Strong communication skills are key to building a healthy and productive workplace — but knowing how to handle conflict and tough conversations can be challenging.

In this session, Jennifer McGuinness, CEO of Pivot Financial, shares practical strategies for strengthening professional relationships, setting boundaries, and navigating difficult discussions with confidence.

You’ll learn how to:

• Address conflict respectfully and directly
• Give and receive feedback with impact
• Approach high-stakes conversations with professionalism and ease

Whether you’re managing a team or working alongside peers, this episode offers actionable tools to help you foster clarity, trust, and composure in any workplace dynamic.

Victoria Arlen’s life drastically changed in 2006 at the tender age of eleven when she developed two rare conditions known as Transverse Myelitis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis. This was an incredibly rare scenario and Victoria quickly lost the ability to speak, eat, walk and move. She slipped into a vegetative state in which doctors had written her off as a lost cause. Victoria spent nearly four years “locked” inside her own body completely aware of what was going on just unable to move or communicate. Doctors believed there was little hope of survival and recovery was unlikely. Victoria, however was not ready to give up. In 2010 after almost four years she began the nearly impossible fight back to life. Learning how to speak, eat and move all over again.

Victoria went on to exceedingly defy the odds and not only recovered but has since become an accomplished motivational speaker, television host and swimmer. Her swimming resume includes three Silvers and a Gold medal from the London 2012 Paralympic Games as well as multiple World, American and Pan American Records.

In April 2015, Victoria made the transition from professional athlete to sportscaster and joined ESPN as one of the youngest on air talents hired by the company and reports and hosts across all platforms. In the Spring of 2016 Victoria defied yet another odd and after spending nearly a decade in a wheelchair paralyzed from the waist down was able to learn how take one step after another and eventually not only did she learn how to walk but within a year and a half in the Fall of 2017 she learned to dance as a contestant on Season 25 of Dancing with the Stars. Victoria and her dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy quickly became fan favorites.

Since winning her gold medal in 2012, embarking on her broadcasting career with ESPN, and gracing the dance floor of Hollywood, Victoria has been invited to share her incredible story across the country and has honed herself into emotionally powerful keynote speaker. Through her own heart-wrenching story, Victoria shares her BREAKTHROUGH FORMULA for overcoming even life’s darkest challenges. She talks about finding gratitude, alternative perspective, creating hope, and the power of unrelenting effort. She shares her recipe for using the obstacles in life to create leverage for long lasting, meaningful change through a story your audience will never forget.

See Victoria's story here.

We’ll take a quick networking break over complimentary Mimosas, Bellinis and more!

A personal look into the journey of a credit union CEO as an introvert and reluctant leader. This presentation from Michelle Dwyer, president and CEO of First Franklin Credit Union in Greenfield, Mass., shares firsthand experience of balancing the demands of constant communication, public visibility, and decision-making with the need for solitude. It explores the internal struggles of managing energy, self-worth, and honesty in a world that often demands leaders to compromise one’s authentic nature. Through honest stories and practical insights, this session reveals how embracing introversion can shape a unique and effective leadership style.

Support for, and recognition of, the need for banks that hone their services for the most needy has been changing over the past year. But the work that Mission Driven Institutions play in bringing lending to disadvantaged communities is more important than ever. National Bankers Association research demonstrated that communities with MDI presence have better credit health – as measured by factors like credit score, total credit available, credit utilization, and delinquency rates – relative to demographically similar communities that do not have an MDI branch. The New England Women In Banking Conference is proud to welcome Nicole Elam, Esq., president and CEO of the National Bankers Association, to speak about advocacy and how the National Bankers Association is consistently working to enable strong, healthy, and financially sound minority communities by securing the financial health of MDIs.

There is nothing like the power of possibility that women bring to an organization.  We’re bringing together top executives from several community banks and credit unions to discuss their career experiences and share their wisdom on how to be a leader for change and empowerment at your institution. Panelists include Maura Malo, President and CEO of Connecticut’s Northwest Community Bank, and Tammy Richards, chief innovation officer of NEXA Lending with a resume encompassing stints at Liberty Bank, Wells Fargo and Bank of America.

Please join us in celebrating this year’s selection of powerful and promising women who have made significant contributions in the banking and lending industries.