Thursday, February 9

10:00 am – 2:30 pm    Credit Union Roundtable

The Credit Union Roundtable provide an open, cooperative environment for candid discussion of challenges and opportunities, to share best practices, and discuss timely topics submitted by participants.

Discussion kick off:

The Effects of Loan and Deposit Pricing in a Dynamic Rate Environment

Tim Gardner, EVP/CFO, CDC Federal Credit Union

10:00 am – 2:15 pm    Young Professionals Workshop

Young professionals age 40 and under gathering with Mentees from the CUaware Protégé Mentor Program for a day of education and networking.

Feature Session:

Be the CEO of Your Career

Maureen Frazer-Monroe & Anna Marie Wood

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm    The Mentor Workshop

This event will serve as your first connection. This workshop is mandatory for Mentees and Mentors in the 2023 program.

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm    Exhibit Hall – Visit with the Experts

There will be an educational Sprint Session on the show floor and experts of all kinds from more than seventy different companies in the exhibit hall. 

3:00 pm – 3:20 pm    Exhibit Hall – Sprint Session

Growing Through a Challenging Economy: Credit, Debit and Digital Opportunities

Jorge Esteban, Vice President, Head of Community Southeast, Visa

4:00 pm – 4:20 pm    Exhibit Hall – Sprint Session

Reinventing Member Support in a Digital World!

Our members all live in a digital-first world! Every part of a true Digital Customer Service (DCS) experience takes place on the member’s own screen. During this session, Glia will demonstrate its channel-less Digital Servicing approach. Utilizing a unified platform, members have the freedom of choice to interact with your Credit Union through their preferred channel while allowing seamless upgrades of media features and collaboration tools based on each interaction.

Adel Nathani, Enterprise Account Executive, Glia

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm    Foundation Awards Gala Cocktail Reception

Gather for food and drinks to celebrate this year’s Credit Union Foundation Award Winners.

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm    Carolinas Credit Union Foundation Gala Awards

The Carolinas Credit Union League is a proud supporter of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation, and together we will honor several credit unions for their outstanding work and service. All event proceeds with go towards the Foundation’s exclusive sponsorship of Victory Junction’s Reach Program.

Friday, February 10

9:15 AM

How America Pays for College:

Understanding Student Financial Aid and the Impacts of COVID-19

Customers look to you for many financial decisions, including the financial aid process and how to pay for college. It can be a complex process and many families aren’t sure how they will come to pay for all of the expenses, and COVID-19 certainly hasn’t made anything easier. Attendees in this session will learn financial aid basics, including available federal and state aid; FAFSA form and federal student loan information; impacts of COVID-19 on students in North Carolina; and aid offered by North Carolina’s state-based non-profit. Attendees will leave with information to help their customers and themselves.

April Query, Regional & Community Services Manager, College Foundation of North Carolina

10 Negotiating Commandments You Shouldn’t Break

In the art of negotiating, “splitting the difference” is never an acceptable compromise. In negotiations against major technology vendors, splitting the difference can mean unknowingly leaving millions on the table and obligating your institution to long-term risk you can’t clearly see in contracts today. Most bankers can strike a winning loan deal with their customers any day of the week because you own that domain, but when it comes to technology contracts, let’s face it – you’re outgunned.

Join expert negotiator Aaron Silva to gain real-world insights into the negotiating philosophies and tactics used against bankers by these very sophisticated vendors. You will leave this session armed with the 10 Negotiating Commandments You Should Never Break in any type of business negotiation.

Aaron M. Silva, President & CEO, Paladin fs, LLC

Three Reasons Video Banking Will Alleviate Staffing Woes

for Credit Unions

As many community financial institutions (CFIs) across the U.S. are expanding into new markets, the big question is whether to open new branches and attempt to staff them at a time when our country is experiencing our biggest labor shortage in decades. Forward-looking CFIs are realizing they can actually do both: Open (or keep open) their branches – using a skeleton crew – AND make use of video banking to service walk-in members and customers.

Attendees will learn:
• The impact the nationwide labor shortage is having in the financial services industry
• How the pandemic and other factors have helped in the rise in video banking
• How it works when you walk into a branch and greet the teller
• Why video banking is only one of many communication tools a CFI needs to utilize

10:15 AM – 10:35 AM    Exhibit Hall — Sprint Session

How to Build Your Data Maturity Action Plan

Becoming data-driven is a priority for most credit unions today, and the reasons are clear: data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers, six times as likely to retain customers, and 19 times as likely to be profitable. To serve today’s digital-first members, most credit unions don’t need convincing about why they need to become data-led – but the how is another story. The data maturity journey is not straightforward, and most credit unions are supervised to discover there isn’t a sequential series of steps or a “right way” to move forward on the journey. Even the phrase “data maturity journey” can be misleading, as it implies a starting and ending point. But the data journey can take many paths, can start at many points, and never truly ends. This presentation will explore the concept of data maturity and some of the main pillars (data management, descriptive analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics) that credit unions may encounter on their journey.

Karan Bhalla, Chief Growth Officer, Trellance

James Gukeisen, Senior Manager of Advocacy and Outreach, Trellance

10:45 AM

Interest Rate Risk and Balance Sheet Management – Asset Deposit Pricing and Liquidity Strategies for a Rising Rate and Inflationary Environment

The global pandemic set into motion a series of historically unprecedented economic policies. Massive amounts of liquidity and stimulus from policymakers enabled a fast recovery, but at what financial cost? The side effect of those “easy money” conditions has been 40yr-high inflation that now must be fought through highly restrictive Fed behavior. Balance sheet managers have been left to deal with the resulting large swings in interest rate and liquidity risks. Quickly increasing cost of funds, stubborn loan rates and ever-tightening margins are just a few of the most common worries for 2023. More than ever, it is critical that credit union leadership take a whole balance sheet approach, as understanding and utilizing wholesale markets (asset and funding) could significantly reduce some of these pressures.

This seminar will examine the challenges now faced by CEOs, CFOs and investment officers who must navigate the next phase of these uncharted waters. Join us for an in-depth discussion of the following topics:

• Economic and Market Update — Review of current economic conditions and the outlook for growth, inflation, and interest rates
• Interest Rate Risk — How to ensure you are prepared for uncertain balance sheet challenges and a constantly changing regulatory focus
• Loan/Deposit Pricing — For the first time in over a decade, we must manage both sides of the balance sheet with strong pricing strategies
• Liquidity Risk Management — Policy tools and best practices for managing liquidity risk
• Loan Participations – Purchasing participations can help you get ahead of much slower moving retail loan rates and at a minimum, give you market intel for pricing retail loans
• Investment Portfolio Strategies — Adapting your strategy and building the “right” investment portfolio for your specific balance sheet

Andrew Okolski, Director of Credit Union Strategies, The Baker Group

Does Your Technology Align With Your Strategy?

What to know before you evaluate new technology. Learn from an expert in the industry who has helped over 100 CU’s change software over the past 15 years. This interactive session will provide you with the information you need to know about the credit union software industry and how to prepare your team for your next due diligence cycle.

Starla Honea, Senior Vice President of Solutions, CU*South

Biometrics & Beyond:

Multi-Factor Authentication and Fraud Prevention in the Contact Center

An exploration of the challenge with meeting member expectations for streamlined, welcoming credit union contact center interactions, the current threat landscape for fraud and account takeovers, and how to balance risk mitigation with member experience. This session will explore current authentication methodologies, the pros and cons of each option, and the potential impact on member experience associated with adding more security layers. The talk will explore what makes passive voice a leading option for the contact center and IVR based on the current capabilities of technology and adoption rates.

Milind Borkar, Founder & CEO, Illuma

11:45 AM

Hot Topics in Commercial Lending

Commercial Lending is a never-ending sea of change, and whether you are considering adding commercial loans to the services you offer your membership, or are trying to keep up with everything going on, this session will provide useful and timely information on getting started and on what to expect from the post pandemic economy, regulatory changes, the constant changes in loan examinations and the impact on your portfolio.

Mark Cox, President and CEO, Innovative Business Solutions

How a Credit Union Can Grow on the Backs of Carolina’s Big Banks

Join us as we use our local data to explore:
• What are the main reasons customers at Carolina’s big banks are unhappy?
• What is essential for you to communicate to draw them to YOUR credit union?
• What will make North and South Carolina consumers switch?
• What they think of local credit unions?

Corey Wrinn, Managing Director, Rivel

What Matters NowTM: Insights from CUNA Mutual Group’s 2022 Multicultural and Multigenerational Financial Needs and Behaviors Study

Developing a successful multicultural business strategy (MCBS) can be challenging for credit union leaders. A deep understanding of your membership and communities through a multicultural and mutigenerational lens can help. Through an exploration of our 2022 What Matters Now research report, gain data, insights and action steps to help you understand the motivations, struggles, hopes and dreams of people across race, ethnicity and generation. The report was developed with a credit union focus and includes contributions from nearly 10,000 multicultural and multigenerational participants across the country, all with the goal of helping you advance your MCBS to better serve your members and surrounding communities.

Adam Lee, Senior Manager, CUNA Mutual’s DEI Services

1:00 PM – 1:20 PM    Exhibit Hall — Sprint Session

Insights Hiding in Your Data Can Increase Customer Engagement                                          and Expand Wallet Share

Gathering basic information about customers is relatively easy, but it doesn’t provide the highest value that can help you anticipate customer needs and drive greater revenue. Capturing more complex data, such as transactional data, and applying AI-driven analytics and predictive modeling to it often reveals significant business insights. The resulting information can be analyzed to forecast future customer behaviors that guide more strategic decision-making about how and when to approach them, and with the products and services they are more likely to care about. Leveraging AI-driven analytics and predictive modeling can generate a 360-degree view of customers and deep customer intelligence that enable highly personalized, more meaningful interactions that accelerate engagement and grow revenue.

Brad Thien, Relationship Manager, Aunalytics

1:30 PM

Understanding the Risks Hiding in Your Commercial Portfolio

Rising rates and inflation could cause collateral values to suffer and highly leveraged borrowers to default. So what’s hiding in your commercial loan portfolio could cause a shift in risk. This breakout session will focus on understanding how these and other economic factors play into risk management oversight, including best practices in stressing your portfolio. Join Dan Schleitweiler to learn more about this hot topic and more.

Dan Schleitweiler, Assistant Vice President of Risk Management, Cooperative Business Services

Like Healthcare Providers, Credit Unions are High Priority Targets for Hackers: Why & What You Can Do About It.

We will discuss some of the reasons behind the threat actor strategies, examples of some recent attacks, present an overview of the data privacy and cybersecurity risks and obligations, and provide some practical guidance on how to manage the risk.

Suzi Grigg, Member, Financial Services & Bankruptcy Practice Group, Nexsen Pruet

Brooks Bossong, Member, Financial Services & Bankruptcy Practice Group, Nexsen Pruet

Joe Dickinson, Member, Intellectual Property Practice Group, Nexsen Pruet

Evolving Your Branch Strategy

Number and location are no longer the only key drivers of your retail branch strategy, there is much more to consider today. New approaches must be guided by thorough market review and demographic analysis, along with rightsizing your network by shifting size, branch type, design, and product offering. During this session we will review a comprehensive process that provides strategies for reducing costs and increasing performance by:
– allowing seamless digital-to-branch transitions
– implementing effective in-branch technology
– enhancing brand awareness and transforming the branch into a marketing tool
– supporting an employee’s ability to provide an omnichannel occurrence
– creating an environment for education and relationship building
– creating a memorable member experience
– providing ideas to remove functional obsolescence

Glenn Grau, Senior Vice President, Sales, PWCampbell

2:45 PM

The Future of Your Member’s Digital Banking Experience

According to the white paper, CU Outlook: How active member relationships drive long-term growth, there continues to be a growing preference among users for real-time, digital banking and 94% of users consider a seamless digital experience very important. Members want their banking experience to revolve around their schedule and their preferences. For instance, opening an account, managing finances, and applying for a loan when and where it’s most convenient. Until now, these were three unique experiences for credit union members. From a branding and service perspective, it was the equivalent of sending them to three different branches to meet their needs. Introducing the Digital Banking “Triple Play.” As rare as it is in baseball, it is even more rare in financial services. This session will cover the growing need for this seamless “Triple Play” and how it can impact the growth of your credit union.

Jami Jennings, Director of Digital Channels, VisiFI

Investments – Capitalizing on Chaos: What to do next

Many people believe we are heading toward a recession, yet the Federal Reserve is aggressively tightening monetary policy. The Fed Chairman is indicating that rate increases will slow from the 75bp pace in the second half of 2022. However, he has indicated that even if there is a pause in rate increases, the longer-term goal is to continue to raise rates. Coupled with Quantitative tightening, short term and long-term rates must rise…right? But how does the Fed raise rates when a potential recession is looming?

Don’t fight the Fed!

We have all been schooled to know that prices are a function of supply and demand, but it is much more complicated now. The Fed has no control over the supply side and is trying to crush the demand side. Congress has no control over the demand side and continues to add money into the supply side with spending bills. Congress and the Fed are working against each other in the macroeconomic system. This is unheard of.

We have an inverted yield curve and the Fed is crystal clear…short term rates will go higher and stay high for an extended period of time. That indicates that the yield curve will remain inverted for a long time. So how does a credit union adhere to the the Safety, Liquidity, Yield mandate? How many credit unions have fixed rated investments lower than 2.00% in their respective portfolios in a 5.00% world? We will explore how to safely manage your investment portfolio in this unique environment. It is complex, but a solid plan is essential in optimizing the value to your members.

Thomas D. Bonds, President of the Credit Union Division, NBC Securities, Inc.

Automate and Transform your Lending, with the Power of AI

In this current economic climate, it’s crucial to explore solutions outside of traditional scoring to meet your credit union’s goals for lending. Machine learning enables credit unions of any size to evolve from legacy credit scoring systems to powerful AI-based underwriting, which uses more data and better math. Learn how credit unions adopting AI are able to significantly increase automation and operational efficiency in their underwriting processes. This empowers them to better evaluate risk and continue to lend to members when they need it most.

AI-driven software automates the work of building and deploying advanced AI lending models which simplifies the adoption process for credit unions – expanding access and fairness across the industry.

In this session, Stephen will address how AI underwriting is catching fire among credit unions for its ability to produce better, faster, fairer loan decisions and boost funding rates.

Stephen Morse, Director, Zest AI