Industry Hot Topics Sessions | ABA Annual Convention

Breakfast
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM

Profit by design: Using AI insights to drive smarter growth

Powered by more than one trillion lines of data and over 20 years of experience helping community financial institutions grow, Kasasa is using AI to turn complex account behavior into actionable performance insights. Through real-world case studies, attendees will learn how proactive analysis can uncover opportunities sooner, inform product design, strengthen portfolio performance and drive measurable, profitable growth.

• Gabe Krajicek, Chief Executive Officer, Kasasa

The AI-ready bank: Governance, oversight and strategy

AI is reshaping banking, but success requires more than adopting new technology. Learn how bank leaders can implement AI responsibly with the governance, oversight and strategy needed to drive measurable business value.

• Rob Newberry, Senior Consultant, Abrigo

Rewriting the payments playbook: What's next for community banks 

From declining interchange income and rising fraud pressures to emerging payment rails, AI-driven capabilities and shifting consumer expectations, the payments landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Join PRI’s head of client engagement, Brett Rawls, and director of payments, Candace DeBarger, as they discuss the trends driving this transformation and what bank leaders can do to strengthen profitability, support growth and remain competitive in the years ahead.

• Brett Rawls, Head of Client Engagement, Profit Resources, Inc 
• Candace DeBarger, Director of Payments, Profit Resources, Inc 

Lunch
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

Transforming commercial lending: Technology that drives growth

Commercial lending faces mounting pressure to grow revenue, improve client experience, manage risk and modernize aging technology all while controlling costs and meeting evolving regulatory expectations. In this session, discover how leading institutions are transforming the lending lifecycle from origination through servicing by simplifying operations, improving decision-making, accelerating technology modernization, and using emerging technologies such as AI to reduce implementation risk, deliver faster business outcomes and create measurable value without adding unnecessary complexity.

• Edward Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer, AFS
• Philitsa Hanson, Chief Product Officer, AFS
• Bill Butryn, Head of Strategy and Capital Markets, AFS

Beyond rate: A smarter strategy for deposit growth and customer primacy  

Traditional signals of customer primacy are weakening. To compete, banks must earn a larger, more durable share of each relationship while protecting margin and liquidity. This research-led conversation will examine what current market data reveals about deposit behavior and the competitive forces reshaping banking relationships. Discover practical actions you can take to reduce reliance on broad rate promotions, detect attrition risk sooner, connect small business payment capabilities to deposit growth and more.

From experiment to engine: How AI delivered real business results

Three years ago, we made a bet on AI: not as a strategy deck or a proof of concept, but as a fundamental rewiring of how we operate. Today, that bet has translated into measurably more productive operations and less friction for our customers, and we're just getting started.

• Anna Greenwald, Chief Operating Officer, Happen Bank

What the data tells us: Lessons from the frontlines of AI adoption in banking

Every bank knows AI matters. The harder questions are where to start, what's realistic and how to tell durable value from hype. Drawing on nCino's survey of how banks are adopting AI and lessons from building AI agents firsthand, this session shares what the data reveals and offers practical best practices you can apply to your own AI strategy.  

• Danielle Pearson, Principal Marketing Analytics Strategist, nCino