If you've worked in payments for any length of time, you've probably noticed something: the pace of change isn't slowing down.
New payment channels emerge. Fraud tactics evolve. Regulatory expectations shift. Cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated. At the same time, financial institutions are expected to move faster, serve clients better and maintain strong controls around every payment they process. It's a lot, and it’s one of the many reasons we created the Virtual Risk & Compliance Workshop, happening July 20-21.
Over the years, I've had countless conversations with payments professionals who all say some version of the same thing: "We know risk management is important, but we're struggling to keep up with everything coming at us." Honestly, I understand that feeling.
Before joining EPCOR, I worked at a financial institution where balancing day-to-day operational responsibilities with risk and compliance initiatives was a constant challenge. Most professionals aren't sitting around waiting for the next regulatory update or risk assessment. They're processing payments, handling exceptions, answering account holder questions, preparing for audits, implementing new products and solving whatever challenge lands on their desk next.
Finding time to step back and evaluate risk often gets pushed aside—not because it isn't important, but because there's always something more immediate demanding attention. That's exactly why we designed this workshop.
Information Is Everywhere. Knowing What to Do With It Is the Challenge.
Today's payments professionals have access to more information than ever before. Articles, webinars, newsletters and regulatory updates arrive every day. The challenge isn't finding information. It's determining what applies to your institution and what action you should take next. Rather than creating another event that simply delivers information, we wanted to build a workshop focused on application.
Over two days, attendees will work through the issues financial institutions are facing right now, from managing risk in RTP® and FedNow®, to strengthening cybersecurity and data privacy practices, to navigating Regulation E disputes and understanding emerging threats. More importantly, they'll leave with practical approaches they can immediately take back to their institution.
Risk Doesn't Stay in One Department
One thing I've learned throughout my career is that risk rarely exists in isolation.
An operational issue can quickly become a compliance issue. A cybersecurity incident can create reputational damage. A fraud event can trigger regulatory scrutiny. Decisions made in one area of the organization often affect several others.
That's why we've intentionally brought together subject-matter experts with diverse perspectives throughout the workshop. Understanding today's payments environment requires more than expertise in a single payment type or regulation. It requires understanding how operations, fraud, compliance, cybersecurity and risk management all work together. And the professionals who can connect those dots will be better equipped to help their institutions navigate whatever comes next.
Confidence Is One of the Most Valuable Takeaways
One of my favorite parts of teaching is hearing from attendees after an event. Sometimes they tell us they identified a gap in a process they hadn't considered before. Other times, they share that they finally feel confident explaining a complex payments issue to leadership, auditors or examiners.
Those conversations remind me that risk management isn't about checking boxes. It's about making informed decisions, asking the right questions and feeling confident that your institution is prepared.
That's what I hope attendees gain from this workshop. Not just continuing education credits or pages of notes, but practical knowledge they can immediately apply and the confidence to have meaningful conversations within their organizations about the risks they face today, and the ones they'll face tomorrow.
The Best Time to Prepare Is Before You Need To
The payments landscape will continue to evolve. Fraudsters will adapt. Regulations will change. New technologies will reshape how money moves.
The financial institutions that will be most successful aren't the ones that can predict every change, they're the ones that have built a strong foundation for evaluating risk, adapting quickly and making informed decisions.
If you're looking for practical strategies, fresh perspectives and the confidence to tackle today's biggest payments risk and compliance challenges, I hope you'll join us for the Virtual Risk & Compliance Workshop on July 20–21. I’m confident you'll leave with ideas you can put to work long after the workshop ends!