CEO Welcome and Kick-off

Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, IRI

Break

CEO Perspectives: Leadership in Times of Disruption

Great leaders shine in times of crisis, and this panel features three of the best in our industry. The year 2020 has seen a worldwide pandemic, volatile markets, a historic low-interest-rate environment, and significant social injustice. Learn first-hand how some of our industry’s leading CEOs have maintained and modified their leadership styles in this environment and how the challenges we have all faced this year have shaped them and the teams that they lead.

Panel:
Adam Antoniades, CEO, Cetera Financial Group
Jenny Johnson, President and CEO, Franklin Templeton Investments
Margaret Meister, President and CEO, Symetra Financial

Moderator:
Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, IRI

Break

The Bus Ride

Always living his life outside the box, Jesse was a rapper on MTV, co-founded the world’s largest prepaid private jet company, helped pioneer the coconut water craze, ran a 100-mile race and has spent time living with a group of monks and a Navy SEAL. Since few are ready to take on these challenges themselves, learn valuable life lessons from Jesse’s experiences and how you can build your own life resume.

Keynote:
Jesse Itzler

SPONSORED BY:

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Annuities as Tools to Generate Income & Preserve Wealth

Approved for 1 hour of CE Credit with the CFP Board

In this ultra-low interest rate environment, it is impossible to generate meaningful retirement income without tapping into risk assets. However, consumers who are apprehensive about markets may have difficulty living with the volatility of those assets. Hear a panel of industry experts discuss how annuities are helping to reconcile the dichotomy between optimized portfolios and low risk tolerance, helping consumers maximize income and grow and preserve wealth.

Panel:
Greg Jaeck, Senior Product Leader, Insurance and Annuity Products, Edward Jones
Alison Reed, Executive Vice President, Product Solutions, Jackson National Life Distributors LLC
Katherine Roy, Chief Retirement Strategist and Head of Individual Retirement, J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Moderator:
Christine Tucker, Vice President, Marketing, Pacific Life

The Partnership Trifecta: Operations, Technology, and Regulation Working in Lockstep

Our traditional, pen- and paper-based ways of working are no longer viable in today’s marketplace. We need to drive innovative digital solutions to deliver a frictionless end-to-end advisor and customer experience. IRI’s ops and tech community has developed four Guiding Principles to transform a traditional business model into the digital era. Coupled with this transformative evolution is the ever-changing regulatory framework for the retirement income industry that also affects the service delivery experience. Ensuring these changes evolve in lockstep is paramount to industry success. This panel will discuss the operational and technology implementation needed to aid these important transformations in our industry.

Panel:
Heidi Kaiser, Chief Compliance Officer, Jackson National Life Insurance Co.
Tom Vano, Vice President, Service, Trading, and Operations, LPL Financial

Moderator:
Eric Henderson, President, Annuities, Nationwide

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Low for Long: Product Development in a Challenging Era

Approved for 1 hour of CE Credit with the CFP Board

Protracted ultra-low interest rates are prompting the industry to retool and reimagine products to maintain profitability and capacity, while continuing to deliver value. A tall order, but history demonstrates that insurers are both resilient and creative during difficult times. During this discussion among industry veterans you will learn more about product development trends in annuities, funds, and indexes — what’s working, what isn’t, and how companies are navigating rough seas and continuing to offer value to advisors and investors.

Panel:
Alan Assner, Vice President, Head of Product Development, Brighthouse Financial
Eric Boucher, Senior Director, Product, Pricing, & Solution Implementation, Transamerica
Melissa Buccilli, Head of Retirement Insurance, BlackRock
Peter Tian, Head of Pricing & Inforce Management, Individual Retirement, Equitable

Moderator:
Tamiko Toland, Head of Annuity Research, CANNEX

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The Long and Winding Road to a Best Interest Standard: A Look Back and a Look Ahead

Approved for 1 hour of CE Credit with the CFP Board

IRI and its members have long supported the principle that financial professionals should be required to act in their clients’ best interest. Now, after more than a decade, federal and state policymakers have successfully developed a clear, consistent, and workable best interest standard that will provide meaningful and effective consumer protections without depriving Americans of access to valuable financial products and services. The SEC’s Reg BI is now in effect, the NAIC’s new best interest rules will take effect in the first two states in 2021, and the DOL is in the midst of evaluating public comments on a proposal intended to align with the SEC and NAIC rules. In this session, a panel of current and former regulators who helped to drive this critical initiative will share their insights and guidance to help attendees navigate the new landscape and understand how it could further evolve in the future.

Panel:
Dean Cameron, Director, Idaho Department of Insurance, Vice President, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
Bradford Campbell, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Former Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
Thomas Selman, Founder, Scopus Financial Group, Former Executive Vice President for Regulatory Policy and Legal Compliance Officer, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)

Moderator:
Jason Berkowitz, Chief Legal and Regulatory Affairs Officer, IRI

The Power of Hope

In this session, Pulitzer Prize-winner, Jon Meacham, draws from his latest book release, His Truth Is Marching On. Sharing years of interviews with Lewis, Meacham paints an intimate and revealing portrait of the civil rights icon and longtime U.S. Congressman John Lewis, linking his life to the painful quest for justice in America from the 1950s to the present. Mr. Meacham will also discuss the impact that the current environment has had on voters and the impact that this might have on the upcoming elections.

Keynote:
Jon Meacham

SPONSORED BY:

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Examining Ourselves and Our Industry: Rewriting the Playbook for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

A renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our industry and in our nation has many business leaders seeking out best practices for their organizations. Taking swift, immediate action is paramount. Hear industry leaders share success stories about DEI initiatives that have been launched at their companies and learn how you can bring the same ideas to life in your own business.

Panel:
Angela Bretz, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Nationwide
Darryl Gibbs, Lead Director & Associate General Counsel, Equitable
Holly Waters, Chief People Officer, Transamerica

Moderator:
Cheri Belski, Head of Retirement, U.S. Intermediaries, T. Rowe Price

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The Impact of Social Distancing on Our Business Part 1: The Advisor Perspective

Approved for 1 hour of CE Credit with the CFP Board

There is no question that 2020 has been a year of upheaval like no other, for all industries but especially those that have historically relied on a great deal of personal interaction between sellers and buyers. Social distancing, remote work postures, market volatility and economic uncertainty have all contributed in different ways to a reshaping of approaches and processes. In this session we will tap into the financial advisor perspective around this “new normal.” You will hear from three experienced advisors about what has worked for them, what they have struggled with, the adaptations they think will be permanent, and those adaptations that they hope will disappear.

Panel:
Chris Lund, Financial Advisor, Cetera Financial Group
Julie Murphy, Financial Advisor, LPL Financial
John Pinkley, Financial Advisor, Raymond James

Moderator:
Frank O’Connor, Vice President Research & Outreach, IRI

A View from Capitol Hill: What’s Next for Retirement Security

With the enactment of the SECURE Act, it was anticipated that Congress would continue to work on additional retirement security legislation to enhance and strengthen our nation’s retirement security. While the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the legislative calendar, retirement security policy remains an issue of interest for many members of Congress and the constituents they serve. Join us as a panel of key congressional leaders discuss how Congress responded to COVID-19’s impact on retirement security and what more may be considered before the final gavel of the 116th Congress. The panel will also share its insights about what can be expected after this November’s election during the next session of Congress.

Panel:
Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA-16)
Representative Ron Kind (D-WI-03)
Paul Richman, Chief Government & Political Affairs Officer, IRI

Moderators:
Paula Nelson, President, Retirement, Global Atlantic Financial Group
Jason Berkowitz, Chief Legal & Regulatory Affairs Officer, IRI

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The Impact of Social Distancing on Our Business Part 2: The Executive Perspective

Approved for 1 hour of CE Credit with the CFP Board

As we discussed in Part 1 of this session from the advisor perspective, social distancing, remote work postures, market volatility and economic uncertainty have all contributed in different ways to a reshaping of the advisor’s approaches and processes. In Part 2, we will focus on distributor perceptions around this “new normal.” The discussion will combine the empirical observations of surveys with analytical and anecdotal evidence as to how these seismic shifts in realities and behaviors have changed, perhaps permanently, the way we do business.

Panel:
Lauren Mitchell, Vice President, Annuity Solutions, LPL Financial
Phil Pellegrino, Head of Insured Solutions, UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Joe Toledano, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Moderator:
Frank O’Connor, Vice President, Research & Outreach, IRI

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IRI and ALI: Partners in Protecting Lifetime Income

IRI’s mission is to champion retirement security for all Americans. The Alliance for Lifetime Income was created to build awareness and to educate consumers about the value and importance of lifetime income. What could be a better partnership in the quest to ensure that all Americans can retire with dignity? During this session, hear directly from the key players in both organizations as they discuss the year’s priorities and how the current environment has impacted and shaped the work being done to further these goals.

Panel:
John Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Head of Retirement Solutions Distribution, Lincoln Financial Distributors
Melissa Kivett, Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Strategic Relationship Management, Prudential Financial
Paula Nelson, President, Retirement, Global Atlantic Financial Group
Betsy Palmer, Chief Marketing Officer, Life and Retirement, AIG

Moderator:
Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, IRI