IBA's Annual Conference includes educational opportunities especially presented to inform bank leaders of the latest issues and trends.

Session I — Thursday, June 26

Executive Track
Bank Capital: Recent Developments, Market Conditions and Trends in Capital Management
Robert Nordlinger, Executive Director, and David Dixon, Executive Director, Financial Institutions Group, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

This session looks at the latest developments for banks seeking to raise capital in the capital markets.  Current market conditions will be reviewed, including credit spreads and investor demand for capital instruments such as sub-debt, trust preferred and non-cumulative preferred. The presentation also focuses on the public and private equity markets and reviews the latest trends in capital management.

Executive Track
Creating a High-Performance Organizational Culture: Aligning People, Strategy and Process
Steve Gravenkemper, Ph.D., Practice Leader, Organizational Development and Personnel Assessment Practice, and Jeff Jenkins, Practice Leader, Operations and Process Improvement Services, Plante & Moran, PLLC

This presentation features a seven-step model for creating a high-performance culture.  This model provides a framework for aligning people, strategy and process initiatives.  Engagement and alignment are highlighted as two critical success factors for creating a high-performance culture.  Three derailers that block CEOs and presidents from successfully leading culture change also will be explored.

Directors’ Track
Creating Value-Added Boards of Directors
Tom Ziemba, Ph.D., Director, Great Lakes Practice, RSM McGladrey Inc.

This presentation identifies the factors that a Board of Directors needs to assess to allow them to function in a manner that provides value to the bank and not just approve activities placed in front of them by management.

Compliance Track
Compliance Risk: Awareness and Avoidance
Sean Kulczycki, CRCM, Principal, Financial Services Group, BKD, LLP

This session highlights the types of compliance risk facing community banks and their directors.  Probability of occurrence and potential ramifications are examined, including enforcement actions, civil money penalties, required reimbursement, civil liability and damage to reputation.  Examples of compliance enforcement actions and penalties related to the Bank Secrecy Act, OFAC, flood insurance, Fair Lending and Truth in Lending will also be discussed.

Retail Track
The Experience Lens: Do You Really Know Your Customer?
Beth Nelson, Marketing Director, Deluxe Corporation

Purposeful, managed customer experiences are key for creating loyalty.  This session explores the five different customer segments within financial institutions, common motivational themes across those segments, how a changing economy affects the segments, and the importance experience plays in the customer relationship.  Gain an understanding of consumer segmentation and how to incorporate it into your business model.

Session II — Thursday, June 26

Executive Track
How to Develop an Effective Strategy to Leverage the Balance Sheet
John Smith, Managing Partner, Hancock Investment Advisors

Financial institutions are constantly bombarded with proposals to leverage the balance sheet as a method to improve earnings.  This session focuses on developing a method for evaluating the impact of a leverage program on current and future earnings of the bank.  The presentation also provides insight on choosing the right assets, funding alternatives and the embedded options within leverage transactions.

Executive Track
A Practical Approach to Enterprise Risk Management
Eileen Iles, CPA, MsACC, Risk Management Executive, Crowe Chizek and Company LLC

Today's business environment poses a myriad of risks that would have been unimaginable 10 years ago such as the Internet, derivatives and increased worldwide competition, mergers and reengineering. Enterprise risk management represents a new way that businesses manage uncertainties that may impede the achievement of operational, financial, and strategic objectives. This session provides techniques that go beyond "controls" to contributing measurable business value.

Directors’ Track
Corporate Governance Best Practices
Dave M. Muchnikoff, Partner, Silver, Freedman & Taff, LLP

This session examines current issues and best practices regarding corporate governance so that directors and officers can proactively consider shareholder concerns and better perform their fiduciary duties.  Topics include establishing compensation for executive officers, making equity grants and management succession plans.  Recent shareholder concerns such as majority voting for directors, the pros and cons are analyzed.  Lastly, the use of board executive sessions and self evaluations are discussed.

Compliance Track
Navigating the Regulatory Compliance Maze
Elizabeth M. Snyder, CRCM, Senior Vice-President Chief Compliance Officer, Leaders Bank and Edward Bade, CRCM, CRP, Senior Vice President Corporate Compliance, The Northern Trust Company
 
Discover how a comprehensive compliance management system is the key to success in the dynamic regulatory environment that exists today.  Do you know which areas of your bank are most vulnerable to risk?  Are your key risk indicators being measured on a regular basis?  Is there an accurate and organized report on the state of your bank’s compliance activities?  Learn how to formulate a compliance risk assessment for your organization, identify key risk indicators and develop a successful compliance information program.

Retail Track
Managing the Proactive Sales Cycle
Michael Dixon, President, Robert H. Franke & Associates

Increasing competition for the retail customer is forcing a change in the way client contact organizations are built and managed.  This session addresses the key elements of a proactive client contact effort and the skills needed to make it work.  The presentation reviews the critical customer psychology that demands proactivity, responds to it and offers practical suggestions for managing this new process.  These suggestions are taken from years of experience consulting on sales culture issues in markets and institutions both large and small.

Session III — Friday, June 27

Executive Track
How to Achieve Double-Digit Earnings Growth
Kevin Tweddle, CPA, Chief Operating Officer, BancIntelligence

High performance does not happen by accident.  There is a method behind successful institutions that achieve double-digit earnings growth year after year.  This session reviews key metrics critical to profit contribution exclusive of the net interest margin and identifies products that have been deployed for certain operating strategies.  The presentation also evaluates benchmarks for certain noninterest income and expense line items and discusses factors that separate high performing banks from the rest of the pack.

Executive Track
How to Grow Your Branch Network
Lynn A. David, Consultant, Community Bank Consulting Services, Inc.

This session provides a template for issues that should be considered when developing a new location.  The process begins with strategic planning, location, construction, operations and technology.  However, other issues which are critical for success include selection of management and staff, incentive compensation, training, products and services, customer service, sales and marketing, and profitability.

Directors’ Track
Regulators’ View of Directors’ Liability
Moderator: Bruce Jay Baker, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, IBA
Panelists: Bert Otto, Deputy Comptroller, OCC
Scott D. Clarke, Assistant Director, Division of Banking, IDFPR
Suzannah Susser, Deputy Regional Director-Risk Management, FDIC
Mark Kawa, Vice President of Institutions Division, FRB Chicago

Senior representatives of the banking regulators discuss directors’ accountability for bank performance, risk management, safety and soundness, executive officer performance, and fiduciary responsibilities.

Commercial Lending Track
When Borrowers and Bankers Go Bad: Ethical and Legal Implications of Borrower and Banker References
Scott D. H. Redman, Partner, Crowley Barrett & Karaba, Ltd.

Tightening and troubled markets tend to cause some borrowers and bankers to skirt the rules and the law.  Does the bank merely pass the bad borrower or banker on to another institution or are there legal or moral responsibilities to be considered by the bank? This session addresses the ethical and legal obligations imposed on the bank when it faces inquiries from new employers and refinancing lenders regarding borrowers and bankers “gone bad.”

Operations Track
Data Leaks Happen. Are You Protected?
Susan Orr, CISA, CISM, CRP, Susan Orr Consulting

Electronic communication has become an essential and effective means for organizations to conduct business.  The protection of personally identifiable information is a critical issue and is mandated by many complex and sometimes confusing regulations.  Not instituting tools for monitoring, reporting, and controlling the risk of unauthorized access or disclosure can result in substantial fines, prison sentences, and/or increased regulatory scrutiny.  This presentation identifies best practices for securing and monitoring electronic communications.

Session IV — Friday, June 27

Executive Track
Current Legal and Strategic Issues Facing Financial Institutions
John Freechack, Chairman, Barack Ferrazzano Financial Institutions Group and Steve Kent, Managing Director, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

This session features an executive briefing on current legal and strategic issues and trends confronting financial institutions. The focus will be on practical suggestions and best practices taken from long time experience in representing a large and diverse banking practice. From regulatory and corporate questions to financing and strategic issues, this briefing stresses the most current opportunities and pitfalls and the strategic responses that can be employed to address them in this challenging climate.

Executive Track
The Bank Secrecy Act: Friend or Foe?
Joseph J. Gunnell, BSA/AML Solutions, Inc.

The Bank Secrecy Act first became law in 1970.  Over the years its enforcement has continually been increased by the bank regulators.  Then with the tragic events of September 11, 2001, enforcement became “Job One.”  BSA has added substantial costs to the operations of every financial institution in the country. Law enforcement agencies from local police departments to national agencies maintain that the Bank Secrecy Act is of major benefit to them.  In the long run, is the BSA our friend or foe?

Directors’ Track
The Human Side of Mergers and Acquisitions
Andy Elliott, Senior Vice President, Computer Services, Inc.

Now that the acquisition is complete, how do you get everyone onboard and contributing? This session explores the steps, and missteps, to a successful acquisition.  Learn how to keep uncertainty (and its negative impact) in check, develop “can-do” relationships across corporate borders, establish an open-ended communications pipeline, and perform a comprehensive evaluation of the workforce.

Commercial Lending Track
The New World of Real Estate Workouts: What Has Changed Since the Last Real Estate Bust
Steven H. Silton and Thomas G. Wallrich, Partners, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
 
This session addresses how the changes to state and federal law (with emphasis on 2005 amendments to the Bankruptcy Code) as well as the current financial climate, affect the work out of troubled real estate loans.  A new and updated “forbearance agreement” will be provided and inter-creditor and subordination agreements, as they relate to workouts and bankruptcy, will be discussed.

Operations Track
Payment Processing: The Blueprint for Success
Juan Ortiz, Vice President of Business Development; Joel Tosi, Vice President of Technology and Security; Kristen Gramigna and Nicole Mondia, Board Members, Bluepay, Inc.

What are the most important aspects of a successful payment processing program?  This session provides an action plan that allows banks to enhance revenue generation and product offerings while reducing costs, liability and PCI risks.  Today’s competitive business climate requires a proactive response to market demand.  Learn the latest on evolving business products such as ACH processing, remote capture, Check 21, e-commerce and electronic invoicing.