The economic climate remains uncertain with many questions surrounding inflation, growth, and the impact of the Federal Reserve on the financial landscape. We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming conference, which will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing financial institutions in the current environment.
Our conference will feature expert speakers and panelists who will share their insights on various topics, including depository portfolio and balance sheet strategy, municipal credit, and much more. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest trends and best practices in the industry and network with other professionals and thought leaders.
Session highlights include: Navigating the current interest rate environment, developing effective balance sheet strategies, managing risk in a volatile market, and opportunities in the mortgage market.
"Been coming since at least 1994…and think it’s the best in the country, bar none – and I’ve been to MANY."
"For experienced CFOs I found the seminars useful for managing and strategically planning investment portfolios. Delving into greater details of the various investment types along with economic trends and forecasts were what I was looking for."
"I think that this is the best seminar that I have attended. The content was very timely…"
Oz Pearlman is one of the most sought after mentalists in the world. He developed an interest in magic at a young age and what started as a hobby ended up becoming a lifelong passion. After a couple of years spent working on Wall Street, Oz decided to pursue his dream and become a full time entertainer. He has now been dazzling audiences with his mind reading ability for over two decades. In 2018, he joined an elite few, including David Blaine and David Copperfield, to have their own TV special on a major national network. Oz Knows aired on NBC multiples times to rave reviews. The following year he won an Emmy Award for that special. His unique blend of mind reading and mentalism create an interactive experience that is redefining the very nature of a magic show...one that truly needs to be seen to be believed!
Chris Low has been named several times by Bloomberg as the “most accurate forecaster of Treasury note yields.” He is a member of SIFMA’s Economic Committee and the American Bankers Association’s Economic Advisory Committee to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, where he served as Chairman. Chris has been quoted in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and many other publications around the world. He has been with FHN Financial for more than 25 years.
Gray Bowles is the Head of the Portfolio Strategies Group at FHN Financial. With more than 15 years of experience in the fixed income markets, Gray offers a unique perspective for investors and provides value-added insights into portfolio management, asset allocation, and strategy. Gray specializes in creating bespoke investment strategies for depository institutions by taking a holistic view of balance sheet structure, market conditions, and an institution’s specific objectives and risk tolerances.
Steve Twersky is Executive Vice President and Manager of the Depository Support Platform at FHN Financial. This includes responsibility for the Portfolio Strategies Group, Portfolio Accounting and Analytics, and ALM Advisors. In his management role, Steve ensures that FHN Financial’s comprehensive service package for depository institutions remains relevant to the continually changing banking environment. Steve also works directly with customers on balance sheet and investment portfolio strategies and is an expert on regulatory, tax, and accounting issues.
David Howard, CFA is a Senior Vice President in the Portfolio Strategies Group. He brings a wealth of experience across varied sectors of the industry to his role with FHN Financial. As part of the Portfolio Strategies team, David provides analysis and strategies to fixed income portfolio managers. Customers rely on his broad experience with regulatory and accounting issues to maximize balance sheet performance and mitigate risk. He began his career with FHN Financial as a Managing Director of the Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group of FHN Financial Equity Capital Markets, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions and raising capital for banks and thrifts. Prior to joining FHN Financial, he was a senior investment banker for a regional brokerage firm focused on corporate and high yield debt. He also has several years of investment-related experience with large life insurance companies. David has a M.B.A from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his B.S.B.A. in Management and Management Information Systems from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Abigail Urtz manages the Product Strategies and Economics Groups for FHN Financial. She follows general credit trends and sector-specific developments to help customers identify and manage credit risk. Abigail uses her extensive database of municipal credit information to identify relative value opportunities through publications and tailored investment strategies. She developed our proprietary Municipal Credit Review Report, helping customers manage credit exposure in their municipal portfolios. She also pioneered a portfolio screening system to help customers respond to changing credit conditions.
Ryan Henry is Municipal Strategist at FHN Financial. He started his career at FHN Financial in 2016 in the Municipal Strategies Group before leaving to help manage the fixed income portfolio at Silicon Valley Bank in 2019. Ryan rejoined FHN Financial in 2023 and brings a unique background having helped manage a rapidly growing bank portfolio with experience on both the sell-side and buy-side. Ryan helps municipal bond customers assess the municipal credit risk in their portfolio and pinpoint strategies to serve customer needs. Ryan earned his Charted Financial Analyst designation in 2020 and works out of the Scottsdale, Arizona office.
Walt Schmidt, CFA, is a 30-year fixed income veteran with more than two decades spent focusing on mortgage-backed portfolio strategies for money managers, insurance companies, central banks, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, hedge funds, municipalities, and large depositories. Walt is responsible for the management of the Mortgage Strategies area and the coordination of the Structured Product business within the firm. He is a frequent public speaker and panelist in industry and customer-sponsored settings. He has also been widely quoted in the financial press.
Alexis Vilimas is a Vice President in the Mortgage Strategies Group at FHN Financial. She concentrates on relative value analysis and total return portfolio strategies within the mortgage securities market. Her expertise is in evaluating how different mortgage security types will perform in various interest rate, yield curve, volatility, and prepayment environments. Alexis graduated from The University of Chicago with a B.A.in Economics and Public Policy.
Will Compernolle is a Macro Strategist at FHN Financial. He writes daily commentary on interest rate strategy, hosts a strategy-focused podcast for FHN Financial called “Simply Put,” and presents to customers about the most important drivers shaping the macroeconomic environment. Will has a master’s degree in economics from New York University and an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Sophia Kearney-Lederman 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. 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.
Ruben Rodriguez is a Senior Vice President at FHN Financial, leading a strategies team that concentrates on Government Guaranteed Loans and SBA 7(a) pools. His specialty is in SBA pool prepayments, analytics, and portfolio construction. Prior to joining FHN Financial, Ruben was a senior analyst in the Financial Strategies department for Coastal Securities, Inc. – which is now a part of FHN Financial’s Portfolio Strategies Group. Ruben is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where he holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business.
Al Farlow is a Senior Vice President and has been with FHN Financial since 1997 and is currently responsible for managing the Derivative Products Group, where he is involved with customer hedging strategy development and providing hedge accounting support. Al’s prior experience includes management of the FHN Financial ALM Advisors Group and working in the Treasury Department at First Horizon Bank. Al graduated from Miami University (Ohio) with a B.S. in Finance, and earned his M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University (Owen). He has obtained his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR).
For nearly 20 years, Mike DeLisle has helped FHN Financial customers manage the A/L process by developing strategies for improving rate sensitivity. Given current interagency guidance, a significant amount of Mike’s time is spent presenting to boards and executive committees for the purpose of training and overall A/L process management. The overall goal is to accurately measure, monitor, and manage interest rate risk. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis, with a concentration in Finance.
Mitchell Redd is a Senior Vice President of FHN Financial Capital Assets responsible for loan portfolio analysis and implementation of balance sheet management strategies for depositories. His prior experience includes investment banking positions that focused on M&A and capital raising for financial institutions and various positions in regional banking. Mitchell received his MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia and a BA in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University.
Brian Matochik, Senior Vice President in the Derivative Products Group, joined FHN Financial in 2008. Mr. Matochik focuses on customer hedging strategy development and providing hedge accounting support. In addition, he is responsible for derivative trade execution, management, and implementation — concentrating on hedging strategies for community banks. He is involved in all aspects of FHN Financial’s Loan Hedging Program including loan structuring, pricing, trade execution, and customer support. Mr. Matochik graduated summa cum laude from the University of Memphis with a B.A. in International Studies and also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business and Economics.
Jeff K. Davis is the Managing Director of Mercer Capital’s Financial Institutions Group. The Financial Institutions Group works with banks, thrifts, asset managers, insurance companies and agencies, BDCs, REITs, broker-dealers, and financial technology companies. Prior to rejoining Mercer Capital, Davis spent 13 years as a sell-side analyst providing coverage of publicly traded banks and specialty finance companies to institutional investors evaluating common equity and fixed income investment opportunities. His work covering commercial banks was recognized for earnings accuracy and stock picking by Starmine/Forbes in 2005, 2007, and 2009, while his stock selection was ranked second for commercial banks in 2007 by the Wall Street Journal as part of its “Best on the Street” annual ranking of sell-side analysts.
As head of Hovde Group’s Equity Research Department, Brett Rabatin leads a team responsible for coverage of the U.S. regional and community bank sector. In addition to serving as Head of Research, Mr. Rabatin maintains coverage of regional and community bank stocks throughout the United States. Mr. Rabatin has been on the sell-side since 1999, having worked for Piper Jaffray & Co, Sterne Agee, FTN Midwest and JC Bradford. Prior experience also includes an analyst position with Mercer Capital focusing on transaction advisory and valuation services for financial institutions. Mr. Rabatin was recognized as the number-one stock picker in The Wall Street Journal’s Best on The Street survey for banks and thrifts in 2002, among 97 analysts, and recognized as number two overall, all sectors, in 2003 in Forbes and StarMine. He was also the number-one earnings estimator in 2013 and number two in 2004 and 2011 within the bank/thrift sector. Mr. Rabatin is frequently interviewed by industry and other news organizations including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and American Banker. Mr. Rabatin is a University of Memphis graduate and a CFA Charterholder.
