2026 agenda

  Leading From the Pocket

Leadership is tested most when clarity is hard to find.

It shows up in moments of pressure, when decisions matter, information is incomplete, and others are looking to you for clarity. In football, the “pocket” is where those moments live. It’s where the quarterback stays grounded, processes chaos, and delivers.

Leading From the Pocket uses that same idea to explore executive leadership under pressure.

This talk focuses on how leaders stay composed, make sound decisions, and set the tone for their teams when the stakes are high. Rather than reacting to urgency or noise, attendees will learn how to slow the moment down, lead with presence, and create confidence in uncertain environments.

This is a practical, relatable session for leaders who carry real responsibility and want to lead with clarity, trust, and consistency when it matters most.

What You’ll Take Away:

• How to stay calm and decisive when pressure is high
• Why your presence matters more than your answers
• How leadership behavior in critical moments shapes culture and trust
• A simple framework for making better decisions under fire

  Jonathan Jones

Leadership isn’t defined by a title—it’s shaped by how you think, show up, and make decisions every day. This interactive session explores how strategic thinking and personal branding work together to build credibility, influence, and trust early in your career.

Designed for young professionals and emerging leaders, the session focuses on how daily choices, behaviors, and mindset shape your reputation long before formal authority is earned. Attendees will gain practical insights and simple tools they can apply immediately to lead with intention, strengthen their leadership presence, and make a meaningful impact—regardless of role or tenure.

What You’ll Learn:

• How your leadership brand is formed, often before you      realize it
• Ways to influence and lead strategically without a      formal title
• How to build credibility, visibility, and trust      authentically
• Simple, practical steps to align actions with values      and integrity

 Ryan Malkes

Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly transforming both employee capabilities and customer expectations. In this dynamic session, Ryan Malkes will walk executives through the crucial distinction between GenAI hype and reality, addressing the common fear of professional obsolescence (FOBO). With a focus on the financial services sector, Ryan will demonstrate how credit unions can strategically leverage this amazing technology internally—not to replace staff, but to amplify the value of their people, enhance member services, and maintain a high level of competition across an increasingly competitive landscape.

 An overview and facilitated discussion of the top ten most significant strategic decisions credit union leaders will have to make in 2026. What are the emerging trends and disruptive forces shaping the financial services industry and credit union system? This presentation will help credit union leaders future-proof their organizations with actionable insights and provide a clear roadmap to anticipate the most serious challenges and seize the most valuable opportunities in the coming year.

Filene’s flagship presentation for 2025! Three-starred Michelin restaurants are not merely good—they promise “exceptional cuisine” that is “worth a special journey.” What makes a credit union similarly exceptional? In this presentation, we explore the strategic and tactical drivers of excellence among credit unions drawing from Filene’s research. Learn how to elevate experience with a back-to-basics approach that helps credit unions reconnect with their markets and unlock value.

Stablecoin, BNPL, Fintech and the risk of deposit disruption

• Stablecoin, BNPL and Fintech all represent significant risk, not only to your payments revenue but to your lost cost core deposit base. How do you address these challenges head on.

Credit unions are operating in a rapidly changing financial ecosystem, one marked by consolidation, shifting consumer expectations, regulatory evolution, and heightened competition from both traditional and non‑traditional players. In this environment, growth strategies that once felt optional are increasingly becoming essential.

This session provides an executive‑level view of the strategic landscape shaping credit union expansion today. We’ll explore how organizations are rethinking scale, reach, and relevance, and why the smartest leaders are proactively evaluating a broader range of opportunities than ever before.

Topics will include:

• The new era of credit union growth: How demographic trends, technology shifts, and market consolidation are reshaping what it takes to remain competitive.
• Strategic pathways for expansion: From partnerships and niche market positioning to emerging opportunities that allow credit unions to expand their footprint and capabilities.
• Regulatory and political climate: What leaders need to understand about the direction of oversight and the broader environment influencing strategic decision-making.
• The rise in organizational combinations: Why more credit unions—large and small—are assessing mergers, acquisitions, and branch opportunities through a long-term strategic lens.
• Board and leadership readiness: Preparing your organization to evaluate opportunities quickly, thoughtfully, and confidently when they arise.

This session takes a step back from the mechanics and focuses on what truly matters for executives: understanding the forces reshaping the industry and positioning the credit union to thrive in a landscape defined by change, choice, and strategic possibility.