{ Future Branches Austin 2024 » Day Two: Finding The Mix Of Employees and Technology That Works Best For Your Customer

Future Branches Austin 2024

December 04 - 06, 2024

Marriott Austin Downtown, TX

Day Two: Finding The Mix Of Employees and Technology That Works Best For Your Customer

Banks and credit unions have to find a way to balance the convenience of technology and the desire customers have for easy self service channels while maintaining the human element that makes customer feel a connection to a company/brand. During Day Two of Future Branches, we will look at ways to successfully balance both concepts!

7:15 am - 8:15 am Continental Breakfast & Registration In The Innovation Hub


7:15 am - 8:15 am Future Branches Women's Breakfast

Kari Solomonson - Vice President, Retail Team Leader, Peoples State Bank
Listen and be motivated by an accomplished group of fierce femmes, enjoy a delicious breakfast and cultivate new friendships and future contacts.To be moderated by several members of the Future Branches speaking faculty, including Kari Solomonson of People's State Bank.
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Kari Solomonson

Vice President, Retail Team Leader
Peoples State Bank


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Elizabeth Robillard

Event Director
Future Branches

8:25 am - 8:55 am Chairperson’s Opening Address

Jeffrey Baker - President, CCO, Image4
Join our chair for the day from Image4 as they kickstart the day with insights to guide us over the next two days
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Jeffrey Baker

President, CCO
Image4

8:40 am - 9:05 am Fireside Chat: Don’t Forget Your Customer! Educating Your Biggest Asset On What’s New In Branch

Colleen Vukelic - Managing Director, Head, U.S. Business & Process Optimization, BMO Financial Group
While making updates to your branch staff and technology is paramount to the continued success of your branch, you can’t forget to update your customers on the things you have changed, especially if you’ve gone from having a full teller line to going completely teller-less. They might not understand some of the changes you’ve made and need new technology to be explained to them. How is your staff going to help them through this transition? Join this session to hear more about:
•Establishing a plan to make sure your customer is aware of what has changed
•Making all of their regular transactions run flawlessly so they don’t think your new systems/structure are a burden
•Utilizing your staff in the most effective way possible- and making sure they are at hand and ready to explain new pieces or technology or new aspects of your branch

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Colleen Vukelic

Managing Director, Head, U.S. Business & Process Optimization
BMO Financial Group

Your institution has to find a way to balance the convenience of technology and the desire for customers to have self service while maintaining the human element that makes customer feel a connection to your brand. Keeping things impersonal will give a customer no reason to stick with your company if they are offered a better deal somewhere else. Also, there are still plenty of baby boomer customers who complete transactions in branch and despite the fact that millennials like to do things online, they still like to talk to branch employees about more complex things, like loans or investing. How can you balance all of this to make sure you are providing exactly the level of service your customer wants? Join this panel to hear answers to questions like:
•Have you found the ideal balance between self service, assisted self service or full teller service? 
•Does it vary by location based on the customers that visit each? 
•Are you thinking customer first when thinking about this balance, given the preferences of different age groups? 
•How does your branch channel weave in with the rest of your channels? Have you given your customers enough ways to interact with you in person and online? 
•Given the renewed focus on personalization in banking and the desire for creating deeper personal connections with customers, have you changed your strategy at all? Or rethought how to approach customer touchpoints?


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Ann-Marie Katzer

Vice President-Retail Sales and Service
American Eagle Financial Credit Union

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Gregory Peter

Head of Store Strategy and Transformation
TD Bank

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Carl Schwab

Vice President, Branch Operations Projects and Training
Navy Federal Credit Union

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Derrick Harris

VP of Branch Operations and Items Processing
PenFed

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Joe Gnorski

Vice President, Sales-LatAm, Marketing-Americas
Glory

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Stefanie Rupert

President and CEO
Collins Community Credit Union

Join Nicole, David and Jason from Columbia Bank as they explain the opening of their newest branch. All coming from different departments, these three executives will be able to share what branch transformation looks like from three different perspectives. They will discuss:

•Are you aware of what teams are involved in a branch transformation effort? 
•Do you have inroads with HR, strategy , corporate real estate, IT, marketing, communications and operations teams? 
•Do you have open communication with them? 
•Do you understand their goals and needs and what they want out of this project?



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Nicole Sherman

SVP, Market Region Manager, Greater Puget Sound
Columbia Bank

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David Moore Devine

Chief Marketing Officer
Columbia Bank

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Sean Lewis

Vice President and Manager of Facilities Projects
Columbia Bank

10:05 am - 10:45 am ‘On a Roll’ Morning Networking Break In The Innovation Hub

Join fellow attendees in our innovation hub to discuss yesterday’s content and plan the day ahead. Make sure to grab a cinnamon roll and make those connections you haven’t had a chance to yet!

10:45 am - 11:05 am Keynote: Redefining Physical Distribution for a Digital World

Steve Nogalo - EVP North America Financial Institutions, Cardtronics Brad Patterson - VP, Payment Operations, PenFed
Financial institutions everywhere are taking steps to position for the future, assessing evolving consumer payment preferences and other market dynamics in an increasingly digital world. But one vital area for their customers and members remains physical – that of cash withdrawals and deposits. How are banks and credit unions redefining physical distribution to meet cardholder needs now and for the future? What new strategies are being deployed?  You’ll learn:
•Why cash isn’t going away any time soon
•What you can do now to prepare your ATM fleet for a digital future
•How one financial institution turned its ATM distribution model on its head to meet business goals and ensure cardholder delight



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Steve Nogalo

EVP North America Financial Institutions
Cardtronics

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Brad Patterson

VP, Payment Operations
PenFed

Avoiding bright shiny object syndrome is the name of the game in branch banking today. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new piece of tech, but are you truly thinking about how it can be useful for your customers? Or how it can help your employees service your customers? Join this panel to hear about avoiding falling into the most common branch strategy trap by hearing the answers to questions like: 

•What are your customer’s core reasons for visiting your branches?
oDo you know things about your customers outside of just the basics that might help you understand other ways your branch could assist them?  
•Does the technology you are thinking of implementing reflect that? 
•Without thinking about your customer first, you could be implementing technology that just doesn’t make sense for them 

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Steve Previs

VP of Retail Transformation, Digital Experience
PNC

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Jeff Majka

IT Business Relationship Manager
M&T Bank

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Patrick Myron

SVP, Retail Network Strategy & Sales Analytics
Rockland Trust Company

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Tony Pietrocola

Head of Sales
Promontech

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Andres Cueto

SVP, Corporate Real Estate - Portfolio Director
BBVA Compass (USA)

A Deep dive into the results of a consumer banking study conducted across Western Europe and North America that examines how messaging has an effect on customer perception and attitude toward bank brands and if your marketing efforts truly drive customer behavior.
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Angela Vanderburg

Subject Matter Expert, Retail Financial Services
QDivision, a Stratacache Company

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Manolo Almagro

Managing Partner
QDivision, a Stratacache Company

Roundtable discussions are small peer-led group discussions on a surrounding one cutting edge piece of branch technology. After 30 minutes, you have the opportunity to sit at another table of your choice for a second discussion.

1.M&As &Beyond: How to Optimize &Transform Your Branch Network in an Increasingly Digital World
Sean Keathley, President, Adrenaline
Gina Bleedorn, Chief Experience Officer, Adrenaline

2.Customer Engagement Technology Critical to Increasing Branch Sales
Kevin Steel, Retail Banking Expert, Kronos

3.Modelling the Opportunity for Your Branch of the Future
Arthur Gilmore, President and CEO, Gilmore Group

4.The Intelligent Branch: Technology for Customer Engagement 
Jim Harris, EVP of Sales, Panini

5.Build It and They Will Come Is A Myth: Accelerating Digital Adoption 
Janice Diner,  CEO and Founder, Horizn 
Colleen Vukelic, Managing Director, Head, U.S. Business & Process Optimization, BMO Financial Group

6.Digital Transformation: Beyond the Hype - How to Achieve Outcomes
David DeGiorgi, CEO, MediaVue Systems

7.Want to be a Superhero to your customers?  Learn how to improve their experience in your branch
Alyssa Arredondo, Director, Financial Solutions Marketing, Entrust Datacard

8. A 30 Year Banking Veteran Sees Fintech as Solution to Branch’s Biggest Challenges
Michael Reed, VP Branch Strategy & Integration, SigFig

9.Linking the Spatial and Digital World using Business Intelligence Tools
Barb Pohner, Managing Partner, Envision USA

10.MSR Group Roundtable 
Speaker to be named, MSR Group

11.Branch Transformation for Many Generations
Mark Duncan, Director of Branch Channel Development, Citizens Bank

12.Prioritizing Resources When Time, Man Power and Budget Are Scarce
David Puente, VP, Retail Experience, FirstMark Credit Union

13.Welcome to the NeighborHUB! A Look at Who Needs to Be Involved in Branch Transformation
Nicole Sherman, SVP, Market Region Manager, Greater Puget Sound, Columbia Bank 
David Moore Devine, Chief Marketing Officer, Columbia Bank 
Sean Lewis, Vice President and Manager of Facilities Projects, Columbia Bank

14.Quick Wins for Your Branch Network
Doug Sprecher, Senior Vice President - Branch and Consumer Sales Strategy, First Citizens Bank
Kirk Duncan, SVP, Corporate Real Estate, First Citizens Bank

15. The Fitts Company Roundtable
Dee Dee Simmons, CMO, The Fitts Company

If you are interested in presenting during this time, please contact Harvey Golub at  646-200-7524


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Gina Bleedorn

Chief Experience Officer
Adrenaline

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Arthur Gilmore

President & CEO
Gilmore Group

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Kevin Steel

Principal- Retail Banking
Kronos

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Sean Keathley

President & CEO
Adrenaline

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Jim Harris

EVP of Sales
Panini

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David DeGiorgi

CEO
MediaVue Systems

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David Puente

Assistant Vice President Branch Administration
FirstMark Credit Union

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Mark Duncan

Director of Branch Channel Development
Citizens Bank

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Nicole Sherman

SVP, Market Region Manager, Greater Puget Sound
Columbia Bank

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David Moore Devine

Chief Marketing Officer
Columbia Bank

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Sean Lewis

Vice President and Manager of Facilities Projects
Columbia Bank

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Janice Diner

CEO
Horizn

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Colleen Vukelic

Managing Director, Head, U.S. Business & Process Optimization
BMO Financial Group

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Alyssa Arredondo

Director, Financial Solutions Marketing
Entrust Datacard

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Michael Reed

VP Branch Strategy & Integration
SigFig

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Doug Sprecher

Senior Branch and ATM Strategy Vice President
First Citizens Bank

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Kirk Duncan

SVP, Corporate Real Estate
First Citizens Bank

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Dee Dee Simmons

CMO
The Fitts Company

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Lunch For All Attendees In the Innovation Hub


2:00 pm - 2:15 pm Desserts in the Innovation Hub!


After a beautiful lunch, join your fellow attendees in the Innovation Hub  for a sweet treat before we break info tracks

Track A: Employee Engagement and Your Updated Staffing Model

2:15 pm - 2:25 pm Chairperson’s Afternoon Remarks
Prashanth Palakurthi - Founder and CEO, Reflexis Systems
Cutting Edge Solution Provider to be named

If you are interested in presenting during this time, please contact Harvey Golub at  646-200-7524

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Prashanth Palakurthi

Founder and CEO
Reflexis Systems

Track A: Employee Engagement and Your Updated Staffing Model

2:25 pm - 2:45 pm Case Study: Mobile Branch Associates: Next Generation Customer Experience
Jorrit de Vries - Senior Director Sales & Solutions, Financial Services Vertical, Samsung Electronics America
Enabling the customer and relationship manager conversation is top of mind with many in the Retail Banking industry. Customer research shows that 77% of consumers prefer a face-to face interaction, yet innovation still lags behind in this category.  Samsung and top Banking institutions are blazing a trail with a mobile and desktop experience that will transform the way associates work, communicate, and consult customers on their life-banking goals.




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Jorrit de Vries

Senior Director Sales & Solutions, Financial Services Vertical
Samsung Electronics America

Track A: Employee Engagement and Your Updated Staffing Model

2:45 pm - 3:15 pm PANEL REMIX Part One: Training and Developing Employees to Become Universal Tellers
Kari Solomonson - Vice President, Retail Team Leader, People's State Bank Krystal Adams - VP of Member Experience, Tuscon Federal Credit Union
•What are the training strategies for the universal banker role
o Have you tried gamification? Mentorship? Rewards?
•What are some of the skills that branch employees need to learn in order to become universal bankers? 
o Do your current branch employees have soft skills training? 
o Are they well versed enough in banking to complete complex transactions? 
•Do you have the proper resources for this training? 





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Kari Solomonson

Vice President, Retail Team Leader
People's State Bank

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Krystal Adams

VP of Member Experience
Tuscon Federal Credit Union

Track A: Employee Engagement and Your Updated Staffing Model

3:15 pm - 3:25 pm Panel REMIX Part Two: Training and Developing Employees to Become Universal Tellers
After 30 minutes of hearing from the panelists, audience members will be asked to discuss a related follow up question in small groups for 10 minutes.



Track B: Picking and Integrating Branch Tech

2:15 pm - 2:25 pm Chairperson’s Afternoon Remarks
Elizabeth Robillard - Event Director, Future Branches
Cutting Edge Solution Provider to be named

If you are interested in presenting during this time, please contact Harvey Golub at  646-200-7524

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Elizabeth Robillard

Event Director
Future Branches

Track B: Picking and Integrating Branch Tech

2:25 pm - 2:45 pm Presentation: Experience Led Branches – Why the Future of Customer Experience is the Human Factor
Joe Gnorski - Vice President, Sales-LatAm, Marketing-Americas, Glory
The “customer experience of the future” is being built around technology and spending more time with it. However, the core of a great customer experience is truly about human behavior and understanding how it is changed by technology.  This session will explore how technology and automation should work in harmony to create great customer experiences and help your organization deliver on its brand promise.


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Joe Gnorski

Vice President, Sales-LatAm, Marketing-Americas
Glory

Track B: Picking and Integrating Branch Tech

2:45 pm - 3:15 pm PANEL REMIX Part One: Going Fully Automated: Does it Make Sense for You?
Dawn Fabian - Retail Transformation Manager, PNC Chuck Frederick - Director of Retail and Small Business Banking, Midland States Bank





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Dawn Fabian

Retail Transformation Manager
PNC

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Chuck Frederick

Director of Retail and Small Business Banking
Midland States Bank

Track B: Picking and Integrating Branch Tech

3:15 pm - 3:25 pm Panel REMIX Part Two: Going Fully Automated: Does it Make Sense for You?
After 35 minutes of hearing from the panelists, audience members will be asked to discuss a related follow up question in small groups for 10 minutes.



Think Tank - BY INVITE ONLY

2:45 pm - 3:30 pm VIP Think Tank: The Future of the Branch Network
Gerti Dervishi - VP of Corporate Development and Operations, Flybits
Exclusively for our most senior level financial institution attendees, this session will be a closed door opportunity to discuss the future of the branch from a high-level strategic perspective. Limited to 20 attendees. If you are interested in joining this think tank and are a c-level exec, please reach out to Elizabeth.Robillard@wbresearch.com.



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Gerti Dervishi

VP of Corporate Development and Operations
Flybits

3:25 pm - 4:10 pm ‘Here’s the Scoop’ Afternoon Networking Break In The Innovation Hub

For our last official break in our innovation hub, join us for a scoop of ice cream and a cup of joe!


4:10 pm - 4:30 pm Fireside Chat: Conversation Quality – The Cambridge Savings Bank Experience

Carol Sexton - First Vice President, Head of Retail Banking, Cambridge Savings Bank Cleve Cogswell - President North America, Econiq
One of the oldest and largest community banks in Massachusetts, Cambridge Savings Bank offers a full line of individual and business banking services. They have been working alongside Econiq to improve conversation quality. Econiq’s President in North America,  Cleve Cogswell, will host a ‘fireside chat’ with Carol Sexton, Cambridge’s First Vice President & Head of Retail Banking. Carol will outline the transformational value Cambridge Savings Bank have achieved by improving conversation quality. She will also explore some of her learnings and experiences along the way.



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Carol Sexton

First Vice President, Head of Retail Banking
Cambridge Savings Bank

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Cleve Cogswell

President North America
Econiq

The locations of new branches need to be established, the branches that should be closed have to be chosen and the branches that simply need a refresh have to be identified. All of this can be done by looking at market intelligence and demographic data to establish where the most transactions are located. 

•Gathering data based on the markets you operate in
•Standardizing a framework that makes this data digestible and actionable 
•Looking across the metrics to understand a holistic view of the operations of each branch 
•Deciding if you want to open branches, consolidate or move ones to new places based on the data you use 



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Dean Moll

SVP-Director of Distribution Strategy Retail Network Transformation
Citizens Bank

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Lynn Anderson

Retail Banking Distribution Strategist and Planner
Former Senior Director, Capital One Bank

5:05 pm - 5:35 pm End Of Main Day Two Content





5:20 pm - 6:20 pm Branches Bash at Easy Tiger!

Join us on one of the most iconic streets in Austin - 6th Street, as we get outdoors and unwind at Easy Tiger! Find out why Food & Wine Magazine named this 6th street staple one of the Best Beer Gardens in America. Enjoy craft beers, bites and cocktails with your fellow attendees, challenge a competitor to a round of ping pong, and listen to local music as we wrap up Day 2 of Future Branches and before you hit the Austin Streets!

6:20 pm - 6:25 pm End of Branches Bash