Program | Women Lead Symposium

1:00 PM – 1:05 PM ET / 10:00 AM – 10:05 AM PT

Welcome

• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

1:05 PM – 1:10 PM ET / 10:05 AM – 10:10 AM PT

Opening Remarks

1:10 PM – 1:45 PM ET / 10:10 AM – 10:45 AM PT

The visibility advantage — Women leading in policy and industry

Visibility is about shaping outcomes, influencing decisions and standing at the forefront of the conversations that define our industry. In this fireside chat, lobbyists and advocacy leaders will share how they built the visibility that allows them to elevate the voice of banking every day. From navigating statehouses and Capitol Hill to building coalitions and guiding banks through complex policy environments, these women operate in roles where presence, credibility and strategic communication are essential. They’ll reflect on how they became visible in a field where influence is earned over time, discuss what it means to lead in risk averse spaces and share how they support the development and recognition of emerging talent to strengthen the next generation of banking leaders across the industry.

• Kirsten Sutton, EVP Congressional Relations, American Bankers Association

1:45 PM – 2:00 PM ET / 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM PT

General Session

2:00 PM – 2:45 PM ET / 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM PT

CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Breakout 1: Navigating your career for visibility — Building influence through intentional growth

Visibility doesn’t just happen — it’s shaped by the choices bankers make about how they grow, where they show up and how they position their strengths. This session explores the strategies bankers can use to build visibility in their careers, from cultivating advocates and taking on stretch opportunities to investing in professional development that expands both capability and presence. A panel of women bankers will discuss pivotal moments and development experiences that helped them become more visible within their organizations and across the industry.

Breakout 2: Seeing the signal: Data that surfaces women’s impact

Data is reshaping every corner of banking, making analytics one of the most powerful tools for visibility. When used well, it surfaces talent, highlights impact and ensures contributions aren’t overlooked in critical decisions about performance, advancement and organizational strategy. In this session, hear about emerging trends for women in banking and how data-driven decision-making is transforming talent retention and development, customer strategy and operational excellence. Panelists will explore how women leaders can leverage data to be seen, heard and positioned for influence in a rapidly evolving industry.

Breakout 3: Visibility through trust — Turning credibility into leadership capital

Trust is one of the most powerful drivers of visibility in banking. Whether you lead teams, manage client relationships, drive strategy or are an emerging leader, your ability to build trust — with colleagues, customers and senior leaders — shapes how your contributions are perceived and how far your influence reaches. This session explores how leaders can intentionally cultivate trust as a pathway to visibility and advancement. Panelists will discuss how to communicate impact, strengthen cross functional relationships and show up in ways that signal reliability, judgment and leadership readiness.

2:45 PM – 3:00 PM ET / 11:45 AM – 12:00 PM PT

Break

3:00 PM – 3:35 PM ET / 12:00 PM – 12:35 PM PT

Sustaining visibility — Strengthening the leader behind the vision

Visible leadership takes real energy — the clarity to communicate, the presence to inspire and the stamina to stay “on” in demanding environments. This session gives advancing and accomplished leaders the space to recharge and rebuild the internal reserves that make sustained visibility possible. Through guided reflection and renewal practices, you will reignite personal energy, deepen executive presence and strengthen the resilience required to lead in a fast moving world. This is about sustainability as much as performance — protecting the leader behind the visibility so you can continue to show up with clarity, stamina and strategic vision in this new era of leadership.

• Donna Rustigian Mac, Business Communication Expert and Mindfulness Coach, iVoice Communication

3:35 PM – 4:20 PM ET / 12:35 PM – 1:20 PM PT

CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Breakout 1: CEO visibility lab: Leading in full view

Visibility isn’t just about being seen — it’s about being understood, respected and strategically positioned to lead. In this high energy conversation, a panel of CEOs will pull back the curtain on the quiet hesitations that often shape leadership journeys: the instinct to downplay accomplishments, the urge to wait until everything feels “ready,” the fear of being misunderstood or labeled, and the weight of being the only one in the room. These leaders have navigated those same tensions while steering institutions forward. Through candid stories and powerful reframes, they’ll show how visibility becomes advocacy — for your work, your team and your bank — and how boldness in motion builds the readiness we often think we need to have first. You will leave with language, mindset shifts and practical strategies to claim visibility with purpose and confidence, becoming the blueprint for what leadership can look like next.

Breakout 2: Communications lab: Language of leadership

In this fast moving lab, a leading communications expert will break down the speaking habits that make leaders more visible at work — how to frame ideas, articulate impact and deliver messages with clarity and confidence. Two bankers will serve as moderators, posing real world questions and prompting the expert to demonstrate how small shifts in language and structure can transform everyday communication into high visibility leadership moments. Through practical guidance and live examples, you will learn techniques you can apply immediately to speak with authority, elevate your presence and ensure your contributions are noticed across your organization.

Breakout 3: Visible leadership in times of transformation

What does it really mean to lead in full view, especially in moments of transformation? FIS President and CEO Stephanie Ferris, who has guided one of the world’s largest fintech companies through industry disruption, organizational change and a rapidly evolving customer landscape, will explore why visibility isn’t self promotion — it’s stewardship. It’s how leaders create alignment, inspire confidence and move organizations forward. Her leadership has required not just operational excellence, but the courage to be seen making bold decisions, communicating with clarity, and stepping into uncertainty before the path is fully defined. You’ll leave with a renewed sense of what it means to show up with purpose, speak with conviction and lead in a way that others can follow.

4:35 PM – 4:45 PM ET / 1:35 PM – 1:45 PM PT

Stay engaged – Upcoming opportunities for leadership and growth

• Cathy Nestrick, VP Workforce Excellence, American Bankers Association