The UBA closed its conference year with the Bank Executive Winter Conference at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City on Dec. 2, 2022. Appropriately titled “The New Year Risk Radar,” this year’s event painted a clear picture of where we are as an industry and what lies ahead in 2023.
Wells Fargo Economist Charlie Dougherty kicked off the proceedings with an economic forecast. In his view, it is “more likely than not” that we will see a recession in the second half of next year, but Utah’s population and job growth, among other factors, will hopefully mean a mild downturn.
The Regulator Panel is always a highly-anticipated session during this conference, and this year’s group – Paul Dimapawi from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Kurt Raney from the OCC, Darryle Rude from the Utah DFI, and Wade Walker from the FDIC – had many insights into their top-of-mind issues, including the “Cs” (cannabis, climate, cybersecurity, CRA, crypto, CRE) and labor force. And they advised the audience that ESG bills are coming from both sides, but their main concern will be risk management, not politics.
Next, ABA President Rob Nichols sat down with Howard Headlee to discuss the recent midterm elections and how they might impact banking. Nichols laid out areas where the ABA is on the offensive (SAFE Act), where they are playing defense (Durbin/Marshall Bill), and where they are monitoring (FDIC nominees, House and Senate committees, and the regulatory environment). He also had very firm words about the “misguided” assault on fees – “We should be able to charge fees for services” – and in opposition to the creation of a CBDC – “Let banks be banks.”
During lunch, Nichols addressed the UBA Executive Development Program Class of 2022, and the conference concluded with the presentation of the graduates. See the Executive Development Program Class of 2022 article for more.
