Speaker Bios for FRSS 2010

Mike Bender, Chief Executive Officer, Velocity Solutions

Mike has extensive experience working with financial institutions to develop solutions to boost profitability and acquire new customers. He has developed successful programs such as Account Revenue Solution™, Intelligent Merchant Solution™, Invitation Checking System™, and My Interest Checking™.

In 1995, he co-founded the company, then known as Image Products, along with his wife Bridget. Mike maintains an active role in the day-to-day operations of the company, specializing in the development of new solutions.

Prior to starting this company, Mike directed the product development, in-house manufacturing, distribution, company store development, and catalog production for the logo programs of Piper Aircraft, Cessna Aircraft, Piedmont Airlines and numerous other smaller companies.

Steve Bridges, Impressionist

Every American boy is told they might grow up to be President of the United States. Steve Bridges never doubted his father’s words, but immediately started to mimic them. From a very early age, Bridges entertained his family and friends with uncanny, hilarious impressions of anyone within earshot.

When Bridges’ family eventually settled in California, he set to work honing his performance skills. As a young man, he obtained extensive acting and voice-over coaching in Los Angeles, even spending time with the notorious Groundlings improvisation troupe.

Bridges developed a repertoire of over 200 impressions, including TV characters Barney Fife and Homer Simpson, broadcasters Tom Brokaw, Paul Harvey and Rush Limbaugh; but it was his chilling embodiment of political leaders Bill Clinton and Al Gore that rapidly established him as a premier vocal impressionist.

Applying “executive” skills and vision, Bridges gathered a “creative cabinet” in 2002 that has changed the world of comedy.

David Furnace, Consulting Partner, Velocity Solutions

David started his career in banking in 1983 at a community bank in Texas. Over the course of 11 years with the bank, David became the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

After a rewarding career as a banker, David joined Alex Sheshunoff Management Services of Austin, Texas in 1994. He began as a consultant for Sheshunoff in the areas of bank operations and technology consulting. In that capacity David worked with hundreds of financial institutions nationwide assisting them with technology planning, core vendor selection, strategic planning, profitability improvement and efficiency enhancement.

David co-founded Furnace, Giltner and Associates in 2005 along with Bob Giltner. The marketing and data services firm focused on driving debit related revenue in the financial industry. In 2008, the firm was acquired by Velocity Solutions.

David is a frequent speaker at state and national banking association meetings and seminars on a number of topics including revenue enhancement, high-performance banking, strategic planning, and earnings improvement. David has a Bachelor of Science degree from Baylor University.

Bob Giltner, Consulting Partner, Velocity Solutions

Bob has nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He co-founded Furnace, Giltner and Associates in 2005 along with David Furnace. The marketing and data services firm focused on driving debit related revenue in the financial industry. In 2008, the firm was acquired by Velocity Solutions. He has helped develop new programs such as Intelligent Limit System™, Relationship Rebate Solution™, and Reg. E Opt-In Solution™.

Bob has taught at the Sheshunoff CEO Affiliation Program, the Prochnow Graduate School of Banking, and has been a frequent speaker for the ABA, BMA, BAI and at many other conferences. He has published numerous articles in BAI Banking Strategies, Commercial Lending Review, Bank Cost Accounting, Bank Accounting and Finance, and Bank Compliance Management. He co-authored the American Banker Association publication, Overdraft Protection: A Guide for Bankers, and provided testimony for the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services. Bob holds a BA in Economics from Centre College, and an MBA from the University of Virginia.

Brian Grubb, Corporate Director of Learning & Content Delivery, Ritz-Carlton

Brian is a certified speaker for The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center – a Corporate University ranked #1 out of the Top 125 global training companies for 2007 by Training Magazine. He travels extensively to share The Ritz-Carlton’s best practices, philosophy and culture with various companies across diverse industries. Brian’s travels include making presentations and extended corporate consultation providing opportunities to leadership and learning professionals who are interested in benchmarking our human resources, leadership, quality and training processes that led to winning the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Award in 1992 and 1999. Additionally, Brian facilitates sessions at our corporate headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Prior to his current assignment, Brian was the Director of Training & Organizational Effectiveness for The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Brian was directly responsible for all training and organizational effectiveness of over 900 ladies and gentlemen through the study and implementation of Total Quality Management processes in a world-class hotel. Brian’s duties and responsibilities included service and delivery of all designated training programs.

Brian joined the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in 2001 as a Lobby Concierge while holding the titles of Quality Leader and Department Trainer. He was promoted to Quality and Training Manager and then to the Director of Training and Organizational Effectiveness prior to his current position.

Erik Hoghaug, Managing Director/Consultant, Velocity Solutions

 Erik has over 20 years of experience, bringing with him an extensive background in the financial industry both as a banker and a consultant. Erik has spent the last 14 years as a consultant working with hundreds of financial institutions and is a frequent speaker on various banking topics. He has helped develop new programs such as Intelligent Limit System™ and Reg. E Opt-In Solution™.

Prior to his consulting career, Erik served as Executive Banking Officer and a member of the Board of Directors at a family owned community bank in North Dakota. He also served four years in the George H. W. Bush Administration working for two cabinet secretaries, U.S. Secretary of State, James A. Baker, III and U.S. Transportation Secretary and Chief of Staff to the President, Samuel K. Skinner. Erik was also appointed Associate Director of the Office of Political Affairs for the White House.

Erik has taught courses at several banking schools including the Dakota School of Banking, the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, the Southeastern School of Banking, and the BAI Graduate School of Banking. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Pepperdine University.

Christopher Leonard, COO and General Counsel, Velocity Solutions

Christopher is responsible for many of the day-to-day operations of the company, including oversight of human resources, contract negotiations, insurance, finance, real estate, nationwide fulfillment and distribution, and the company’s intellectual property portfolio. He also serves as a resource for clients on regulatory and tax issues affecting the financial and insurance industries, including Regulation E (Electronic Fund Transfers; Requirements for Overdraft Services), Regulation Q (Premiums on Deposits), Regulation DD (Truth in Savings), Gramm-Leach-Bliley (Financial Privacy Rule), W-2 issues in employee incentive programs, HIPAA nondiscrimination rules for wellness programs, and 1099 issues for deposit accounts.

Prior to joining the company in 2005, Christopher was a corporate and tax partner with Wilmington, North Carolina's largest law firm, where he worked with privately and publicly held corporations in various transactional, compliance and advisory capacities. He also served as counsel to Velocity Solutions advising on, among other things, regulatory and tax issues affecting the banking and health insurance industries.

Christopher received his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from Wake Forest University. He has served in leadership roles in various nonprofit organizations, including serving as president of the Community Boys & Girls Club of Wilmington, NC, chairman of the Foundation for the Community Boys & Girls Club, a founding director and vice president of the St. James Parish Foundation, and a member of the Board of Visitors of the Wake Forest University Divinity School.

Doreen Rademacher, Director of Product Development, Velocity Solutions

Doreen specializes in assisting financial institutions to improve profitability by attracting core deposit relationships and enhancing the value of each with successful acquisition, and on-boarding strategies. She also heads the organization’s merchant rewards effort.

Prior to joining Velocity Solutions in 2007, Doreen spent 18 years with Independent Bank Corporation, a $3 billion bank holding company headquartered in Michigan.

In 1996, Doreen became Vice President of Retail Sales and Service and was responsible for successfully developing the company’s strategy for account acquisition, cross selling, branch incentives and non-interest income growth.

Doreen holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Journalism from Central Michigan University. She graduated with top honors from the Robert M. Perry School of Banking at Central Michigan University, earning a seat on the school’s Board of Trustees and the Prochnow Educational Foundation Scholarship to attend the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Robert E. Sterner, Executive Vice President, Velocity Solutions

Robert and his team have successfully implemented profitable strategies and account acquisition programs for hundreds of financial institutions across the United States.  Since joining the organization in 2003, Bob has supervised the customer service department, managed the GIFT^® program, and spearheaded all sales efforts.

He brings more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality and customer service industries to the organization. Robert has a BS in Business Management from UNC Wilmington’s Cameron School of Business.

Mark Tenhundfeld, SVP, Office of Regulatory Policy, American Bankers Association

Mark came to the ABA in 2006 from Promontory Interfinancial Network, where he served as general counsel.  Prior to Promontory, Mark served as general counsel to the Federal Housing Finance Board and worked in the legal divisions of the Federal Reserve Board and the Comptroller of the Currency.  He also has represented financial institutions in transactional and compliance matters as a partner in the law firm of Miller, Hamilton, Snider and Odom, LLC (now Jones, Walker).  Mark received his law degree from Vanderbilt University and his undergraduate degree from Yale University.