Future Branches Boston 2025
June 23 - 24, 2025
The Westin Copley Place, Boston, MA
Day One: Thursday July 23rd 2020 Reimagining Branch Design, Staffing & Technology
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Registration & Continental Breakfast In The Innovation Hub
8:30 am - 8:40 am
Welcome Remarks & Opening Ice Breaker
Elizabeth Robillard -
Event Director,
Future Branches
8:40 am - 8:55 am
Chairperson’s Opening Address
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com
8:55 am - 9:20 am
Keynote: Reimagining the Banking Experience
Simon Griffiths -
Executive Vice President, Head of Retail Distribution,
Citizens Bank
The pace of change is unprecedented and transcends traditional industry boundaries. Customer expectations are continuously evolving and driving the need to reimagine how we engage with our customers. Citizens Bank is redefining the interaction model for their customer facing colleagues by streamlining roles, investing in colleague capabilities and delivering a ‘one touch – one bank’ customer experience. Join their head of distribution and deposits Simon Griffiths as he talks through how they’ve been approaching the change they need to make across their network as an answer to changing customer expectations.
9:20 am - 9:45 am
C-Level Fireside Chat: Merging High Tech & High Touch: How Do You Perfect the Right Balance?
Pete Mattingly -
Head of Consumer Banking Portfolio Strategy & Execution,
Chase Bank
There are many types of customers who come into your branches. And what they are looking to accomplish and their level of comfort with technology can wary wildly! While the instinct to implement flashy new technology to attract customers to your branch is strong, that isn’t always the right decision. It makes more sense to think about who your customer is and why they might be coming into your branch when making choices as to how they’d like to interact with you in your physical locations. Your customer might not like technology or making small talk with other people or thinking about their finances at all. How do you take this into account when thinking about the balance of high tech and high touch across your network? Join this conversation with Pete Mattingly from Chase Bank as he walks us through how his team has been approaching this across their existing network as well as in the branches they opened in 2019.
• Have you found the ideal balance between self-service, assisted self-service or full teller service?
• Does it vary by location based on the customers that visit each?
• Are you thinking customer first when thinking about this blend, given the preferences of different age groups?
• How does your branch channel weave in with the rest of your channels? Have you given your customers enough ways to interact with you in person and online?
• Are your staff members equipped with the right skills and technology to have the right interactions with your customers?
9:45 am - 10:15 am
Tonight Show Panel: Determining (or Re-Evaluating) the Future Size and Shape of Your Network to Better Serve the Needs of Your Customer
Shawn O'Brien -
EVP, Consumer Banking,
Atlantic Union Bank
Kathy Jumper -
COO,
Members 1st Credit Union
Your future success as an institution begins with figuring out the size and shape of your network. A plan needs to be established that decides where you should be opening new branches, where you should be closing branches and which branches could use a refresh or revamp. Many things need to go into this decision, including looking at demographic data in current and future markets, customer data, growth potential and internal metrics and then a plan needs to be put into place. This is not an easy undertaking and likely the plan you come up with will need to be adaptable to account for changes in customer need and preference. And if you’ve already rolled out your future plan, it’s probably time to make sure that it has been succeeding and doesn’t need to be adjusted. During this Tonight Show Panel, each panelist will tell you in eight minutes their best tips for approaching the future size & shape of your network. This continues until all 3 panelists have had their turn to speak, at which point, the group will take Q&A from the audience. During each panelists’ eight minutes, expect to hear them discuss:
- The different kinds of data and market intelligence that need to be looked at in order to come up with your plan
- Deciding where to close, how to select sites for openings and where to remodel
- Establishing what the success of your future network looks like so you know how to measure along the way
- Reassessing your network along the way of your transformation- not everything will work the way you want and changes might need to be made
10:15 am - 10:55 am
Morning Refreshment & Networking Break In The Innovation Hub
10:55 am - 11:20 am
Keynote: Advancing Past Pilot Mode: Executing Your Branch Transformation Roadmap at Scale
Arnold Sebastian -
Program Director,
CIBC
Six Future Branches conferences later, it’s finally time for us to get in the car and go for the long drive towards transforming your branches. We’ve been in planning & maybe even pilot mode for a few years, but now, it’s time for full on execution. You’ve closed some branches, picked new sites, probably done some redesigns and implemented some new tech, but have you truly transformed? Have you put the pedal to the medal on overhauling your network, or is something holding you back? If you haven’t, are you ready to JUST GO FOR IT? Join this keynote led by Arnold Sebastian of CIBC to hear how his organization has transformed over 20% of their network in the past 3 years leading to a connected, efficient, seamless, secure and customer focused network at scale.
• Don’t let the pace of change stop you in your tracks
• Complete tasks, no matter how big or small, your organization can make to keep up with how quickly the industry is making
• Make your changes adaptable so you can continue to pivot if need be
• Think strategically and listen and learn from others mistakes in order to see what the future can hold for you
11:20 am - 11:40 am
Keynote Presentation by Adrenaline
Gina Bleedorn -
President & CEO,
Adrenaline
11:40 am - 12:15 pm
Checklist Panel: The Five MUST HAVE Pieces of Technology Needed in Your Future Branch
Ayaz Bhaiyat -
Manager, IT Service Delivery,
Kinecta FCU
During a checklist panel, a group of experts will talk through the need to haves for a certain aspect of branch success. In this case, our panel will share the technology they consider absolutely vital for a transformed network. You’ll hear about everything from self-serve technology, employee iPads and cash recyclers to scanners, video conferencing and the very BEST in network & data security. Curious about beacons and digital signage? Want to hear the ROI on ITM’s? Still can’t figure out how to integrate your core with your CRM? This is the panel for you. At the end of the panel, each panelist will share their top five pieces of tech and talk about how they are working towards fully integrating all of that tech together. A checklist of this tech will show up on the screen so you have it to implement when you hit the ground running with your team.
12:15 pm - 12:35 pm
Designing and Delivering the Unique In-Branch Experience for Your Specific Branch Demographic
Jeff Baker -
Founder & CEO,
Image4
12:35 pm - 1:00 pm
Take Three Talks: Setting Your Branch Employees Up for Future Success in Your Transformed Network
Patrick Myron -
Senior Vice President of Retail Network Strategy and Sales Analytics,
Rockland Trust Company
Stephanie McClendon -
EVP, Director of Retail Banking,
First Federal Bank
Maria Harvey -
AVP, Retail Trainer & Development Manager,
Webster Five Cents Savings Bank
During this brand new speaking format, 3 presenters will each spend 7 minutes presenting their approach to the same business challenge. In this case, they will be discussing how they have set their universal bankers and branch managers up for success in their transformed network. After all three have presented, they will have a few minutes to answer Q&A together. Expect to hear how all three presenters have:
• Rethought the purpose of their branch staff
• Retrained their staff to go along with their new branch purpose
• Given their employees easier technology to use
Patrick Myron
Senior Vice President of Retail Network Strategy and Sales AnalyticsRockland Trust Company
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Luncheon For All Attendees
Track A: Upgrading Your Customer Facing and Back Office Branch Technology
Track A
2:00 pm - 2:10 pm Chairperson’s Opening RemarksIf you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com
Track B: Improving the Look and Feel of Your Branches
Track B
2:00 pm - 2:10 pm Chairperson’s Opening RemarksIf you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com
Track C: Enhancing the Role of Your Branch Staff
Track C
2:00 pm - 2:10 pm Chairperson’s Opening RemarksIf you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com
Meant to facilitate networking amongst peers coming from similarly sized institutions, the sessions in this track will feature topics that are top of mind for each network group.
Know Your Network Roundtables
2:00 pm - 3:45 pm Large Network Forum (150+ Branches)Join your fellow executives from institutions with large networks to talk through the big picture ideas that mean that most to businesses of your scale. Several large scale bank moderator will lead this session to talk through topics like:
- Delivering a holistic customer experience
- Choosing & Adopting New Tech
- Staying secure amidst upgraded technology
- Utilizing New Technology at Scale
- Staying Local While Being National or International
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
Case Study REMIX: Finding New Opportunities: Your Branch’s Role in Deposit Growth
Chris Turnley -
VP of Retail,
UFCU
The rampant shuttering of branches has slowed down in the past two or three years and now, banks are even starting to open some branches. Why? Because branches still remain the best way for a bank to enter a new market and they are the biggest sources of revenue for a bank. But, for those that don’t have the luxury of adding new locations to grow, how do you start bringing new money in from existing and new clients? In many cases, that involves adding in new technology that will both move easy transactions to self-service and put the needs of the customer right in the hands of your teller. With less menial transactions to take care of and more info on the customers walking in the door, your tellers can start to grow relationships with their customers and become advisors- long term relationships like these are the best way to get your customers to trust you enough to buy more of your products. Join this keynote to hear how top banks and credit unions are approaching the growth opportunities that their branches present. Our speaker will discuss
• The overall vision of their growth
• How they are leveraging the branch in their overall growth strategy
• Competing against FinTechs and large tech behemoths (Amazon, Google)
• Calculating ROI of such growth initiatives
After 20 minutes of presenting, our presenter will ask the audience to discuss a follow up question together in small groups for 10 minutes.
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
Case Study REMIX: Weathering the M&A Storm: Merging People, Processes and Technology
Matt Reddin -
Chief Banking Officer,
Simmons Bank
If you are acquiring or merging with another bank (as many have done in just the past year) don’t get lost in the wave of panic. While it can seem overwhelming to merge employees and technology and branch networks, there are many things you can do to overcome the confusing nature of these teams. Join us for this case study to hear what some best practices are when bringing two brands under one umbrella.
• How do you make sure that your new branches fit into your brand?
• What is the process of merging leadership, departments and frontline employees?
• Have you thought of M&A as a chance to press the reset button on some of your policies or procedures?
• What happens when you bring new products under your brand umbrella that your acquired company had that you didn’t?
• How do you best learn about new markets that you might be entering into?
• How do you merge core systems, data and other pieces of technology?
After 20 minutes of presenting, our presenter will ask the audience to discuss a follow up question together in small groups for 10 minutes.
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
Case Study REMIX: Seeking Guidance: Turning Your Branch Employees into Financial Therapists
Billie Cardenas -
COO, CXE Chief Experience Evangelist,
Sun Community Federal Credit Union
The uptick in things like money saving apps and a customer’s overall desire to better understand their holistic financial picture says something about what customers want today. AND gives banks something to strive for when it comes to making their branches more relevant. If they can make their branches places where customers can come in and get help from a universal banker in planning what they should be doing with their money to achieve their goals, this could establish further customer trust, increase deposit share and give their branches a new meaning. How can today’s institutions be making their employees into financial therapists who can hold the hands (and safeguard the money) of their customers through life’s important moments?
After 20 minutes of presenting, our presenter will ask the audience to discuss a follow up question together in small groups for 10 minutes.
2:00 pm - 3:45 pm
Large Network Forum (150+ Branches)
Join your fellow executives from institutions with large networks to talk through the big picture ideas that mean that most to businesses of your scale. Several large scale bank moderator will lead this session to talk through topics like:
- Delivering a holistic customer experience
- Choosing & Adopting New Tech
- Staying secure amidst upgraded technology
- Utilizing New Technology at Scale
- Staying Local While Being National or International
2:40 pm - 3:00 pm
Vendor Case Study: Effectively Using Digital Signage as Part of Your Branch Transformation Strategy
• Using digital signage to provide real time updates to pertinent banking information
• Ensuring customer engagement with relevant content, offers & stories that relate directly to them and even combining that with live beacon ads that ping them on their cells phones as they wait to talk to a branch staff member
• Excellent branding opportunity and way to present new products and services
• Able to be personalized based on location and community
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com
2:40 pm - 3:00 pm
Vendor Case Study: Using Your Branches and ATM’s as Billboards
What better advertising can you have than an actual physical reminder to your customers that you are present in their community and ready to serve them if they need help? Branches need to change and become places for advisory conversations, but, can’t they also exist as a brand builder in new markets or a way to unveil a new logo and color scheme? And yes, your ATM’s are KEY to meeting customer needs in locations where you might not have branches, but can’t they also help promote you a little bit as well? Join this session to hear how to be capitalizing on an often overlooked branch benefit.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com
2:40 pm - 3:00 pm
Vendor Case Study: Using Real-Time Analytics to Devise a More Efficient Staffing Model
• Using data and analytics to review time spent on activities across the branch network by employees and management
• Identifying gaps in sales and service productivity
• Better understand financial impacts and where corrective action may be needed.
• Drill down into specific branch groups, a single branch, and even down to the individual employee
• Make corrections to create a highly efficient staffing model that correlates exactly to busiest times, customer need and staff availability
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com
2:00 pm - 3:45 pm
Large Network Forum (150+ Branches)
Join your fellow executives from institutions with large networks to talk through the big picture ideas that mean that most to businesses of your scale. Several large scale bank moderator will lead this session to talk through topics like:
- Delivering a holistic customer experience
- Choosing & Adopting New Tech
- Staying secure amidst upgraded technology
- Utilizing New Technology at Scale
- Staying Local While Being National or International
3:00 pm - 3:35 pm
Case Study REMIX: Untethering Your Staff From the Teller Line with More Flexible Technology
Felipe A. Flores -
VP, Retail Transformation, Employee Experience Lead,
PNC Bank
The employees in your branches represent the best possible opportunity your branches have to remain relevant. They have the power to provide better customer experiences, keep things running efficiently and facilitate growth. Are you giving your in branch employees the tools they need to live up to the expectations being placed on them?
• Knowing the role your employees are playing within your branches
• How are they interacting with the customer and where?
• Thinking about how they need to work and asking them what technology would be helpful for them in their role
• Picking the right tool for them to use while assisting customers
• Likely needs to be mobile and have everything they need at their fingertips
• Making sure they right data and documentation is in their device
After 20 minutes of presenting, our presenter will ask the audience to discuss a follow up question together in small groups for 10 minutes.
3:00 pm - 3:35 pm
Checklist Panel: Upgrading the Design of Your Branches to Match Your Institution’s Goals for Your Network
Marci Francisco -
SVP, Member Experience,
Premier America Credit Union
Andrea Pruna -
Chief Retail Officer,
NECU
During a checklist panel of experts who will talk through the need to haves for a certain initiative they underwent. In this case, how they’ve updated the design of their branches to reflect updated customer needs and revamped branding. At the end of the panel, each panelist will share their biggest need to have and a checklist of them will show up on the screen so you have it to implement when you hit the ground running with your team. During this panel, expect to hear our panelists answer questions like:
• How did you approach making branch design changes?
• What was the strategy and how did you pick a partner (if you did)?
• How did you choose upgraded features (teller pods, conference rooms, new color scheme, updated waiting area)- what were you hoping to accomplish with those changes?
• Are you thinking about your customer’s in branch journey when making these updates?
• What have the results of such changes been? How have customers reacted to them?
3:00 pm - 3:35 pm
Checklist Panel: Onboarding, Training & Engaging Your Universal Bankers
Michael Petrilli -
VP, HR Programs,
TD Bank
Billie Connally -
Regional Market Manager,
Providence Bank
Lone Callahan -
VP of Member Experience,
1st Financial Federal Credit Union
During a checklist panel, a group of experts will talk through the need to haves for a certain initiative they underwent. In this case, they will be discussing how they have changed the onboarding, training and engagement of branch staff. At the end of the panel, each panelist will share their biggest need to have and a checklist of them will show up on the screen so you have it to implement when you hit the ground running with your team.
• What is the difference between incenting and engaging? Do you do both? Or have you seen success with one or the other?
• Are they measured/incented on their interactions with members/customers?
• How did you figure out what the engagement drivers were for your employees?
• What are some of the ways you can engage instead of incent?
• What does your onboarding process look like?
• Do you do career pathing with your employees? What does that look like and how do you get started with that?
• Are you gathering feedback from your employees to understand their role better and understand what they need in terms of support from you?
• How can you get employees more involved in the overall branch transformation process?
2:00 pm - 3:45 pm
Large Network Forum (150+ Branches)
Join your fellow executives from institutions with large networks to talk through the big picture ideas that mean that most to businesses of your scale. Several large scale bank moderator will lead this session to talk through topics like:
- Delivering a holistic customer experience
- Choosing & Adopting New Tech
- Staying secure amidst upgraded technology
- Utilizing New Technology at Scale
- Staying Local While Being National or International
3:35 pm - 3:45 pm
Epson Innovation Spotlight
3:35 pm - 3:45 pm
Innovation Spotlight
3:35 pm - 3:45 pm
Horizn Innovation Spotlight
2:00 pm - 3:45 pm
Large Network Forum (150+ Branches)
Join your fellow executives from institutions with large networks to talk through the big picture ideas that mean that most to businesses of your scale. Several large scale bank moderator will lead this session to talk through topics like:
- Delivering a holistic customer experience
- Choosing & Adopting New Tech
- Staying secure amidst upgraded technology
- Utilizing New Technology at Scale
- Staying Local While Being National or International
3:45 pm - 4:25 pm
Afternoon Refreshment and Networking Break In The Innovation Hub
General Session
4:25 pm - 4:55 pm Take Three Talks: Opening Branches in an Unknown Marketplace Kim Lybecker - Director, Retail Delivery Market Expansion, BECU Shon Aguero - Chief Banking Officer, Freedom FirstDuring this brand new speaking format, 3 presenters will each spend 7 minutes presenting their approach to the same business challenge. In this case, they will be discussing their approach to opening a branch in a branch new market place. After all three have presented, they will have a few minutes to answer Q&A together. Expect to hear about:
• Putting a branch in a new market is great way to get in front of new customers
• But, you need to know about the local area, their demographics and their needs before making that jump
• How can you learn these things and try to enter this market in an impactful way without causing a harmful stir?
• How can you think up front about the value you could bring to a community this way
These 35 minute intro sessions to hot topics in the finance world will be your chance to hear how these things are impacting your business – bring your questions- our leaders will have answers!
Disruptor 101 Breakouts
4:25 pm - 4:55 pm Personal Financial Management & It’s Impact on Your Business David Nohe - CEO, FinGoal
Cheers with Peers
4:25 pm - 5:25 pm Bourbon TastingJoin our exclusive drink and food pairings as you relax with your fellow execs during this sunny Boston afternoon afternoons. Cheers With Peers is an exclusive tasting taking place July 23rd
If you are interested in hosting a tasting with an invite only group of branch executives, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com
4:55 pm - 5:25 pm
Guest Speaker: Who Are We? Gen Z! What Do We Want? To Save for Our Futures!
Michael Pankowski -
Founder,
Crimson Connection
Get a glimpse directly into the mind of Gen Z during this guest keynote at Future Branches. Curious how to appeal to today’s teens, college students & those just starting out into the workforce? Then sit back and listen to Michael Pankowski tell us how his generation currently views their financial situations. Do they trust banks? Are they interested in saving? What do they think of your branches?
Michael Pankowski is a student at Harvard and head of Crimson Connection, his Generation Z marketing consulting firm. His firm helps clients better understand, engage, and market to his generation — getting brands hip to how to capitalize on Gen Z's newest trends.
4:55 pm - 5:25 pm
WealthTech & It’s Impact on Your Business
4:25 pm - 5:25 pm
Bourbon Tasting
Join our exclusive drink and food pairings as you relax with your fellow execs during this sunny Boston afternoon afternoons. Cheers With Peers is an exclusive tasting taking place July 23rd
If you are interested in hosting a tasting with an invite only group of branch executives, please contact Vince Esposito@wbresearch.com