George Mason University
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT CYBERSECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT AND RESILIENCE,
CENTER FOR ASSURANCE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING,
DONALD G. COSTELLO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
and the
FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY CENTER
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT CYBERSECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT AND RESILIENCE,
CENTER FOR ASSURANCE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING,
DONALD G. COSTELLO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
and the
FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY CENTER
CIOs, AI and the Outlook for IT Modernization Conference
AI and Society Focus Sessions:
AI and Healthcare, AI and Government, AI and Education, AI and Financial Services
AI and Healthcare, AI and Government, AI and Education, AI and Financial Services
Global Emerging Technology Demo and Showcase Chaired by International Academy of CIO
(on the conference's 2nd day December 10th)
Join us Tuesday, December 9th and Wednesday, December 10th at 9:30am ET
at
George Mason University, FUSE at Mason Square
(IN PERSON)
or
Virtual
(ONLINE ONLY)
Please Send an Expression of Interest to Present at the December 10th Global Emerging Technology Demo and Showcase
(In Person or Online)
(In Person or Online)
Third Annual Financial Services Symposium: Innovation, Regulation and Risk in 2026
Thursday, March 19th
8:30am -- 5:30pm ET
Arlington, VA
In Person and Online
8:30am -- 5:30pm ET
Arlington, VA
In Person and Online
OVERVIEW
Join George Mason University’s (GMU) Center for Excellence in Government Cybersecurity Risk Management and Resilience (CRC), the Center for Assurance Research and Engineering (CARE), the Donald G. Costello College of Business, the Financial Technology & Cybersecurity Center, and the Women in Housing and Finance (WHF) on March 19th in Arlington, Virginia and online / hybrid for the Third Annual Financial Services Symposium: Innovation, Regulation and Risk in 2026.
21st Century markets are increasingly challenging an aging system of financial oversight created nearly 100 years ago. Whether it is the speed at which money now moves, the explosion of cryptocurrencies and digital assets, the impact of artificial intelligence, or decades-old agency overlaps that impact efficiency and effectiveness of regulation, the system needs modernization if it is to prevent major financial crises in the future.
21st Century markets are increasingly challenging an aging system of financial oversight created nearly 100 years ago. Whether it is the speed at which money now moves, the explosion of cryptocurrencies and digital assets, the impact of artificial intelligence, or decades-old agency overlaps that impact efficiency and effectiveness of regulation, the system needs modernization if it is to prevent major financial crises in the future.
Location
In-person and Online
Fuse at Mason Square, George Mason University, 3401 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, USA
Fuse at Mason Square, George Mason University, 3401 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, USA
Date & Time
Thursday March 19th
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM ET
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM ET
HOSTED BY
Speakers
Click on image for titles and bios
Schedule
Co-Chairs:
Dr. Jean-Pierre Auffret
Co-Director, Center of Excellence in Government Cybersecurity Risk Management and Resilience (CRC), George Mason University
Director, Center for Assurance Research and Engineering (CARE), College of Engineering & Computing, George Mason
Director, Research Partnerships, Donald G. Costello College of Business, George Mason
Thomas Vartanian
Executive Director of the Financial Technology & Cybersecurity Center
Author, 200 Years of American Financial Panics; The Unhackable Internet
Robert Ledig
Managing Director of the Financial Technology & Cybersecurity Center
Heidi S. Wicker
Partner, Stinson LLP
President, Women in Housing and Finance
8:30 – 8:40 a.m. Welcome and Overview
8:40 – 9:10 a.m. Breakfast Fireside Chat: Mortgages, Madoff and Other Financial Disasters
Thomas Vartanian
Stephen Harbeck
Former President and CEO, Securities Investors Protection Corporation
9:10 – 10:00 a.m.
PANEL 1 – Is Bank Regulation Antiquated and How Do We Remake It in The Digital Age?
Richard Alexander
Of Counsel, Arnold & Porter, former Managing Partner & Chair
John Court
EVP & General Counsel, Bank Policy Institute
Margaret Tahyar
Partner and Head of Financial Institutions, Davis Polk
10:00 – 10:20 a.m. In Person Exclusive: Faculty/Audience Donut Networking Break
10:20 – 11:20 a.m.
PANEL 2 – How & When Should Consumer Protection Regulation Be Reconstructed?
Brad Blower
Principal, Inclusive-Partners LLC
Kelvin Chen
Senior Executive Vice President, Head of Policy, Consumer Bankers Association
Adam Rust
Director of Financial Services, Consumer Federation of America
11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.
PANEL 3 – Reimagining Financial Stability Regulation, Deposit Insurance & Central Banking in a Digital World
Alex Pollock
Senior Fellow, Mises Institute
Author, Finance and Philosophy – Why We’re Always Surprised; Surprised Again! – The Covid Crisis and the New Market Bubble
Paolo Saguato
Professor of Law, GMU Scalia Law School, Executive Director of the Program on Financial Markets
Richard Wald
Vice Chairman, Emigrant Bank
12:20 – 1:30 p.m. Buffet Lunch
12:45 – 1:25 p.m. Fireside Chat: The Future of Financial Regulation
Thomas Vartanian
Jelena McWilliams
President, Corporate and External Affairs, Plaid; former Chairman FDIC
Randal Quarles
Chairman, Cynosure Group; former Vice Chair for Supervision, Federal Reserve Board
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
PANEL 4 – How Stablecoins, Cryptocurrency, Tokenized Deposits Will Change Markets and Banking
Coy Garrison
Deputy General Counsel, Crypto, Robinhood
Rick Geloff
Chief Innovation Officer, Bank of North Dakota
Sarah Jane Hughes
University Scholar and Fellow in Commercial Law
Maurer School of Law, Indiana University
Amy Ledig
Vice President, Capital, Accounting and Finance Policy
Independent Community Bankers of America
Peter Wayner
Technology Consultant, Journalist, Author, Disappearing Crypotography
2:45 – 3:00 p.m. In Person Exclusive: Faculty/Audience Donut Networking Break
3:00 – 4:05 p.m.
PANEL 5 – FinTechs, Trust Charters, Skinny Master Accounts – Fads or the Future?
Michele Alt
Co-Founder and Managing Director, Klaros Group
Angelena Bradfield
Head of Policy, Financial Technology Association
Caitlin Long
Founder & CEO, Custodia Bank
Ian Moloney
Chief Policy Officer, American Fintech Council
4:05 – 5:20 p.m.
PANEL 6 – The Evolving Financial Services Ecosystem: How AI, Quantum Computing & Cybercrime Will Impact How We Regulate
John Carlson
Senior Vice President, Cybersecurity Regulation and Resilience, American Bankers Association
Michael Hsu
Venture Partner, Core Innovation; former Acting Comptroller of the Currency
Margaret Paulsen
Senior Legal Group Manager, Markets, Data & Technology, Citi
Brian Peretti
Advisory Board Member, Billington CyberSecurity; former Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Treasury
Gary Rinkerman
Honorary Professor of US Intellectual Property Law at Queen Mary University School of Law, London; Partner, Pierson Ferdinand LLP
5:20 – 5:30 p.m. Closing Audience Comments
ABOUT US
George Mason’s Center of Excellence in Government Cybersecurity Risk Management and Resilience (CRC) was founded in November 2023. The Center of Excellence serves as a strategic partner in federal, state and local government cybersecurity and IT modernization efforts. CRC translates state-of-the-art research into practice, provides executive education and convenes workshops and conferences on current government cybersecurity and IT modernization challenges, disseminates best practices, and fosters cybersecurity and IT modernization organizational capacity within federal, state and local governments. For more information, please visit crc.gmu.edu
The College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University hosts the Center for Assurance Research & Engineering (CARE). CARE’s multidisciplinary approach to cybersecurity encompasses the fields of technology, policy, business and leadership. Through partnerships with government and private industry, innovative research is translated into practices and policies used in real-world settings. Research includes security for distributed systems, mobile apps/devices, industrial control systems, and new technologies such as networked medical devices, as well as policies development for securing critical infrastructure and guidance for cybersecurity leadership/governance. For more information, please visit care.gmu.edu
The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University is one of the largest business schools in Virginia, and is located near Washington, D.C., in Arlington and Fairfax, and at George Mason’s global campus in Incheon, South Korea. The college’s AACSB-accredited business and accounting curricula prepare undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe for career success in business and government. Its research-based faculty and focus on multi-disciplinary academic programs, inclusive entrepreneurship, modular education, experiential learning, and corporate partner engagement are transforming the landscape of business education and workforce development. Learn more at business.gmu.edu
The Financial Technology & Cybersecurity Center® is a non-profit organization that brings together financial services professionals, regulators, trade association representatives, consumer group representatives, counsel and advisors to discuss, debate, and advocate in regard to financial technology and cybersecurity issues and their regulation. It is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. For more information about the Center and to sign up to hear about future events and projects visit fintsc.org
Women in Housing & Finance: For over 40 years, WHF has been a premier, non-partisan association of women and men in Washington, D.C. which actively promotes its members in the fields of housing and financial services while retaining a focus on its women members. WHF presents topical and timely programs, offering opportunities for members to engage with a wide range of public policymakers and private sector leaders, as well as professional development and leadership enrichment opportunities. Learn more at whfdc.org