The New Jersey Bankers Association hosted its Banking on the Future Conference from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, bringing together industry leaders to discuss key issues facing the banking sector.
The event featured networking opportunities, policy debates, discussions about the upcoming gubernatorial election and panels on the role of artificial intelligence in banking.
Michael Affuso, president and CEO of the NJ Bankers Association, said, “I hope that our managing officers and directors and senior managers here get some insights as to what they’re going to see as 2025 closes out and as 2026 develops.”
Affuso emphasized how banks must position themselves to better serve local communities. “In order to support communities in the future, our banks have to focus on what federal interest rate policy is … as well as on emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and how you’re going to bring those emerging technologies to the fore to benefit both your customers and create efficiencies for your stock owners,” he said.
He also pointed to compliance as one of the most pressing challenges in banking today. “It becomes very difficult to comply with an ever-changing environment when you don’t know exactly where the regulatory body is going because the guidance is either not clear or consistently shifting,” Affuso said.
With the banking industry constantly evolving, leaders stressed the importance of staying prepared for what’s next by embracing innovation and adapting to rapid change.
