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Wednesday, April 14

1 – 1:45 p.m. ET

CEO Perspectives: Leadership in Challenging Times

Hear from the CEOs of three highly regarded trade associations as they share leadership insights in times of disruption. Topics to be covered include industry priorities, challenges, membership expectations, and partnership opportunities in the rapidly evolving association space.

Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr.

President & CEO
SIFMA

Bio

Susan Neely

President & CEO
American Council of Life Insurers

Bio

Eric Pan

President & CEO
Investment Company Institute

Bio

Wayne Chopus

MODERATOR

President & CEO
Insured Retirement Institute

Bio

1:45 – 2 p.m. ET
Break

2 – 2:30 p.m. ET

How Congress Can Strengthen Retirement Security — A View from the House

Leading voices for retirement security in the U.S. House of Representatives offer their outlook for legislation to address our nation’s looming retirement savings crisis.

Approved for CE credit.

Representative Kevin Brady
(R-TX)

Ranking Member
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means

Bio

Srinivas D. Reddy

MODERATOR

Senior Vice President
Principal Financial Group

IRI Board of Directors

Bio

Representative Tom Suozzi
(D-NY)

Member
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means

Bio

Paul Richman

MODERATOR

Chief Government & Political Affairs Officer
Insured Retirement Institute

Bio

2:30 – 2:45 p.m. ET
Break

2:45 – 3:30 p.m. ET

Keynote Presentation: Keeping It Human in a Digital World

Digital technology is now embedded in our lives and will continue to evolve. From daily use to future projections, learn how to master its use as an advantage in your personal and professional developmental growth rather than allow technology to master you.

SPONSORED BY: Global Atlantic

Kate O’Neill

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Strategist & Futurist
KO Insights

Bio

Paula Nelson

MODERATOR

Co-Head & Managing Director Individual Markets
Global Atlantic Financial Company

Treasurer & Secretary
IRI Board of Directors

Bio

3:30 – 3:45 p.m. ET
Break

3:45 – 4:15 p.m. ET

Current and Emerging Issues in Broker-Dealer Regulation

Gain insight on FINRA’s perspective on the first year under Regulation Best Interest and how oversight will evolve in year two and beyond, the fallout from COVID-19, the heightened focus on DEI, the evolving regulatory framework for ESG investing, and the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies.

Approved for CE credit.

Robert W. Cook

President & CEO
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)

Bio

Ian MacEachern

MODERATOR

Head of Investment Products
Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment Management

IRI Board of Directors

Bio

4:15 – 4:30 p.m. ET
Break

4:30 – 5 p.m. ET

Leadership, Talent, and Retention: Radically Human

COVID-19 changed how we lead, and how we live. Join this session to hear a Korn Ferry leadership and human capital expert discuss trends in acquiring and developing talent in 2021 and beyond.

Kate Shattuck

Senior Client Partner
Korn Ferry

Bio

Wednesday, April 21

Noon – 12:30 p.m. ET

Plugging the Gaps in Your Marketing Strategy

Mass marketing campaigns extend your company’s brand in meaningful ways but often fail to reach more niche segments of the consumer population. Understanding the principles of intersectionality and the messages that resonate across diverse groups can be a game changer for making your next campaign the most successful yet.

SPONSORED BY: Natixis

Dr. Leah Wright Rigueur

Associate Professor
Harvard University

Bio

Victor Howell

MODERATOR

Vice President, Research Consulting & Development Unit
Natixis Investment Managers

Bio

12:30 – 12:45 p.m. ET
Break

12:45 – 1 p.m. ET

How Congress Can Strengthen Retirement Security: A View from the Senate

Leading retirement security voices in the U.S. Senate offer their outlook for legislation to address our nation’s looming retirement savings crisis.

Approved for CE credit.

Senator Todd Young
(R-IN)

U.S. Senate, Committee on Finance

Bio

Wayne Chopus

MODERATOR

President & CEO
Insured Retirement Institute

Bio

1 – 1:15 p.m. ET

From Suitability to Best Interest: The Standard of Conduct Landscape in 2021

Jason Berkowitz

Chief Legal & Regulatory Affairs Officer
Insured Retirement Institute

1:15 – 1:45 p.m. ET
Break

1:45 – 2:15 p.m. ET

What to Expect from the SEC — The Best Interest Standard, Regulatory Modernization, and More

Tune in for a discussion of the SEC’s 2021 priorities, including enhanced oversight of Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS, the Commission’s views on industry priorities such as modernization of electronic delivery rules, the need for a new registration form for registered index-linked annuities (RILAs), and more.

Approved for CE credit.

Hester M. Peirce

Commissioner
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Bio

Terri N. Fiedler

MODERATOR

President & CEO
AIG Financial Distributors

Vice Chair
IRI Board of Directors

Bio

2:15 – 2:30 p.m. ET
Break

2:30 – 3 p.m. ET

The Impact of COVID-19 on Industry Operations

COVID-19 arrived swiftly and delivered immediate and long-term impacts to our business models. Join us as we project future models to deliver enhanced outcomes for our industry and the consumer.

Matthew Josefowicz

President & CEO
Novarica

Bio

3 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Break

3:15 – 3:45 p.m. ET

NAIC Talks Policy with IRI

Join us for a conversation about NAIC leadership’s 2021 priorities, the NAIC’s work to date, and next steps on COVID-19 and DEI, industry modernization, and opportunities for industry and state regulators to collaborate on efforts to protect and promote consumer financial stability in the coming year.

Approved for CE credit.

David Altmaier

NAIC President & Florida Insurance Commissioner

Bio

Angela Hollan

MODERATOR

Vice President, Head of Government Relations
Allianz Life Insurance Company

Bio

Wednesday, April 28

1 – 1:30 p.m. ET

Stress Mastery: Using Stress to Improve Adaptability and Fuel Positive Change (during COVID-19)

Neuroscience research demonstrates that our brain and nervous system can adapt in both positive and negative ways to stress. It’s not the stress itself that causes problems but our reactions or responses to it that determine its impact on our lives. In this session, participants will learn to recognize how stress impacts the mind and body, for better or worse, learn the difference between stressed and stressed out, understand how to shift from reacting to responding, explore various stress mindsets, and how they impact health and performance, and learn how to create an individual and team action plan to navigate stress more effectively personally and professionally.

Download a free digital version of Heidi Hanna’s book, Recharge, 5 Simple Shifts to Energize Your Life.

Dr. Heidi Hanna

Chief Energy Officer
Synergy Brain Fitness

1:30 – 2 p.m. ET
Sponsored Breakout Session

Structured Annuities: A Market in Overdrive

Uncover Client Opportunities with the Latest Innovations in Technology

A relatively new annuity design, structured annuities are gaining attention amidst today’s investing challenges for their ability to provide participation in market growth with reduced downside exposure. This session will show you how to leverage new technology to navigate the rapid innovation occurring in structured annuities and improve how you analyze and select annuities for clients seeking risk management in retirement planning.

SPONSORED BY: SIMON

Scott Stolz, CFP, RICP

Head of Insurance Solutions
SIMON Markets

Bio

2 – 2:30 p.m. ET

Top Retirement Priorities for the Labor Department in 2021 and Beyond

This session will feature a discussion of DOL’s interpretation of the five-part test for fiduciary status, the prohibited transaction exemptions available to firms and advisors to facilitate the provision of investment advice to retirement savers, next steps on the lifetime income illustrations rule, and how industry and the Department can cooperate to advance retirement security.

Approved for CE credit.

Preston Rutledge

Founder & Principal
Rutledge Policy Group

Former Assistant Secretary of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
U.S. Department of Labor

Bio

Robert J. Doyle

MODERATOR

Vice President, Government Affairs
Prudential Financial, Inc.

Bio

2:30 – 2:45 p.m. ET
Break

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. ET

Leading with DEI, How Firms Can Walk the Talk

Closing the racial wealth gap requires concerted policy action designed to advance bold, comprehensive solutions. This session will focus on the role that financial organizations need to play as Congress develops policy solutions to affect the change needed in this area.

Approved for CE credit.

Joseph M. Vaughan

Senior Diversity & Inclusion Policy Advisor

Bio

3:15 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Break

3:30 – 4 p.m. ET

Congress in 2021: Will Gridlock or Bipartisanship Prevail?

Will Congress continue to operate in partisan gridlock? Or is there a bipartisan path forward? Listen to members of Congress who are committed to moving from gridlock to action by pursuing bipartisan policy solutions to help address the real challenges faced every day by the American people.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema
(D-AZ)

U.S. Senate, Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

Melissa Kivett

MODERATOR

Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Strategic Relationship Management
Prudential Financial

IRI Board of Directors

Representative Bryan Steil
(R-WI)

Member
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services

Bio

Tim Walsh

MODERATOR

Senior Managing Director
TIAA

IRI Board of Directors

Bio

4 – 4:15 p.m. ET
Break

4:15 – 4:45 p.m. ET

Helping Women Achieve Retirement Security

Women are less confident than men that they will enjoy a secure retirement, and more likely than men to say that they are even less confident than before the start of the pandemic. Women face challenges such as being less likely than men to save for retirement through an employer plan and to have a written retirement plan and being more likely than men to have spent time out of the workforce as a caregiver. Join this session for a discussion of recent research on the challenges facing women planning for retirement, and an experienced advisor’s views on how to help women successfully achieve their financial goals.

Kimberly Cimmiyotti

Financial Advisor
LPL Financial

Bio

Catherine Collinson

CEO & President
Transamerica Institute and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies

Bio

Wednesday, May 5

1 – 1:30 p.m. ET

2021 Economic Outlook: Primed for Growth or Set up to Stall?

How quickly can the economy rebound in 2021 while we emerge from the pandemic? What effects will the Biden Administration and a new Congress have on growth prospects, and what impact effect might low-interest rates have? Hear from a leading expert on the opportunities and pitfalls for the 2021 economy.

Approved for CE credit.

SPONSORED BY: Athene

Sara Eisen

“Closing Bell” Co-Anchor
CNBC

Bio

Chris Grady

MODERATOR

Executive Vice President & Head of Retail
Athene

IRI Board of Directors

Bio

1:30 – 1:45 p.m. ET
Break

1:45 – 2:15 p.m. ET

The Decade of Historic Transformation

We have all just lived through one of the most disruptive years in our nation’s history. But broader macro trends, already well underway, promise to be just as disruptive and bring an avalanche of change to the world in the next ten years. Transforming disruption and change into opportunity and evolution will not be easy, but it is critical if our industry is to survive and thrive.

Approved for CE credit.

Professor Mauro Guillén

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Bio

2:15 – 2:30 p.m. ET

How Congress Can Strengthen Retirement Security: A View from the Senate

Leading retirement security voices in the U.S. Senate offer their outlook for legislation to address our nation’s looming retirement savings crisis.

Approved for CE credit.

Senator Ben Cardin
(D-MD)

U.S. Senate, Committee on Finance

Bio

Sean Cassidy

MODERATOR

Vice President & Senior Director, Government Relations
Transamerica

Bio

2:30 – 2:45 p.m. ET
Break

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. ET

Financial Markets and Product Evolution

Where the major indexes will stand on May 5, 2021 is anyone’s guess. Interest rates and market volatility, the potential for higher taxes, and new dynamics such as the Reddit-vs.-Hedge Funds wild ride in January and February will keep things interesting. This session will highlight opportunities and threats from the asset manager’s perspective and the implications for product design and innovation.

Approved for CE credit.

Kurt Reiman

Managing Director
BlackRock Investment Institute

Bio

Melissa Buccilli

MODERATOR

Head of Retirement Insurance
BlackRock
IRI Board of Directors

Bio

3:15 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Break

3:30 – 4 p.m. ET

The Future of Post-COVID-19 Conferences

Conferences have long been the catalysts of innovation, collaboration, and connection within our industry. Organizations are struggling to figure out how to effectively convene their constituencies in this ever-changing environment. What is the future of large-scale gatherings in a post-COVID-19 world?

Approved for CE credit.

Don Neal

Founder & CEO
360 Live Media

Bio

4 – 4:15 p.m. ET
Break

4:15 – 5 p.m. ET

IRI Officers Fireside Chat

This session features officers of the IRI Board of Directors. They will share thoughts on IRI’s evolving mission and vision, and how our strategic priorities of today will influence the IRI of tomorrow.

Terri N. Fiedler

President & CEO
AIG Financial Distributors

Vice Chair
IRI Board of Directors

Bio

John Kennedy

Executive Vice President
Lincoln Financial Group

President
Lincoln Financial Distributors

Chair
IRI Board of Directors

Bio

Paula Nelson

Co-Head & Managing Director Individual Markets
Global Atlantic Financial Company

Treasurer & Secretary
IRI Board of Directors

Bio

Wayne Chopus

MODERATOR

President & CEO
Insured Retirement Institute

Bio

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS