Distribution professionals, financial management specialists and others that have a vested interest in channel growth, productivity and reshaping distribution to succeed in today's business environment. Heads of distribution, sales, marketing support, product development and training.
Highlights
The financial services industry is due for an update when it comes to the way business is done. This paradigm shift represents disruptive change — and opportunity at the same time. Some companies have made a sophisticated effort to make positive changes while others — well, others still have a long way to go. Where do you stand on the spectrum?
This year’s conference will address the future of sales in our industry. Our focus should be on helping the consumer throughout the buying process, rather than trying to sell and push products. This concept is a consumer-centric advisor model. The “new” client-advisor experience is one that emphasizes precise, goals-based advice — meaning advice targeted to the individual at the right time — and delivered with mobility and transparency.
The 2018 Distribution Conference for Financial Services provides you with the opportunity to network with your peers and leading industry experts as we gather to discuss how the future customer will reshape financial services — particularly the life insurance system.
Don’t miss this premier event for distribution professionals.
Andrew Aldrich was previously with AXA US in Strategy and M&A and assisted in the development of and then joined AXA Strategic Ventures. He also co-founded and led CalendarFly.com, an education technology company and has been an active member of the NYC startup community since 2008. Aldrich also has a deep finance background, getting his start in FX and analysis of esoteric structured finance products. He has led publicly traded restructurings, capital raising, and partnership negotiations on three continents including in North America (US and Canada), Asia (China and Hong Kong) and Europe (France).
Chief Executive Officer, Specialty Life Founder, Insurance Supermarket, Inc.
Alexandr Dudarev, a serial entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience in building and refining online marketspaces. Prior to ISI, Dudarev was one of the pioneers in online marketing space and financial lead generation. His five years with Insurance Supermarket have seen him at the helm of Canada's fastest growing insurance brokerage. Dudarev turned this success to springboard Specialty Life into the industry as a novel and leading distribution channel of simplified insurance solutions. He credits his success to fast-paced and relentless growth in market testing and exploration.
An educator, communicator, and consultant, Stephen Harvill is the founder and president of Creative Ventures, a strategic consulting firm based in Dallas, TX. As a leading strategic thinker and consultant to fortune 500 companies, Harvill has integrated a holistic approach to developing organizational principles. A scientist by education, Stephen brings a unique perspective to both his research and his presentations. Harvill is the author of “21 Secrets of Million Dollar Sellers: America’s Top Earners Reveal the Keys to Success” as well as numerous articles and publications dealing with effective management skills and the future of leadership in our chaotic world. He travels internationally, consulting with a diverse range of clients including American Express, Wells Fargo, IBM, Microsoft, and Apple.
Mark Hopkins’ current interests include the future of distribution of life insurance and annuity products and the integration of digital capabilities into insurance operations. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter and has executive and board level experience in insurance, asset management and broking companies.
Vice President, Strategic Distribution Programs, ivari
In his role as Vice President of Strategic Distribution Programs at ivari, Todd Hynes is accountable for developing and delivering on innovative sales initiatives within the independent advisor distribution channel. He and his team work closely with the industry, distribution partners and advisors to deliver the ivari experience while addressing some of the most challenging issues our industry is facing. Hyne’s greatest professional passion is to assist the next generation in joining our business while continually raising the professional bar. Hynes is Chair of the LIMRA Canadian RAG (Research Advisor Group) and also serves on the Canadian board of directors for GAMA International (General Agents and Managers Association).
International speaker Debra Jasper, Ph.D. has delivered keynotes and master classes in more than a dozen countries around the world, from Ukraine to Dubai.
She serves as a Faculty Fellow at The Ohio State University, where she teaches graduate courses in managing in a hybrid world. Recently named one of the top 12 Winning Women entrepreneurs in North America by Ernst & Young, Debra has been intensely focused for more than a decade on how to engage clients and colleagues virtually.
Today, thousands of professionals, from small businesses to Fortune 100 firms, are enrolled in her firm’s gamified, high-performance online coaching programs that drive new habits—and measurable results.
Kim Lear is a writer and researcher who explores how emerging trends impact the future of our workforce and marketplace. As the founder and content director of Inlay Insights, she is at the forefront of cutting edge research to uncover cultural shifts that revolutionize how organizations engage employees and consumers. She is currently the head of research on a new book published by Harper Collins about Gen Z. Lear is known for her ability to use a mix of data, storytelling, humor, and actionable takeaways to discuss the trends that most impact the bottom line of organizations. In addition to speaking, she has written whitepapers on the topics of generational wealth transfer in the finance sector, retirement trends in the hospitality industry, and the impacts of mindfulness practices on healthcare costs. Previously, Lear was the content director at a research firm dedicated to generational and Millennials trends.
Corporate Vice President, Workplace Benefits Research, LIMRA and LOMA
Patrick T. Leary, M.B.A., LLIF, is corporate vice president, workplace benefits research for LIMRA and LOMA. In this role, Pat leads a team of workplace benefits professionals responsible for conducting research on the products, markets, and distribution of a wide range of life, health, and related employee benefits.
Before assuming his current position, Pat directed LIMRA and LOMA’s distribution research program and, prior to that, was a member of LIMRA and LOMA’s group insurance research team.
Pat joined LIMRA and LOMA in 1989. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Hartwick College and his M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut. Pat also earned his LIMRA and LOMA Leadership Institute Fellow (LLIF) designation in 2012.
Senior Vice President, Member Relations & Sales, LIMRA and LOMA
O’Donnell is responsible for developing and implementing LIMRA and LOMA’s member-engagement strategy in the U.S. and Canada. He leads a team of professionals dedicated to helping member-company executives and their teams fully leverage the research, member benefits, and commercial solutions available through LIMRA and LOMA. In addition, he is responsible for leading LIMRA and LOMA’s consulting business, working to help companies apply LIMRA and LOMA’s research and industry expertise to develop strategies for growth. Sean brings more than 25 years of marketing, sales, research, and organizational and consumer-behavior experience to his current role. Over the course of his career at LIMRA and LOMA, O’Donnell has worked with companies in all sectors of the insurance and financial services industry on a variety marketing, distribution, and product-related initiatives.
Dustin Yoder is an InsurTech entrepreneur dedicated to creating the next generation of insurance sales, service, and policyholder engagement. Yoder found his passion during his high school days working at the family brokerage and quality testing early benefits software. That experience brought him to the InsurTech arena in 2012, making him an early leader in the space.
Yoder built, and eventually sold, Vendus Product Labs, an enterprise product development company that served clients such as Genentech, Stanford University, and Honda. Following that, he formed Sureify with a goal of revitalizing life insurance for the end consumer. This endeavor took him through twists, turns, and the occasional fall, but it ultimately landed him in a position of influence in the insurance space, enabling leading insurers digitally from the inside out.
Yoder holds a B.S. in finance from Cal Poly and lives with his wife and daughter in San Jose, CA.
Scott Kallenbach, FLMI, Director, Strategic Research, LIMRA Eric T. Sondergeld, ASA, CFA, Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Technology Research, LIMRA
Disruption is among today's most misused buzzwords. People frequently use it to describe innovations regardless of their impact, as well as anything that presents even a mild challenge to an organization. But disruption is more than that. Disruptors can severely impact revenue or have a crippling effect on a business or an entire industry. Join this thought-provoking interactive discussion to learn what forces truly pose the greatest disruptive threats to manufacturers, distributors, and financial professionals and what you can do to not only guard against them, but go on the offensive and even be the disruptor.
Jon Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Life.io Jeff Wild, Managing Director, Global Operations, Life.io
This session will debunk the buzz around customer engagement and why it has become a trending topic of today's market. Life.io presenters will define what customer engagement really means to the insurance industry and address the acute versus chronic syndrome of customer engagement neglect.
Senior Vice President, Member Relations and Consulting, LIMRA and LOMA
In this opening session, Sean will address the key issues in building a competitive sales channel in today's consumer-centric environment. From distribution's role in driving profitable growth to the challenges of adapting your sales model to today's empowered consumer, this session will set the stage for this year's conference.
The Empowered Client has arrived. With information at their fingertips and platforms to share opinions, clients understand the power they yield in the marketplace. Financial advisors used to be expert authority figures but now, as information has become readily available, the role of the advisor is changing. The time has come to challenge conventional thinking and explore bold new approaches to relationship building in the face of disruption and shifting demographics. Robo-advising offers a service, but financial advising offers an experience. Leveraging the client experience is more important than ever. Supported with cutting edge research and category leading case studies, this program will take a deep dive into the evolving expectations of today’s empowered clients.
Quick — how did you reward your top social sellers last year? If your answer is that you didn’t, you're not alone. Getting agents and advisors to use social platforms is just the first step. Real ROI takes game-based competition, tracking and high-impact recognition and rewards. In this time of short attention spans and high expectations, this fast moving energy session will walk you through how to shift agents, recruiters and leaders beyond canned content and into generating introductions, client meetings and measurable results.
Paul Shane, Director, Talent Acquisition and Onboarding, Northwestern Mutual Rocco Tarasi, Vice President, Finance and Operations, Bankers Life and Casualty Moderator: Richard Harman, Territory Vice President, Bankers Life and Casualty
In today’s low unemployment environment, the cost to recruit high potential agent candidate’s, continues to rise. Understanding how data-driven solutions will help maximize your recruiting efforts is paramount. In this workshop you will:
Learn fundamental concepts underlying data mining and modeling.
Gain a better understanding of how to utilize data mining to identify and target high potential recruits.
Tim Harris, Agency Vice President, COUNTRY Financial Bill Hodges, Director, Marketing Field Development and Support, Farm Bureau Michigan Patrick Smith, Senior Vice President, Field Operations, American National Moderator: John Sullivan, Client Relationship Director, LIMRA
When multiple products are cross-sold into a household, customers save time and money while companies increase customer lifetime value and profits. Everyone wins! Consumers report a willingness to be cross-sold, though results indicate that life insurance continues to be an area of unclaimed potential for multi-line carriers. This workshop will share what we learned from LIMRA’s recent Cross-Sell study and highlight how a few companies are working to claim this potential.
Luke Cosme, Senior Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Mutual Trust Life Steve Sanders, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Columbus Life Moderator: Jerry Blair, ChFC, LLIF, Chief Distribution and Sales Officer, Midland National Life
In today fast paced world we’re forced to make a lot of decisions. Most of the decisions we have to make allow enough time to research all of the facts, involve the various parties impacted and ultimately draw a conclusion that work best for all parties. However, there are other times when we’re under the gun to make a quick decisions and have to go with our gut. This workshop will discuss the impact of the various decisions we make as distribution leaders. The good, the bad and the ugly. We’ll look at examples showing the financial impact of those decisions as well as the collateral damage some decisions may have on the rest of our organization. Our goal is to provide our audience with tools and examples that will ultimately help them as they face future decisions.
David Cohodes, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley Carol Rando, Executive Director, Professional Life Advisors Network (PLAN) Todd Ruplinger, Founder and Vice Chairman, Covrtech Moderator: Doug Jacobs, Vice President, BGA National Accounts, Integrated Relationship Strategies, Nationwide
This workshop provides tactics in partnering with institutions that have existing relationships with potential customers and covers a range of channels and processes institutions are using to serve mass affluent clients efficiently. In this session you will:
Identify/explore the multiple platforms institutions are using to reach their mass affluent clients
Categorize transactional vs. Advisor-led processes for a holistic approach to client needs
Explore the “asset class” component of this business model
Jennifer Douglas, Director, Developmental Research, LIMRA Shannon Havener, Research Analyst, Distribution Research, LIMRA Moderator: Patrick Leary, LLIF, Corporate Vice President, Distribution Research, LIMRA
Empowered consumers have changed the way companies across all industries market, sell, and service their products. Life insurance companies are likewise aligning their business models to meet the needs of the self-directed shopper. This session will share new LIMRA research on consumer shopping patterns, preferences, and opportunities with a focus on the self-directed online life insurance shopper.
Jessica Baker, MMCCU, CLU, CFP, FLMI, Vice President, Co-Operators Tom Hochstein, LUTCF, Vice President, Agent Business Strategies, Horace Mann Keith Ryniak, National Agency Business Strategy Director, American Family Moderator: Jim Wingrove, CLU, ChFC, LLIF, Vice President, Agency Distribution and Sales Support, Co-Operators
This session will focus on how changing demographics, customer needs and technology enhancements are impacting how new or alternative distribution options are being developed and piloted to address these dynamic developments. You will hear from three companies on how they are developing or evolving different agency models, employee models and corporate run offices. This session will also discuss working to maintain presence in shrinking rural markets and different strategies working in urban areas.
Ed Deutschlander, CLU, CLF, Chief Executive Officer, North Star Resource Group Chris Ginkel, CFP, CLU, Director, Field Development, Thrivent Financial Maggie Merica, CPTM, Manager, Agency Training Design, COUNTRY Financial Moderator: Bill Idzorek, ChFC, CLU, Vice President, National Sales Group, Thrivent Financial
Today’s business environment is not standing still. Your competitors, technology, legislation and regulations are constantly changing. What was a successful advisor training program yesterday may not be a cost-effective program tomorrow. Hear from a panel of experts who will explain how their firms are adapting to such changing circumstances and using the new rules of engagement to their advantage. Panelists will share fresh ideas on how to deliver a consistent and repeatable onboarding process, the key elements to create effective training content, and how to best deliver content to insure desired behavioral outcomes including increased advisor productivity and retention.
Jim Galli, Executive Vice President, Business Strategy and Innovation, Legal and General America Kim Harrison, RICP, CGMA, FLMI, Vice President, Sales and Business Platform Development, Allianz Life Moderator: Steve Robinson, Vice President, Partnerships, Legal and General America
Is there a gap in your product portfolio? Do you want to grow your distribution? At this workshop, we’ll challenge the norm of developing a new product vs. product partnering. Learn how you can save time, resources and minimize the expense of new product development while at the same time grow distribution and retain your best producers.
Frank Muscat, CLU, ChFC, Assistant Vice President, Life Marketing, Amica Rahim Rajpar, Vice President, Strategy and Development, John Hancock Moderator: Nimish Doshi, Vice President, Client Services, Merkle Inc.
There are many misconceptions around Direct-to-Consumer Distribution; only millennials and seniors buy direct, products can only be guarantee-issue, face amounts cannot be greater than $100,000 and consumers only respond to direct-mail and direct TV. However, the opportunity is larger and more varied than you may think. In this session, Direct-to-Consumer industry experts will explore the myths and provide insight on how to build or expand upon Direct-to-Consumer distribution.
Mark Dean, Director, FIC, LUTCF, Business Development and Practice Management, Thrivent Sarah Frances Trampe, Corporate Vice President, The Nautilus Group, a service of New York Life David Wilcox, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, Corporate Vice President, Head of Advanced Planning Group, New York Life Moderator: Brooke Zrno Grisham, CHFC, CLU, AEP, Chief Executive Officer and Vice President, The Nautilus Group, a service of New York Life
How are you currently developing your established agents to grow and manage their practice? Does your approach differ when training a millennial agent versus a veteran advisor? Think about how an agent's practice looks today compared to how it will look 5 years from now. In the near future, it will be important to understand branding and deliver consistent messaging across all media. Client acquisition activities will be maximized and analyzed to drive growth. You will spend more time analyzing the probability of your client segments which will lead to better time management skills and efficiency. Business planning will be an important component with succession planning on the top of the list.
Scott Campbell, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, American National Tim Simpson, Director, Agency Services, State Farm Moderator: Melanie Henderson, Executive Director, EY
Can the agent of today also be the agent of the future? With industry disruption coming from all directions, companies are supporting agents with new resources to meet the needs of consumers. Digital and analytic sales tools are critical so agents can spend more time focused on selling and advice, and less time dedicated to servicing clients. This workshop will explore how companies are enabling agents to transition to these New Rules of Engagement.
Jerry Blair, ChFC, LLIF, Chief Distribution and Sales Officer, Midland National Life Jeremy W. Ragsdale, Chief Product and Pricing Officer, Foresters Life Moderators: Rebecca Cummings, LLIF, CIC, LUTCF, CPIW, Assistant Vice President, National Sales Director, Foresters Financial; Michael Dunne, CLU, Assistant Vice President, Independent Distribution, Penn Mutual
We’ve all been part of the business planning
process. We look at the data, the territory, do our analysis and put together a
solid plan. But what about planning for the unexpected like:
Losing
a key producer/adviser to death or disability
Too
much concentration in a high-strained product
Expansion
into a brand new market or distribution
During this workshop, we’ll discuss these
topics with top leaders and see how they work uncertainty into their planning
process. How they pivot when needed, how they remain fluid and how they prepare
for the unexpected.
Wade Seward, J.D., CLU, ChFC, Head of Distribution Strategy, MassMutual/Haven Life (Coverpath) Debra Smith, Senior Vertical Account Manager, LexisNexis Risk Solutions Moderator: Mark Rush, Assistant Vice President, Head of Brokerage, Head of NMO Markets, Independent Order of Foresters
This workshop focuses on reaching under-served consumers, especially the middle and mass markets. It will include:
Exploration of mid-market consumer needs, access, and attitudes
Disruptive factors in the Advisor-Consumer and Channel relationships
Technology from Contact to Contract…and beyond
Our discussion will identify disruptive environmental factors so companies and their Advisors can strategize their future processes. We will explore ways to build new business realities into growth plans, rather than being surprised by them.
Margaret Adaniel, Head of Insurance and Personal Savings and Investments, RBC Life Insurance Company Robert DalSanto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Insurance Profillment Solutions, Western & Southern Financial Group Jena L. Kennedy, Director of Strategy, LexisNexis Risk Solutions Moderator: Glenn Rothenberg, Head of Marketing, Farmers Life
Are you leveraging your and your partners' existing customer base? In this session, an insurance panel discusses their best practices in mining existing customers to generate incremental sales, profits, and customer loyalty. Topics will include:
Cross-selling Life into existing customer base – increased sales, household-density and CLTV.
Up-selling Life – those whose buy and value Life insurance buy more.
Channel conflict – is there conflict or synergy when leveraging Consumer Direct?
Product offering - selecting which products for which channels and which consumers.
Most organizations know the metrics used to judge the success of their sales force. What's more elusive are the behaviors attributed to the success of the sales force. What actions or behaviors generated those sales and which, if any, can be repeated to generate the same success? Steve Harvill and his team conducted a 2-year study to uncover the answer to this question, working across 7 different industries and interviewing 175 top sales producers. A simple pattern of success was discovered across America’s top earners – a pattern that is shared between industries and can be repeated by anyone. In this session, Steve will highlight these findings, creating a simple and dynamic sales process you can apply today.
Anthony Harlan, CLU, ChFC, CRPC, Assistant Vice President, ABGA Sales, Lincoln Financial Network Kathleen Nelson, Director, Strategy, Thrivent Financial Laura Zahn, FSA, MAAA, Actuary, Northwestern Mutual Moderator: Julie Flaa, FSA, MAAA, Director, Distribution Planning, Northwestern Mutual
Many companies wonder about advisor profitability but few companies have really explored it. Presenters with three different perspectives and experiences will share their learnings as they’ve begun to explore the topic. During this interactive session, you will:
Gain insights into why exploring advisor profitability may be useful
Learn tactics for how to measure advisor profitability
Gain advice on avoiding potential pitfalls in your analysis
Gather new ideas to take back to your company and test
Conclude that understanding advisor profitability WILL lead to better business decisions!
Dean Iwaoka, Client Solutions Associate Director, Kepler Group Oystein Teslo, Account Executive, Google Moderator: Natalie Crain, Director, Media, CUNA Mutual Group
Increasingly, consumers expect brand consistency across communication channels because their touchpoints (digital, print, TV, etc.) are where they want them and when they want them. In this session, we will discuss key digital trends that can be seen as tools to help enable both personal and consistent brand experiences across touchpoints: Chatbots, Voice Search, Personalization/Data Connectivity and Video Marketing.
Chief Executive Officer, Specialty Life Founder, Insurance Supermarket, Inc.
Todd Hynes
Vice President, Strategic Distribution Programs, ivari
Dustin Yoder
Founder & CEO, Sureify
James W. Kerley, LLIF
Chief Membership Officer, LIMRA and LOMA
How will financial advisors and agents deploy InsurTech innovation in the sales process of the future? How will the dynamics of advice change with AI and advisors joining forces? How will consumers interact with online financial solutions? These and other questions will be the focus of this panel of experts. Representatives from the venture capital and start-up space will paint the future with real life examples of what is happening now.
Corporate Vice President, Workplace Benefits Research, LIMRA and LOMA
Many forces are impacting advisor practices. These forces are causing advisors to step back and re-evaluate their business models and the value proposition they provide to clients. To be successful, organizations must effectively align their service models to engage with desired advisor segments. This session will share early findings of the LIMRA-EY Advisor study. This survey of advisors across seven insurance, investment, and advisory practice models explores the profiles of today’s financial professionals, the drivers of productivity, and the services and support they demand from their organizational partners.
Champions C/D
11:15 am
ADJOURNMENT
Registration
Early Registration Rates Member: $1,250 LOMA Member (but not LIMRA): $1,875 Non-member: $2,500
Standard Rates (February 2, 2018) Member: $1,450 LOMA Member (but not LIMRA): $2,175 Non-member $2,900
LIMRA requires prepayment of registration fees prior to all conferences and meetings. Please make checks payable to LIMRA in U.S. dollars drawn on a bank in the United States. For Vendor registration fees, call Event Registration at 800-235-4672 (U.S. and Canada) or 860-285-7789.
All cancellations must be received in writing. Cancellations received before February 7, 2018, will be refunded, less a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received from February 7, 2018 to February 21, 2018 will be refunded, less a $275 processing and administrative fee. No refunds will be issued after February 21, 2018.
In the event that a scheduled meeting or event is cancelled by LIMRA for any reason, LIMRA shall refund any conference registration fees that have been paid by the registrant. Under no circumstances, however, shall LIMRA be liable to the registrant for any other expenses including, but not limited to, airfare and hotel expenses incurred by the registrant.
Hotel / Venue
Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa
1000 Pga Tour Boulevard Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States, 32082
If you receive any unsolicited or suspicious email or phone call about a hotel booking in conjunction with this meeting, our advice is not to click on it, but delete the email immediately. In the case of a phone call, never give out your credit card information. Our designated conference hotels will never call you unless you contact them first.
Reservations by Phone: 1-800-457-4653 (mention LIMRA Distribution Conference for Financial Services)
Make your reservations by Friday, February 2, 2018 in order to receive the group rate of $259.00single/double (plus applicable sales taxes). Requests after Friday, February 2, 2018 will be accepted on the basis of rate and space availability.
Extend your stay?: The group guest room rate will be offered three days prior and three days after the meeting dates subject to availability. You may need to call the hotel directly to book the extra nights.
As a reminder, the hotel rates may increase after the cut-off date or when the meeting room block sells out, whichever comes first. Make your reservations early to be able to receive our discounted rates.
For questions concerning your hotel reservations, contact Kim Hull at khull@limra.com or call (860)285-7752.
Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor
Premier Sponsor and Exhibitor Opportunities
LIMRA Distribution Conference exhibit booths are now sold out. Please contact Jim Huffman at 770-984-6446 or huffmanj@loma.org to discuss sponsorship opportunities which may include a booth.
Connect With Key Prospects
This conference is your opportunity to meet hundreds of high-level carrier executives responsible for life insurance and financial services sales, marketing, and distribution.
Sponsorship Opportunities We can help you reach out to your target market in many ways, such as:
Multiple conference registrations
Private invite-only events with hosted by a LIMRA executive
Sponsorship of an evening reception, luncheon, breakfasts or refreshment breaks
Special recognition in the registration brochure, onsite conference program, onsite signs, and general session walk-in slides
Acknowledgement from the podium
One-time usage of the attendee mailing list before conference
Specialty conference merchandise that will deliver your company name to all attendees
