2026 CONFERENCE AGENDA

Ease into the conference experience by taking advantage of early check-in on Monday afternoon. Pick up your badge, conference materials, and get oriented before the full agenda begins. Early check-in is a great opportunity to…

Join us for an evening of connection and conversation at our Welcome Networking Event. Gather with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors to exchange ideas, share expectations, and forge new relationships over refreshments. As we prepare…

Tuesday morning check-in continues for those arriving day of. Enjoy a hot breakfast while networking with peers and getting ready to tackle a full day of insights and inspiration. With your gear in hand and…

Kick off the conference with a few words from Julie Gaiaschi on important conference announcements, what you can expect from the day, things to know, and more!

Julie Gaiaschi

CEO & Co-Founder | Third Party…

Many businesspeople feel overwhelmed by global changes, resource challenges, and market uncertainties. All of these, combined with high client expectations, can create fatigue, stress, or burnout. To keep climbing these mountains of change, professionals need…

Launching a third-party risk management program is more than building frameworks and processes—it’s about leading change, influencing culture, and earning trust across the organisation. In this roundtable, Verity Billson, Group Head of 3rd Party Management,…

The AI risk landscape has changed dramatically. With new functionalities like Agent builders, Web Search, MCP Servers, and more being added month-month. Teams are navigating the choppy waters of the AI risk landscape impacting operational…

In this session, we’ll explore key trends in regulatory investigation and oversight of third party cyber risk and identify critical program gaps that resulted in breaches and follow-up regulatory investigations. We'll also discuss how AI,…

Thank you to ProcessUnity for becoming a Level 1: Gold Rush Sponsor of our 2026 Conference! Join them for this insightful demo where they'll share the highlights of their products and/or services.

Contracts are more than just a legal formality; they're frontline defense mechanisms. This session will explore the critical clauses and provisions that protect your organization from third-party risks, including cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience.…

Enjoy a networking-focused lunch featuring themed tables designed to spark conversation and build community. Join peers with shared interests or explore new perspectives at Networking Tables hosted by TPRA members, and connect with solution providers at…

In third-party risk management, incidents rarely announce themselves.  They descend suddenly, like a mountain whiteout, obscuring visibility and testing the strength of your preparedness. When disruption strikes a critical third party or your own supply…

Continuous monitoring involves systematically assessing the performance of third-party entities to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and performance standards. This process helps identify potential risks and areas for improvement, allowing for informed decision-making regarding third-party…

Cyber threats now move faster than our controls. From ransomware to AI-driven risks, the landscape demands a new approach to third-party assurance. This discussion examines why static reports and checklists no longer suffice—and how organizations…

Thank you to Vanta for becoming a Level 1: Gold Rush Sponsor of our 2026 Conference! Join them for this insightful demo where they'll share the highlights of their products and/or services.

When a third-party risk team receives a clean SOC 2 report, the reaction is often relief—proof, it seems, that a vendor’s controls are sound and privacy is protected. Yet in today’s threat landscape, where adversaries…

This session empowers third-party risk management (TPRM) professionals to thrive both personally and professionally through the MentaLIFE Framework of Mindset Growth, Stress Management, and Healthy Habits. Participants will learn how to reframe complex challenges—such as…

TPRM Careers & Connections is a dynamic, interactive special event at the 2026 TPRA Conference designed to help attendees grow professionally, strengthen their TPRM programs, and build meaningful connections across the community. This multi-room experience allows…

Room 2: "From Pressure to Power: Mastering Stress in the Modern Workplace" 

This session empowers third-party risk management (TPRM) professionals to thrive both personally and professionally through the MentaLIFE Framework of Mindset Growth, Stress Management,…

Room 3: How I Journey’d to TPRM

Featuring Paul Kurtz, First Century Bank, and Lisa LaBelle, The Hanover Group

In this candid, experience-driven session, speakers will share their personal journeys into TPRM—highlighting pivotal moments, lessons…

Cap off the day with an evening of networking, fun, and celebration at Par-Tee on the Peaks! Enjoy deluxe appetizers, mingle with peers, and take part in some lighthearted competition on our mini-golf course. Each…

Fuel up for the day ahead while connecting with other attendees during a relaxed morning breakfast. Whether you’re debriefing key takeaways from the day before or meeting new contacts, this informal gathering sets the stage…

Opening remarks from Julie Gaiaschi, CEO & Co-founder of TPRA.

Julie Gaiaschi

CEO & Co-Founder | Third Party Risk Association (TPRA)

Julie Gaiaschi, CISA, CISM, is the CEO & Co-Founder of the Third Party Risk…

In this engaging and inspiring keynote, Ashley offers stories and reflective strategies that will allow attendees to step into abundance, freedom, potential and lead others from a place of overflow they’d perhaps never considered possible. Ashley…

Thank you to RiskRecon for becoming a Level 1: Gold Rush Sponsor of our 2026 Conference! Join them for this insightful demo where they'll share the highlights of their products and/or services.

Thank you to Safe Security for becoming a Level 1: Gold Rush Sponsor of our 2026 Conference! Join them for this insightful demo where they'll share the highlights of their products and/or services.

Thank you to Safe Security for being a Level 1: Gold Rush Sponsor of our 2026 Conference! Join them for this insightful demo where they'll share the highlights of their products and/or services.

PRESENTER

Ram Vemula

Head…

While the the last few years have seen an rapid adoption of AI in the TPRM space, this session will talk about why being human is still a key differentiator. In the data driven world…

Discover how internal innovation and automation can transform third-party risk reviews from a slow, manual climb into a streamlined, high-efficiency ascent. This session shares practical strategies and real-world examples of how organizations can build smarter,…

This session explores the practical applications of data intelligence and AI in transforming how we look at operational risk & resilience across TPRM. Together, we will look at how TPRM practitioners are moving beyond traditional…

The session will explore how TPRM can evolve from today’s highly manual, reactive processes into a predictive, data-driven function. It starts by acknowledging that whether teams are early in their journey or running mature programs,…

Thank you to Aravo Solutions for becoming a Level 1: Gold Rush Sponsor of our 2026 Conference! Join them for this insightful demo where they'll share the highlights of their products and/or services.

Lunch on Wednesday will feature dedicated Women In TPRM tables for women in the industry and those who are a part of our Women In TPRM Program. This dedicated networking event provides a supportive space…

Like traversing a narrow mountain ridge, adopting artificial intelligence brings both breathtaking opportunities and steep risks. For third-party risk management (TPRM) professionals, intelligent machines introduce a new layer of complexity; one where innovation, compliance, and…

Provide guidance/best practices on setting up and managing a team with combined functions of TPRM and Procurement.

Keith Frantz

Director, Enterprise Risk Management

Prosper Marketplace

Graduate of Baylor University, worked in Financial Industry for over…

Disruptions rarely stay in one domain—they spread as cascading risk when signals are siloed. This session shows how real-world organizations are connecting cyber, financial, operational, and location intelligence to spot issues earlier and act proactively,…

As organizations move from building to maturing their Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) programs, the focus shifts to speed and efficiency without compromising risk. This presentation reveals how AI-driven tools and intelligent design are cutting third-party…

An opportunity for new practitioners on where to start and what to consider as they build out a formal TPRM program.

Jenn Wilkinson

VP TPRM

Cenlar FSB

I bring over 25 years of experience in…

The increased complexity of the digital supply chain is a significant challenge, especially for regulated industries, such as the financial sector. Regulatory expectations continue to grow around how organizations manage this risk while still driving…

Summit the peaks of TPRM excellence in this session. Navigate the rugged terrain of emerging technologies and innovative strategies reshaping the third party risk management landscape. Explore real-world case studies as trail markers, guiding you…

Day 2 of TPRM Careers & Connections continues the interactive, choose-your-own experience designed to support professional growth, career exploration, and peer connection within the TPRM community. Attendees are encouraged to move freely between rooms to engage…

Gather for one final morning meal to reflect on the week’s highlights, share insights, and connect with peers before the conference concludes. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen relationships and discuss how to put new…

Opening remarks from Julie Gaiaschi, CEO & Co-founder of TPRA

Julie Gaiaschi

CEO & Co-Founder | Third Party Risk Association (TPRA)

Julie Gaiaschi, CISA, CISM, is the CEO & Co-Founder of the Third Party Risk…

At elevations above the tree line, the view becomes panoramic, revealing both the peaks ahead and the pitfalls below. In third-party risk management, regulators are taking a similarly elevated perspective, looking beyond today’s requirements to…

Effective risk metrics and reporting are critical for driving informed decisions and gaining stakeholder confidence. In this interactive roundtable, participants will discuss how organizations define, measure, and report third-party risk across the enterprise. Topics may…

No TPRM program is without exceptions—but how those exceptions are handled can significantly impact risk outcomes. This roundtable will explore best practices for managing TPRM exceptions, risk acceptance decisions, and supporting governance processes. Discussion topics…

Risk ratings are only as effective as the methodology and appetite that underpin them. This session will focus on how organizations design and evolve risk methodologies to ensure risk ratings are meaningful, consistent, and actionable.…

Whether you're new to third-party risk management or a seasoned leader, contracts are a critical part of the terrain we all navigate. This high-level roundtable invites professionals across all stages of their careers to explore…

This industry-focused roundtable brings together TPRM professionals from financial institutions to discuss shared challenges, regulatory expectations, and emerging risks. Topics may include examiner focus areas, model and concentration risk, fintech partnerships, and evolving regulatory guidance.…

Retail and manufacturing organizations face unique third-party risk challenges across complex, global supply chains. This roundtable will provide a forum to discuss vendor risk, fourth-party visibility, operational resilience, and ESG considerations specific to these industries.…

This roundtable is designed for insurance industry professionals to discuss third-party risk management challenges across life, health, auto, and related lines of business. Topics may include regulatory scrutiny, data privacy, claims and service provider risk,…

Technology and FinTech partnerships continue to evolve rapidly, introducing new opportunities—and new risks. This roundtable will explore TPRM challenges unique to technology-driven organizations, including agile development models, cloud and SaaS risk, data security, and rapid…

Our closing lunch offers a chance to unwind, exchange final thoughts, and celebrate the connections made throughout the week. Enjoy great food and conversation as we wrap up Peaks & Pitfalls: Charting the TPRM Terrain and…