About Our Speakers

John Asbury
Chair, American Bankers Association
Past Chair, Virginia Bankers Association
CEO, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation

John Asbury is Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation (NASDAQ: AUB), having joined the company in October 2016.

Asbury came to Atlantic Union as part of a planned succession for the former CEO, who retired following 26 years in role. Asbury is a career banker with over 35 years of experience in commercial banking. Previously, he was President and CEO of privately-held First National Bank of Santa Fe, a multi-state bank with locations in New Mexico and Colorado.  Prior to that, he was Senior Executive Vice President and Head of the Business Services Group at Regions Financial Corporation, one of the nation’s largest full-service banks. At Regions, Asbury led all lines of business that serve the company’s business and commercial banking customers. Prior to Regions, he spent 17 years at Bank of America, ultimately leaving as the Pacific Northwest Region Executive for Business Banking in Seattle, Washington. Asbury began his career in the management training program at Wachovia Bank & Trust in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Active in civic and industry affairs, Asbury is prior Chairman of the Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America, and is a prior Chairman of the Virginia Bankers Association. He also serves on the board of directors of a number of not-for-profit organizations, and was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Port of Virginia Board of Commissioners, where he currently chairs the port’s growth committee.

Asbury holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Virginia Tech and an MBA from The College of William & Mary. He is a native of Virginia, born in Radford.

Dailey Betz
Director of Growth, Rivel Banking Research

Dailey consults with bank and credit union leadership to help bank executives assess, tailor and track their marketing, customer retention, and branch expansion strategies through both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

Prior to joining Rivel, Dailey spent multiple years in technology consulting and the software industry, partnering with C-Level executives to help drive their top business initiatives such as digital transformation, IT strategy, and  1:1 customer engagement.

 In her free time, Dailey likes to travel, play tennis, and garden.

 She graduated with a BS in Marketing from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Victor Branch
President, Richmond Market, Bank of America
2024-2025 VBA Chair

As Market President, Victor Branch is Bank of America’s leader for the Richmond, VA Market. He connects businesses, families and individuals to the banking and investment teams that will help improve their financial lives. He also leads the work to deploy Bank of America’s resources across the market and the region to address social and economic concerns and build strong communities.

In addition to the Market President role, Victor also serves as the Market Executive for Richmond.  As Market Executive for Richmond since 2003, Victor has worked with local Bank of America leaders to shape our strategy for delivering one company in the Richmond market.

Victor joined Bank of America in 1984 through a predecessor institution’s management associate trainee program.  He worked in the Consumer Bank for several years and subsequently in Marketing before assuming the Market Executive role for Richmond.

Victor has been active in civic and community affairs throughout his career at Bank of America. In addition to being appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve on the board of visitors at Virginia State University, he most recently served on the board of visitors for William & Mary being appointed by Governor Northam in 2018.  He is a trustee of several Foundations, including Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, VA Museum of History & Culture, ChamberRVA and Venture Richmond. He is also a founding trustee of the Virginia Funders Network.  Lastly, he is a trustee on The Community Foundation of Richmond board where he serves on the Executive Committee.

Victor is a native of Dinwiddie County where he attended public school.  He graduated from Richard Bland College in 1982 with an Associate Arts Degree in Sociology. He matriculated to William & Mary where he graduated in 1984 with a BA in Sociology.  In 1991, he completed the Virginia Bankers Association School of Retail Management at the University of Virginia. 

Victor is married to his high school sweetheart, Michele Branch, and they have two adult daughters, Victoria, and Stephanie.

Matt Bruning
Executive Vice President, Government & Member Relations, Virginia Bankers Association

Matt joined the Virginia Bankers Association in December 2010 and currently serves as Executive Vice President for Government & Member Relations.  In that role, he represents the Virginia banking industry at the Virginia state and federal levels, oversees the VBA BankPAC and coordinates grassroots advocacy. He also coordinates VBA’s member relations efforts, including bank outreach and engagement as well as the endorsed provider program.

Prior to joining the VBA, Matt served as Legislative Liaison in the Policy Office of Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell.  He also worked as the Policy Director for Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell.  He recently served eight years on the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens Board of Directors, including as a member of the Executive Committee and Co-Chair of the Horticulture, Education and Engagement Committee.

Matt received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Leadership Studies and Political Science from the University of Richmond in 2003. He is a graduate of the VBA’s Executive Leadership Institute and the VBA School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia.  He lives in Glen Allen, Virginia with his wife Jennifer and daughters Charlotte and Caroline.

Stacey Bryant 
Director of Client Development, Cornerstone Advisors

Stacey Bryant brings nearly 20 years of fintech and financial services expertise spanning operations, retail banking, marketing and business development to Cornerstone Advisors. A planner and strategist who knows how to convert grassroots ideas into executable steps and ultimately meaningful initiatives, Stacey delivers consistent growth as an effective leader of processes, products and professionals.

Before joining Cornerstone, Stacey held an executive position at CheckAlt, a B2B banking and fintech firm. While there, she helped financial institutions develop their digital transformation strategies and identify strategic payments and treasury solutions partnerships. Prior to that, she was with Community FI, where she served in roles in business development, consumer lending and branch management. She began her career in financial services as a personal banker at JP Morgan Chase.  

Stacey holds an Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York.  

Janet Currie
President, Greater Maryland, Bank of America
2024-2025 MBA Chair

Janet Currie is president of Bank of America, Greater Maryland, and the market executive for the Local Markets Organization. As President of Bank of America, Greater Maryland, she is responsible for connecting banking and investment resources offered through the banks’ eight lines of business to people and companies across the region. She also leads the effort to deploy Bank of America’s resources to help advance economic mobility and build strong communities. As the Market Executive, she leads Bank of America’s environmental social governance work in the region, leveraging the capabilities of the company to help partners, people, and communities more effectively address a wide range of issues.

During her more than 30 year career in financial services, Janet has held a number of key executive roles including National Banking Group Support executive responsible for supporting the operations of 5800 financial centers and owning significant processes in the Bank of America acquisition of FleetBoston Financial. She has also served as Consumer Market Executive responsible for the sales and operations of the Greater Baltimore financial centers, Premier Banking executive responsible for wealth management sales and operations and Consumer Mortgage Area Executive leading local home loan sales. Before joining Bank of America in 1993, Janet worked for JP Morgan as a financial accounting trainee while simultaneously pursuing her graduate degree.

Janet holds a Master of Science degree from New York University, Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and a graduate of both Leadership Howard County and the Greater Baltimore Committee’s LEADERship programs. Janet has served on numerous local boards and currently serves on the board of the Maryland Bankers Association as Chair, the Greater Baltimore Committee as Secretary, Cherry Hill Strong, Baltimore Workforce Development and the Baltimore Convention and Tourism board. She Co-Chairs the Greater Baltimore Committee’s Baltimore Women’s Advisory Board.

Within Bank of America, Janet serves as the Co-Executive Sponsor for LEAD for Women, an employee network dedicated to connecting, developing, and elevating women to enable them to make meaningful contributions within Bank of America and the communities served. Janet has been recognized as a Daily Record Influential Marylander, a Daily Record Power 30 Banking & Finance professional, a Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award winner, a Baltimore Sun 25 Women to Watch honoree, a Baltimore Business Journal Enterprising Women of Excellence honoree and a Daily Record Maryland’s Top 100 Women honoree.

Tisha Edwards
President & CEO, Maryland Bankers Association

Tisha Edwards is a mission-driven executive with more than two decades of experience uniting the reach of public service with the agility of the private sector to drive access, equity, and opportunity for Marylanders.

She was named President and CEO of the Maryland Bankers Association (MBA) in February 2025 and officially began her tenure on April 7. Edwards also serves as Executive Vice President of the Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association. In her role at MBA—the leading advocate, trusted partner, and premier resource for Maryland banks and the banking industry—she is focused on expanding financial education, deepening bank and community engagement, and growing the Association’s visibility and impact across the state.

Edwards has spent her career advancing systems-level change at the intersection of government, education, and the private sector. Her leadership has consistently centered equity, with a focus on removing barriers that have historically limited families from thriving and reaching their full potential. She has held several C-suite roles, including Interim CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Baltimore, President of BridgeEdu, and Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success. In each post, she successfully led organizational growth, policy innovation, and strategic restructuring, while managing multi-million-dollar budgets and aligning teams around bold, equity-centered goals.

In 2021, Edwards served as Chief of Staff to Wes Moore’s Maryland gubernatorial campaign. Following Moore’s election, she was appointed Secretary of Appointments in the Moore-Miller Administration, where she led the process of filling more than 600 state board and commission roles. Her work helped expand representation across Maryland’s leadership landscape and reinforced the administration’s commitment to inclusivity and leaving no one behind.

DeMarion Johnston
General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association and Virginia Bankers Association

DeMarion Johnston serves as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Virginia Bankers Association and the Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association, providing comprehensive legal representation to the associations and their subsidiaries. Prior to joining the VBA, she served as Associate General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel of the Virginia State Corporation Commission advising and representing the Commission and its divisions, including the Bureau of Financial Institutions, Bureau of Insurance, and Office of the Clerk.  She has also worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and in the private practice of law. DeMarion possesses expertise in banking, non-depository financial institutions and services, and insurance, as well as in state and federal regulation of those industries.

Sophia Kearney-Lederman
Senior Economist, FHN Financial

Sophia is the Senior Economist at FHN Financial. She provides regular economic updates and presentations for First Horizon Bank, the parent company of FHN Financial. As Senior Economist, she integrates Chris Low’s macro-economic views and interest rate forecasts with her own economic analysis of regional markets and specific industries. 

She served as a Senior Business Analyst, Global Commercial Services with American Express from 2017 to 2020. Prior to her tenure at Amex, Sophia trained as an Economic Analyst with FHN Financial for three years.

Sophia graduated magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University with a B.A. in Economics and Spanish. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Epsilon. Sophia was born, raised, and currently lives in New York City.

Anton Korinek
Professor, Department of Economics and Darden School of Business, University of Virginia

Anton is a Professor at the University of Virginia, Department of Economics and Darden School of Business as well as a Visiting Scholar at the Brookings Institution, a Senior Researcher at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna, a Research Associate at the NBER, and a Research Fellow at the CEPR. He received his PhD from Columbia University in 2007 after several years of work experience in the IT and financial sectors. He has also worked at Johns Hopkins and at the University of Maryland and has been a visiting scholar at Harvard University, the World Bank, the IMF, the BIS and numerous central banks.

His research analyzes how to prepare for a world of transformative AI systems and has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and TIME Magazine. He investigates the implications of advanced AI for economic growth, labor markets, inequality, and the future of our society. In his past research, he investigated the mechanics of financial crises and developed policy measures to prevent future crises, including an influential framework for capital flow regulation in emerging economies. 

Tom McGill
Director of Customer Experience, Profit Resources, Inc.

Using his more than 35 years of banking experience, Tom is a retail banking expert with a track record of solving problems and achieving measurable objectives. He is successful at integrating seemingly disparate functions and personalities through collaboration and consensus-building across a variety of professional disciplines. His expertise in electronic banking, payment systems, debit and credit cards, product development, customer experience, marketing, and conversions make him a valuable asset to many projects with financial institutions.

Rob Nichols
President and CEO, American Bankers Association

Rob Nichols is the president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, the voice of the nation’s $23.7 trillion banking industry and the only organization that represents banks of all sizes and charters in Washington.

Since joining ABA in August 2015, Nichols has led ABA’s advocacy efforts, working to ensure that banks of all sizes operate in a policy environment that allows them to best serve their customers and communities. In 2018, Nichols led ABA’s successful efforts to win passage of the first major banking bill in nearly a decade. Among other things, the bipartisan legislation modified rules for community banks originally intended for larger institutions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nichols and ABA played a critical role in helping banks navigate unprecedented challenges. ABA resources and advocacy helped banks of all sizes rapidly deliver 90 percent of the $800 billion Paycheck Protection Program, the largest economic rescue plan ever deployed for the private sector, protecting more than 80 million Americans from job loss. The banking industry’s efforts helped limit the pandemic’s effects on the U.S. economy.

As ABA’s president and CEO, Nichols has advanced a number of industry-wide initiatives. In 2019, Nichols encouraged all banks to offer low-cost, easy-to-use Bank On-certified accounts. The effort has been credited with helping reduce the number of unbanked in the U.S. to its lowest level ever. And ABA’s award-winning #BanksNeverAskThat public education campaign has won national recognition for empowering consumers to spot scams before they can do harm.

As the leader of one of Washington’s largest trade association workforces, Nichols has reshaped ABA’s workplace. Since 2018, ABA has been certified as a Great Place to Work by independent analysts, and in 2022, Nichols moved ABA into a contemporary, collaboration-focused new office adapted for hybrid teams.  

From January 2020 – January 2023, Nichols served as chairman of the International Banking Federation, whose members include the national banking trade associations representing every major financial center. Nichols joined ABA following 10 years at the helm of the Financial Services Forum, a nonpartisan economic policy and advocacy organization whose members are the chief executive officers of the largest and most diversified financial institutions doing business in the United States. During his time at the Forum, Nichols led the industry through the financial crisis and the Dodd-Frank Act, guiding his members and the broader banking sector in its policy response and the law’s implementation.

Before joining the Forum, Nichols served in the George W. Bush administration as assistant secretary for public affairs at the Treasury Department a position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate.  In this role, he acted as chief spokesperson and head of the office of public liaison, serving as Treasury’s lead representative with the media, business, professional trade organizations, consumer groups and the public.

Prior to that, he worked as communications director to the late Sen. Slade Gorton and press secretary to the late Rep. Jennifer Dunn. He began his career in public service in the West Wing as a White House aide in the George H.W. Bush administration.

Nichols is a recipient of the Alexander Hamilton Award, the highest honor of the Department of the Treasury. He also is consistently named as one of the most influential people in Washington by Washingtonian, and one of Washington’s top lobbyists by The Hill. He has been described as one of the “new generation of trade group CEOs” by the Washington Post.

Nichols serves on the board of governors of FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) and is a Corporate Advisory Council member at Children’s National Hospital.

He is a graduate of the George Washington University.

Mark Nutsch
Green Beret Commander Portrayed in the Movie 12 Strong & New York Times Best-Seller, Horse Soldiers

From the battlefield to the business world, Mark Nutsch shares his remarkable story and the secrets to his success—from leading a heroic 12-man Green Beret team in defeating the Taliban to founding a wildly popular and award-winning bourbon brand.

In October 2001 following the attacks on 9/11, Mark Nutsch led a team of U.S. Special Forces on a covert mission to Afghanistan, where they would ride to war on horses to fight the enemy—side by side with their Muslim counterparts—capture the strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif within a matter of weeks, and successfully overthrow the Taliban. Now a consultant to Special Operations Command, he earned a Bronze Star with valor for his bravery. The story inspired a New York Times bestselling book by Doug Stanton, Horse Soldiers, and a 2018 major motion picture called 12 Strong, in which Mark is portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth.

Years after this historic event, Mark and a few of his fellow Green Berets teamed up for a different sort of mission: Co-founding American Freedom Distillery and their signature offering, Horse Soldier Bourbon, which is sold in bottles pressed in molds made from steel salvaged from the World Trade Center site. The company achieved remarkable success, and Horse Soldier Bourbon has won more than 30 awards, including three Double Gold Medals at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition, and in 2024 the brand became the “Official Dark Spirit” Sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders.

On stage, Nutsch enthralls audiences with an edge-of-your-seat, behind-the-scenes account of how this almost unbelievable event played out, impacted the world, and earned them the gratitude of a nation. He also shares his impressive entrepreneurial story, discussing how he and his team applied the lessons they’d learned in the military—deliberate and focused planning, short- and long-term coordination, and maintaining a strategic vision—to grow their business and establish an unforgettable legacy. He inspires audiences to leverage these principles to achieve their own personal and professional goals.

Christopher Olsen
Managing Partner, Olsen Palmer LLC

Christopher Olsen, Managing Partner of Olsen Palmer LLC, has been advising financial institutions for the entirety of his career including on more than 150 M&A transactions and more than $10 billion in total transaction value. He is the #1 ranked individual bank M&A advisor across the U.S. based on the number of transactions he has advised upon over the past 6 years.

Mr. Olsen holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BBA from The George Washington University. He has also completed professional studies at Columbia Law School on The Law of M&A Transactions as well as at the American Bankers Association’s Institute of Banking.
He began his career in banking, first at Norwest Bank (now Wells Fargo) then at a 3-branch community bank.

Originally from the Midwest, Mr. Olsen resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife and 2 daughters.

Douglas E. Parrott
ICBA Secretary
President & CEO, State Bank of Toulon, Toulon, Ill.

Douglas Parrott is secretary of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the only national organization that exclusively represents community banks.

He serves as president and CEO of the State Bank of Toulon, Ill. and holds many roles at ICBA. He is a member of the ICBA Executive Committee, board of directors, and Federal Delegate Board. He also serves on ICBA’s Policy Development Committee and is the Executive Committee liaison to the ThinkTECH Selection Advisory Group and Bank Education Committee.

Active at the local level, Parrott is the treasurer and former chairman of the Black Hawk East College Foundation, president of the Toulon Civic Association, and a board member of the Toulon Lions Club. He is a past chairman and current board member of the Community Bankers Association of Illinois.

Parrott received his associate’s degree in science from Lake Land College and his agricultural economics degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign. He also graduated from the CBAI School for Community Banking, the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wis., and the Moore School of Business Graduate School for Bank Investments and Financial Management, University of South Carolina.

Jen Wagner
Director of Business Development, Cornerstone Advisors

As a business development director, Jennifer Wagner consistently strives to provide Cornerstone Advisors clients with top-notch customer service and satisfaction.  She is always searching for opportunities to foster existing client relationships and build awareness in new markets.

Jen leads Cornerstone’s Preferred Vendor Program and manages relationships with Kansas Bankers Association, Michigan Bankers Association, Pennsylvania Bankers Association, and Synergy by Association. She connects member banks with Cornerstone subject matter experts to drive expense reduction and improve performance.

Jen has been with Cornerstone since 2005. Before her existing role, she was solution operations manager for the company’s Vendor Management and Contract Negotiations practice areas. She also served as an analyst for the Strategy and Execution practice, where she conducted extensive research on a variety of topics, created and evaluated comprehensive surveys, developed complex financial models, and prepared detailed analyses and client deliverables.

Before Cornerstone, Jen worked as a project manager in the banking and oil industries.

Jen holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Bruce Whitehurst
President & CEO, Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association and Virginia Bankers Association

Following a 10-year career in retail and commercial banking, Bruce joined the Virginia Bankers Association in 1993, its 100th anniversary year. He has served as president and chief executive officer of the association since 2007 and was previously executive vice president. Bruce also serves as president and chief executive officer of the Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association, which was formed in July 2024 to combine the Maryland Bankers Association’s and VBA’s organizations and operations.

While at the VBA, Bruce has worked with member banks in a variety of areas, to include government relations, education and training, financial literacy, and partnering with banks in a number of innovative ways to help them enter new lines of business. He also speaks about and on behalf of the industry on a regular basis. 

As a banking industry advocate, Bruce is active at the national level. He served on the American Bankers Association’s Regulatory Reform Task Force during the 2008-2009 financial crisis and served as an ABA Board member and chairman of the Alliance of State Bankers Associations in 2012-2013. He has also served on several other committees and councils at the national level.

Committed to serving his community, Bruce is a director of and has chaired United Methodist Family Services in Richmond, VA and the Virginia Council on Economic Education. 

Bruce received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William & Mary, his MBA from the University of Richmond and is a graduate of the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management.