Speakers Bureau
Topics and Details
Find key topics Catalyst presenters can bring to your event. Don’t see something that fits just right? Contact us to discuss your goals.
From Headlines to Balance Sheets: What the Economy Means for Credit Unions
Behind every headline on inflation, interest rates, or market volatility lies a story that directly affects credit unions and their members. This topic will connect the dots between the broader economy and the day‑to‑day realities of credit union performance. Through real‑world examples and industry trends, we’ll explore how shifting economic forces influence lending, deposits, and member behavior — and how credit unions can turn these challenges into opportunities for resilience and growth.
Economic Outlook and Critical Issues Shaping Credit Union Performance
A comprehensive examination of recent economic developments and their implications for the credit union industry. We will analyze key trends in employment, housing, consumer spending and credit demand, along with the impacts of interest rate movements on lending, investments and earnings. By connecting macroeconomic forces to operational realities, this presentation topic equips credit union leaders with actionable insights to strengthen strategic planning, enhance financial resilience, and position their institutions for sustainable success in a dynamic marketplace.
Catalyst’s Strategic Plan & Performance
Management will provide an update on Catalyst’s outlook on the economy, items driving the corporate credit union landscape, current initiatives, credit union solutions, financials, educational opportunities, research and more.
Elevating Cybersecurity
Safeguarding sensitive financial data and ensuring member trust is paramount. In the digital era. How do you sift through the noise and zero in on what's vital to keep your institution safe? How do you persuade your board to make essential investments? What is the impact of AI on cybersecurity? This session will delve into the ever-changing world of cybersecurity to help you understand the risks and where you should be investing.
Navigating the Digital Journey – Impactful Technologies for Success
Credit unions that want to remain relevant must invest in a digital strategy to increase member engagement and attract new members. Navigating the digital technology landscape can be daunting. This session explores some of the hottest technologies today to reveal their potential value and help you plan the next step in your journey.
Barometer on Instant Payment Adoption
Momentum builds as more financial institutions implement faster payment solutions, including the FedNow® Service and The Clearing House RTP® Network. Other faster payment capabilities, including Visa Direct, MasterCard Send and Same Day ACH, are enabling innovation and efficiency for consumers and businesses. This payments transformation is enabling consumers and businesses to instantly transact and settle a payment to anyone, anywhere, at any time. The session will also cover credit union-oriented solutions.
Open Payment Systems and Instant Payments
Open Payment Systems isn't just a trend; it's a strategic imperative for the future of the industry. FIs that embrace Open Systems unlock a myriad of opportunities, providing unparalleled flexibility to meet evolving customer needs. ACH has demonstrated these benefits, and now instant payments provide additional opportunities. FIs employing Open Systems gain advantages by streamlining processes, optimizing efficiency and integrating new solution providers to meet the diverse use cases of their customers. Join us as we explore how Open Payment Systems, incorporating instant payments, form a critical strategy for unlocking the full potential of payments and embracing the future of financial services.
Speeding Up Nationwide Auto Lending Funding Using Instant Payments
Use cases for instant payments remain a hot topic in the industry as adoption grows for the FedNow® Service and RTP. Implementing innovative processes that incorporate instant payments is key for financial institutions’ ability to provide solutions to their members and customers. This session highlights a nationwide auto lending use case and the value that incorporating FedNow has provided for the loan origination and funding process. It includes a discussion of the end-to-end solution workflow and how business and credit unions benefit from instant payments and faster money movement.
Implications of AI in Payments
In the rapidly evolving world of faster payments, artificial intelligence (AI) is a game changer, transforming how payments are processed, secured and conceptualized. This session will dive into the forefront of AI innovations that are setting new benchmarks in the payments industry. The session will explore current trends in AI that impact payment technologies, from fraud detection algorithms and risk management to personalized customer experiences and operational efficiencies.
Navigating the Road Ahead: Investment Strategies for Credit Unions in Today’s Economy and Tomorrow’s Challenges
Credit unions are living through one of the most unpredictable economic environments in decades. This session will explore investment products and strategies that balance financial stability with growth and liquidity. We will examine how to align your investment portfolio structure with member needs while keeping an eye on the economic landscape.
Strategic Liquidity & Interest Rate Risk: Safeguarding Growth in a Volatile Economy
Credit unions face mounting pressure to balance growth with resilience. This session will provide leaders with a strategic lens on liquidity and interest rate risk management, highlighting how forward‑looking balance sheet strategies can protect stability while enabling sustainable expansion. We’ll explore scenario planning, regulatory considerations and member‑centric approaches that position credit unions to thrive in a shifting economic landscape.
The Economy, Financial Markets and Credit Union Performance: Lending Trends and Strategic Insights
This session offers a comprehensive exploration of the evolving economic and market landscape with a focus on auto and real estate lending. We will examine the key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping credit union performance, including shifts in consumer behavior, regulatory developments, and technological advancements influencing lending practices. Attendees will gain forward‑looking perspectives through forecasts and projections for 2026, providing actionable insights to support strategic planning and decision‑making. Whether you are a lending professional, CEO, or industry leader, this session will equip you with the knowledge needed to navigate uncertainty, capitalize on emerging opportunities, and strengthen your institution’s resilience in a dynamic financial environment.
Loan Participations: Unlocking Strategic Growth and Liquidity
Loan participations are more than a back-office tool – they’re a strategic lever for growth, risk optimization and liquidity management. For credit unions, a well-structured participation program can expand lending capacity, diversify portfolios, and mitigate concentration risk while enhancing earnings and strengthening balance sheet resilience. This session will explore how forward-thinking credit unions are leveraging loan participations to create scalable liquidity channels, optimize capital deployment, and position themselves for long-term success in an evolving financial landscape.
Unlocking Balance Sheet Potential with Derivatives
Discover how credit unions can turn risk into opportunity by leveraging derivatives to reduce interest rate exposure and enhance financial performance. This session focuses on practical, credit union-specific strategies – highlighting tools that align with regulatory requirements, improve liquidity management, and deliver measurable results. Learn how to make your balance sheet work smarter, not harder.
Subordinated Debt: Powering Growth and Strategic Success
Fuel your growth with the capital flexibility you need – when you need it most. Subordinated debt offers a smart solution to navigate net worth ratio fluctuations, accelerate expansion plans, and unlock new opportunities without compromising stability. In this session, you’ll discover industry trends, explore real-world success stories, and learn the step-by-step process for issuing subordinated debt – so you can turn strategic goals into measurable results.
Turning Risk into Opportunity: Mastering Derivatives for Balance Sheet Excellence
Unlock the full potential of your credit union’s balance sheet by strategically leveraging derivatives. This session reveals how to transform interest rate risk into a competitive advantage, improve liquidity, and drive sustainable financial performance. Gain practical, compliance-ready strategies and real-world examples that empower your credit union to operate smarter, stronger and more resilient.
Investing Smarter: Driving Growth Through Every Rate Cycle
Turn market fluctuations into opportunities. This session reveals how a proactive investment strategy can help credit unions maximize earnings, enhance liquidity, and reduce risk – even in volatile rate environments. Learn how a total balance sheet approach empowers leadership to make strategic, forward-looking decisions that fuel sustainable growth and member success.
Best Practices for Driving Success Through ALM
ALM is more than a back-office function – it’s a leadership tool for navigating uncertainty. Join us to explore how proactive ALM strategies can optimize performance, reduce risk and support sustainable growth. Understand the goals, processes, and benefits of ALM so your credit union can move beyond reacting to change and start shaping its future.
Making Sense of ALM Reports: Turning Data into Decisions
ALM reports can feel complex – but they hold the key to smarter balance sheet management. This session will help you decode the analytics, understand what your interest rate risk positions really mean and apply insights to strengthen decision-making. Learn how to transform raw data into actionable strategies that protect earnings, manage risk and drive long-term success.
Harnessing the Power of Deposits: Turning Insights into Strategy
Your deposit base is more than just numbers – it’s the foundation of your credit union’s success. Do you understand how long your non-maturity deposits will stay with you? This session reveals how deep insights into deposit behavior can strengthen asset/liability matching, optimize asset allocation and drive smarter strategic decisions. Learn a proven best-practice approach to evaluating deposits and transform that knowledge into actionable strategies that enhance stability, profitability and member trust.
Speakers
Here are a few of Catalyst's top experts ready to share their insights with your audience.
Steven is Catalyst's VP – Asset Management/ Compliance Officer. In this role, he is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Asset Management Solutions at Catalyst. He also works directly with credit unions to assist them with their strategic financial and investment management endeavors.
Steven is a frequent speaker at industry events and an annual fan favorite at Catalyst's annual Strategic Summit.
Steven joined the Catalyst team in 2006. Previously, he worked at Concentra Financial, where he was responsible for managing the investment and derivative portfolios of client financial institutions, including credit unions, in Western Canada. His other key roles included analyzing interest rate risk simulation results and key performance indicators of client credit unions and recommending appropriate strategies while considering the balance sheet positions and the economic environment.
Steven graduated from the University of Regina with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He holds Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designations.
Diana Hennel is the Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Catalyst. With over 25 years of experience in technology and operations, Diana oversees the corporate’s network operations, software development, and information systems security. Diana joined Catalyst in 2017. Prior to that, she held executive roles at Targetbase and TMX Finance. Diana's background includes providing a wide variety of software solutions to Fortune 50 companies and ensuring security compliance in highly regulated industries.
Diana holds a Bachelor of Science degree in math and computer science from Mount Union University and a Master of Science degree in computer science from the University of Illinois. Diana is passionate about educating others on cyber security and has spoken at numerous industry events including Money 20/20 in 2024. In 2021, Diana was recognized as one of Dallas' top women in technology by the Dallas Business Journal.
As Managing Principal at Catalyst, Mark oversees the Risk Management, Asset Management, and Investment Management functions designed to support credit union success. Mark has over two decades of experience consulting with credit unions on risk management, balance sheet strategies. Currently, Mark supports credit unions as they look to raise subordinated debt, manage risk exposures using interest rate derivatives, and other strategies looking to improve earnings while managing risk exposures.
Mark is a frequent speaker at industry events and presents well with a small audience or in a grand auditorium.
Since joining Catalyst in 2002, Mark has progressed through various roles at Catalyst to his current position. Mark has a bachelor's and a master's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Texas Tech University. He also holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Mark is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, examiner conferences, and credit union meetings. In his free time, Mark enjoys spending time outdoors at the beach, fishing, playing golf, and coaching youth sports.