Program | Annual Convention

7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

REGISTRATION OPEN

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM

INDUSTRY HOT TOPICS BREAKFAST

Join us for a breakfast discussion where industry experts will explore hot topics. Enjoy great food, gain valuable insights into emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the banking landscape from industry partners. View full sessions details.

• Profit by design: Using AI insights to drive smarter growth 
• The AI-ready bank: Governance, oversight and strategy
• Rewriting the payments playbook: What's next for community banks
• Future of banking in an AI-enabled world   

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

OPENING GENERAL SESSION

Opening remarks

• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

Welcome to the Beehive State and introduction to Governor Spencer Cox prerecorded remarks

• Scott Anderson, Non-executive Chairman, Zions Bank and Former ABA Chair

Welcome to Salt Lake City

• Nate Callister, President and CEO, Zions Bank

ABA's approach to tokenized money  

Join this session for an update on ABA's tokenized money strategy, including how stablecoins and tokenized deposits are reshaping the banking landscape and what ABA is doing to help banks identify opportunities and prepare for change.

• Brooke Ybarra, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Strategy, American Bankers Association

BankChain Alliance: A banker-led approach to tokenized deposits  

State banking association leaders and BankChain Alliance board members discuss why banks are coming together to build shared tokenized deposit infrastructure. Hear how the initiative seeks to expand access to tokenized money capabilities while preserving the role of banks in payments, deposits and financial intermediation.  

• Jackson Hataway, President and Chief Executive Officer, Missouri Bankers Association 
• Howard Headlee, President and Chief Executive Officer, Utah Bankers Association  
• Moderator: Brooke Ybarra, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Strategy, American Bankers Association 

From RTP to tokenized money: What's next for bank payments?  

What can the banking industry learn from the rollout of real-time payments as it prepares for tokenized money? In this conversation, David Watson shares how The Clearing House is applying lessons from RTP to tokenized deposits, how banks of all sizes can participate in emerging infrastructure and what bank leaders should be doing today to prepare for the next era of payments.  

• David Watson, President and CEO, The Clearing House 
• Moderator: Jess Sharp, Deputy, Policy Division and Executive Vice President, Advocacy and Innovation, American Bankers Association 

Building a legacy: Bringing the 2034 Winter Games to Utah

Fraser Bullock, president and executive chair of the Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will share the inside story of securing and shaping the 2034 Winter Games. From the earliest bid conversations to navigating the complex web of local, national, and international stakeholders, Fraser has been at the center of it all as one of the most experienced organizing committee leaders of all time.

Fraser will pull back the curtain on what it takes to bring one of the world's most watched sporting events to Utah. He'll discuss the critical partnerships forged with government agencies at every level, the essential role of local businesses and civic organizations, and how community buy-in has been built from the ground up. He will also address the unique challenges and opportunities that come with hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter, from infrastructure and sustainability to economic impact and global visibility.

• Fraser Bullock, President and Executive Chair, Utah 2034
• Moderator: Scott Anderson, Non-executive Chairman, Zions Bank and Former ABA Chair

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

BREAK IN THE HUB

The Hub is transforming into something big — an experience that breaks the mold of a traditional exhibit hall. New in 2026, The Hub will serve as a curated, interactive and intentional extension of what you’ll learn during Annual Convention’s knowledge sessions. Come with questions, challenges or ideas — and The Hub will provide you with a clear path forward. Explore The Hub.

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

These sessions allow you to focus on the issues that matter most to you and network with senior banking leaders who feel the same. Choose from sessions in innovation, profitability, leadership and talent management, and customer experience. View full session details.

• Tokenization, stablecoins and deposits: How banks can protect growth and payments revenue 
• Six strategic planning components used by high-performing banks  
• Mortgage lending: Market update and policy priorities
• Mitigating cybersecurity risks posed by frontier AI models

10:30 AM – 12:15 PM

EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM

The Emerging Leaders Program at Annual Convention provides development opportunities that help rising professionals prioritize growth and strategic career transformation while finding ways to serve their bank’s mission at a higher level.  View full session details.

• Blueprint for top performance
• Beyond the blueprint: An honest conversation on leadership

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

These sessions allow you to focus on the issues that matter most to you and network with senior banking leaders who feel the same. Choose from sessions in innovation, profitability, leadership and talent management, and customer experience. View full session details.

• Responding to the risks threatening bank growth, capital and profitability in 2026
• The outlook for interest rates: How's the new Fed chair doing?
• Using multiple payment rails to grow deposits and payments revenue
• The next five years in mortgage: What community banks should be building right now

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

INDUSTRY HOT TOPICS LUNCH

Join us for a lunch discussion where industry experts will explore hot topics. Enjoy great food, gain valuable insights into emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the banking landscape from industry partners. View full sessions details.

• Transforming commercial lending: Technology that drives growth  
• From experiment to engine: How AI delivered real business results
• Beyond rate: A smarter strategy for deposit growth and customer primacy  
• What the data tells us: Lessons from the frontlines of AI adoption in banking
• Beyond compensation: What today’s bank leaders are doing to keep key talent

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

GUEST PROGRAM

This year, hear from an impressive keynote speaker bristling with authenticity, humor, honesty and hard-earned wisdom: U.S. Olympic Champion, Jessie Diggins. View program details.

Guests or spouses who are not in financial services or banking-related fields are eligible for this special program and rate. Bankers should register their guests when they secure their own Annual Convention registration.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

GENERAL SESSION

2026 election outlook and beyond

One week before the midterm election, POLITICO politics bureau chief and senior political columnist Jonathan Martin will bring his years of campaign reporting experience to a timely conversation on the forces shaping the 2026 political landscape. Martin will explore the fight for control of Congress, the key races to watch and what it could mean for the future of banking.

• Jonathan Martin, Politics Bureau Chief and Senior Political Columnist, POLITICO
• Moderator: Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

Policy and advocacy outlook

Looking ahead to the lame duck session of Congress and beyond, ABA senior policy experts share the latest on the key banking policy issues that could affect your bank. They will explore how a possible change in the balance of power in Congress could impact leadership positions, committee priorities and alter the banking policy agenda and agency activity. Find out how banker advocacy can make a difference.

• Hugh Carney, Executive Vice President, Financial Institutions Policy and Regulatory Affairs, American Bankers Association
• Blake Earley, Senior Vice President, Senior Vice President, Congressional Relations and BankPAC, American Bankers Association
• Ginny O’Neill, Executive Vice President, Executive Vice President, Regulatory Compliance and Policy, American Bankers Association
• Jess Sharp, Deputy, Policy Division and Executive Vice President, Advocacy and Innovation, American Bankers Association
• Moderator: Naomi Camper, Chief Policy Officer, American Bankers Association

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

BREAK IN THE HUB

The Hub is transforming into something big — an experience that breaks the mold of a traditional exhibit hall. New in 2026, The Hub will serve as a curated, interactive and intentional extension of what you’ll learn during Annual Convention’s knowledge sessions. Come with questions, challenges or ideas — and The Hub will provide you with a clear path forward. Explore The Hub.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

GENERAL SESSION

Chairman’s address

• Kenneth Kelly, ABA Chair and President and CEO, First Independence Bank

Emerging Leaders Awards

Celebrate the next generation of banking leaders as we recognize this year’s Emerging Leader Award recipients for their accomplishments and contributions to the industry.

The outlook for bank hiring

As technology reshapes the workplace, hear the latest data on bank hiring trends and learn how a new program from ABA – the Academic Institution Membership – can help you find the talent you need and boost your ROI on every new hire.

• Russell Davis, Chief Member Engagement Officer, American Bankers Association

Peaks, setbacks and the pursuit of greatness

Hear from professional moguls skier Olivia Giaccio as she shares lessons from the journey that has shaped her into one of the most compelling competitors in the sport today. From her earliest days on the slopes to standing on the international stage, Olivia’s story is one of relentless determination, raw talent, and an unwavering love for the sport. Olivia will share the highs and lows of elite ski competition — from the euphoria of hard-earned victories to the humbling lessons found in defeat and injury. She’ll discuss what it takes to compete at the highest level, the mental fortitude required to push past barriers, and the daily sacrifices that define a life on the mountain.

• Olivia Giaccio, Mogul Skier, 2025/26 Overall Crystal Globe Winner and Milan-Cortina Olympian
• Moderator: Peter Cook, Chief Communications Officer, American Bankers Association

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

MONDAY MIXER IN THE HUB

Find new solutions and unwind after a fast-paced day. Indulge in specialty drinks and bites inspired by Salt Lake City's charm and continue making the important connections that count. Create a custom takeaway salt blend, craft your own dirty soda, try out our downhill ski simulator, and more!

7:00 AM – 1:30 PM

REGISTRATION OPEN

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM

INDUSTRY HOT TOPICS BREAKFAST

Join us for a breakfast discussion where industry experts will explore hot topics. Enjoy great food, gain valuable insights into emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the banking landscape from industry partners. View full sessions details.

• Gen X is the key to Gen Z: The family banking playbook
• Integrated payables: Unlocking growth and strengthening customer relationships
• AI alone won’t make banks intelligent: Is your operating core ready?

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

GENERAL SESSION

Annual business meeting

Community Commitment Awards

2027 and beyond: Navigating the next phase of the economy

We’ve faced years of inflation pressures, interest rate volatility, labor market disruptions and heightened uncertainty. Will inflation finally settle into a sustainable range? How will labor markets evolve? What lies ahead for interest rates and economic growth? How will AI transform productivity, investment and competition? In this session, explore the outlook for inflation, labor markets, monetary policy and the economic implications of the AI investment boom. Discover what these trends mean for businesses, consumers and community banks.

• Beth Ann Bovino, Chief Economist, U.S. Bank
• Moderator: Patrick Mitchell, Head of Economic Policy Research, American Bankers Association

Combating online scams: A fireside chat with Google

Join ABA’s Paul Benda and Google Vice President Keerat Sharma for a conversation about combating fraudulent advertising and bank impersonation online. Explore Google’s approach to advertiser verification, the evolving role of AI, and opportunities for banks and technology platforms to work together to protect consumers. The discussion will also examine how industry standards and federal policy can strengthen efforts to prevent scams.

• Keerat Sharma, Vice President of Ads Product Safety, Google
• Moderator: Paul Benda, Executive Vice President, Risk, Fraud and Cybersecurity, American Bankers Association

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

BREAK IN THE HUB

The Hub is transforming into something big — an experience that breaks the mold of a traditional exhibit hall. New in 2026, The Hub will serve as a curated, interactive and intentional extension of what you’ll learn during Annual Convention’s knowledge sessions. Come with questions, challenges or ideas — and The Hub will provide you with a clear path forward. Explore The Hub.

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

These sessions allow you to focus on the issues that matter most to you and network with senior banking leaders who feel the same. Choose from sessions in innovation, profitability, leadership and talent management, and customer experience. View full session details.

• Bolstering the balance sheet: Defending deposits and managing margins 
• How vendor solutions can help banks maintain personal relationships with customers in the digital age
• Payment scams are soaring: How banks can reduce fraud losses and operational risk

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM

EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM

The Emerging Leaders Program at Annual Convention provides development opportunities that help rising professionals prioritize growth and strategic career transformation while finding ways to serve their bank’s mission at a higher level.  View full session details.

• Speed mentoring for emerging leaders (invitation only)

10:30 AM – 12:15 PM

WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE FORUM

Beyond the deal: Navigating culture integration in bank mergers

It’s time to go beyond the deal. New this year at Annual Convention, bank leaders are coming together to address one of the most critical and complex challenges in mergers: the process of integrating two cultures into one. View full session details.

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

These sessions allow you to focus on the issues that matter most to you and network with senior banking leaders who feel the same. Choose from sessions in innovation, profitability, leadership and talent management, and customer experience. View full session details.

• Bank boards: Prepare for quantum computing before encryption risks become a crisis
• Protecting banks' rights to make banking decisions: Freedom to Invest
• Outsmarting first-party fraud in the lending lifecycle
• Winning the deposit competition: Practical funding strategies for a changing market

12:15 PM – 1:30 PM

GENERAL SESSION

Partner Game Changers session

Join us for a rapid-paced, Shark Tank-style session where you’ll discover solutions built to meet the evolving needs of your bank. Ambitious industry partners will facilitate two-minute pitches on their products, and a panel of bankers will ask them hard-hitting questions. You’ll walk away with new ideas, practical insights and a drive to address your bank’s real-life challenges with newfound solutions.

Lunch will be served during this session.

Participating partners: Cari Network, FIS, Kadince, Lenders Cooperative, Navanta, StrategyCorps, Temenos and TNS

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

GENERAL SESSION

Making miracles happen: Gold medal leadership across generations  

What does it take to win? Learn firsthand from two Olympic champions who delivered historic upsets and fought tirelessly to bring home gold to the United States. In this powerful session, they’ll reflect on their successes and setbacks, the role of perseverance in leadership and how motivation looks different across generations. Discover how elite performance in sports and mission-driven leadership are intertwined.

• Elana Meyers Taylor, 2026 U.S. Olympic Bobsled Gold Medalist, 6x Olympic Medalist
• Mike Eruzione, 1980 Miracle on Ice Team Captain, Olympic Gold Medalist 
• Moderator: Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

CLOSING RECEPTION

See you in Cleveland!

Join us to say a fond farewell to Salt Lake City and celebrate the location of our 2027 event...Cleveland! Also be sure to join our meet-and-greet with Mike Eruzione and Elana Meyers Taylor, two decorated winter Olympians famous for their miraculous wins.