Saltmarsh Hosts 18th Annual BankTalkCommunity Bank Training & Network Events

9/18/2023 - By Nancy Patton

Our 18th annual community bank event, BankTalk, in Tampa, brought together over 100 community bankers and subject matter experts to discuss the challenges facing the industry and also opportunities from technology and innovation to shape the future of the industry. This year's BankTalk is something to rave about, and if you missed out, don't worry – we're here to take you on an exclusive journey through the highlights!

To kick off the two-day event, day one being the Compliance & Technology Funnel, the Saltmarsh Bank Advisors welcomed back Jonathan Turner, CFE, VP of Compliance, Privacy & Governance at ZOLL Medical Corporation, who took us through the minds of fraudsters and money launderers to better understand their common behaviors and tactics. Justin Corey, Head of Business Development from NFP, dove into the current cyber insurance market and walked us through the anatomy of a typical bank cyber claim. Saltmarsh’s own senior banking consultant, Michael Maricelli, CIA, AAP, broke down the final Guidance on Third-Party Relationships: Risk Management (TRPM) and helped identify areas in the bank’s TRPM program that need attention.

We heard from a powerhouse of women presenters as well, including Saltmarsh’s “Beam Team” made of senior banking consultants Lucy Cruz and Rebecca Hughes, CRCM leading a fair lending and Section 1071 discussion. Every year during BankTalk, we like to keep a pulse on what’s happening in the ever-evolving landscape of regulatory policies, legal challenges and compliance issues so we were thrilled to have been joined by Andrea Mitchell, Managing Partner at Mitchell Sandler LLC, who spoke directly on those updates and challenges and how they impact the banking industry. As Artificial Intelligence has become a buzzword in almost every industry, Virginia Heyburn, Director of Research, Insights & Advocacy from Engage fi, closed out the Funnel with a compelling session on how AI is essential to a bank’s strategy.

For day two of BankTalk, the Executive Forum, we welcomed back two well-known Managing Directors of Investment Banking at Raymond James, Chris Choate and Brian Nestor, for a current economic and M&A update. Andy Grinstead, EVP of Strategy & Sales from FI Navigator, helped answer the question, “How does my bank stack up against peers?” when it comes to setting strategic priorities and getting the bank for your ROI buck. Saltmarsh’s resident banking shareholders, Josh Strickland, CPA, and Paul Allen, CPA, took the stage for an accounting update and examined how banks are navigating current interest rates, composition shifts on balance sheets and liquidity management. The Executive Forum and BankTalk ended with a special Banking Industry Q&A with former FDIC Chairman, William "Bill" Isaac. With over 50 years of banking experience, Bill shared his thoughts and ideas about the current financial services climate and answered audience questions. Everyone in the audience received a copy of his book, Senseless Panic, and many stayed for an impromptu autograph session with Bill.

Thank you to those who joined us for another successful event! We always enjoy the time learning and connecting with our friends in the industry.

Special thank you to our friends in the industry who helped make this event possible!

5iron • Avila Law • Cornerstone Advisors • Engage fi • Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta • FI Navigator • FinResults • First National Bankers Bank • NFP • Zimmerman Kiser & Sutcliffe