Program | Annual Convention

7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

REGISTRATION OPEN

7:15 AM – 8:00 AM

POWER BREAKFASTS

Join us for breakfast and connect with colleagues from across the country. Learn about innovative new products and services that can take your bank to the next level. Breakfast will be served from 7:15 AM to 7:45 AM outside of the morning sessions.

Mastering Uncertainty: Grow Deposits, NII, and Loyalty in Any Environment

In today's shifting economic landscape, financial institutions are navigating more uncertainty than ever before. Kasasa CEO Gabe Krajicek will explore proven strategies that forward-thinking institutions use to boost yields, optimize deposit costs and deepen customer relationships.

• Gabe Krajicek, Chief Executive Officer, Kasasa

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

OPENING GENERAL SESSION

Opening Remarks

• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

Welcome to Charlotte

• Peter Gwaltney, President and CEO, North Carolina Bankers Association

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

BREAK IN THE HUB

The Hub is your ultimate destination to mix and mingle with peers and industry providers, see what’s new in banking and have a little bit of fun! 

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

These sessions allow you to focus on the issues that matter most to you and network with senior banking leaders who feel the same. Choose from sessions in innovation, profitability, leadership and talent management, and customer experience. View full session details.

• Future-proofing payments: why banks should embrace next generation payment hub technologies 
  
• Open banking, real results: how community banks can compete, win and grow 
  
• Balance sheet management: a comprehensive approach
  

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM: PART 1
ELIMINATE CONFLICT WASTE™: HOW TO HAVE CONFLICT AND STILL WIN TOGETHER

The Emerging Leaders program provides the professional development opportunities emerging leaders need to further their career and meet the demands of leadership to serve any bank’s mission at a higher level. View the full Emerging Leaders program.

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

These sessions allow you to focus on the issues that matter most to you and network with senior banking leaders who feel the same. Choose from sessions in innovation, profitability, leadership and talent management, and customer experience. View full session details.

• Building a successful and sustainable talent pipeline for your bank
  
• Harnessing the power of data analytics 

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM

EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM: PART 2
NEXT IN LINE: READY OR NOT, HERE WE LEAD

The Emerging Leaders program provides the professional development opportunities emerging leaders need to further their career and meet the demands of leadership to serve any bank’s mission at a higher level. View the full Emerging Leaders program.

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

INDUSTRY HOT TOPICS LUNCH

Join us for a lunch discussion where industry experts will explore hot topics. Enjoy great food, gain valuable insights into emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the banking landscape from industry partners. 

Modernizing with Purpose: A Community Bank's Core Transformation Journey

This session explores how PeoplesBank approached core modernization to support long-term growth and innovation - becoming the largest U.S. community bank to convert to a cloud-native core. In conversation with their core provider, Nymbus, the teams will share lessons on evaluating sidecar strategies, navigating internal alignment and laying the groundwork for new business models and deeper fintech collaboration.

• Jeffery Kendall, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, NYMBUS 
• Aleda DeMaria, EVP and Chief Banking Officer, PeoplesBank 

Strategies banks can use to protect leadership and drive long-term performance

Talent retention isn't just an HR issue - it's a risk management and profitability challenge. As competition intensifies and leaders approach retirement, banks urgently need to preserve institutional knowledge and leadership continuity. Discover how top-performing banks are using strategic solutions to reward key leaders, reduce turnover risk and reinforce long-term loyalty. Walk away with actionable ideas to help your bank stand out in a tight labor market and build a stronger foundation for future growth.

• Ken Derks, Managing Consultant, NFP Executive Benefits 

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

GUEST PROGRAM

This year, we’re thrilled to offer a guest program full of off-site fun! We’ve curated a quintessential Charlotte dining experience and lined up access to a world-class keynote speaker who will inspire you to transform your life — and live with no regrets.

Guests or spouses who are not in financial services or banking-related fields are eligible for this special program and rate. View the program.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

GENERAL SESSIONPerspectives on growth and M&A

ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols sits down with First Citizens Bank Chairman and CEO Frank Holding to discuss lessons learned from the bank’s M&A experience. He’ll share his perspective on First Citizens’ approach, including the challenges and opportunities posed by bank M&A.  

• Frank B. Holding, Jr., Chairman and CEO, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. and First Citizens Bank
• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

BREAK IN THE HUB

The Hub is your ultimate destination to mix and mingle with peers and industry providers, see what’s new in banking and have a little bit of fun! 

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

GENERAL SESSION

Navigating risk in uncertain times: strategic insights for the C-suite

Risk management is crucial to strategic decision-making in an era marked by economic volatility, evolving regulatory landscapes, shifting consumer behaviors, and escalating cyber and fraud threats. This session will highlight how innovative chief risk officers navigate enterprise-wide risk and influence growth strategies amid uncertainty through a candid and forward-looking discussion.

• Brad Bender, Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer, Truist Financial Corporation
• Emily Nachlas, Chief Risk Officer, Western Alliance Bancorporation
• Kristina M. Schaefer, Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Director of Government Relations, Dacotah Bank
• Moderator: Ryan Rasske, Senior Vice President, Risk and Customer Markets, American Bankers Association 

The business of NASCAR and banking

Kelley Earnhardt Miller, one of the most prominent businesswomen in NASCAR, is the CEO of JR Motorsports, all Dale Jr. Companies and the visionary behind multiple brand initiatives that continue to propel the sport of auto racing. She is also the chairman and incorporating director of blueharbor bank. Kelley will join ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols to discuss the business of one of America’s favorite sports and leadership lessons from her experience growing up in NASCAR’s most famous family.

• Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Co-owner and CEO, JR Motorsports
• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

EVENING RECEPTION IN THE HUB

Find new solutions and unwind after a fast-paced day. Indulge in specialty drinks and bites inspired by Charlotte’s Southern charm and continue making the important connections that count. Grab a personalized luggage tag, decorate an NFL mini helmet and watch the Paintman perform!

7:00 AM – 1:30 PM

REGISTRATION OPEN

7:15 AM – 8:00 AM

POWER BREAKFASTS

Join us for breakfast and connect with colleagues from across the country. Learn about innovative new products and services that can take your bank to the next level. Breakfast will be served from 7:15 AM to 7:45 AM outside of the morning sessions.

Transforming deposit growth: Why embedded protection is a strategic advantage

As rate-driven strategies deliver diminishing returns and consumers grow more selective, financial institutions need new tools to earn long-term deposit loyalty. By integrating protective benefits into the deposit accounts, financial institutions can build trust and deepen engagement. Examine how embedding financial security can attract younger account holders and align with long-term institutional goals. Leave with actionable strategies for enhancing deposit value and adapting to shifting consumer expectations without relying solely on promotional rate levers.

• Alex Matjanec, Chief Executive Officer, Wysh 

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

GENERAL SESSION

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

BREAK IN THE HUB

The Hub is your ultimate destination to mix and mingle with peers and industry providers, see what’s new in banking and have a little bit of fun! 

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

These sessions allow you to focus on the issues that matter most to you and network with senior banking leaders who feel the same. Choose from sessions in innovation, profitability, leadership and talent management, and customer experience. View full session details.

• Innovate or stagnate: building a culture and strategy for a bank’s success
  
• M&A regulatory and planning considerations
• Navigating cyber risks in turbulent times 

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

SPEED MENTORING: FAST-PACED INSIGHTS FOR EMERGING LEADERS

Space is limited, and advanced registration is required. Learn more and view the full Emerging Leaders program.

11:30 AM – 12:15 AM

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

These sessions allow you to focus on the issues that matter most to you and network with senior banking leaders who feel the same. Choose from sessions in innovation, profitability, leadership and talent management, and customer experience. View full session details.

• The future of banking: why banks continue to bet on BaaS
  
• The lifecycle of a scam
• Interest rate strategies to navigate a sea of uncertainty
• Bank opportunities in the stablecoin ecosystem

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

INDUSTY HOT TOPICS LUNCH

Join us for a lunch discussion where industry experts will explore hot topics. Enjoy great food, gain valuable insights into emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the banking landscape from industry partners.

Winning the next customer: innovation at the edge of banking

Explore how today's transformative technologies like AI are reshaping the banking landscape-and how to innovate responsibly to stay ahead. Then, join a fireside chat with the technology leader of a leading bank, showcasing how they're leveraging infrastructure to power innovation.

• Kaue Tozzi, Head of Product Strategy and Partnerships, Temenos 

Winning the deposit game: Compete on experience, not rates

Broken onboarding processes cause 68% of prospects to abandon applications entirely, while delays in processing applications cost financial institutions up to $25,000 in lost revenue per customer. Learn how financial institutions are achieving 200% improvements in conversion by combining smart customer segmentation based on actual behaviors, streamlined digital experiences that dramatically reduce onboarding friction, and retention strategies focused on utility rather than yields - transforming deposits from a defensive cost center into an offensive growth engine.

• Law Helie, General Manager, Consumer Banking, nCino
• Danielle Pearson, Principal Product Marketing Manager, Competitive Intelligence and The nCino Research Institute, nCino

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

GENERAL SESSION

Finding joyful purpose: lessons from a Medal of Honor recipient

While serving as a Marine rifleman in Afghanistan at age 20, Lance Corporal Carpenter displayed the most courageous act possible, sacrificing himself to save a fellow Marine. During this grueling recovery process, Kyle’s spirit remained strong. He set several post-recovery goals for himself, accomplishing every one of them since his recovery, and more. Kyle will join ABA’s Rob Nichols in discussion about his powerful journey in war and recovery, sharing insights into leadership, adversity and finding a joyful purpose in life.  

• Kyle Carpenter, Author and Medal of Honor Recipient
• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

CLOSING RECEPTION
See you in Salt Lake City!

Join us to say a fond farewell to Charlotte and celebrate the location of our 2026 event...Salt Lake City!