Full Schedule
Thursday, September 18th
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
All times listed are Central Time (CT). Schedule subject to change.
Sessions have been designed to offer continuing education credits for CPE, CTP and FP&A programs. Attendees can earn up to 6 CTP & 5 FPAC plus 6 CPE credits if they attend all sessions. Programs are approved by the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy and the Association for Financial Professionals.
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.Registration & Breakfast (sponsored by SouthState Bank) |
9:00 a.m. to 9:05 a.m.
Opening Remarks & Logistics
Alex Keene, Alabama AFP President
9:05 a.m. to 9:10 a.m.
Allison Eden, Synovus Bank
9:10 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Mark Robertson, Executive Vice President & Director of Corporate Financial Services Administration, SouthState Bank
Tara Edmonds, Senior Vice President & Enterprise Payments Strategy Leader, SouthState Bank
This session will look at how Instant Payments can be better on a comprehensive basis, rather than focusing on only one dimension. A variety of use cases will be used to explore the need for speed, data, and security in different situations, including a review of the key drivers for instant payments.
10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
Kevin Johnson, Head of AI, Synovus Bank
This session will discuss how Generative AI is used in Banking and provide examples of top AI use cases. It will delve into productivity opportunities in leveraging AI as well as how AI is applied in Treasury, Tools, Systems and other areas. Kevin will discuss the future of AI and its development roadmap within the financial industry and beyond.
10:50 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Mobile: The Perfect Business Climate
Bradley Byrne, President & CEO, Mobile Chamber of Commerce
Mobile, Alabama sits at the heart of the fastest-growing region in the United States and has unmatched logistical and geographic advantages to keep business moving. Bradley Byrne will discuss how Mobile's investment in infrastructure, combined with business-friendly policies and low business costs has enabled it to attract more than 60 global companies representing 20 countries and 13 industries, leading to Mobile's robust and diverse economy.
11:50 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.
Drawing for $100 Amazon Gift Card
Must submit topic and/or speaker idea(s) for future events to qualify for drawing.
11:55 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Pam Rodriguez, President & CEO, Southern Financial Exchange (SFE)
The Nacha Operating Rules are updating to keep pace with changing fraud tactics and to help the industry fight back. Are you prepared to identify credit-push fraud, protect yourself and customers, and stop fraudsters? Financial Institutions, Third-Parties and non-consumer Originators are all required to review risk management practices and implement strategies that are reasonably intended to identify ACH Entries initiated due to fraud. Nacha will discuss the upcoming Rules changes, implementation dates and strategies to consider to detect and prevent credit-push fraud. In addition, Nacha recently issued two sets of proposed rule changes related to International ACH payments and Same Day ACH that could impact your organization. Learn what the proposed changes are, how the industry responded to the proposals, and what you can do to prepare.
1:50 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Bill Lindsey, Deputy Director, National Computer Foresnsics Institute (NCFI)
Don Witham, Special Agent in Charge of NCFI, United States Secret Service
Bill Lindsey and Don Witham will discuss their roles in overseeing the nation’s most innovative law enforcement training facility in cyber and electronic crime forensics. This federally funded training center is dedicated to training, educating, and equipping state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges on cyber and electronic crimes and related threats. NCFI graduates represent over 2,500 agencies nationwide who act as a large force multiplier to the United States Secret Service to resolve cold cases benefiting both financial institutions and individuals targeted by cyber-criminals. They will discuss both the economic impact to local communities and the nation as a whole by the work done at NCFI.
2:50 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
Marko Adams, Senior Associate, Kaufman, Hall & Associates
Nick Edgecombe, Assistant Vice President, Kaufman, Hall & Associates
The Kaufman Hall team will explore achieving operational excellence through a proactive approach to managing risk, ensuring business continuity, and measuring performance. This session will explore how leading organizations implement robust operating risk frameworks and redundancy planning to maintain resilience in dynamic environments. This will include designing and leveraging meaningful KPIs that will drive accountability and enable strategic decision-making. Participants will take away the understanding surrounding operational discipline and enterprise success.
3:50 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Alex Keene, Alabama AFP President