5 Key Takeaways from CFO Consulting Partners’ 2024 Banking & FinTech Summit
A comment left on a recent LinkedIn post celebrating CFO Consulting Partners’ recent Banking & FinTech Summit summed it up clearly.
“Fintech, M&A and innovation are among today’s community banking opportunities and risks,” said Denise Rinear, Managing Principal of Enterprise Risk Management at Capco, a management and technology consultancy firm. “Thank you to CFO Consulting for an insightful update on these topics.”
Her sentiments echoed the feedback of the 100-plus who attended the April 18 event at Rise New York, a collaborative workspace and innovation hub for startups and entrepreneurs in Manhattan. The all-day summit, which reached full capacity in registration, explored innovative trends shaping the banking and FinTech sectors.
The conference provided participants with new insights into managing the complex financial landscape, thanks to our keynote speakers who covered everything from regulatory updates to strategic innovation in their opening remarks:
- Konrad Alt, Co-Founder at Klaros Group.
- Michele Alt, Partner at Klaros Group.
- Scott Martorana, Executive Managing Director at FinPro Capital Advisors.
“[It was a] truly exceptional gathering with lots of great insights and exchanges on regulatory landscape, innovation and tools to manage risks,” Michele Fleming, a Global Compliance Officer and the Founder of Reach Advisory LLC, wrote on LinkedIn.
Bob Newman, a Strategic Advisor to Regional and Community Financial Institutions at Chatham Financial, agreed, adding that the event’s “interactive content” was the biggest draw. “Thanks to the team at CFO Consulting Partners for hosting an insightful event,” he said on LinkedIn.
Here are five key takeaways from the event.
New Regulatory Horizons
A key focus of the summit was to foster discussions of recent regulatory actions, current legislative agendas and their implications for banks and emerging FinTech companies.
Experts emphasized the need for a balance between compliance and innovation and provided actionable strategies for staying ahead in a tightly regulated environment. Attendees were also keen on understanding how to leverage technology—especially AI—to streamline compliance processes without sacrificing the speed of innovation.
Strategic Innovation
The summit’s strategic innovation sessions provided many ideas and case studies on enhancing digital customer experiences and operational agility. Innovation in banking and FinTech isn’t just about technology. It’s also about reimagining customer interactions, and creating operational efficiencies, according to the panelists:
- Daniel Ahn, Co-Founder and CEO at DelFi.
- Donald (DJ) Antonacio, Managing Director in Miami and Tampa at Verittas Risk Advisors.
- Kate Drew, Director of Research at CCG
- Rob Milrod, Director and FinTech Lead at CFO Consulting Partners.
- Sam Sengupta, CEO at Finray Europe.
- Emmett Shipman, Vice President of Market Development at Alloy Labs.
New Opportunities in Mergers & Acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) remains a hot topic in the financial world, with many institutions looking to expand or diversify through strategic partnerships and deals.
The summit provided a deep dive into the complexities of today’s M&A landscape, exploring both the opportunities and challenges faced by companies seeking growth through acquisitions.
A panel of M&A specialists and financial advisors shared their experiences and insights, discussing recent high-profile deals and the lessons learned from them. Panelists were:
- Brian Graham, Partner at Klaros Capital.
- Chad Hull, Managing Director and Head of Depository Group at Janney.
- Samantha Kirby, Chair of Financial Services at Goodwin.
- Patrick L. Ryan, President and CEO at First Bank.
- Eric Segal, Managing Director and Head of Financial Institutions at CFO Consulting Partners.
- Patrick Vernon, Senior Manager at Crowe.
Each panelist emphasized the importance of due diligence and the integration of recent technologies to help smooth out the M&A process.
Professional Connections
In addition to the main sessions, the summit featured numerous networking opportunities. Attendees shared ideas and explored potential business collaborations during lunch and post-event cocktail gatherings.
The informal setting allowed for deeper engagement and relationship-building, which were just as valuable as the formal presentations.
Plans Ahead
The 2024 Banking & FinTech Summit highlighted the current trends and charted a path forward for attendees for the year ahead. From regulatory adjustments to the latest in strategic innovation and M&A, the discussions highlighted trends which may influence the strategies of banks and FinTech firms for years to come.
“In a world where the only constant is change, staying informed and connected is more important than ever,” said Eric A. Segal, Managing Director at CFO Consulting Partners. “We look forward to providing this invaluable nexus for knowledge and networking next year.”
“As the financial landscape continues to evolve, events like these are crucial for professionals seeking to keep pace with change and harness the opportunities it presents,” Segal said.
For information on next year’s plans, contact us today.