Two Days That
Redefine Your
Next Decade

Not every acquisition creates value—and the best bank leaders know why. In today’s rapidly changing M&A environment, the winners aren’t simply the banks that do more deals; they’re the ones that structure smarter deals that create lasting shareholder value. Drawing on decades of experience advising financial institutions, Gary Svec will reveal the financial strategies, valuation insights, and creative deal structures that separate extraordinary acquisitions from expensive mistakes. Whether you’re actively pursuing acquisitions, considering strategic opportunities, or simply preparing for the future, this session will change the way you evaluate every deal and run your bank.

Gary is an energetic and outspoken speaker with over 35 years of experience in banking, having navigated both the industry’s highs and lows. A CPA with a background as a bank auditor, prior life experience as a CFO for a publicly traded bank, and a CEO in community banking, Gary has firsthand knowledge of the challenges and complexities banks face and the uncertainties you feel. He now serves as a managing director in investment banking at Performance Trust, where he is a nationally recognized expert in bank performance. Gary’s mission is to help banks not just survive, but truly thrive, by providing valuable insights and guidance to help them navigate today’s ever-evolving financial landscape. Gary holds a degree in accounting from DePaul University and is Series 7, 63, and 79 registered.

When it comes to transformational results in banking, Roxanne Emmerich is the name behind the names—the strategist trusted by America’s top-performing banks. Roxanne has helped hundreds of elite, ambitious, and results-obsessed banks leap from “doing okay” to Top 5 Percenter™ status—with sustained NIM increases of 50 to even 250 basis points, explosive cross-sales, and cultures built for domination.

Roxanne didn’t just create the Best Banks in America™ Super Conference—she turned it into the strategic epicenter for high-performing bank executives, who come back year after year saying, “This is the best conference we attend—because Roxanne delivers the breakthroughs that take us to the next level.”

Backed by her world-class team at The Emmerich Group, Roxanne doesn’t bring ideas—she brings a bank-proven system that delivers performance, purpose, and profit.

Artificial intelligence is changing banking, but technology alone won’t create a competitive advantage. As AI becomes accessible to every institution, the true differentiator will be leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to make smarter decisions faster. In this thought-provoking keynote, Ford Saeks challenges conventional thinking about AI and reveals why the future belongs to leaders who develop an AI Mindshift… not just an AI toolkit.

Ford Saeks helps organizations accelerate growth, increase profitability, strengthen customer relationships, and create sustainable competitive advantage. Hall of Fame speaker, bestselling author, and business growth strategist, he has worked with organizations ranging from community banks and financial institutions to franchise organizations, manufacturers, retailers, associations, and Fortune 500 companies.

In today’s rapidly changing banking environment, leaders cannot afford to watch from the balcony or settle into the comfort of general admission. They must choose to lead from the front row: with clarity, courage, and intention.

In this high-energy, practical keynote, Marilyn Sherman challenges leaders to examine where they are sitting in their careers, their organizations, and their lives. Through memorable stories, humor, and her signature Front-Row Leadership® concepts, Marilyn shows participants how mindset, visioning, and daily choices influence engagement, performance, and culture.

Marilyn Sherman is a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, and creator of Front-Row Leadership®. Known for her engaging stories, practical strategies, and contagious energy, Marilyn helps leaders and organizations move beyond complacency, strengthen engagement, and create cultures where people can do their best work. Her signature message is simple and powerful: where you sit and who you sit with matters. Discover how to take ownership of choices, and confidently move toward the best seat in the house.

How to understand family offices, earn trust, and create valuable multigenerational relationships. Full session details and bio to follow.

When the economy gets uncertain, deception goes up. It's not always intentional—but when money's tight and backs are against the wall, people stretch the truth or omit important information in interviews, sales calls, and negotiations. How can you tell when something's not quite right—in supplier discussions, candidate interviews, or high-stakes leadership decisions? The most powerful person in the room knows what's really going on. 

In this session, Traci reveals her 9-Point Fraud Spotting System to tell if someone is lying, how to uncover the truth faster, and how to keep deception, fraud, and hidden agendas from damaging your organization. You’ll discover how to win the game of "Two Truths and a Lie" you play every day with clients, your team, vendors, and prospects.

Traci Brown has been named by TIME Magazine as one of the nation's top deception detection experts. She has learned that recognizing secrets hidden in plain sight leads to victory. Every. Single. Time.

Her high-energy, customizable keynotes, trainings, and video courses help organizations make better-informed decisions that drive profits through stronger sales, hiring, negotiations, investigations, and fraud prevention. She is also the author of How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft, has trained alongside the country's top law enforcement professionals, and is currently ranked the #3 body language expert in the world.

Facts inform. Story moves people. In this funny, practical keynote, Kelly reveals how the right story can cut through noise, make ideas memorable, and help leaders influence their teams and clients without pushing harder.

Kelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller with a one-woman show booked all over the country. In addition to her role as a funny motivational speaker, she is renowned for teaching executives how to connect and influence through strategic storytelling.