BPFI’s 2026 National Banking Conference, Supporting Growth, Resilience and Adaptability, brought together speakers and guests from across the banking sector, government and regulatory community for a day of lively discussion and insight in a packed Round Room at the Mansion House.
Conference chair Bryan Dobson moderated panel discussions on:
- Adapting Banking for Customers and the Economy – Growth and Resilience in Focus, with panellists Elaine Deehan, Country Manager for Ireland, Monzo Bank; Patrick Farrell, Chief Retail Banking Officer, PTSB; John Feeney, Chief Executive, Corporate & Commercial Banking, Bank of Ireland; and Pat Horgan, Head of Business Banking Capital Markets, AIB.
- Mobilising Savings for Investment – Confidence, Capability and Protection, featuring James Costello, Head of Portfolio Management Group, Davy; Kate Fitzpatrick, Education and Financial Inclusion Executive, MABS Support CLG; and Ciara Ryan, Head of Wealth & General Insurance, AIB Retail Bank.
- Advancing the Irish EU Presidency – How to Build a More Competitive Financial Services System, with panellists Niall Casey, Deputy Head of Representation, European Commission Representation in Ireland; Emma Cunningham, Assistant Secretary General, International and EU Division, Department of Finance; Brian Hayes, Chief Executive, BPFI; and Mícheál O’Keeffe, Director of Policy and International, Central Bank of Ireland.
- A fireside chat on Ireland’s Economic Outlook – Risks, Resilience and Opportunity, featuring Seamus Coffey, Lecturer in Economics, UCC and Chair of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council; Simon Coveney, Consultant, Geopolitical Strategy Unit, EY; and Michael Lohan, Chief Executive, IDA Ireland
Other highlights included:
- Closing keynote by Simon Harris, An Tánaiste and Minister for Finance.
- Keynote by Omar Ali CBE, EY Global Financial Services Leader and Chair of TheCityUK, on Bank to the Future – The March of AI.
- Keynote by Kathrina Murphy, Partner, Financial Services Consulting – Lead AI & Data, EY, on Banking for a New Era of Choice.
- Presentation by John McCarthy, Chief Economist, Department of Finance, on Economic Resilience in Practice: Lessons from Today and the Decade Ahead.
- Presentation by Sharon Brennan, Head of Collaboration Office, BPFI, on Zippay Unzipped – The Journey So Far and What’s to Come.
We would like to thank our sponsors, EY and IOB, for their valued support.
You can watch highlights from the conference in this video.
