Agenda
Tuesday, September 21
Pre-Conference Events
All committee meetings will be held on the Go to Meeting Platform
7 – 8 a.m. ET
Morning Yoga
Session Focus: Breathwork + Meditation
Lead by Mariah McPherson, Bluebird Sky Yoga
10 – 11 a.m. ET
Advisor Council Committee Meeting
Noon – 12:10 p.m. ET
CEO Welcome and Kick-off
Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
12:10 – 12:50 p.m. ET
IRI Senior Leadership Perspectives
Meet the team behind the magic that delivers for IRI members. IRI’s senior leadership team will provide the inside view on how IRI anticipates, plans, and executes the strategies to advance the insured retirement industry agenda.
SPEAKERS
Shani Armon, Chief Membership & Marketing Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
Jason Berkowitz, Chief Legal & Regulatory Affairs Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
Christina Brady, Chief Operating Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
Jim Quinn, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
Paul Richman, Chief Government & Political Affairs Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
MODERATOR
Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
12:50 – 1:30 p.m. ET
Break
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. ET
Body Language Influence and Persuasion
Voted the #1 Body Language Professional in the world for two years running, Mark Bowden is passionate about giving the most influential and persuasive communication techniques to stand out, win trust, and gain credibility every time you speak. Inspiring, energetic, engaging, and entirely entertaining, Mark’s memorable talks and training programs not only educate but have proven life-changing in helping people and organizations grow.
2:30 – 2:45 p.m. ET
Break
2:45 – 3:30 p.m. ET
The Non-Qualified Market and the Future of Variable Annuities
The non-qualified variable annuity market is growing while the qualified market shrinks. Product development and marketing experts will explore the opportunities to grow interest in and use of variable annuities in non-qualified accounts and how products are being built and modified to capitalize on this opportunity.
SPEAKERS
Kevin Sullivan, AVP Annuity Distribution – RIA, Nationwide, Bio
Joe Toledano, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management,
IRI Board of Directors, Bio
MODERATOR
Seamus Ray, Vice President, National Account Manager, T. Rowe Price, Bio
3:30 – 3:45 p.m. ET
Break
3:45 – 4:30 p.m. ET
The Modernization Journey Continues: Using Technology to Enhance Outcomes
With the constant technological evolution, we must provide relevant solutions to meet expectations. Our panel will discuss how our industry needs to evolve with constant technological change. Utilizing proven technologies, as well as newer emerging technology and solutions that can provide an efficient digital solution to deliver efficiency and exceptional customer and representative experience to our member companies and the industry.
SPEAKERS
Dev Ganguly, Chief Operating Officer, Jackson National Life Insurance Company, IRI Board of Directors, Bio
Bekka Marrs, Head of Platform Solutions, SIMON Markets LLC, Bio
Barbara Smith, Executive Director, DTCC, Bio
MODERATOR
Jim Quinn, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
Wednesday, September 22
Pre-Conference Events
All committee meetings will be held on the Go to Meeting Platform
7 – 8 a.m. ET
Morning Yoga
Session Focus: Happy Hamstrings Flow
Lead by Mariah McPherson, Bluebird Sky Yoga
10 – 11 a.m. ET
Asset Managers Committee Meeting
9:30 – 11 a.m. ET
Operations & Technology Senior Steering Committee Meeting
11:15 a.m. – Noon ET
Sponsored Presentations
12:15 – 1 p.m. ET
The Road to 2022: A Look Back, and Ahead, at What’s in Store for President Biden and Congress
A panel of inside-the-beltway political experts will share their insights and analyses about the successes and failures of Congress and the President this year and the outlook for 2022 as the mid-term elections approach.
SPEAKERS
Jeff Forbes, Founding Partner, Forbes Tate Partners, Bio
Jeff Strunk, Managing Partner, Forbes Tate Partners, Bio
MODERATOR
Bill Lowe, President, Sammons Institutional Group℠, Inc., IRI Board of Directors, Bio
1 – 1:15 p.m. ET
Break
1:15 – 2 p.m. ET
Reg BI — Lessons Learned from Year One
The adoption of Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) in mid-2019 was one of the most significant regulatory developments for the financial services industry. Now, more than a year after Reg BI took effect, regulators are taking a more stringent approach to examinations and enforcement. Regulatory officials and industry executives will share their insights under this new regime, including best practices and opportunities for further improvements. The panel will also discuss whether the Biden administration and Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler might pursue any changes to Reg BI in the coming months.
SPEAKERS
Hollie Mason, Esq., Senior Consultant, The Brattle Group, Bio
Nicole McCafferty, Examination Director, FINRA, Bio
Mark Quinn, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Cetera Financial Group, Bio
Corey Schuster, Division of Enforcement, Asset Management Unit, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Bio
MODERATOR
Justin L. Chretien, Shareholder, Carlton Fields, Bio
2 – 2:15 p.m. ET
Break
2:15 – 3 p.m. ET
The Future of Wholesaling
In a landscape increasingly migrating toward virtual interaction, both between wholesaler and advisor and advisor and client, how will the wholesaling profession continue to evolve? What role will wholesalers play in encouraging new advisors to embrace annuities as solutions for their clients? Gain insights of these and other expected trends in the short and long term.
SPEAKERS
Bryan Albert, Head of Sales, Eagle Life Insurance Company, Bio
Fred Makonnen, Division Vice President, Equitable, Bio
MODERATOR
Jason Crawford, Senior Vice President – Wealth Planning, Advisor Solutions, LPL, Bio
3 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Break
3:15 – 4 p.m. ET
Leading in the 21st Century
Online addiction is at an all-time high, with the average person using email as much as six hours per day and using digital media more than nine hours per day. How do leaders and managers cut through these distractions and tap into the divided minds of their associates in a way that drives revenue, improves customer service, strengthens quality of product, and grows the bottom line?
Tuesday, September 28
Pre-Conference Events
All committee meetings will be held on the Go to Meeting Platform
7 – 8 a.m. ET
Morning Yoga
Session Focus: Happy Hips Flow
Lead by Mariah McPherson, Bluebird Sky Yoga
9:30 – 11 a.m. ET
Broker-Dealer Committee Meeting
11:15 a.m. – Noon ET
Sponsored Session
Cutting through the Complexity of Structured Annuities
Structured Annuity sales were up 40% in 2020 and are on track for a similar increase in 2021. The flexibility of this product allows it to meet the savings needs of clients looking for a safer way to invest in equities, as well as clients that are looking for an investment alternative with protection. But with this flexibility comes a lot of complex choices. In this session, Scott Stolz, CFP®, RICP®, will discuss all of the key questions you need to ask in order to make efficient product choices and allocations to meet your client’s needs. More importantly, he will show you how you can use technology to access the data you need to easily answer each of these questions.
SPEAKER
Scott Stolz, Head of Insurance Solutions, SIMON Markets LLC, Bio
12:15 – 1 p.m. ET
Leadership Lessons from a Three-Star Army General
Few people know how to lead in times of crisis like members of the U.S. military, and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Nadja West is no exception. West led the Department of Defense’s medical response to the Ebola crisis, was the 44th Army Surgeon General, and is the former Commanding General of U.S. Army Medical Command. West achieved these professional milestones while also being the first African American woman three-star general in the Army’s history and the highest-ranking woman to graduate from West Point. West will share her leadership lessons, including the importance of empathy when managing through times of uncertainty.
Melissa Kivett
MODERATOR
Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Strategic Relationship Management, Prudential Financial
IRI Board of Directors
1 – 1:15 p.m. ET
Break
1:15 – 2 p.m. ET
Concurrent Sessions
A. Cybersecurity
The recent spike in ransomware attacks and the Department of Labor’s audit of the retirement industry’s cybersecurity policies and procedures has drawn attention to the critical need for the industry to protect operating systems and consumers’ investments and personal data. This session will explore how the industry responds to increased oversight of security and privacy policies, how new uses for data aimed at improving products and services intersect with developing regulation, and how artificial intelligence fits into this evolving environment.
SPEAKERS
Bennett Borden, Partner, Faegre Drinker, Bio
Katie Koelling, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Thrivent, Bio
Keith Mancini, AVP Government Affairs, Empower Retirement, Bio
MODERATOR
Josephine Cicchetti, Partner, Faegre Drinker, Bio
B. Creating a Seamless Customer Experience
A seamless customer experience seems like a very reasonable expectation but many times we fall short of effective execution/delivery as customers’ expectations continue to grow and evolve. Join a panel of industry leaders as we discuss the evolving path to the new norm with highly connected customers using both self- and live-service to achieve their end using successful Omnichannel delivery, data analytics and high employee engagement.
SPEAKER
Evan D. Groot, Global Go To Market Director – Insurance, Salesforce, Bio
MODERATOR
Christine Tucker, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Pacific Life, Bio
C. Hot Topics in State Regulation of the Retirement Industry
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once described the states as “laboratories of democracy,” where new ideas can be conceived and tested before expanding across the country. From this vantage point, the states have a unique perspective on the retirement saving challenges facing so many Americans. During this session, a panel of state affairs leaders will discuss several emerging areas of focus for policymakers across the nation and share their thoughts on the prospects for action in those areas.
SPEAKERS
Jennifer Cawley, President & CEO, Texas Association of Life & Health Insurers, Bio
Rich Loconte, President & CEO, Life Insurance Council of New York, Bio
John Shirikian, President & CEO, Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies, Bio
MODERATOR
Matt Hargrafen, Senior Counsel, Athene, USA, Bio
D. All RILA’d Up: Emerging Trends in the Market’s Hottest Annuity
For the past several quarters, Registered Index-Linked Annuity (RILA) sales have been on a tear. The timing for the growth of this product has been ideal as investors have struggled with the dearth of options providing safe yield, the fear of missing out on equity market gains, and distrust that those gains are sustainable. Enter the RILA and the notion of participation with protection. Product and market experts will discuss how they expect RILAs to evolve in terms of structure and benefits and how they are helping advisors understand and position the product with clients.
SPEAKERS
Paul Ewing, CFP, Financial Advisor, Cetera Financial Group, Bio
Shaun Opperman, MBA, CFP®, VP Retirement Product, Symetra, Bio
Adam Scully-Power, CIMA, CPWA, Senior Portfolio Strategist, Brighthouse Financial, Bio
MODERATOR
Scott Stolz, Head of Insurance Solutions, SIMON Markets LLC, Bio
2 – 2:15 p.m. ET
Break
2:15 – 3 p.m. ET
Concurrent Sessions
A. Missed Opportunity: Expanding Your Client Portfolio by Reaching Untapped Populations
COVID-19 delivered a disproportionately negative impact on women’s finances. This session will explore what paths exist to lessen the hit on women’s finances and discuss how financial professionals can help women successfully plan at every stage of life.
SPEAKER
Melissa Kivett, Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Strategic Relationship Management, Prudential Financial, IRI Board of Directors, Bio
B. Outcome Oriented Investments and the Evolution of Variable Annuities
Interest rates far below historic norms make it more difficult to reserve against future liabilities, create and market lifetime income benefits that are both supportable and attractive to consumers, and grow capacity. However, while challenges exist on the benefits front, opportunities exist on the investment side. Join this session to hear industry experts discuss new and evolving investment solutions that offer value in a tax-deferred variable annuity construct, as well as ESG and other unique investment value propositions that can make variable annuity products more compelling for advisors and consumers.
SPEAKERS
Nick Hooten, CFA, Regional Head of Client Investment Solutions – Americas, Franklin Templeton, Bio
Joe Patracuollo, CFA, Vice President, Product Strategy, Jackson National Life Insurance Company, Bio
MODERATOR
Kerry Murphy, Director, Allianz Global Investors, Bio
C. Advancing IRI’s Retirement Security Blueprint in Congress: The Challenges and Opportunities
This session will feature a panel of the industry’s leading government relations experts about the strategies and tactics to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities presented to advance IRI’s Retirement Security Blueprint, along with their outlook for how they believe Congress will respond.
SPEAKERS
Ben Brewster, Assistant Vice President Government Relations, Nationwide Financial, Bio
Freddy Mitchell, Vice President U.S. Government Relations, Met Life, Bio
Helene Rayder, Vice President, Director Federal Relation, Lincoln Financial, Bio
MODERATORS
Paul J. Richman, Chief Government & Political Affairs Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
John B. Jennings, Assistant Director, Government Affairs, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
D. We’re Not Gonna Take It
Demographics and workplace retirement benefits trends make protected lifetime income more critical than ever. Yet, the one product offering pension-like retirement income benefits — an annuity — is often disregarded and criticized. Tune in for a discussion with a top executive from the Alliance for Lifetime Income to learn how the insured retirement industry is successfully pushing back against uninformed critics of annuities while promoting protected lifetime income benefits that consumers want and these products deliver.
SPEAKERS
Steve Gresham, CEO, The Execution Project & Educational Advisor, Alliance for Lifetime Income, Bio
Philip J. Pellegrino, Executive Director, Head of Insured Solutions, UBS Financial Services, Inc., IRI Board of Directors, Bio
MODERATOR
Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
3 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Break
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. ET
A View from Capitol Hill
How Congress Can Strengthen Retirement Security
Leading retirement security voices in the U.S. Congress offer their outlook for legislation to help America’s workers and retirees achieve economic equity, strengthen their financial security and protect their income to sustain them throughout retirement.
SPEAKER
Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ranking Member, United States Committee on Finance, Bio
MODERATOR
Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
SPEAKER
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chairman, United States Senate Committee on Finance, Bio
MODERATOR
John Davis, Principal, Retirement Products, Edward Jones, IRI Board of Directors, Bio
SPEAKER
Representative Richard Neal (D-MA), Chairman, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, Bio
MODERATOR
Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
Wednesday, September 29
Pre-Conference Events
All committee meetings will be held on the Go to Meeting Platform
7 – 8 a.m. ET
Morning Yoga
Session Focus: Relaxing Restorative Yoga
Lead by Mariah McPherson, Bluebird Sky Yoga
9:30 – 11 a.m. ET
Retirement Research Committee Meeting
11:15 a.m. – Noon ET
Sponsored Session
Revolutionizing the Annuity Business Through Technology
Technology is changing every industry, and annuity investments are no exception. Join Keith Burger, Head of Distribution at Luma, Ethan Young, Director of Insurance and Annuity Services at Commonwealth, and Joe Maringer, National Sales Manager with Great American to discover how you can streamline the annuity execution and compliance processes through technology, paving the way for more client protected growth and income. As a trusted fintech leader and fully customizable, multi-issuer and carrier neutral platform, Luma helps financial professionals make better informed decisions for their client portfolios and ensures a documented process to help with compliance. View a demonstration of Luma’s platform and learn how brokers and dealers can configure Luma’s technology into their platforms, integrating Luma’s proprietary tools to help address and improve their process integrity and capabilities.
SPEAKERS
Keith Burger, Head of Distribution, Luma Financial Technologies, Bio
Joe Maringer, National Sales Manager, Great American, Bio
Ethan Young, Director of Insurance and Annuity Services, Commonwealth, Bio
12:15 – 1 p.m. ET
The Future of DC Plans: Best Practices and Plan Innovation
We all know there are behavioral reasons and nudging reasons to include annuities in a defined contribution retirement plan. Still, we have learned over the last 10-15 years they cannot just be promoted as payout options. If they are going to be both adopted by plans and used by participants, manufacturers must learn to promote their value as investment options during accumulation years, and the seamless transition to lifetime income to ensure a secure retirement.
SPEAKERS
Sri Reddy, CFA, Individual Savings and Retirement Income Leader, Principal Financial Group, IRI Board of Directors, Bio
Timothy Walsh, Senior Managing Director, TIAA, IRI Board of Directors, Bio
MODERATOR
Frank O’Connor, Vice President, Research and Outreach, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
1 – 1:15 p.m. ET
Break
1:15 – 2 p.m. ET
Maturity Models for Inclusive Marketing
Long considered an HR-specific issue, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is making its way into all corners of business operations. Marketing teams grappling with building inclusive campaigns must delve deeper with updated data, new voices, and untapped channels to reach previously missed audiences. Procter & Gamble (P&G) did just that with its inspirational “Widen the Screen” campaign earlier this year. Join this session to learn about the wider strategy and desired outcomes driving P&G to think differently about the future of marketing.
SPEAKERS
Eric Austin, Senior Director, Global Brand & Media Innovation, Procter & Gamble
MODERATOR
Yogini Biswas, Chief Brand Officer, Brighthouse Financial, Bio
2 – 2:15 p.m. ET
Break
2:15 – 3 p.m. ET
Digital Leadership, Future Trends, and Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is a continuous journey on your quest for exceptional product and service delivery. You must have the correct culture for success, and it begins with Digital Leadership. In this dynamic session Erik will discuss the traits and habits of Digital Leadership to drive innovation and deliver winning customer experiences as well as look into the future for those that may not successfully transform.
Erik Qualman
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
#1 Bestselling author & keynote speaker, Founder & Owner, Equalman Studios
Sue Fiengo
MODERATOR
Managing Director, Digital Customer Experience, Global Atlantic Financial Group
3 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Break
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. ET
Regulatory Outlook: A View from the Top
Insurance and financial services are among the most heavily regulated industries in America. Numerous federal and state regulatory agencies have authority over different parts of the industry, and in many cases, the agencies’ respective areas of jurisdiction overlap with each other. During this session, the incoming president of the NAIC and the former chair of the SEC will share their insights and perspectives on critical regulatory issues facing our industry in the coming year.
SPEAKER
Dean L. Cameron, Director, Idaho Department of Insurance, and President-elect, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Bio
MODERATOR
Jason Berkowitz, Chief Legal & Regulatory Affairs Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
SPEAKER
Jay Clayton, Senior Policy Advisor & Of Counsel, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and Former Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Bio
MODERATOR
Manda Ghaferi, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, American International Group (AIG)
4:15 – 4:30 p.m. ET
Annual Business Meeting / Closing Remarks
IRI’s annual business meeting for all members. Includes election of IRI Board of Directors. The IRI Annual Business Meeting will be followed by closing conference remarks from Wayne Chopus, President & CEO.
SPEAKER
Wayne Chopus, President & CEO, Insured Retirement Institute, Bio
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
