Learning Labs

EXCEL 24, the Association's Annual Meeting & Convention, is scheduled for June 13-16 at the Saratoga Hilton in Saratoga Springs, NY! Come join your fellow credit union professionals and volunteers with four days of learning, networking, inspiration and relaxation!

 

Friday, June 14, 2:15pm - 3:15pm

TruStage

Session Title: TruStage DigitalStorefront – Member Retention Through Personalization
Session Description: The TruStage Digital Storefront is here to help your financial institution deliver the personalized, mobile, always-on experience your members have come to expect in all areas of their lives. It serves as an embedded e-commerce platform that connects members to proactive pre-approved offers in just a few clicks. Through personalization, a full suite of tailored offers such as deposits, loans, insurance, and more are presented to members that are based on market trends and data. And we simplify the redemption process and allow for easy shopping for financial products directly from the institution. Credit Unions can have personalization by life stage or by different demographics, all curated across lending and deposits for each member. Simplifying the loan, account opening and buying process gives credit unions more time to focus on fostering new relationships and long-term growth.

Speakers:

Brian Bodell, Vice President and Managing Director, TruStage Fintech Solutions, TruStage

Brian is Vice President and Managing Director, Fintech Solutions, at TruStage. Fintech Solutions delivers software to help community financial institutions grow and compete. At TruStage, Brian has lead software engineering, partner management, product management, implementation, and client success.

Prior to joining TruStage, Brian was CEO & Co-Founder of Finivation Software (acquired by TruStage in 2018), VP of Channel Partnerships, Digital Banking & Payments at Fiserv (which acquired Checkfree and Corillian), and President of qbt Systems (acquired by Corillian). Prior to qbt, Brian was President of a venture-backed mobile software company in New York and Europe, and VP of E-Commerce at private and public companies.

Brian has supported several America’s Credit Unions-driven industry initiatives over the years. He has also served on the fintech selection panel of VentureTech since it was founded and is on the board of the George Washington University Credit Union Initiative—a student run group working to obtain a charter.

 

Christopher Tanner, Business Development Executive, TruStage

Christopher Tanner is a Business Development Executive for TruStage, focusing on our fintech solution- Digital Storefront. He is responsible for helping financial institutions evaluate our digital member engagement platform; allowing credit unions to compete for member wallet share and grow their portfolio while increasing member engagement.

Prior to joining TruStage in 2022, Christopher spent 8 years in Loan Origination Solutions, in both sales and implementation at MeridianLink- through an acquisition of the TCI Decision Lender platform. He started his career path at Teachers FCU where he spent 10 years in various roles including branch management and underwriting and He also spent time as a Finance Manager at a car dealership.

Christopher lives on Long Island, NY with his wife and two children where he spends most of his time as an uber driver for his kids to get to all their extracurricular activities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Hofstra University.

 

Doren Mayhew

Session Title: Regulatory Compliance Emerging Risks and Controversies

Session Description: Regulatory compliance is anything but boring in 2024. Never has a presidential election year had such a monumental impact on the rules credit unions must follow. From the formal and informal rule changes to the court decisions, compliance was turned on its head, and the coming year could have even more dramatic changes. Having a clear understanding of the areas of compliance that pose the most risk can help the credit union stave off lawsuits, enforcement actions and poor exams, while not wasting resources on low-risk compliance areas. Join Doeren Mayhew’s John Zasada as he discusses the highest potential compliance risk areas, violation costs and the likelihood of a penalty if the risks are not managed. In addition, hear real stories of lawsuits and enforcement actions, and what could have been done/spent to avoid them. You’ll gain a thorough understanding of the evolving compliance landscape while understanding how it relates to the current political environment.

Speaker:

John Zasada, Principal, Financial Institutions Group

Leveraging over 30 years’ experience, John is committed to assisting financial institutions of all sizes in managing, prioritizing and strategizing regulatory compliance.

John’s true passion is making sense of regulatory compliance. He has dedicated his career to performing a diverse range of compliance engagements, including BSA, UDAAP, lending, operations and marketing. Committed to helping clients navigate an everchanging regulatory environment, John frequently helps establish regulatory compliance programs and management systems, as well as educate clients and firm staff on various regulations and regulatory trends. His leadership in overseeing the simplest to most complex compliance challenges, has solidified his position in the industry as a sought-after expert, speaker and author on the subject matter.

John’s profound expertise, combined with his legal background, empowers his clients to make well-informed decisions to help them avoid regulatory scrutiny and achieve compliance success.

 

Illuma Labs

Session Title: Voice Clones Are Here, Is Your Contact Center Ready?

Session Description: With the growth and popularity of Generative AI, there are now a number of readily available tools that can create synthetic voices (aka voice clones or deepfakes) with ease. Credit unions and their members are rightfully concerned about such voice cloning tools being used by bad actors to execute account takeovers and commit fraud via a simple phone call to an unsuspecting contact center agent. In this session we will showcase Illuma's current and future innovations to protect credit unions and their members against such deepfake attacks, and continue to keep banking over the phone easy, quick, and secure.

Speakers:

Dr. Milind Borkar, Founder and CEO, Illuma

Dr. Milind Borkar is the Founder and CEO of Illuma, a CUSO specializing in real-time voice authentication and fraud prevention solutions for credit unions. Author of 14 technical publications and inventor on 21 patents, Dr. Borkar launched over 50 hi-tech products during his career with Texas Instruments prior to becoming a FinTech founder. The company’s flagship Illuma ShieldTM platform replaces traditional knowledge-based authentication with an effortless and secure voice biometric solution, delivering an elevated member experience, enhanced security, and improved operational efficiency. Illuma ShieldTM is frequently showcased at Finovate events and has recently won awards from VentureTech, CreditUnions.com, and NACUSO.

 

Stephen Goodwine, VP, Director of Contact Center, Hudson Valley Credit Union

Stephen Goodwine has spent 15 years within HVCU’s Contact Center. Starting as a PT Contact Center Specialist, and working multiple roles up to his current position as VP, Director of the Contact Center. HVCU deployed Illuma Shield in October 2022 to assist their 87 agents with identification and fraud prevention across an average of 52,000 calls per month.

 

The Baker Group

Session Title: Balance Sheet Strategies to Manage Margin Compression

Session Description: The last 5 years have brought a whirlwind of economic events that have challenged the industries’ ability to manage balance sheet risks. As many credit unions have begun to settle into the new state of the industry, we once again face a potential shift in the economic environment. Many institutions have been left unprepared for the changing economic and regulatory landscape where increasing expenses and delinquencies and challenges to income will lead to margin compression. Even though rising rates typically mean better opportunities for widening margins, many credit unions have already started to see signs that those margins starting to erode.

 

In this session we will address the following:

• The industry trends that lead us to this point and what pitfalls lie ahead
• The importance of loan/deposit pricing strategies in helping to manage margins in 2024/2025
• Balance sheet strategies to consider regardless if the economy stays “higher for longer” or we transition to a falling rate environment.
• Managing ALCO, Board and Management expectations to stay focused on big picture strategies

Speaker:

 

Greg Tomaszewicz – Associate Partner, Sr. Financial Strategist, The Baker Group

Greg Tomaszewicz is an Associate Partner, Sr. Financial Strategist with the Baker Group. For over 17yrs Greg has helped credit union clients across the country in evaluating their balance sheet risks and opportunities. In addition, he works to develop new analytics to aid those clients in meeting the challenges of an ever-changing economic environment. Greg takes a strategic and consultative approach with credit union executives where his areas of focus include balance sheet management, liquidity and loan strategies investment portfolio management and strategies, as well as education on all aspects of the balance sheet.

Greg holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from Stony Brook University. He is a registered representative and general securities principal with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and holds his series 7, 63 and 66 licenses.

 

Friday, June 14, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Alloya Corporate FCU

Session Title: Dueling Strategies | Both Sides of the Balance Sheet

Session Description: What’s better than one capital markets expert giving their unfiltered opinion on the liquidity and investment landscape? Two!

In this session, two of our experts will dive into strategies that are currently being enacted by credit unions to manage today’s economic landscape. They will also provide some insights on what you should be considering as you manage your credit union’s balance sheet and provide some advice on what may be next for credit unions in the immediate future.

Speakers:

Anthony Minniti, CAIA, Capital Markets Strategist, Alloya Corporate FCU

As Capital Markets Strategist, Anthony Minniti focuses on the strategic efforts of Alloya's Capital Markets group. Anthony develops analytics and business intelligence to help drive the success of Alloya’s Loan Participation Platform as well as empowers credit union members by producing data-driven insights for the Capital Markets Monthly industry publication.

Anthony brings extensive banking experience from both the private and public sectors. He began his career examining nationally chartered community banks as a bank examiner for the United States Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. He also held senior analyst roles at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, focusing on mortgages, community investment, and advances.

Anthony earned an M.B.A. from DePaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business with a concentration in business strategy and decision-making, and holds a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation.

 

Amy Piche, Institutional Fixed Income Representative, Alloya Investment Services

Amy has been in the financial solutions arena for more than 20 years, including joining Alloya Investment Services in 2006. As an Institutional Fixed Income Sales Representative, she collaborates directly with CEOs and CFOs to expand their available investment options and realize their balance sheet strategies. From fixed income investment options – including marketable securities – to brokered certificates (SimpliCD), Amy offers access to a wealth of resources. Credit union decision makers regularly use her services, not only for their investment portfolio needs, but also to strengthen their overall balance sheet.

 

PWCampbell

Session Title: Refresh – The Latest in Branch Transformation

Session Description: Modernizing your branches to best serve your multi-generational members, both existing and potential, is crucial in today's competitive environment.  How your branches look says a lot about your brand, your financial stability, and your commitment to the community. It can also play a key role in employee recruitment and retention. But what if a complete remodel or full-on renovation isn’t in the budget? Many credit unions are finding themselves in this predicament which is why “Refresh” has become a recent answer. This session will cover exactly what Refresh is and why it’s become a major strategy in a credit union’s retail branching strategy, the latest approaches for implementation, what elements constitute a refresh vs a remodel, and proven tiering initiatives to ensure a successful outcome that is right for your budget. Attendees will also review peer case studies that demonstrate the benefit of integrating technology into the branch as part of the refresh process, including the successes and the pitfalls.

You don’t need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to “refresh” a branch. By the end of this session, you will know how to improve and modernize your retail branch network and increase profitability at a fraction of the cost.

 Speaker:

Glenn Grau, Executive Vice President of Sales, PWCampbell

As Executive Vice President of Sales and a member of PWCampbell’s Planning Committee, Glenn is charged with leading the business development team for the company and assisting clients through the re-imagination of their retail branch network. He also helps guide them through the construction process, from program and design development into post construction, ensuring quality and client satisfaction every step of the way.

A veteran banker himself, Glenn spent over 10 years in key management roles for Dollar Bank where he was responsible for twelve branch locations, managed 100 employees and oversaw assets of $2 billion.  This experience, combined with his extensive knowledge in the design-build arena, makes him an authority on branching. Working with hundreds of banks and credit unions to optimize their retail branch network and operations space over the past two decades has enabled him to speak to the latest branching trends, methods to revitalize branch networks for peak performance and profitability, and optimum space planning for operational efficiency and future growth. Glenn has a distinctive knack for blending his diverse understanding of banking, construction, and marketing to provide effective solutions for clients of every size.

Glenn holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Finance, Management and Accounting, as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and is licensed in commercial real estate. He is frequently asked to share his knowledge via speaking engagements with financial leagues and associations throughout the mid-Atlantic Region.

 

Fiserv

Session Title: Experience Digital from Fiserv

Session Description: Fiserv is accelerating digital journeys to enable financial institutions to meet evolving consumer expectations.

Experience Digital: Create from Fiserv, powered by open banking APIs, unites the best digital and fintech journeys to accelerate financial institutions’ digital roadmaps and meet consumer expectations through a simple, seamlessly connected digital ecosystem.

XD Create allows you to create a digital experience your consumers want and expect from their financial institution.

Speaker:

Samir G. Chauhan, VP Strategy, Digital & Financial Solutions, Fiserv

Samir has been with Fiserv for nearly six years and leads strategy across the Digital & Financial Solutions organization. Prior to joining the Company, he played key strategic roles at flexdrive/Cox Automotive and Convergex/BNY Mellon, after starting his career in Equity Research & Portfolio Management at various investment management & investing banking institutions. Samir holds an MBA in Accounting & Finance from the Cameron School of Business in Houston, Texas, and a B.A. in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

 

CU Investment Strategy Group

Session Title: How to Manage and Maintain an Outperforming Investment Portfolio for 2024 and the Next Interest Rate Cycle

Session Description: Credit Unions could be approaching a significant pivot in liquidity and market rate direction in the next 12 months which will present a challenge to your NIM.  We will be analyzing the current interest rate environment, how we got here, where could it be heading, and how you can position your investment portfolio for the transition from an inverted yield curve to a flat to normal upward sloping yield curve.

 Speaker:

Tobias Timm, Executive Director of Investments, Credit Union Investment Strategy Group of Oppenheimer & Co. 

Tobias has served credit unions of all sizes since 1989.  He received his Bachelor of Arts from the Eli Broad School of Business at Michigan State University. He also attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where his program focused on designing investment policies, structuring investment portfolios, and performance measurement. When he is not serving clients, Tobias can be found on the Pickleball courts or cycling along tree-covered roads. He lives in East Lansing, MI with his wife of 40 years. They have three adult children.

 

Saturday, June 15, 12:45pm - 1:45pm

The Bonadio Group

Session Title: Top 10 Cybersecurity Regulatory Concerns in 2024
Session Description: In this presentation FoxPointe will share recent regulatory updates all banks must consider regarding cybersecurity in 2024. We will share the top 10 areas where we see banks struggle to meet these requirements and offer guidance on how to implement effective controls to ensure compliance.

Speaker:

Christopher Salone, Consulting Manager at FoxPointe Solutions, a Division of The Bonadio Group

Chris is a Consulting Manager of The Bonadio Group’s FoxPointe Solutions Information Risk Management Division. Chris joined FoxPointe in June 2018. As part of the IRM division, Chris focuses on internal and external auditing of information technology and information security practices and controls at financial institutions. He specializes in regulatory compliance and guidance on the implementation of administrative, technical, and physical controls as part of an Institutions security program.

 

Christopher currently holds the following certifications:

• Certified Information Systems Auditor from ISACA (CISA)
• Certified Common Security Framework Practitioner (CCSFP)

Chris received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. John Fisher University (SJFU). He also received his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from SJFU in May 2018. During his years at SJFU, Chris was a member of the golf team, and competed in two NCAA Division III National Championships.

 

Open Lending

Session Title: Generational Credit Potential: How Millennials and Gen Z’ers Are Tomorrow’s Prime Borrower

Session Description: A younger Millennial and Gen Z audience is critical for automotive lenders to expand their portfolios, increase their ROA, and generate long-term customer loyalty. Steve Sureda will discuss new research that Open Lending has developed in partnership with TransUnion surrounding generational buying behaviors. The data shows that thin-file Millennial and Gen Z consumers demonstrate significant credit tier advancement, have lower default rates than their older counterparts, are less likely to default on auto loans than mortgages, and will likely return to the same financial institution for other products when offered an accessible automotive loan.

Speaker:

Steve Sureda, Regional Vice President

Steve Sureda is the Regional Vice President of Sales at Open Lending, bringing over 30 years of extensive experience in financial services to his role. With a diverse background spanning over a decade in banking, another decade in credit unions, and ten years at Open Lending, Steve possesses a comprehensive understanding of the industry landscape.
Steve resides in Ramsey, New Jersey, and holds a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware. Beyond his professional pursuits, Steve is a devoted family man, sharing his life with his wife and their 16-year-old son. Steve indulges his passion for golf in his leisure time, finding relaxation and joy on the greens.

 

Quinte Financial Technologies

Session Title: From Insight to Foresight: Transforming Credit Unions Using Analytics and AI

Session Description: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and GenAI have ushered in a new era of data-informed decision-making for credit unions. Predictive analytics allow executives to foresee market shifts, understand member needs, and predict operational challenges ahead of time. This forward-thinking approach is crucial for strategic planning, scalability, and ongoing innovation of products and services. The increased regulatory oversight and controls requirement can be overwhelming for the credit unions to adopt AI and GenAI models in business decisioning and operations. However, a controlled AI governance approach can lead to beneficial outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

• How to use AI in strategic decision making - AI/ML enables data-informed decision-making, allowing credit unions to foresee market shifts, understand member needs, and predict operational challenges. This forward-thinking approach is crucial for strategic planning and innovation.
• How to enhance member experience - AI/ML and GenAI play a crucial role in delivering personalized services that establish new benchmarks in member satisfaction. AI-powered chatbots and ML-driven financial tools offer customized advice, enabling members to make well-informed decisions. GenAI can lead to crafting compelling call to actions (CTA).
• How to innovate products and services - The flexibility and analytical capabilities of AI/ML and GenAI facilitate the development of innovative products and services within credit unions. These technologies are at the forefront of innovation, driving growth and enhancing member services.
• How to manage risks in AI and GenAI Models - By implementing tailored controls, closely monitoring AI performance, and cultivating strong relationships with third-party vendors, credit unions can mitigate potential regulatory and reputational risks while leveraging the transformative power of AI and GenAI.

Speakers:

Ankit Maharaj Singh, Senior Vice President, Strategic Growth, Quinte Financial Technologies

Ankit has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of operations and business development for financial services firms. In particular, he is recognized for expertise in cross-channel fraud protection on the banking and merchant sides of the business. Ankit was most recently associated with Quatrro Processing Services, where he held several positions involving strategic relationships and business integration. Before that, he held senior managerial positions at Convergys and American Express.

 

Paresh Ashara: Vice President, Data Analytics, Quinte Financial Technologies

Paresh is a Vice-President at Quinte Financial Technologies, leading the Data Analytics function. He brings over 25 years of IT services and product engineering experience in the banking vertical. Paresh is passionate about data management and analytics and is actively interested in discussing business solutions with clients, mentoring startups, and sharing knowledge with academia.

 

Edgar Zholtok: Manager, Sales, Quinte Financial Technologies

Edgar has over 9 years of experience in sales, business development, partnerships, and strategy for financial services firms. From big banks to startups, he has helped clients and partners achieve their KPIs and grow their business by enhancing the customer experience, building trust, and creating value.

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