2024 Conference Agenda

7:00 AM - 5:15 PM

Registration Open - Registration Desk

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Refreshment Break

9:00 AM -
10:15 AM

Pre-Conference Workshop 1 - Sand Dollar

Introduction to FedNow and RTP

This session will be an opportunity to have a discussion on the FedNow and RTP Services, use cases, and interesting statistics on where mid-size banks are starting.

Jennifer Brock
Senior Vice President - TM Strategy & Transformation
Cadence Bank

9:00 AM -
10:15 AM

Pre-Conference Workshop 2 - Sand Castle I

Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Operations

"Banks are good. Try banks." Those five words launched a young graduate with a Humanities degree (and a dearth of vocational planning) on a financial services career that has now spanned more than four decades. Forty years in banking and payment processing can teach someone a lot about financial institutions, but it can teach them even more about life. Join us for a humorous and poignant look at the lessons one industry pilgrim gleaned from his days (and nights) in financial services. 

Kevin Moland, AAP
Senior Advisory Product Strategist Payments Strategy
Jack Henry

9:00 AM -
10:15 AM

Pre-Conference Workshop 3 - Sand Castle II

Building a Risk Management Program Jenga Style

Building a Risk Management Program does not need to feel like you are playing a game of Jenga. We will interactively build a payments risk management program with Jenga blocks and determine solid controls to have so the pieces fit together nicely, and when you pull out a piece due to a sudden shift in risk, your program does not fall. Once we have built our Jenga tower, we will have inherent risk examples to see how well we built it and how long it will take before it crashes!

Nanci McKenzi, AAP, APRP, JM
Independent Consultant

10:30 AM -
11:45 AM

Pre-Conference Workshop 4 - Sand Dollar

Safeguarding Against Check Fraud: Protecting Your Business Checks in a Digital Age

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is currently addressing a surge in mail thefts and carrier assaults related to check fraud, with a particular focus on organized criminal activities. These cases encompass a range of offenses, including the alteration of stolen checks, identity theft, and domestic and international bank fraud schemes. Convictions have been secured at the state and federal levels across various jurisdictions, highlighting the severity of the issue.

To combat these challenges, the U.S. Postal Service is actively investing in technology and intensifying its efforts in criminal investigations. This presentation aims to shed light on the tactics employed by criminals using stolen mail, strategies for FI's mitigating techniques, collaboration in reporting crimes, and potential mail theft activities FI's become aware of. The presentation underscores the critical role of protecting the US mail, criminal investigations, and FIs in helping to report similar crimes and using the Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) reporting to address and prevent check fraud.  A mystery demonstration will be conducted on everyday criminal activity related to check fraud.

John McCullough, CPP, CFE
The Financial and Retailers Protection Association

Michael Maxey 
USPIS

10:30 AM -
11:45 AM

Pre-Conference Workshop 5 - Sand Castle I

Will Lockbox Outlive Checks?

Will lockbox remain relevant in an evolving payments landscape if (when) there are no more B2B checks? The answer is yes! It will, however, require a new focus on the importance of extracting value from the payments ecosystem. And that "value" is the capture, reporting, and delivery of remittance data associated with B2B payments, regardless of the payment channel -- check or electronic.

Michael J. Reynolds
Vice President
Technology Management Resources, Inc

10:30 AM -
11:45 AM

Pre-Conference Workshop 6 - Sand Castle II

Introduction to Wire Transfers

This session will focus on the fundamentals of domestic wire transfers including the participants, payment flow and processing, as well as settlement. We’ll explore operational and risk considerations of incoming and outgoing wire transfers, and how those considerations may differ for consumers and businesses.

Topics covered include:

• Exception handling
• Compliance risk
• Fraud trends and mitigation controls

Finally, we’ll wrap up our discussion with a look ahead to March 10, 2025, when the Federal Reserve Banks will adopt the ISO 20022 message format for the Fedwire® Funds Service.

Stacey Gross, AAP, APRP, SA, POPM, PMC-IV
Director, Product Line Manager
Enterprise Payments Americas, FIS

11:45 AM -
4:45 PM

Exhibit Hall Open

Lunch Round Table Discussions - Grand Ballroom

Conference New Attendee Orientation

 Southern Financial Exchange Team

Lunch Round Table Discussions - Grand Ballroom

Aspiring Payments Professionals (Accreditations)

Southern Financial Exchange Team

1:15 PM -
2:30 PM

Welcoming Remarks - Grand Ballroom

Keynote Address: 2024 - Trends in Banking, Payments, and Beyond!

Join us for a dynamic panel presentation featuring a group of seasoned experts. Discover emerging trends, hot topics, and best practices shaping the financial landscape in the upcoming year. From innovative technologies to regulatory shifts, gain insights to stay ahead in the evolving world of banking and payments. And yes, this title was written by AI. 

Pamela T. Rodriguez, AAP, CIA, CISA
President & CEO
Southern Financial Exchange

Kevin Miyamoto
Co-Founder and
Chief Operating Officer
Identifee

Jorge Jimenez
Chairman
Juniper Payments LLC and Global Fintech Forum LLC

Trey Ragland
Product Development Director
Corporate America Credit Union

John Min
Chief Economist
Monex

Concurrent Session 1A - Payments Strategy - Salon ABC

Faster Payments – Real-Time Payments

2024 is a great time to get connected to the RTP^® Network! Or to build out your Faster Payments strategic plan. This session is for the participants to come with their questions, to be able to ask them in a safe space, and to receive answers that support them. The presenters from Corporate America Credit Union and The Clearing House intend to share perspectives on connecting to the RTP network and what you can anticipate along the way. They will also share logical strategic steps and the benefits of participating and the risks of not.

Scott Miller
Vice President, Business Development
The Clearing House

Lisa Coffey
Chief Innovation Officer
Corporate America Credit Union

2:45 PM -
3:45 PM

Concurrent Session 1B - Fraud & Risk -Salon DE

Faster Payments Risk and Fraud Considerations

The speed, finality, and non-stop operation of instant payments; Financial Institutions are faced with unique challenges when implementing a process aimed at combatting fraud and minimizing risks.

This session will explore the considerations for financial institutions to manage risk in a faster payments environment.

2:45 PM -
3:45 PM

Concurrent Session 1C - Compliance & Regulations - Salon FGH

How You Can Help Nacha and The ACH Network Fight Fraud

Join Nacha for an update on the ACH Network and the progress of the Risk Management Framework for the Era of Credit-Push Fraud. Jordan will provide details on the strong growth of the ACH Network in 2023 and address risk management challenges facing the ACH Network and payments industry. Learn about the schemes fraudsters are using to attack consumers and businesses, what Nacha is doing to mitigate against these schemes, and how you can identify and reduce successful fraud attempts and improve the recovery of funds for your customers.

Jordan Bennett, AAP, APRP
Senior Director, Network Risk Management
Nacha

 Tim Thorson
Senior Vice President Payments Risk
Regions Bank

Refreshment Break & Exhibit Hall Open

Concurrent Session 2A - Payments Strategy - Salon ABC

Technology Roundup - AI/Crypto/Tokenized Assets/CBDC/Quantum

Not a day seems to go by when you cannot read a story in the trade press that includes references to emerging technologies. Do you understand the basics of these technologies, and what their implications might be? This session offers a quick take on some of the headline-stealing technologies affecting financial services and payments. Come armed with your questions!

Concurrent Session 2B - Fraud & Risk - Salon DE

Common Check Myths and Misconceptions

Do you find it challenging when it comes to processing check returns and warranty claims?  Come hear an industry expert as we take a look at some common misconceptions around check rules and regulations when processing forward and return cash letters. Best practices for handling warranty claims will also be highlighted. 

Concurrent Session 2C - Compliance & Regulations - Salon FGH

Fireside Chat; Ask the RTP^® Operator

Partake in an open dialogue while hearing the answers to the top 10 questions that Participants have related to RTP.

Welcome Reception -  Sponsored by: Identifee - Beach Deck

Sponsored by: 

Identifee

7:00 AM -
4:45 PM 

Registration Open - Registration Desk

Networking Continental Breakfast - Foyer CDEF

Opening Remarks - Grand Ballroom

Kevin Olsen, AAP, NCP, APRP, CHPC
Senior Vice President
Innovation & Strategy
Pidgin

General Session: Faster Payments Barometer/Consumer Behavior - Grand Ballroom

In less than a year, the industry witnessed the launch of the second instant payments service in the U.S. in the FedNow® service, a host of solutions and services to support the adoption of faster payments, and countless innovations and technological advancements to drive and encourage greater confidence in and use of faster payments. Given these developments, the faster payments landscape in 2024 is not what it used to be.

In this session, learn how the latest advancements have shaped and are influencing faster payments today. Leveraging data from two annual studies--the latest editions of the Faster Payments Barometer, which tracks different perspectives around faster payments, and the Survey and Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, which captures the number and value of payments via all the methods available to consumers, from cash to mobile–industry stakeholders will share views and insights on the state of faster payments in 2024, where faster payments are headed, and how the industry believes we can quickly, efficiently, and securely get there.

Reed Luhtanen
Executive Director
U.S. Faster Payments Council

Claire Greene
Payments Risk Expert
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Abhishek Veeraghanta
CEO 
Pidgin

Refreshment Break & Exhibit Hall Open - Foyer CDEF

Concurrent Session 3A - Payments Strategy - Salon ABC

Modernizing B2B Payments with the Instant Payments Rails

The RTP and FedNow networks are often referred to as real-time or instant payment rails. However, the real power of these for B2B payments is the rich messaging available to solve decades-old pain points for businesses around payments and the associated remittance information. Explore with us how these messages help create efficiencies for sending and receiving payments, streamlining and automating accounts receivable/payable processing. 

Debbie Smart
Senior Product Marketer
Q2 

Concurrent Session 3B - Fraud & Risk - Salon DE

Identity Fraud and Payments

"Because that's where the money is." That is what Willie Sutton responded when asked in 1933 why he robbed banks. As payments have gone digital, the robbers have followed. Identity is at the front lines of protecting payments in the digital era. Join this session to hear about how identity plays a part in the current challenges on the front lines of fraud.

Peter Tapling
Managing Director
PTap Advisory, LLC

Mary Ann Miller
Vice President of Customer Experience
Prove

John McCullough, CPP, CFE
The Financial and Retailers Protection Association

Concurrent Session 3C - Compliance & Regulations - Salon FGH

Bank Secrecy Act BSA - Hot Topics!

Fraud was likely one of the costliest issues for your institution in 2023. FinCEN issued multiple alerts addressing fraud schemes. Additionally, examiners are looking more closely at a financial institution’s BSA risk assessment. We will discuss hot topics related to fraud, how to conduct a BSA Risk Assessment, and potentially other hot topics related to BSA/AML.

Memrie Fortenberry
Special Counsel
Jones Walker, LLP

Concurrent Session 4A - Payments Strategy - - Salon ABC

Digital Payment Trends in North America: 

Covering the latest trends and developments in digital payments in North America. The session will explore the shift to digital, the steady increase in digital engagement, and the growth of ecommerce along with other macro-economic and technology trends. The session will shed light on Visa's role as a leader in digital payment trends and its network of networks strategy to increase efficiency and drive innovation.

Vibhor Khanna 
Visa

Concurrent Session 4B - Fraud & Risk - - Salon DE

Data, Data Everywhere: Making Data Sense of What It's Telling You

Financial institutions have been placed in the position to identify and prevent fraudulent consumer transactions for years, and it's not getting easier or less important! And, regulators have added pressure to monitor, identify,  be alerted, and mitigate the risks associated with originated and received ACH transactions.  When the data is in several different systems and platforms and manual efforts are the only choice, financial institutions face increased operational, compliance, strategic, liability, and systemic risks. This session will provide examples of "how" you can make data sense out of the transaction data so you can fulfill the responsibilities to protect consumer liabilities and mitigate the risks of the failure to fulfill those responsibilities. 

Nanci McKenzie, AAP, APRP, JM 
Independent Consultant

Angi Farren, AAP, APRP
President and CEO
UMACHA

Concurrent Session 4C - Compliance & Regulations - Salon FGH

Authorization and Authentication in a Digital World

We regularly hear words like authentication, authorization, and validation. But what do they really mean and what is the legal significance of complying with these concepts? This session will look at the critical importance of understanding these issues. In this ever-evolving digital world that is filled with fraud, financial institutions must ensure they are properly identifying users and ensuring those individuals when acting on behalf of a company, and have the proper authority to act.

Scott Jones
Partner-in-Charge
Adams and Reese, LLP 

Lunch Buffet

General Session: Unicorn Leadership - Grand Ballroom

Now is the time to reach your full potential!  Unicorn Leadership will provide action steps to assist you with your personal journey toward success.  Join us for tips and techniques on how to be more intentional in your life to find your passion, achieve your goals, and realize your potential.  Learn how to improve your ability to lead yourself and others, and gain insight that can help you and your team accomplish significant things--and have fun along the way.  You don’t want to miss this dynamic session that will inspire you to dream bigger and accomplish more.

Anne Witherspoon, COO, CXO
Author
Messick Peacock & Associates

1:40 PM -
2:10 PM

VENDOR SHOWCASE - Affirmative Technologies - Azure

1:40 PM -
2:10 PM

VENDOR SHOWCASE - Identifee - Coral

1:40 PM -
2:10 PM

VENDOR SHOWCASE - Nacha - Sand Dollar

1:40 PM -

2:10 PM

VENDOR SHOWCASE - Q2 - Sand Castle I

1:40 PM -

2:10 PM

VENDOR SHOWCASE - SHAZAM - Emerald

Concurrent Session 5A - Payments Strategy - Salon ABC

FedNow Onboarding

Join us for a dynamic panel discussion exploring the ins and outs of onboarding to the groundbreaking FedNow service!

Hear from a diverse pool of experts:

Federal Reserve Bank - Gain exclusive insights from the source as they share regulatory nuances and key considerations for onboarding.

Corporate Credit Union - Discover a unique perspective on onboarding challenges and successes from a smaller financial institution at the forefront of innovation.

Moderated by a renowned Payments Professor, this interactive session will delve into:

• Lessons Learned - Uncover valuable insights from each panelist's firsthand experience with the onboarding process.
• Keys to Success - Get insider tips and practical strategies for ensuring a smooth and efficient onboarding journey.
• Future of FedNow - Gain valuable perspectives on how to leverage FedNow's full potential and stay ahead of the curve.

Don't miss this essential session for anyone embarking on the exciting journey of FedNow adoption!

Kevin Olsen, AAP, NCP, APRP, CHPC
Senior Vice President, Innovation & Strategy
Pidgin

Phil Sprague, Assistant Vice President
Head of FedNow Industry Readiness Customer Onboarding
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Lisa Coffey
Chief Innovation Officer
Vice President of Item Processing and Senior Consultant
Corporate America Credit Union

Concurrent Session 5B - Fraud & Risk - Salon DE

Protecting our Seniors from Elder Financial Exploitation

June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. A guidance issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) clarifies that reporting suspected financial abuse of older adults to appropriate local, state, or federal agencies does not violate the privacy provisions of the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act. Along with this guidance, some states have financial institution education requirements pertaining to elder exploitation which this session may satisfy. With this being said, your financial institution is in the best position to stop the identity theft and financial exploitation of your senior account holders. Any senior, regardless of economic status, gender, race, age, or educational background can be the target of financial abuse, so you need to be aware of the red flags. Do you have a plan in place to react effectively when this situation occurs? In this session, we will walk through scenarios that will provide resources to utilize as these situations arise. The session will also help you identify:
• Who are the victims?
• Who are the perpetrators?
• Warning signs
• What you can and need to do?

Mary Gilmeister, AAP, NCP
President and CEO
Macha/PAR

Concurrent Session 5C - Compliance & Regulations - Salon FGH

Why Unclaimed Property Matters?

This session will explain why your bank or credit union needs to take compliance with the complex unclaimed property laws seriously. Audits are on the rise and states are changing compliance laws. Banking property accounts for millions of assets that go abandoned. 

Michael J. Ryan
Director - Business Development
Linking Assets, Inc.

Final Networking  - Exhibit Review & Refreshment Break - Foyer CDEF

Concurrent Session 6A - Payments Strategy - Salon ABC

Creating a Digital Highway: The Road to Transforming B2B Payments

The launch of the Digital Business Networks Alliance’s (DBNAlliance) Exchange Framework opened the door for innovation in B2B payments and cash flow management.  With advanced business-to-business (B2B) payment data support capabilities, businesses have found that the landscape of use cases only expands. DBNAlliance members will discuss how they are implementing an exchange framework to enable e-invoices and e-remittances, and how this industry transformation can optimize B2B payment efficiency. 

Takeaways:  

1. How instant payments and the Exchange Framework present a major opportunity to enhance the efficiency of B2B payments for better cash management.  
2. Steps organizations can take to learn how the exchange framework can complement their instant payment services.    

Nell Campbell-Drake
Vice President, Industry Relations
Federal Reserve Financial Services
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

3:45 PM -
4:45 PM

Concurrent Session 6B - Fraud & Risk - - Salon DE

Understanding Scams and their Impact on Customers

Scams continue to increase year over year, targeting those who put their trust in the fraudster. This session will provide an overview of how fraudsters typically target both consumers and businesses and discuss the role of fraud reporting and information sharing in preventing and mitigating these scams. 

Mike Timoney
Vice President, Payments Improvement
Federal Reserve Financial Services
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Concurrent Session 6C - Compliance & Regulations - Salon FGH

The Evolution of Check Fraud - Will We See Another Surge in 2024?

Check fraud is now reportedly 2-4X from pre-pandemic levels, with certain institutions seeing a 10X spike when their institution is targeted. Not only are charge-offs an issue, but SARS are spiking, Postal theft is surging, and claims recovery is challenging due to the rules of counterfeits, forgeries, and alterations. Banks are changing tactics with multi-vendor solutions. Will they make a difference?

James Bi
Marketing Manager and Check Fraud Detection Specialist
OrboGraph

Starr Largin
SVP
ThreatAdvice

Breakfast Buffet - Foyer CDEF

General Session - Salon ABCDE

Navigating Payments for the Last 50 Years and Planning for the Future

With over 100 years of combined payments experience, this panel includes payments professionals involved in some of the critical moments in payments history and the evolution of the underlying laws impacting payments. In considering the past, present, and future of payments, including the impact of Check 21, amendments to the UCC 3 & 4 and Regulation CC, UCC Article 4A, FedNow, and RTP, this panel discussion will provide attendees with an understanding of how history can guide the payments industry going forward.

Scott Jones
Partner-in-Charge
Adams and Reese, LLP

Norman Robinson
Master Gardener
President Emeritus (ePayResources)

Paul Carrubba
Attorney
Adams and Reese, LLP

Richard "Rich" Oliver
Retired Executive Vice President
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Independent Payments Consultant

General Session -  Salon ABCDE

Don't Get Left Behind on Instant Payments Adoption

This time last year, as we all waited for the FedNow network to launch, banks and credit unions were focused on understanding the opportunities around instant payments and how to prepare to offer them. A year later, it's time for financial institutions to move forward or get left behind. 

Join this panel discussion as instant payments experts, including from The Clearing House and the Federal Reserve, share data and case studies from financial institutions' journeys with RTP and FedNow. They'll answer commonly asked questions and discuss the challenges, successes, and use cases uncovered by financial institutions over the past several months as they've navigated the new payment rails. 

Debbie Smart
Senior Product Marketer
Q2

Keith Gray
VP Strategic Partnerships
The Clearing House

Nell Campbell Drake
Vice President, Industry Relations
Federal Reserve Financial Services

Bradley Wilkes
CEO
Open Payment Network

Refreshment Break - Foyer CDEF

General Session -  Salon ABCDE

Payments Professor's  Predictions: Unveiling the Future of Electronic Banking

Join the Payments Professor center stage to unlock the future of electronic banking!  This engaging session will recap the conference's most impactful insights and trends, leaving you armed with facts and the future of the payments landscape.

Crystal Ball Moments:  Recap the conference's most pivotal discussions and groundbreaking announcements.

Emerging Technologies:  Uncover the hottest trends shaping the future of payments, from instant settlements to digital assets.

Predictions for the Year Ahead:  Get expert insights on what to expect in the ever-evolving world of electronic banking.

Actionable Takeaways:  Leave with practical strategies to prepare your institution for the future of payments.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to gain invaluable insights from a leading expert and stay ahead of the curve in the dynamic world of electronic banking.

Prize Drawings and Conference Wrap-Up -  Salon ABCDE

Southern Financial Exchange Team