BANFF, Alberta, Canada – The 2025 ALM First Financial Forum kicked off this week at the Fairmont Banff Springs here.
Highlights from the first day of this industry-leading, three-day conference included a keynote session on Five Practices that Make Leadership Work presented by Dr. Jamie Leddin and the latest Economic & Market Update tailored specifically to financial institutions by Jason Haley, ALM First’s Chief Investment Officer.
By interpreting economic indicators and market conditions, Haley shed light on factors likely to influence depository performance in the year ahead. Haley’s insights highlighted that economic fundamentals are still sound despite the noise and depository institutions have exhibited strong financial performance—with net interest margins at two-decade highs—amidst volatility. Continued discipline in management practices and risk-mitigation strategies will be critical to sustaining performance.
Yesterday also included a general session on Strategic Crossroads: Leading through Uncertainty, along with Looking Back, Leading Forward: Open Forum with ALM First’s Executive Team, which gave attendees an opportunity to engage with the firm’s principals through an interactive Q&A discussion on the top financial and non-financial concerns impacting depositories.
This year, over 200 financial professionals are attending the sold-out conference, ALM First said.
Also this week, two separate education tracks, led by a variety of industry experts, delivered custom-tailored sessions to executives and board members. These sessions covered a wide range of topics including asset liability management, interest rate risk, enterprise risk management, governance, and more. Learn more about the educational resources ALM First offers by visiting www.almfirst.com.