Future Branches Austin 2025
November 18 - 20, 2025
JW Marriott Austin, 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 BankListen 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.
8:15 am - 8:25 am
Welcome Remarks
Elizabeth Robillard -
Event Director,
Future Branches
8:25 am - 8:55 am
Chairperson’s Opening Address
Jeffrey Baker -
Founder & CEO,
Image4
Join our chair for the day from Image4 as they kickstart the day with insights to guide us over the next two days
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
Colleen Vukelic
Managing Director, Head, U.S. Business & Process OptimizationBMO Financial Group
9:05 am - 9:40 am
PANEL: The Ultimate Balancing Act: Man Vs. Machine
Ann-Marie Katzer -
Vice President-Retail Sales and Service,
American Eagle Financial Credit Union
Gregory Peter -
Head of Store Strategy and Transformation,
TD Bank
Carl Schwab -
Vice President, Branch Operations Projects and Training,
Navy Federal Credit Union
Derrick Harris -
VP of Branch Operations and Items Processing,
PenFed
Joe Gnorski -
Vice President, Sales-LatAm, Marketing-Americas,
Glory
Stefanie Rupert -
President and CEO,
Collins Community Credit Union
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?
Ann-Marie Katzer
Vice President-Retail Sales and ServiceAmerican Eagle Financial Credit Union
Carl Schwab
Vice President, Branch Operations Projects and TrainingNavy Federal Credit Union
9:40 am - 10:05 am
Keynote: 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
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?
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 -
General Manager, North America,
NCR Atleos
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
11:05 am - 11:40 am
PANEL: Picking the In-Branch Technology That Works Best For Your Employees and Your Customers
Steve Previs -
VP of Retail Transformation, Digital Experience,
PNC
Jeff Majka -
IT Business Relationship Manager,
M&T Bank
Patrick Myron -
SVP, Retail Network Strategy & Sales Analytics,
Rockland Trust Company
Tony Pietrocola -
Head of Sales,
Promontech
Andres Cueto -
SVP, Corporate Real Estate - Portfolio Director,
BBVA Compass (USA)
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
11:40 am - 12:00 pm
Keynote: Are You Telling Your Customers What They Want to Hear?
Angela Vanderburg -
Subject Matter Expert, Retail Financial Services,
QDivision, a Stratacache Company
Manolo Almagro -
Managing Partner,
QDivision, a Stratacache Company
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.
Angela Vanderburg
Subject Matter Expert, Retail Financial ServicesQDivision, a Stratacache Company
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Branch Technology Roundtable Discussions
Gina Bleedorn -
President and CEO,
Adrenaline
Arthur Gilmore -
President & CEO,
Gilmore Group
Kevin Steel -
Principal- Retail Banking,
Kronos
Sean Keathley -
President & CEO,
Adrenaline
Jim Harris -
EVP of Sales,
Panini
David DeGiorgi -
CEO,
MediaVue Systems
David Puente -
Assistant Vice President Branch Administration,
FirstMark Credit Union
Mark Duncan -
Director of Branch Channel Development,
Citizens Bank
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
Janice Diner -
CEO,
Horizn
Colleen Vukelic -
Managing Director, Head, U.S. Business & Process Optimization,
BMO Financial Group
Alyssa Arredondo -
Director, Financial Solutions Marketing,
Entrust Datacard
Michael Reed -
VP Branch Strategy & Integration,
SigFig
Doug Sprecher -
Senior Branch and ATM Strategy Vice President,
First Citizens Bank
Kirk Duncan -
SVP, Corporate Real Estate,
First Citizens Bank
Dee Dee Simmons -
CMO,
The Fitts 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
Colleen Vukelic
Managing Director, Head, U.S. Business & Process OptimizationBMO Financial Group
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 SystemsCutting Edge Solution Provider to be named
If you are interested in presenting during this time, please contact Harvey Golub at 646-200-7524
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 AmericaEnabling 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.
Jorrit de Vries
Senior Director Sales & Solutions, Financial Services VerticalSamsung 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?
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 TellersAfter 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 BranchesCutting Edge Solution Provider to be named
If you are interested in presenting during this time, please contact Harvey Golub at 646-200-7524
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, GloryThe “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.
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
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, FlybitsExclusively 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.
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.
4:30 pm - 5:05 pm
Panel: Right-Sizing Your Network: Placing Your Branches in the Best Location
Dean Moll -
SVP-Director of Distribution Strategy Retail Network Transformation,
Citizens Bank
Lynn Anderson -
Retail Banking Distribution Strategist and Planner,
Former Senior Director, Capital One Bank
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
Lynn Anderson
Retail Banking Distribution Strategist and PlannerFormer 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!