The trends reshaping community banking aren't waiting for the next conference cycle. Market Insights brings research-grounded, candid perspectives on the forces that matter most — and presentations designed to move people to act, not just inform.
Jim Perry spoke about future tech trends and the demographic reality of the longevity economy during the Analyst All Stars session at FinovateSpring in SanDiego, CA in May 2026.
Joe Sullivan presented a general session at Abrigo’s ThinkBIG 2025 Conference in Orlando, FL in May 2025.
Jim Perry shared insights about the aging of America at Midwest Independent BankersBank’s Community Banking Conference in La Vista, NE in April 2026.
featured presentations
When Everything Changes at Once: Three Principles for Leading Through It
The forces reshaping banking aren't just new products or new players — they're rewriting the rules of what banking even is. The infrastructure is changing. The competitive set is changing. Consumer expectations, regulatory frameworks, and the economics of relationship banking are all shifting simultaneously. In moments like these, leaders need more than forecasts — they need a way to think. This keynote offers a practical framework built on three enduring principles — Balance, Simplicity, and Adaptability — as real tools for leading decisively when the old playbook no longer applies. Attendees leave with a clearer sense of why this moment feels different and a mindset built for what comes next.
Banking in the AI-First World: Competing in the Age of Intelligent Systems
Artificial intelligence is no longer a technology initiative — it's becoming the competitive environment in which banking operates. This keynote explores the strategic implications across customer relationships, workforce design, operations, risk, and governance, and what separates institutions capturing new ground from those falling further behind. Attendees leave with a practical framework for identifying where AI creates meaningful value, where human judgment remains essential, and how to compete with confidence as intelligent systems become part of everyday banking.
The Longevity Economy: Rethinking Growth as America Ages
Americans aren't just living longer — they're living differently. This session explores what extended lifespans mean for every generation a bank serves: older adults with 30-year retirements, younger generations facing delayed milestones, and an unprecedented wealth transfer already underway. Practical, data-driven, and surprisingly urgent.
The Future Consumer: What's New? What's Next?
Consumer behavior is evolving faster than most institutions can track. This always-updated session covers the demographic, technological, and behavioral shifts defining how people choose, use, and stay loyal to a financial institution — and what it takes to compete for their business in 2026 and beyond.
Strategic Readiness in an Era of Merger & Acquisition: Strengthening Strategic Optionality
Profitability alone no longer guarantees clarity about the future. Are we positioned to remain independent? Would an acquisition strengthen our franchise or dilute it? If approached, would we sell from strength — or simply react? This session - presented in colloboration with Steven Ramirez at Beyond the Arc, Inc. - introduces a diagnostic framework for assessing strategic readiness before formal M&A conversations begin, reframing bank performance as a set of strategic signals that either expand or narrow real options over time. Attendees leave better equipped for honest, proactive board-level conversations before transaction pressure enters the room.
Marketing for the Agentic Era: How AI Is Changing How Consumers Find, Choose, and Buy Financial Services
AI is transforming more than banking — it's transforming marketing itself. As AI assistants, intelligent search, and autonomous agents become trusted intermediaries, the traditional marketing funnel is giving way to AI-mediated journeys where algorithms increasingly influence which institutions get considered, trusted, and chosen. Attendees leave with a framework for staying discoverable, relevant, and trusted in a marketplace where consumers are no longer the only audience. AI systems are too.
our speakers
Joe Sullivan is the CEO and Founder of Market Insights and one of the most energetic voices in community banking. For more than 30 years he has helped bank and credit union leaders navigate growth, change, and strategic uncertainty — from the front of the room at state banking associations and graduate banking schools to the boardroom. His sessions are known for challenging conventional thinking and leaving audiences with a clear point of view and a renewed sense of purpose.
Jim Perry is the Senior Strategist at Market Insights and a trusted advisor to financial institutions across the country. He speaks regularly at conferences and on webinars, and is a familiar voice on leading industry podcasts including Breaking Banks, Banking Transformed, and the American Banker Podcast. He co-founded the Fintech Book Club on LinkedIn and writes the Banking Forward newsletter. Audiences leave his sessions with a clearer sense of what's actually changing — and what to do about it.
