Past Agenda
Download 2023 Brochure
Flip through our conference brochure and discover the topics discussed in 2023.
Day 1 — Main Conference
June 13, 2023
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Lessons Learned from the 2023 Banking Collapse: Causes, Impact, and What’s Next for Financial Services in 2023 and Beyond
Patricia AstorgaChief Legal OfficerMintz Group
Camilla ChurcherHead of SalesAnchor Digital
Deborah S. Thoren-PedenPartnerPillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Lena KielySenior CounselAllen & Overy LLP
Allison HashmallCounselDebevoise & Plimpton
What can the historic 48-hour collapse of Silicon Valley Bank teach us? During this highly anticipated kickoff panel discussion, we will discuss the moral of the Silicon Valley Bank story – one of the largest banking failures in U.S. History – and lessons learned from the shocking downfall, including:
- What the newest data from the SVB Bank collapse reveals
- How regulators and financial institutions are permanently addressing vulnerabilities in the banking system
- The impact of SVB on international markets
- How the SVB bank collapse has exposed a systemic risk in regional banking infrastructure
- Understanding the stresses that failed banks are often under
- How SVB’s failure will impact the future of banking and its impact on the financial services industry overall
Networking Break
Opening Keynote: Leadership Lessons and Financial Services Industry Outlook with Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris, New York Department of Financial Services
Adrienne A. HarrisSuperintendentNew York State Department of Financial Services Former Special Assistant to President Obama for Economic Policy
The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) supervises and regulates the activities of nearly 3,000 financial institutions with assets totaling more than $8.8 trillion. Adrienne A. Harris is its head leader, serving as Superintendent. Nominated to lead the DFS by Governor Kathy Hochul, Superintendent Harris was confirmed by the New York State Senate in January 2022. During this keynote presentation with Superintendent Harris, we will hear impactful leadership lessons and insights into the landscape of the Financial Services industry in 2023 and beyond.
Developing an Empowered Personal Brand: Guide to Building (or Rebuilding) a Personal Brand that Promotes Professional, Personal, and Community Value
Michele BiancoAssociate General Counsel and Managing DirectorBank of America
Caroline KosterManaging Director, Chief Counsel, Securities & Corporate Governance & Corporate SecretaryBGC Partners, Inc. and Newmark Group, Inc.
Prudence Plummer, CRCMVice President, Global Risk and ComplianceAmerican Express
Jen-Larie TumminelloExecutive DirectorMorgan Stanley
Denise PlunkettPartnerAxinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
Women leaders in the highly competitive Financial Services industry seeking to empower and build (or rebuild) an impactful personal brand, this session is for you. Gain key tools for empowering your personal brand while making moves toward upward mobility. During this panel discussion, we will explore strategies for:
- Identifying and leveraging your brand’s unique value and underscoring self-differentiation as a woman in finance
- Building a digital brand that promotes your core values
- Demonstrating your deep knowledge of the Financial Services industry through high-value content and meaningful branding
- Harnessing social media to build your brand – what social media platforms are currently providing the highest ROI for leaders in the Financial Services industry?
- Lessons learned from recent digital branding ‘disasters’
Networking Luncheon
Exploring the Value of Mentorship in a Virtual World: Driving Equality Forward by Supporting the Next Generation of Women Leaders through Impactful Mentorship
Bhavna AgnihotriAssociate General CounselAIG
Kelesha ArmandManaging Director & Associate General Counsel, Chase Consumer and Business Banking JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Meredith FriedmanManaging Associate General CounselHSBC
Alexandra C. GervaseGroup Chief Compliance Officer SiriusPoint
Milana SalzmanManaging Director and Associate General CounselMUFG
In today’s hybrid workplace that is largely virtual, there is a growing concern that the increasingly physical disconnect will ultimately decrease practical experiences. With that in mind, it is more important than ever to support the next generation of women leaders in financial services through mentorships that are also virtual. During this important discussion, we will explore:
- How to find the right mentor/mentee relationship in a virtual world and identifying the right platforms for meetings, etc.
- Breaking down your vision into effective executional plans
- Ensuring the junior generation is adequately prepared
- Overcoming a training deficit in a virtual world
Networking Break
DEI Challenges in the Financial Services Industry: Closing the Gender and Race Gaps in Financial Services on the Path to Creating an Equitable and Inclusive Workplace
Shereefat BalogunAssistant Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner of Financial RegulationState of Maryland
Michelle ChenAssociate General Counsel, AmericasCitadel Securities
Padma ChukkaExecutive Director, IBM Cloud for Financial Services EcosystemIBM
Manisha LalwaniDirector and Senior Counsel Deutsche Bank
Karine LouisElectronically Stored Information (ESI) Program Director - Enforcement, Litigation, Investigations, Corporate Affairs, Technology and Contracts Division, Legal GroupFederal Reserve Bank of New York
Women in North America remain dramatically underrepresented in the financial-services workforce— particularly at the level of senior management and above. Data reveals a “leaky pipeline” from which women are falling out in greater numbers as they progress up the career ladder, resulting in significant inequality at the top.
- Understanding the ‘leaky pipeline’ problem in Financial Services in 2023 and a look ahead
- Attracting and retaining diverse talent in 2023
- Promoting an environment of both flexibility and managerial support in an increasingly hybrid work culture
- Improving gender and racial and gender diversity as part of the broader DE&I mandate
- Key steps to drafting and adopting discrimination-resistant personnel procedures
Work-Life Integration for Women Leaders in Financial Services Law: How to Thrive as a Leader in the Hybrid Workplace
Liz AlspectorHead of Legal – P2P and Consumer Payment Experiences PayPal
Polly GreenbergManaging Director, Global Financial Crimes Division MUFG Bank
Breana Smith JeterSVP and Managing CounselWells Fargo
Lisa Martinez WolmartChief Legal Officer, U.S. Businesses Prudential Financial
More than ever, ‘work-life balance’ seems to be a term of the past. Instead of clear boundaries between work and home, professionals in today’s hybrid workforce are leaning toward a lifestyle of work-life integration in which work and home life blend together in a more harmonious concept. But how does work-life integration impact the path to leadership for women in the Financial Services industry? During this important discussion, we will explore:
- Understanding the impact of the hybrid workplace on leadership diversity in Financial Services
- How has work-life integration evolved from the peek of the COVID pandemic to current times?
- Navigating the challenges of coming back to the hybrid workplace after a career break
- Identifying current trends of women leaving or transitioning out of the Financial Services industry
- Crafting your 5-year plan through a work-life integration lens
Day 1 Adjourns to Networking Cocktail Reception
Day 2 — Main Conference
June 14, 2023
Continental Breakfast
Navigating Ethics in Innovation: The Latest in the Legal Landscape of Responsible AI in Financial Services
Beba Cibralic, PHDExecutive Director, Responsible AI LeadJP Morgan
Debbie HoffmanCo-Director & Professor, Financial Compliance & Risk Management ProgramAlbany Law School
Margaret K. MinisterGeneral CounselEvisort
Networking Break
Spotlight on ESG in Financial Services: Understanding the SEC’s Final Recommendations on ESG Disclosure Rules and Linking Pay to ESG Performance
Meera KarwalManaging Director and CounselGE Energy Financial Services
Nancy ReynoldsManaging Associate General Counsel, Employment, ESG and Chief Ethics Officer Western Union
Today’s ESG-focused markets demand transparency into business operations, environmental impact, supply chain, social impact, and more. During our ESG-focused panel discussion, we will address important issues in the landscape of ESG, including the SEC’s final recommendations on ESG Disclosure Rules and linking executive pay with ESG performance.
Discussion points include:
- Where do we stand with the ESG rules?
- Dealing with investor expectations
- What the new rules say about Scope 3 issues and disclosures
- Defining your top challenges with emerging ESG litigation and enforcement issues including disclosure and greenwashing
- How the new rules will impact the Financial Services industry
- Examining the trends of linking executive pay to ESG performance
Gizelle BaranyGeneral Counsel Alloy
Izu EmeagwaliExecutive Director and Associate General CounselJPMorgan Chase & Co.
Karyn S.W. PolakFormer Chief Legal OfficerTransamerica
Effectively communicating with the board and executive leadership team is critical for any leader in the financial services industry, regardless of gender. However, there are unique challenges and considerations for women leaders in this field, who may face gender biases or stereotypes that can impact their ability to communicate effectively and be taken seriously. During this important panel discussion, we will explore:
- Staying up to date on industry trends and regulations, and delivering clear and concise messages
- Addressing gender biases in the workplace
- Seeking mentorship and support from women in leadership roles