Gary is an accomplished industry strategist with extensive experience in financial services, where he has made significant contributions to advanced analytics and AI. Gary spent over three decades at Wells Fargo Bank as the Director of Advanced Analytics at the forefront of innovation during the transformational era of “anytime, anywhere” banking. His visionary leadership has shaped the landscape of financial services through innovation, data-driven insights, and strategic thinking.
Daniel Pische is Director of the Office of Financial Assistance within the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Capital Access, where he leads the strategic planning, development, and modernization of the SBA 7(a), 504, and Microloan programs. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, he oversees commercial loan policies that support more than $50 billion in small business financing annually, driving job creation and investment in communities nationwide.
He leads new program development and major enhancements – including the Working Capital Pilot, Manufacturers’ Access to Revolving Credit (MARC), and the expansion of the International Trade Loan program – to streamline lender participation and better align SBA lending with the needs of today’s small businesses.
Prior to joining SBA, Daniel spent more than 15 years in commercial banking, where he led a Trade Finance Division and served on the bank’s Senior Loan Committee. He holds a BS in Finance from Northern Illinois University and is an Evans Scholar alumnus.
Benjamin (Ben) Shoemake serves as Senior Vice President and Head of Small Business at First Horizon Bank (NYSE: FHN). Since joining the bank in 2021, he has applied more than 20 years of banking and finance expertise to help clients and communities across the Southeast grow and succeed.
Shoemake’s leadership experience includes key roles with RBC Bank and Wachovia. He is an Appalachian State University graduate and actively supports the university as a member of the Athletics Council.
Brian Waldron serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Dort Financial Credit Union, bringing more than 20 years of lending and operational leadership within the credit union industry. Throughout his career, he has championed the credit union philosophy of people helping people and remains committed to expanding financial access and education for individuals of all ages.
Waldron is a frequent speaker and panelist for industry events and media outlets nationwide. A strong advocate for financial literacy, he works to empower both youth and adults with the knowledge needed to build financial well-being. Deeply invested in the communities where he lives and works, he is dedicated to service and meaningful local impact.
A graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Waldron resides in Clarkston, Michigan with his wife, Alicia; their three sons—Bryce, Cody, and Ethan—and their four dogs: Lucky, Oliver, Charlotte, and Penny. Outside of work, he enjoys boating, spending time on Lake Michigan, and traveling.
Jonas Ng currently serves as the Head of Small Business Banking at Valley Bank, leading small business strategy and focused on delivering relationship-driven financial solutions that help business owners operate efficiently and scale with confidence. He is delivering enhanced capabilities that leverage AI technologies across deposits and lending and across all client channels to deliver superior customer experiences.
Prior to his current role, Jonas served as KeyBank’s Senior Director of Business/Technology Optimization for KeyBank’s Real Estate Capital division, where he led technology strategy across process improvements data/ reporting/ compliance, AI/ML, and digital interactions. He also served as Head of Fintech Strategy, Head of Digital for KeyBank’s Commercial Banking & Payments division, and later as COO of Laurel Road (KeyBank’s Fintech subsidiary). Prior to that, he led KeyBank’s Financial Wellness Product Team as the Strategy leader, developing a comprehensive strategy to bring Financial Wellness to market for KeyBank’s Consumer Bank.
Prior to KeyBank, Jonas worked at Nationwide, Discover Card, Enova Financial, MBNA America (Bank of America), and seven start-ups and consulting boutiques. He has held roles as a COO, CMO, Chief Product Officer, Chief Digital Officer, and other leadership positions in Finance, Operations, Strategy, Business Development, M&A, full-stack software development, and Innovation. He has built patented credit decisioning and instant credit platforms; developed neural-net fraud models; led B2B and Fintech partnerships; and launched Innovation labs at several companies.
Jonas is also the Co-Founder of PersonaPick.com, an AI recommendation platform that helps high school students find their best-fit college match.
Elaine Szeto is the Executive Vice President, Chief Innovation Officer, and Founder of Integro Bank. Having built the bank from the ground up, Elaine oversees Investor Relations, leads the bank’s business strategic plan, and is responsible for the top deliverables via operational excellence and innovation. By providing leading-edge financial offerings, proprietary INTEGRO360SM services, and driving best-in-class client experience to position organizations for success which fuels business and employment growth. She also pioneered, built, and currently chairs the Integro CEO Club program; a flagship program that benefits hundreds of CEOs and business leaders that scale the bank’s growth.
With over 30 years of experience driving innovation, revenue growth, and technology transformation, Elaine has launched more than 100 enterprise-level products across Fortune 500 companies via her strategic leadership.
Before her tenure at Integro Bank, Szeto held the position of Chief Product Officer at Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL), where she played a pivotal role in driving revenue growth through strategic initiatives and digital transformation efforts.
Szeto’s influence extends beyond the confines of traditional banking, as she has actively collaborated with fintech partners to shape product roadmaps and drive innovation within the industry. Her leadership roles at PNC Bank and Mutual of Omaha Bank (now First Citizens) further solidify her expertise in enterprise strategic project management, go-to-market strategies, and treasury management.
An honors graduate of Case Western Reserve University, Elaine holds an MBA and a B.S. in Finance (Magna Cum Laude). She is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) and has completed executive education at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Beyond her professional achievements, Szeto is committed to fostering leadership and diversity initiatives which has led to her being recognized with The Multicultural Leadership Award. She has chaired several leadership programs, including The Commonwealth Institute’s Top Women-Led Businesses and the YWCA. Additionally, Szeto has served on the board of governors for both the Diversity Council and the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art. She currently serves as a Board Director for Arizona Banker Association, a Board Director for the Phoenix Community Alliance (PCA), and a Board Member for Integro Bank Foundation, contributing to initiatives that strengthen Arizona’s business and community landscape.
Szeto’s influence extends to the payment industry, where she is actively involved in organizations such as the National Association for Financial Professionals and the NACHA Payment Innovation Alliance. Through strategic innovation, community leadership, and a commitment to excellence, Elaine Szeto continues to shape the future of banking.
Claudia Adamson is the head of small business banking for Truist Financial Corporation, a purpose-driven financial services organization committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. As part of the Consumer and Small Business Banking leadership team, Adamson leads the team serving small business clients with personalized advice and specialized financial solutions delivered through caring partnerships within the most attractive growth markets in the U.S.
In her role, Adamson oversees strategic execution for all areas of small business banking including deposits, lending, and payments solutions; data and analytics, operations and governance, and client experience for more than 1.2 million small business clients through a multi-channel approach. She joined Truist in June 2025 and is a member of Truist’s Operating Council.
Adamson has more than 20 years of experience focusing on small and midsize enterprise, middle market and large corporate sector clients. Prior to joining Truist, she served as managing director, U.S. head of business banking, and as part of the executive committee for the U.S. commercial bank at HSBC. During her 10-year tenure, she also served as regional executive of corporate banking and U.S. head of sales intelligence for U.S. commercial banking along with championing culture and employee engagement as U.S. head of people excellence. Previously, she served as director and regional executive for London corporate banking at Barclays.
Adamson’s experience includes leveraging technology to enhance client outcomes and drive efficiency; digital transformation, including the deployment of a virtual business banker model and other digital-first strategies; and data analytics and sales intelligence to drive revenue growth.
Adamson holds a bachelor’s in mathematics and computer science from Converse University and studied at the London Business School.
Shawn O’Brien is Executive Vice President and Consumer and Business Banking Group Executive of Atlantic Union Bank with responsibility for consumer, small business and business banking across the entire bank footprint.
Shawn is a career banker with over 25 years of experience in the finance industry, and is passionate about finding ways to make banking simpler and more valuable for every customer. Prior to Atlantic Union Bank, he was most recently Executive Vice President, Consumer Segment Group and Business Planning for BBVA Compass Bank where he was responsible for the bank’s consumer clients in branch and digital channels. He also held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility at BBVA Compass including: Deposit and Payment Products, Strategic Planning and Corporate Planning and Analysis. Shawn began his banking career at Huntington National Bank in the retail branch network and product management.
Shawn holds an MBA from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Philosophy from Miami University.
Tom Gregory is Head of Treasury Management, Merchant & Government Banking at TD Bank U.S. In this role, he leads the delivery of working capital management and payment processing solutions for commercial, corporate, government and institutional clients.
Tom brings nearly 40 years of experience in payments and corporate treasury management. Prior to joining TD, he served as Director of Decision Support Consulting Services at Automated Financial Systems in Exton, Pennsylvania, where he partnered with several of the top 50 U.S. banks to improve productivity, strengthen management information systems and enhance performance across cash management and commercial lending.
Earlier in his career, Tom led Global & Specialized Cash Management Sales at CoreStates, a Wells Fargo legacy institution. He has also held industry leadership roles, including Chairperson of NACHA’s EDI Council and Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Commerce Advisor, a publication of Warren, Gorham & Lamont.
Tom completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies at Drexel University in Philadelphia and resides in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.