Executive Profiles

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  Robert A. Kerzner, CLU, ChFC

  President and CEO
  LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global, Inc.

  As president and CEO of LIMRA, LOMA and their parent organization, LL Global, Inc., Bob Kerzner leads the world’s largest association of life insurance and financial services companies. The combined organizations have over 1,200 members in more than 70 countries, including most of the world’s largest life insurance companies. Together, LIMRA and LOMA provide their members with research, training and development, consulting, assessment, compliance and other benefits and services. Kerzner spearheaded the effort to bring LIMRA and LOMA together under a single management organization, LL Global, which became effective January 1, 2008.

  Before joining LIMRA in 2004, Kerzner was executive vice president and head of the individual life division of Hartford Life, Inc. Under his leadership, the division experienced dramatic growth and record financial performance. In 2003, the division generated $145 million in earnings and had $8.73 billion in assets under management from sales of individual life products. Kerzner also led The Hartford into affiliated distribution with the acquisition of Woodbury Financial Services, a national broker-dealer organization with more than 1,800 independent representatives. Kerzner served as president of Woodbury following the acquisition. Kerzner’s career with The Hartford spanned 30 years from 1974 to 2004. In his first 20 years, he established performance records in field sales and management, before moving to senior management.

  Kerzner is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University.

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  James W. Kerley, LLIF

  President
  LL Global Services, Inc.

  Kerley became president of LIMRA Services, Inc. on July 1, 2007. In this role, he is responsible for the sales and product areas of LIMRA. Kerley brings more than 38 years of professional experience serving the financial services industry as manager, leader, consultant, and advisor. He spent nearly 25 years with New England Financial in senior marketing and sales management roles and implemented New England's first life insurance marketing relationships within the banking sector. Kerley was a founding partner of Trinity Communications, which grew into the seventh largest marketing communications firm in New England during his tenure.

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  Robert M. Baranoff, FLMI, LLIF

  Senior Vice President, Member Benefits
  LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global, Inc.

  Baranoff is responsible for LIMRA's North American research program, including monitoring industry results and tracking the strategic issues that are and will be affecting the financial services industry. Through consultations with companies and as the staff representative to the Strategic Marketing Issues Committee, Baranoff is constantly in touch with the changes within the industry and their potential effects on companies with differing competitive strategies. He is a frequent speaker at industry forums and is the author of many articles and papers, including The European Bancassurance Experience: Lessons for North America, The Strategic Uses of the Internet as a Business Tool (co-author), A Social Dilemma: The Growing Underserved Market (co-author), and Distribution at the Top: The Future of Producer Groups and Other Top Agent Affiliations. He also writes a regular column for LIMRA's flagship publication, LIMRA's MarketFacts Quarterly.

  An experienced marketing researcher, Baranoff is a former mathematics and physics instructor and a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he earned both B.A. and M.A.T. degrees. He also holds an M.B.A. with dual concentrations in marketing and management science from the University of New Haven and is a member of the American Marketing Association and the Financial Institution Research Study Group.

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  Gary Aluise, LLIF

  Senior Vice President and Managing Director,
  International Operations
  LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global, Inc.

  Aluise, who joined LIMRA in 2001, has primary responsibility for LIMRA and LOMA's international businesses in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania. He has 34 years of experience in the insurance industry, including more than 25 years with MetLife in various capacities. He is a graduate of Villanova University and has completed executive programs at Harvard University Law School and Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania.

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  Paul DeSimone

  Vice President and Director, Compliance and Regulatory Services
  LIMRA

  Paul DeSimone, who joined LIMRA in 2012, is responsible for managing growth and development of compliance, regulatory and social media products; and oversees thought leadership within LIMRA’s new Regulatory Strategy Center (RSC). The RSC was established in 2011 to assess global trends and issues that impact financial services regulation. DeSimone’s primary emphasis will be leading the product innovation process and developing business growth strategies domestically and abroad.

  Prior to joining LIMRA, DeSimone held senior leadership roles with New England Financial, American Skandia, MassMutual and Prudential Financial in product development, marketing, strategy and third-party distribution. He continues to function as president and chief compliance officer of a closely-held, SEC-registered broker/dealer, and was most recently executive vice president and principal of a private equity investment firm affiliated with Harvard University economists.

  Paul holds degrees from Boston University (MBA) and Tufts University (BA); and he has numerous FINRA securities licenses.

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  Lucian J. Lombardi, ASA

  Vice President and Director, Distribution Research
  LIMRA

  Lombardi directs LIMRA’s distribution and strategic research programs. The distribution research program tracks trends in the various delivery channels used to sell insurance and financial services. The strategic research program provides insight into emerging issues affecting the industry. He joined LIMRA in 1977 as a research associate and in 2002 was appointed vice president and director. Lombardi has written and spoken frequently on marketing issues, sales compensation design, and product development. His recent publications include: Memories of the Future: Four Scenarios of the Life Insurance Industry in the Year 2016 and Forces of Changes: Issues Facing Distribution Leaders.

  Lombardi is a member of the American Marketing Association and Society of Actuaries. He received his master’s degree with distinction in mathematics from Trinity College (Hartford, CT).

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  Michael B. Marshall

  Corporate Vice President, International Research
  LIMRA

  Marshall, who joined LIMRA in 2012, directs LIMRA's international research program, which conducts a wide variety of research on markets throughout the world. In this role, Marshall supervises and conducts research in distribution, consumer behavior and sentiment, products, retirement, and technology, identifying insights and trends valuable to members as they enter or grow their business in new markets.

  Prior to joining LIMRA, Marshall spent 22 years with New York Life, culminating as corporate vice president and director of research. He is a founding member of the Financial Industry Research Study Team, established in 1994 and represented by senior researchers from leading life and investment companies, research suppliers and industry organizations. Marshall is a graduate of Oberlin College and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

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  Alison Salka, Ph.D.

  Corporate VP & Director, Retirement Research
  LIMRA

  Alison Salka is responsible for directing LIMRA’s retirement research program. She supervises and conducts consumer research, benchmark studies and white papers focused on helping member companies better understand issues and trends in the retirement market. Prior to joining LIMRA in 2012, Salka led the retirement research and competitive intelligence team at Prudential. She was also Director of retirement research and analytics at MassMutual.

  She is a graduate of Gettysburg College and received an MA from the College of William and Mary and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University.

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  Todd A. Silverhart, Ph.D.

   Corporate Vice President and Director of Insurance Research
  LIMRA

  Silverhart is responsible for directing LIMRA's technology research program and its markets research program. He supervises and conducts company practices studies, consumer research, and white papers focused on helping LIMRA member companies understand developments in the use of technology specifically to market and distribute financial services products. He also oversees a staff of researchers responsible for examining the marketing of risk and accumulation products and services to consumers. This research program focuses on the business market as well as the middle-market and emerging consumer segments. A frequent industry speaker and author, he also serves as staff representative for LIMRA's Market Research Committee and the e-Business, CRM, and Distribution Management Technology study groups.

  Having joined LIMRA in 1988, Silverhart previously served in LIMRA's Assessment Solutions unit, where he conducted producer and field manager selection research, consultation, and product development.

  He is a graduate of Middlebury College and received his Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology from Old Dominion University.

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  Elaine F. Tumicki, CLU, ChFC, LLIF

  Corporate Vice President, Product Research
  LIMRA

  Tumicki directs LIMRA’s Product Research team, which is responsible for research on individual and group life, health, disability, and long-term care products. The Product Research team conducts ongoing surveys on sales, persistency, and product design, as well as marketing studies and company practices studies that respond to the needs of LIMRA’s various constituencies.

  Tumicki also serves as a resource on industry performance measures to LIMRA staff, member companies, and the media. She is staff representative to LIMRA’s Individual Life Insurance Study Group and DI/LTC Committee, and is a liaison to various other committees and study groups. Tumicki, who joined LIMRA in 1980, was named to her present position in 2003. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut.