All Speakers

Dr. Lindsey Piegza translates economic data and market-moving events for Stifel's institutional and private wealth clients. She specializes in economic trends, world economies, financial markets, and monetary policy. A highly sought-after speaker featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, and Fox Business, she serves as Chair of SIFMA's Economic Advisory Roundtable and sits on the Chicago Federal Reserve Advisory Committee. Named a 2019 Women of Influence by Chicago Business Journal, Dr. Piegza holds a Ph.D. in Economics from City University of New York and two degrees from Northwestern.

EJ Kritz is a global Customer Experience strategist who has helped some of the world's most recognized brands across financial services, retail, and hospitality. Drawing on leadership roles with TD and Santander, he now drives next-generation experience design for banks and credit unions nationwide at DBSI. EJ is a top-rated guest on Banking Transformed (the #1 podcast in banking), a featured speaker at The Financial Brand Forum, and a regular contributor to The Financial Brand and other leading publications.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix leads Shikatani Lacroix Design, a global branding firm specializing in transforming customer experiences. With 45 years running design firms, he has helped manage the transformation of major organizations worldwide. His core philosophy is that brands need to own emotional connection through strategic design—what he calls "The Blink Factor." Coauthor of the best-selling The Business of Graphic Design and author of The Belonging Experience and Desire by Design, Jean-Pierre has offices in Toronto and Shanghai.

Jeff Whiteside brings nearly two decades of security risk management experience across healthcare, finance, and manufacturing. At Chime Financial, he leads Governance, Risk, and Compliance, developing and implementing the company's security risk management program. A CISSP, CISM, and ISO27001 Senior Lead Auditor, Jeff has built multiple GRC teams and helped organizations achieve their risk management goals. He has presented at industry conferences including ISACA and NACUSAC, sharing practical insights on security challenges.

Joe Sullivan founded Market Insights to help community-based financial institutions with market-specific, data-driven insights and strategies for sustainable growth. A consultant, author, and professional speaker with over 30 years of experience, his themes of growth, innovation, and motivation appear throughout his work. Joe is a founding faculty member for the Graduate School of Banking at UW-Madison's Digital Banking School and teaches at the Ohio Bankers League Management School. His energetic style consistently makes him a top-rated speaker.

Kerry-Ann Stimpson is a CMO with over 20 years of experience specializing in strategic marketing, digital marketing, and brand leadership. A member of the Forbes Communications Council, she contributes thought leadership on internal marketing and communications strategy. As CMO of the Caribbean-based JMMB Group, Kerry-Ann is also an international speaker and producer/host of The Internal Marketing Podcast. She holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Melissa Stevens is Executive Vice President and CMO at Fifth Third Bancorp, responsible for creating a strategic sense of place for customers, employees, and communities. She oversees marketing, Enterprise Workplace Services, and Corporate Communications. Since joining in 2016, Melissa has been integral to the bank's digital transformation, designing integrated, seamless customer experiences. Named among American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking for four consecutive years, she previously held senior roles at Citigroup including COO of Citi FinTech and head of Citi's Consumer Innovation Labs.

Mike Cessario founded Liquid Death, one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic beverage brands, and was recognized by Time 100 Next 2024 as an emerging leader shaping the future. Liquid Death uses comedy and entertainment to make health and sustainability more fun, packaging water in infinitely recyclable tallboy cans that compete with energy drinks and junk food. Previously, Mike worked in the agency world as a creative executive at VaynerMedia, Crispin Porter Bogusky, and Humanaut, working with brands including Netflix, Organic Valley, and Toyota.

Mike Daum oversees all marketing, branding, sponsorships, communications, and community relations at Golden 1, one of the nation's largest credit unions serving over 1.1 million members throughout California. His career spans nearly three decades leading integrated go-to-market growth and brand strategies for three of the most admired brands in financial services: Golden 1, USAA Bank, and KeyBank.

Mujesira Dudic partners with major U.S. banks to modernize their marketing, personalization, and offer-management capabilities. She leads go-to-market strategy across data, AI, and martech programs, helping institutions unlock real-time personalization, accelerate campaign velocity, and build scalable marketing operating models. Mujesira brings a practical, outcomes-focused perspective on how financial services organizations can reinvent marketing to deliver meaningful customer value.

Ron Shevlin has been a management consultant for more than 25 years, working with leading financial services, consumer products, and manufacturing firms worldwide. As Chief Research Officer at Cornerstone, he authors numerous corporate and commissioned research reports. Considered one of banking's most notable experts, Ron writes weekly for Forbes and has published hundreds of articles for his Snarketing blog. A seasoned professional speaker, his insights and quirky sense of humor are in high demand for trade events and podcasts.

Sarah Icely Hill shapes how BrandActive thinks about growth—not just marketing and business development, but connecting across functions, scaling what works, and building trust at every touchpoint. Her background spans HR, IT, strategy, and growth, grounding every initiative in purpose and solving for the people who matter most. Curiosity is her throughline: she walks outside daily, reads constantly, and has visited over 50 countries, always believing there's something new worth discovering.

Tricia Hrotko's career spans fintech, banking, and advertising industries. She leverages her expertise to help financial institutions form winning strategies, create meaningful accountholder relationships, and achieve measurable results through smart technology. Tricia has worked with a fintech startup through mid-growth stage, held executive roles across three banking institutions, and worked with national brands in the agency world. She brings a unique perspective on digital engagement and customer onboarding.