2023 Financial Institutions Conference Bundle

Dr. Chris Kuehl is a Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence. He provides forecasts and strategic guidance for a wide variety of corporate clients around the world. He is the chief economist for several national and international organizations, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, National Association of Credit Management, Finance, Credit and International Business and the Business Information Industry Association. He is also the economic analyst for several state accounting societies – Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Kansas.

Prior to starting Armada in 1999 he was a professor of economics and finance for 15 years – teaching in the US, Hungary, Russia, Estonia, Singapore and Taiwan. He holds advanced degrees in economics, Soviet studies and East Asian studies.

Chris is the author of Business Intelligence Briefs and Executive Intelligence Briefs - both publications from Armada. He is also responsible for the Credit Manager's Index from NACM and Fabrinomics from the FMA.

As Managing Partner at HUB | Taylor Advisors, Omar works with institutions across the country to provide profit driven balance sheet management solutions. He began his banking career as investment and asset liability manager for several billion plus institutions in Texas and served as an Advisory Board Director for the Lone Star New Markets Fund, L.P. Omar has been a frequent speaker at various financial institution programs including the Federal Home Loan Bank System and Bank Director Magazine.

Robbie has five years of experience with Crowe providing a variety of client services in financial services industry. His experience includes banking clients ranging from $300 million to $13 billion in assets. Robbie has experience in audits of public and private financial institutions, including banks, financing companies, and mortgage origination companies. He also has experience with SOX Section 404 internal control audits, and FDICIA internal control attestations.

Rachel is the Chief Risk Officer and Wilson Bank and Trust. As part of the bank's executive management team, Fischer leads the risk governance framework for the bank. Fischer brings more than ten years of banking and financial services expertise, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Director of Data, Model and Cyber Risk Governance for Columbia Bank based in Tacoma, Washington. She is credited with making significant improvements in developing and maturing model risk programs for banks and financial institutions.

Ryan Smith is a managing director at Piper Sandler in the financial services group. In this role, he advises financial institutions on capital management, budgeting, fixed income and investments, debt capital markets, regulation and accounting, derivatives and asset/liability management. Smith also works closely with the firm's investment banking group to identify and develop strategic opportunities related to mergers and acquisitions, capital issuance or other transactions.

Prior to joining Piper Sandler in 2019, he was the head of financial institution analytics, and formerly head of bank strategies at Stifel Financial, where he worked in a similar capacity and advised financial institutions across the country. Smith started his career at Keefe, Bruyette, and Woods (a full service investment bank that was acquired by Stifel), where he worked on a team that advised on dozens of completed M&A deals, IPOs, equity offerings and other transactions.

Smith holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Amherst College. He serves as a board member for the non-profit Rooftop Films, Inc. and is the investment advisor for the non-profit, Educate!

Kaleb has eight years of experience with Crowe providing a variety of client services in financial services industry. His experience includes banking clients ranging from $100 million to $40 billion in assets. Kaleb has experience in audits of and advisory services for public and private financial institutions, including banks, financing companies, and mortgage origination companies. He also has experience with SOX Section 404 internal control audits, and FDICIA internal control attestations.