Agenda
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.
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.
Representative Kevin Brady
(R-TX)
Ranking Member
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means
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.
Paula Nelson
MODERATOR
Co-Head & Managing Director Individual Markets
Global Atlantic Financial Company
Treasurer & Secretary
IRI Board of Directors
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.
Ian MacEachern
MODERATOR
Head of Investment Products
Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment Management
IRI Board of Directors
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.
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.
Victor Howell
MODERATOR
Vice President, Research Consulting & Development Unit
Natixis Investment Managers
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.
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.
Terri N. Fiedler
MODERATOR
President & CEO
AIG Financial Distributors
Vice Chair
IRI Board of Directors
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Preston Rutledge
Founder & Principal
Rutledge Policy Group
Former Assistant Secretary of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
John Kennedy
Executive Vice President
Lincoln Financial Group
President
Lincoln Financial Distributors
Chair
IRI Board of Directors
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