with data-driven strategies that withstand scrutiny from boards, auditors, and regulators. Participants will walk away with a framework to balance offense and defense, strengthen resilience against tail risks and unlock lending capacity without creating governance blind spots. |
Advanced |
| Effective Risk Management - Panel Discussion | Moderator: Mark Haberland, Managing Director Panelist: Danialle Evans, Chief Accounting Officer – First Carolina Bank | Chief Financial Officer – BM Technologies, Inc. Panelist: Kelsey Marquis, President & CEO - cPort Credit Union Panelist: Scott Mincemoyer, President - Byron Bank |
Darling Consulting Group | While it is impossible to plan for every potential event, an effective risk management program will provide the ability to maintain flexibility, react and respond with sound judgement and develop and enact the right strategic decisions for your organization. But with so much uncertainty, volatility and unprecedented events occurring on a regular basis, where does one begin? Darling Consulting Group’s Mark Haberland will lead a panel of financial institution executives and FMS Board members as they share their experiences on regulatory trends, best practices and strategic opportunities and concerns to optimize your risk management process. |
Intermediate |
| From Exposure to Execution: Starting an Interest Rate Hedging Program | Jonathan Sundberg, Director of Client Relationship Management | Chatham Financial | Starting a derivatives program doesn’t have to be intimidating. This session provides a clear roadmap for banks preparing to stand up their first hedging program. From governance and documentation to partner selection, execution and servicing, attendees will learn the key decisions that lead to a smooth launch. This practical, step-by-step guide helps you avoid pitfalls and build internal alignment for long-term success. |
Intermediate |
| Hidden Gold: Mining the Relationships That Power Your Portfolio | Heather Hinchley, Senior Solutions Engineer | Strata Decision Technology | Most institutions know that a small fraction of their customer relationships drives most of their profit—but few can see exactly which ones, or how pricing and risk decisions ripple across the entire relationship. This session explores how financial leaders can move beyond account-level views to uncover the true profitability drivers behind their customer relationships. Learn how to evaluate profitability across portfolios, price new business with confidence and use relationship-level insights to manage contribution and margin over time. Through real-world examples, you’ll see how better visibility into relationship profitability empowers more strategic pricing, smarter portfolio management and more focused growth. |
Intermediate |
| Leveraging Political Subdivision Deposits in a Declining Rate Environment | Jim Lutter, Senior Vice President, Chief Funding Officer Todd Terrazas, SVP, Bank Funding Sales |
PTMA Funding | Financial institutions are facing mounting challenges as interest rates trend downward, compressing margins and creating funding pressures. Political subdivisions—local governments, municipalities, school districts and other public entities—represent a unique, often underutilized source of stable deposits. This session explores how financial institutions can strategically engage with political subdivisions to diversify funding, mitigate risks and enhance balance sheet flexibility. Drawing on over 40 years of PTMA’s experience partnering with political subdivisions across multiple states, the session will highlight both opportunities and pitfalls, offering real-world examples and practical takeaways that can be applied immediately by attendees. |
Intermediate |
| Mastering CECL Validation: Back-Testing, Sensitivity Analysis and Volatility Management | Justin Umscheid, Vice President of Services | ARCSys Technologies | This comprehensive session brings together two critical aspects of CECL model management—back-testing for accuracy and sensitivity analysis for volatility control. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to ensure their CECL models remain both reliable and resilient amid changing conditions. We’ll begin with an in-depth exploration of back-testing methodologies, focusing on evaluating weighted average loss and prepayment rates across active vintages. Attendees will learn how to compare forecasted results with actual outcomes, identify historical trends, assess charge-off cycles, and document findings to inform model enhancements and strengthen regulatory compliance. Building on that foundation, the session will transition into sensitivity analysis and volatility management, examining how economic assumptions, model inputs, and external factors influence CECL outcomes. Attendees will discover practical techniques to interpret sensitivity results and develop strategies that mitigate volatility while improving forecast stability. By the end of this session, participants will be equipped with the tools and knowledge to validate and refine CECL models, enhance forecasting accuracy, and strengthen overall risk management practices. |
Intermediate |
| Maximize Opportunities Amid Increased Credit Risk | Gavin Montgomery, Principal Tavish Taylor, Director, Advisory Services |
ALM First | Economic stability and credit performance are always a question for financial managers. Now is the time for leaders to take a fresh look at their credit risk strategies. In this timely session, our experts will address the latest industry trends and discuss strategic opportunities in an evolving lending marketplace. They will discuss what sectors are appealing, given current lending standards and the economic landscape, and how institutions should structure their balance sheet to manage credit risk effectively. |
Advanced |
| Mutuals Matter: Strategic Insights into Holding Company Formation and M&A | Leah Clair, Senior Manager Jason Hicks, Chief Financial Officer - New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp |
BerryDunn | Join this discussion with a panel of banking and accounting experts who will provide a comprehensive, practical guide to understanding and implementing the mutual holding company (MHC) structure. Designed for financial executives, senior managers and board members, this session explores the strategic rationale, regulatory framework and accounting treatment of MHC formation and merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. The session will spotlight the Mutuals Matter initiative—an advocacy and education platform that underscores the relevance and resilience of mutual institutions in today’s financial landscape. Attendees will gain actionable insights into how institutions can leverage the MHC structure to pursue growth, preserve mutuality and enhance long-term sustainability. |
Intermediate |
| The [New] CFO: A Practical Approach to Undertaking This Evolving Role | Megan Plis, Director of Marketing | Plansmith | The role of the Chief Financial Officer has evolved from a historical Controller to the Catalyst for Change – yet the compliance, reporting and fiscal responsibilities have never diminished. Today’s CFO is expected to balance traditional stewardship with demands for technology innovation, strategic leadership and rigorous IRR/ALM and liquidity management. This session, drawing on Plansmith’s over 50 years of front-row industry experience, cuts through the complexity of this continuously evolving role. We will provide a historical perspective on the CFO's journey and deliver a practical, actionable framework for overcoming the modern challenges of volume, complexity and burnout. |
Intermediate |
| Optimizing Non-Maturity Deposits: Master Decay Rates & Pricing Betas | Dave Koch, Director of Advisory Services | Abrigo | Non-maturity deposits remain a vital funding source for financial institutions. This session examines modeling decay rates, pricing betas, and customer behavior to strengthen deposit management. Gain actionable insights to reduce interest expense, improve deposit stability, and enhance overall balance sheet performance through data-driven, strategic asset/liability management (ALM) practices in today’s competitive environment. |
Intermediate |
| Respect The Investment Portfolio: Don’t Just Invest Cash, Actively Manage | S.J. Guzzo, Senior Vice President - Portfolio Strategies | FHN Financial | Many financial institution portfolios are suffering from sub-par book yields. And why shouldn't they be? Financial institutions were flush with cash during the COVID-era, interest rates were generationally low and then rates aggressively rose post-pandemic. But, years later, why continue to suffer with low yields and high losses? Isn't it time to make the investment portfolio the earning asset it should be? Proper planning, intestinal fortitude and active management through changing interest rate environments is the key to maintaining an investment portfolio that performs as intended. |
Intermediate |
| 7 Winning Deposit Campaigns—and Why They Work | Rick Claypoole, COO & President SaaS Solutions | OptimaFi | How are your peers dealing with declining deposits? Is there a solution for competitive rate pressure? Join us to find out what’s working now to strengthen deposit growth and generate higher campaign ROI. We’ll review the “top 7” winning deposit campaigns that are currently delivering results—highlighting the key components, the data analysis incorporated and the outcomes achieved. |
Intermediate |
| Stablecoin Demystified for the Banking Industry | Andrew Billeter, Principal, Financial Assurance | Wolf & Company, P.C. | This session provides retail bankers with a practical understanding of stablecoin implications. Designed for middle managers and frontline staff across retail, small business lending, trust, investment management, wealth management, risk and compliance departments, this session offers a risk-based roadmap for deployment or contingency planning as the digital currency landscape continues to evolve. |
Advanced |
| Treasury Management – Lessons for Us All from Large Depository Treasurers | Moderator: Ryan Henley, Head of Depository Strategies Panelist: Brian Gilbert, Corporate Treasurer - Pinnacle Financial Panelist: Chad Wheeler, Managing Director, Treasurer - Northwest Bankshares |
Stifel | Few professionals have experienced the responsibility of managing the treasury function for a large, multi-billion-dollar depository institution. These roles involve navigating a wide range of complex functions and challenges—especially during periods of market stress such as the financial crisis, COVID-19, the SVB bank failure and other significant events. In this session, Ryan Henley, Head of Depository Strategies for Stifel Financial, will moderate a panel of seasoned treasurers from large institutions to share their experiences, lessons learned and best practices. Attendees will gain actionable insights into strategies that can strengthen treasury management across institutions of all sizes—banks and credit unions alike. |
Intermediate |
| Your Finance Team: The critical link between Strategic Planning & Execution | Brad Brockman, Senior Sales Engineer Bryan Ridgway, Director Performance Management |
Empyrean Solutions | In today's volatile banking landscape, having a strategic plan isn't enough. The gap between strategy and execution is where most financial institutions struggle—and where competitive advantage is won or lost. Your finance organization isn't just about numbers— it's the strategic nerve center that, when properly positioned, becomes the critical link between visionary planning, risk assessment and measurable results. |
Intermediate |
CPE CREDIT HOURS
The Financial Managers Society, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to: The National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org.
- Level: Intermediate and Advanced
- Prerequisites: None
- Advance preparation: None
- Field of Study: Multiple
- Up to 11 hours
- Instructional Mode: Group Live
