2026 AGENDA
Monday
March 2
11:00 AM Registration Opens
1:15 PM Opening Remarks
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM Session 1: Panel
The future of financial services in the age of AI
A visionary look at how AI — from predictive models to agentic AI systems — is transforming banking, payments, and insurance.
- The reality of ROI in AI banking initiatives
- Where to find efficiencies — and where not to
- Identifying trend markers for better strategic planning
PANELISTS:
- Asmau Ahmed, Chief AI & Data Officer, Varo Bank
- Wendy Cai-Lee, Founder & CEO, Piermont Bank
- Kevin Green, Chief Marketing Officer, Hapax
- Ted Paris, Head of Analytics, Intelligence & AI, TD Bank
- Mike Reynolds, Business Technology Executive, KeyBank
MODERATOR:
Sponsored by:
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM Session 2
Fireside Chat
FinAi Summit features Ash Kaduskar, Head of AI at First Citizens Bank, for a frank one-on-one conversation on the use of AI and the future of financial services technology.
MODERATOR:
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM Afternoon coffee break
Sponsored by:
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM Session 3: Presentation & Demo
Agentic AI in action: How agentic AI can be used now
- Behind the scenes of the strategic deployment of an agent
- Prerequisites to implementing agentic AI
- Opportunities for extending agentic AI into day-to-day banking ops
PRESENTERS:
- Nuwan Bandara, Sr. Manager of Solutions Architecture – Financial Services, AWS
- Ramasamy Seranthaiya, Senior Solutions Architect, AWS
MODERATOR:
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM Session 4: Workshop
Mapping the Future of FinAi
In this interactive workshop, participants will map out key moments and trends in FinAi’s past, present, and future while identifying patterns that will help inform 2026 banking technology strategies. The goal is to create a shared – and more insightful – view of industry trends in the recent past, present, and future.
MODERATOR:
5:00 PM Cocktail Reception
Join us at the FinAi Banking Summit Opening Cocktail Reception for great drinks, great conversations, and an even better start to the summit.
Colorado Craft Cocktail Bar — Sponsored by:
Tuesday
March 3
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Welcoming remarks
9:10 AM – 9:40 AM Session 5
Fireside Chat
FinAi Summit features Ned Carroll, Head of Data & Automation at PNC Financial Service Group, for a frank one-on-one conversation on the use of AI and the future of financial services technology.
MODERATOR:
9:40 AM – 10:25 AM Session 6: Panel
Tech Talk: Cloud, compute, and data pipelines for AI success
- Identifying infrastructure challenges
- Securing the necessary processing power, cloud architectures, and data pipelines
- Requirements for safe, large-scale AI
PANELISTS:
- Andrew Braun, Director of Engineering & Platforms, Grasshopper Bank
- Madeline Fredin, VP of Partnership Strategy, Alloy Labs
- Sathishkumar Palanisamy, Expert Enterprise Architect, Capital One
GUEST MODERATOR:
10:25 AM – 11:00 AM Coffee Break
Take a break, grab a coffee, and visit with exhibiting sponsors in the Mezzanine Foyer.
Connect over coffee with fellow leaders in sales and marketing for informal networking and conversation.
Stop by PwC’s table and enjoy a refreshing beverage at their Specialty Espresso Cart, open 9:30:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Session 7: Panel
AI strategy at scale: Lessons from global banks
- Case studies from leading FIs
- Building enterprise wide AI frameworks and managing change
- Aligning technology with business strategy
PANELISTS:
- Matthew McCown, Executive Director – Data & Analytics Team, J.P. Morgan Payments
- Henry Pezzo, Sales Director, Omilia
- Prageeth Sandakalum, Former VP & Principal Product Manager, US Bank
GUEST MODERATOR:
Sponsored by:
12:00 PM – 1:15 PM Networking Lunch
The High-Speed, Low-Risk Path to AI-Led Customer Growth
Presenters:
- Matt Metzger, Regional Vice President, FSI
- Mike Johnsen, Solutions Engineer – Financial Services & Banking
Sponsored by:
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM Session 8: Panel
Gen AI in the ring: Fight against fraud
- Identifying gen AI-driven fraud
- How FIs are fighting advanced threats with emerging technology
- Enhancing AML, fraud prevention, and regulatory reporting
PANELISTS:
- Erik Beguin, Founder & CEO, Austin Capital Bank
- Chris Friedman, Partner, Husch Blackwell
- Nick Lachman, Head of AI & Data Science, Valley Bank
- Jamie Smathers, VP of Fraud Prevention, MSUFCU
MODERATOR:
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM Session 9: Presentation
The role of AI in payments modernization
- New strategies for maximizing agentic AI in payments and transactions
- How gen AI, automation, and predictive analytics enable real-time payments
- Detecting payments fraud and monitoring transactions at scale
PRESENTER:
GUEST MODERATOR:
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM Coffee Break
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Session 10: Demos
Emerging technology showcase
During this session, attendees will experience demos of technologies from a curated selection of startups focused on the FinAi sector.
PARTICIPATING COMPANIES:
MODERATOR:
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM Session 11: Panel
The next 5 years in FinAi
- What to watch for in AI development and implementation
- Assessing the current crop of startups to identify future trends
- Balancing technology realities with the demands of the AI revolution
PANELISTS:
- Jim McCarthy, Founder & Chairman, McCarthy Hatch
- Katie Quilligan, Investor, BankTech Ventures
- Darius Wise, President & CEO, Red Rocks Credit Union
- Jelena Zec, Director – Venture Investing, Citi Ventures
- Rahul Zende, Sr. Principal Data Scientist – Enterprise AI Strategy, Navy Federal Credit Union
MODERATOR: