Events

2022 Regional Bank Conference

Overview
Program
Speakers
Sponsorship
Venue & Accomodations

Overview

An Exclusive Event for Regional Banks

The 2022 Regional Bank Conference is open to financial institutions with an asset size of $250 bn. USD or less, regardless of geographic location. This special conference, designed by fellow regional bankers, will cover topics of interest to this group of banks and allow an open exchange of views amongst fellow attendees.

Join us in-person on November 2 in Houston, Texas. For those who cannot participate in-person, the sessions will be recorded and available to view on-demand.

Conference Highlights
  • Exclusive event for banks with asset size of $250 bn. USD or less, regardless of geographic location
  • Connect and openly discuss issues and relevant topics with fellow bankers from like-sized banks
  • Attend in-person in Houston, TX or watch the sessions on-demand post-conference
  • Network with 2022 International Trade Conference attendees during the networking reception
  • Attendees receive $100 off their registration to the 2022 International Trade Conference

Interested to attend but not sure if your institution qualifies? Contact [email protected] to find out.

Program

November 2, 2022
November 2, 2022 - All Times are in Central Daylight Time (CDT)

09:00 AM

Badge Check-In

10:00 AM

Welcome + BAFT Initiatives

10:20 AM

The Future of Document Checking and Trade Compliance Using AI

Learn how advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) can create efficiencies in transactional trade and compliance reviews.

Speaker
Mike Barbary
Senior Vice President, Global Strategy
TradeSun

11:00 AM

Corporate Connections

Hear direct from corporate clients on the benefits, and shortcomings, of working with regional banks (vs fintechs or global banks) and their expectations from banks given the new way of doing business.

Moderator
Allan Matamis
Senior Vice President & Manager, Enterprise Letter of Credit Operations
Zions Bancorporation

Panelists
Unal Baysal
Executive Vice President & CFO
SEBA Metals

Rami Touma
President
CECA Supply & Services

11:40 AM

Regulatory Compliance

Speakers
Jason Beal
OFAC Director
Huntington National Bank

Vugar Sadig
Advisor to the CEO
Kapital Bank

Paul Warfield
Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Global Advisory Group
Huntington National Bank

12:30 PM

Networking Lunch

01:30 PM

EXIM and SBA Updates

Expanding traditional trade transactions into working capital lending and discounting bankers' acceptances.

Speakers
Luis Noriega
Lender Account Manager
Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)

Daniel J. Pische
National Director of Trade Finance , Office of International Trade
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

02:10 PM

Foreign Exchange Trends and Disruptors

A discussion on trends and innovative initiatives happening in the FX space.

Moderator
Katherine Zaveri
Vice President, Global Payments
StoneX Group

Panelists
Chris Johnson
Vice President, Financial Institutions
Currency Exchange International

Michael Salerno
Vice President, Global Banking
First National Bank of Omaha

02:50 PM

Exporting Outside the United States

Is the work done once goods are shipped? This session will uncover the complications and challenges faced once shipment is out of US soil with special focus on challenges regional banks face with delivery of trade products across the globe compared to global banks, and potential solutions corporates expect from their banks.

Moderator
Gerardo Gutierrez-Olvera Cabrales
Managing Director & Head of Trade Finance and International Treasury Services
Banorte

Panelists
Gabe Amundson
Director, Trade and Capital Markets
Cargill

Rita Carleton
Director, Risk and Asset Management, Global Programs
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)

William Glassford
Senior Vice President
Zions Bancorporation

03:30 PM

Networking Break

03:50 PM

Are You Ready for ISO 2022?

The adoption of ISO 2022 for cross-border payments and reporting has transformative potential. It can help to boost operational efficiency, reduce risks, enhance customer experience and enable the development of new and innovative products and services. Whilst it isn’t mandatory for all banks on SWIFT to adopt ISO 20022 by 20 November 2022, there are several steps that all institutions receiving cross-border payment and reporting messages (CBPR+) need to take to be able to receive ISO 20022 messages as from this date. In this session you will hear about how community readiness is progressing, what steps need to be taken to ensure readiness and how the relationship Management Application (RMA) is evolving.

Speakers
Kalyani Bhatia
Global Head of Payments & PMI Go to Market
SWIFT

Marcos Cameron
ISO 20022 Global Program Expert
SWIFT

04:30 PM

Birds of a Feather Open Forum

This is your opportunity to ask your outstanding questions from today’s sessions. This is an open forum to discuss pressing industry issues you have been yearning to ask your peers and subject matter experts in a small group setting. Attendees will break into smaller groups for an interactive conversations on various topical areas.

Facilitators
Ashley Allen
Vice President & International Banking Manager
Arvest Bank

Michael Salerno
Vice President, Global Banking
First National Bank of Omaha

05:25 PM

Closing Remarks

05:30 - 06:30 PM

Networking Reception

Unwind and connect with fellow Regional Bank Conference and with International Trade Conference attendees.

Brought to you by

Speakers

November 2, 2022
November 2, 2022 - An Exclusive Event for Regional Banks
Ashley Allen
Ashley Allen
International Banking Manager, VP
Arvest Bank

Ashley Allen, Vice President and International Banking Manager for Arvest Bank, graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Master of Business Administration, in addition to holding a Bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Oklahoma. Ashley thrives on providing technical advice for payment risk mitigation and coaching those new to international trade on best practices. She is experienced in all aspects of international banking and trade finance, including import and export commercial letters of credit, international and domestic standby letters of credit, documentary collections, and foreign currency advisory services. Ashley maintains a CDCS certification (Certified Documentary Credit Specialist) from the International Chamber of Commerce. Actively involved in the community, Ashley serves as Treasurer of the Oklahoma District Export Council, which utilizes business experience in support of the Nation’s export expansion effort. In her personal time, Ashley enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, reading, and traveling.

Gabe Amundson
Gabe Amundson
Director – Risk Investors Group
Cargill

Gabe Amundson is a Director in Cargill’s Trade and Capital Markets (TCM) business group. He joined Cargill in 1999 and has held various roles within the company including his current role managing relationships as part of TCM’s Risk Investors Group. His primary focus is working with partners interested in supporting Cargill’s trade finance activities including banks, non-bank investors, and ECA’s.

Mike Barbary
Mike Barbary
Vice President of Sales & Legal Operations
Cleareye.ai

Mike Barbary is a commercial technology attorney specializing in contracts, IP, and data licensing. Mike has built his career supporting technology companies' efforts to deliver solutions to market, drive adoption, and build revenue across client organizations while maintaining the highest standards of trust and partnership. As a front office executive, Mike is responsible for building long-term relationships with customers, negotiating enterprise software deals leveraging AI, machine learning, and other emerging technologies. Mike is passionate about helping industry stakeholders digitally transform their global trade businesses, harnessing the power of data, automation, and machine learning to unlock operational efficiency and reduce regulatory risk.

Unal Baysal
Unal Baysal
Executive Vice President & CFO
Seba International, Inc.

Unal Baysal has been with SEBA Holdings since 1995. Prior to joining SEBA, Unal was SVP & Deputy Chief Credit Offider with Charter National Bank Houston for 10 years.

Jason Beal
Jason Beal
OFAC Director
Huntington National Bank
Kalyani Bhatia
Kalyani Bhatia
Global Head of Payments PMI Go To Market
SWIFT

Kalyani Bhatia is the Global Head of Payments & PMI Go To Market in Business Development at SWIFT. Her team of payment and payment market infrastructure experts execute the SWIFT Strategy through data driven prioritization, standardized programmes and global expertise. She is responsible for supporting global business product programmes including gpi, ISO20022, transaction management, SWIFT GO and Instant payments. Kalyani is on the US Advisory Board for Women In Payments and is the Co-Sponsor of the Race & Ethnicity Chapter at SWIFT. Prior to joining SWIFT in 2020, Kalyani spent 18 years at Deutsche Bank, holding senior positions in technology, product and client implementations & service. Her expertise lies in running large global change initiatives supporting global transaction banking. She also has experience in the oil & gas, automotive and retail industries delivering systems as a technical consultant with Price Waterhouse LLP.

Marcos Cameron
Marcos Cameron
ISO 20022 Global Program Expert
SWIFT

Marcos is Global SPOC (single point of contact) on the Go To Market team at SWIFT, based in New York. He supports global adoption of the ISO 20022 Cross Border Payments and Reporting messages as part of SWIFT’s ISO Adoption Programme. Marcos works closely with banks and other financial institutions, promoting and supporting innovation of the end user’s payment experience, harmonizing systems/schemes and refining efficiency of operations. All with the goal of helping to achieve the SWIFT Strategy of Fast and Frictionless Payments.

Rita Carleton
Director, Risk and Asset Management, Global Programs
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

Since 2015, Rita Carleton has been the Director of Risk and Asset Management in the Credit Programs Division of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). She and her staff are passionate about FAS’s mission to support U.S. agricultural exports. They are responsible for analyzing and underwriting country risk and foreign bank risk for two commercial export credit guarantee programs: GSM-102, a short-term trade finance program, and the Facility Guarantee program. They are also responsible for reviewing U.S. banks for program participation. Ms. Carleton has spent her professional career in different capacities all within USDA. She is originally from Michigan (Detroit and the surrounding area) and graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in public policy. During her free time, Ms. Carleton loves to read and take walks and hike.

William Glassford
William Glassford
Senior Vice President
Zions Bancorporation

Bill Glassford is a Senior Vice President in International Banking for Zions Bancorporation. His professional career began in Washington, D.C. where he was engaged in trade policy and trade promotion activities for the federal government. He left government service for a banking career which included 10 years managing offices in in Manila, Taipei, and Hong Kong. Later he ran North American trade finance offices in Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, New York, and Vancouver, B.C. Over a career spanning 4 decades in banking, he has been associated with all aspects of international banking including trade finance, international private banking, correspondent banking, and commercial credit.

Gerardo Gutierrez-Olvera
Gerardo Gutierrez-Olvera
Executive Director, Head Trade
Banorte

Gerardo Gutierrez-Olvera joined Grupo Financiero BANORTE 11 years ago as Executive Director, responsible for Trade Finance and International Business. BANORTE is the second largest bank in Mexico, and the only one among the 6 largest banks in the country that is managed by a Mexican management team. Gerardo joined BANORTE after more than 20 years of comprehensive and substantial experience in the international banking arena with Banco Santander and Bank of America, working for those institutions both, at a local and regional level, in Mexico City, Monterrey, New York City, Madrid (Latin American Division) and Hong Kong (Asia-Pacific regional hub). His main focus has been on the development, management, sales, operations, and growth of business lines related to trade & supply chain finance, global payments, corporate banking, financial institutions, correspondent banking and treasury services. Under Gerardo’s leadership Banorte was named Best Service Trade Finance (Mexico) in Euromoney’s Trade Finance Survey 2024, and Best Trade Finance Provider in Mexico by Global Finance in 2019.

Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson
Vice President, Financial Institutions
Currency Exchange International

Mr. Chris Johnson is the Vice President of Sales for CXI, responsible for all business, agent and partnership relationships at CXI. Mr. Johnson has been with the company since 2007 and has extensive experience in providing international payment and foreign currency exchange services to financial institutions and corporations in the USA. He continues to execute on CXI’s goal to deliver technology-focused, system integration solutions to modernize inefficient, manual environments. Additionally, Chris exemplifies CXI’s positive company culture within the Executive, Sales and Relationship Management teams to create a proactive team environment that emphasizes CXI’s Customer First positive client experience.

Allan Matamis
Allan Matamis
Senior Vice President & Manager, Enterprise Letter of Credit Operations
Zions Bancorporation

Allan Matamis is Senior Vice President and Manager of the Enterprise Letter of Credit Operations team at Zions Bancorporation. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations, processing, and delivery of all trade products for Zions Bancorporation and is in charge of three processing centers: Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Houston where he is permanently based. He joined ZB in May of 2019 and has 40 years’ experience in international banking. Before joining ZB, Mr. Matamis was Director of Trade Services, Payments Servicing and LC Operations at CoBank, ACB in Colorado and has been the Vice President and Manager of Export Letters of Credit at Deutsche Bank AG, New York. Mr. Matamis also worked for Standard Chartered Bank, UBS AG, CSFB, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America. He is a member of the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT) Regional Bank Council, the Southeast and West Coast Letter of Credit committees

Luis Noriega
Luis Noriega
Lender Account Manager
Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)

Luis Noriega, CICP, has more than 25 years of experience in risk, credit product and relationship management roles in commercial banking and is a lender account manager for the Office of Small Business (OSB) at the Export-Import Bank of the United States. In this role, Mr. Noriega works with more than 50 delegated authority lenders across the United States in support of U.S. exporters. He can be reached at https://grow.exim.gov/luis-noriega . Learn more at exim.gov.

Daniel J. Pische
Daniel J. Pische
National Director of Trade Finance , Office of International Trade
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

Daniel Pische serves as the National Director of Trade Finance within the SBA’s Office of International Trade in Washington, DC. As Director, Daniel is responsible for the design and delivery of SBA’s export loan programs and oversight of SBA’s national staff of Export Finance Managers. Prior to joining the SBA, Daniel worked at First American Bank for over 15 years where he led their Trade Finance Division and served as a member of the bank’s Senior Loan Committee. Daniel served on Department of Commerce’s Trade Finance Advisory Council during the second charter term and continues to serve as the SBA’s ex-officio representative where he assists with recommendations on improving access to Trade Finance for small and midsized exporters.

Vugar Sadig
Vugar Sadig
Advisor to the CEO
Kapital Bank
Michael Salerno
Michael Salerno
Vice President, Global Banking
First National Bank of Omaha

Mr. Michael Salerno is the Vice President of Global Banking at First National Bank of Omaha where he manages a diverse portfolio of corporate and correspondent bank customers. He consults with trade and treasury management professionals to help define, create, and implement effective trade finance, global payments and international risk management solutions. Mr. Salerno specializes in providing foreign exchange and international payment solutions for financial institutions. He is the Treasurer for both the Nebraska District Export Council and the National Association of District Export Councils.

Rami Touma
Rami Touma
President
CECA Supply & Services

Raised in The Woodlands, Rami Touma has been a resident of Texas since immigrating to the state as a toddler in the late 1970’s. Rami attended the University of Houston, studying International Marketing, and started working in the oilfield industry in 2000 first working for Conestoga Supply pipe company in Dubai UAE. In 2002 he and Maher Touma founded CECA Supply & Services Inc. as an US exporting company with a focus on American made oilfield products destined for North Africa. Our business interests are in Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco.

Paul Warfield
Paul Warfield
Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Global Trade and Treasury
Huntington National Bank

Paul Warfield’s current role is to expand and grow product offerings within global trade products and global treasury services. He joined Huntington National Bank in June of 2021 and has more than 30 years of international banking experience working with trade services, trade finance, foreign exchange, and correspondent banking. Throughout his career he has been focused on looking for innovative solutions and technology enhancements that provide regional banks with competitive solutions. He is an active member with BAFT working on various committees and is past co-chair of the Regional Bank Council and past Board Member.

Katherine Zaveri
Katherine Zaveri
Senior Vice President
StoneX Payments

Katherine Zaveri is Senior Vice President at StoneX Payments, where she specializes in helping financial institutions, corporates, and development organizations make payments around the world. In 2019, Katherine was the first from StoneX to participate in the BAFT Future Leaders Program. Since then, she has spoken on several BAFT panels, speaking on topics ranging from cross-border payments to the future of the workplace in a post-pandemic world. Prior to joining StoneX, Katherine worked under Ray Dalio at Bridgewater. She has lived and worked throughout Latin America and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

FAQ's

Sponsorship

Sponsorship Opportunities

We are excited to host fifth annual BAFT Regional Bank Conference, taking place November 2, in conjunction with the 2022 International Trade Conference in Houston, Texas. This is the conference by regional bankers for regional bankers. BAFT is offering a limited number of sponsorship opportunities exclusively to Solution Provider Members, providing your organization the opportunity to showcase your industry knowledge and expertise with your target audience.

Options


Premier Sponsor 2 MORE AVAILABLE (Currency Exchange, StoneX Group)

  • Speaking spot in the program (subject to approval of the planning committee)
  • 2 Complimentary Conference Registrations
  • Recognition from the Podium at Opening Session as a Premier Sponsor
  • Logo displayed on a slide at the Opening Session
  • Option to invite non-BAFT regional banks to attend at a discounted rate
  • Pre- and post-conference attendee mailing lists with name, title, company, and email contact
  • Pull-up Banner in Registration area for the duration of the Conference (sponsor provides banner)
  • Logo included on Conference program and website as a Premier Sponsor
  • One-page Insert/Flyer in the Conference Registration Folder

Hosted Evening Reception/Social Hour SOLD OUT (Finzly)

  • Hosted Post-Regional Conference Reception (Pre-Trade) on Wednesday, November 2
  • 2 Complimentary Conference Registrations
  • Recognition from the Podium at Opening Session as a Reception Sponsor
  • Logo displayed on a slide at the Opening Session
  • Option to invite non-BAFT regional banks to attend at a discounted rate
  • Pre- and post-conference attendee mailing lists with name, title, company, and email contact
  • Pull-up Banner in Registration area for the duration of the Conference (sponsor provides banner)
  • Logo included on Conference program and website as a Reception Sponsor
  • One-page Insert/Flyer in the Conference Registration Folder

Workshop Sponsor (BAFT Members Only) 1 MORE AVAILABLE (TradeSun)

  • Recognition from the Podium at Opening Session as a Workshop Sponsor
  • Logo displayed on a slide at the Opening Session
  • 2 Complimentary Conference Registrations
  • Option to invite non-BAFT regional banks to attend at a discounted rate
  • Pre- and post-conference attendee mailing lists with name, title, company, and email contact
  • Logo included on Conference program and website as a Workshop Sponsor

Interested in sponsoring the 2022 Regional Bank Conference?

For more information, please contact:

Matthew Kaitz
Director, Business Development
[email protected]
+1 (703) 200-9071

Venue & Accommodations

Conference Venue


The 2022 Regional Bank Conference will be held November 2 at the Amegy Tower in Houston, Texas. The conference venue is within walking distance of Uptown Houston, The Galleria Mall, and numerous hotels and restaurants.

Amegy Bank Headquarters
1717 West Loop South
Houston, Texas, 77027
United States

Accommodation Information


There is not an official block of rooms being held for this event. Hotel reservations are the responsibility of attendees and should be made directly with the hotel. Below is a list of hotels that are in close proximity to the Amegy Tower.

Drury Inn & Suites Houston Near the Galleria
1615 West Loop S.
Houston, TX 77027
+1 (713) 963-0700

Houston Marriott West Loop by The Galleria
1750 West Loop S.
Houston, TX 77027
+1 (713) 960-0111

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Houston Galleria Area
1625 West Loop S.
Houston, TX 77027
+1 (713) 355-3440

The Post Oak Hotel
1600 West Loop S.
Houston, TX 77027
+1 (844) 386-1600

The St. Regis Houston Hotel
1919 Briar Oaks Lane
Houston, TX 77027
+1 (713) 840-7600

Testimonials

“The best part was the networking with bankers similar to my own that can relate to the issues I encounter at our bank.”

Conference Attendee

Chicago, Illinois

“This is the single most important BAFT event I attend because the content is 100% relevant to me and my institution.”

Conference Attendee

Kansas City, Missouri

“There was something for everyone. The quality of the presentations and open forums were excellent.”

Conference Attendee

Colombus, Ohio

“Topics were current and interaction from the crowd was great.”

Conference Attendee

Dallas, Texas

“Great networking and collaborative discussions!”

Conference Attendee

Washington, District of Colombia


Sponsors


Interested in sponsoring the 2022 Regional Bank Conference? We can tailor your sponsorship package to meet your goals.

To discuss your sponsorship options, please contact:

Matthew Kaitz
Director, Business Development
[email protected]
+1 (703) 200-9071