Advanced sales and marketing executives of carriers and distributors, marketing specialists, sales officers and estate and business planning specialists with accountability for serving individual markets.
Highlights
Created by advanced sales professionals, the Forum provides advice and insights from industry leaders, and subject matter experts, with unique expertise in this segment of the financial services market. Whether you are seeking new, innovative ways to meet the challenges of organizational change, creative, yet proven concepts to bring to your distribution partners, or finding more effective, efficient ways to communicate with and educate stakeholders, attending the Forum will give you unparalleled insights from peers and implementable ideas from experts.
Conference Attire — Business casual attire is recommended for all conference sessions and events.
Assistant Vice President, Advanced Markets, Western & Southern Financial Group
Katherine (“Kate”) Goldsmith currently serves as Assistant Vice President, Advanced Markets, for Western & Southern Financial Group and is a registered representative of W&S Brokerage Services, both headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to joining Western & Southern, Kate was Assistant Counsel for The Ohio National Life Insurance Company and its affiliated companies for 15+ years. Kate serves as Vice President and is on the Board of Directors of the Insurance Advertising Compliance Association (IAdCA) and is also a past President of the Association of Corporate Counsel Southwest Ohio (ACCSWO) chapter. She currently serves on LIMRA’s Advanced Sales Forum Committee.
Before becoming in-house counsel, Kate was in private practice as an associate with the Litigation Department of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a Midwest law firm headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kate’s birthplace. Kate graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and later a law degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She holds FINRA Series 7 and 24 securities licenses, and the Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Special Needs Consultant professional designations from the American College of Financial Services. In addition, Kate has been active in various regulatory issues of concern to the insurance industry pursued by CEFLI, the ACLI, and LIMRA, among other industry groups. Kate has presented at national industry conferences hosted by CEFLI and IAdCA, as well as at national and local events for both consumers and agents sponsored by Western & Southern Financial Group and non-profit organizations. Kate has published numerous articles of interest for producers of Western & Southern Financial Group’s family of life companies and prides herself on being a problem solver.
Kathleen Bilderback specializes in estate, business, and executive benefits planning, with special emphasis on incorporating and maximizing the benefits of life insurance. She is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and former adjunct professor in the LL.M. in Taxation program at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.
Bilderback graduated from St. Louis University with degrees in Accounting and Theatre. She received her law degree and LL.M. in Taxation from Washington University’s School of Law. Beginning her Advanced Markets career at General American Life Insurance Company (later merged into MetLife), she provided training and advanced underwriting support for the top producers of MetLife and its subsidiaries for 10 years before returning to private practice. In 2007, Kathleen and her partners founded Affinity Law Group, LLC to provide legal services to businesses, their owners, and executives at every stage of their life cycles. She rose to the position of Managing Member prior to successfully combining the firm into Sandberg Phoenix, a firm of approximately 200 attorneys in eight offices with a nationwide practice.
She is a member of the Missouri, Illinois, and Pennsylvania bars. She is a former national President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. She has been an active member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) at the national and local level. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Zoo Association and the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation Planned Giving Committee. She received the Accredited Estate Planner designation from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. She has presented at AALU and the Top of the Table Meeting for the Million Dollar Roundtable. Kathleen was selected for inclusion in Missouri and Kansas SuperLawyers each year since 2012 and recognized by Best Lawyers in the areas of Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, and Trusts and Estates each year since 2020.
Professor of Practice and a Scholar in Residence at The American College of Financial Services
Steve Parrish is Professor of Practice and a Scholar in Residence at The American College of Financial Services. Parrish is an expert on retirement, estate, and business owner succession planning. He is a recognized industry authority, spokesperson and author serving as an ongoing contributor to Forbes.com, and is a contributing author to the 2025 e-textbook Retirement Plans and Retirement Planning. He was the 2023 winner of the Kenneth Black Jr. Journal Author Award and has written for the Journal of Financial Service Professionals, Journal of Financial Planning and Hastings Business Law Journal.
Discover how a clear sense of purpose can transform professional effectiveness, resilience, and impact. This workshop introduces a framework for identifying and activating meaningful goals, with practical tools participants can apply immediately in research, clinical, or academic settings. Attendees will leave able to distinguish productive versus draining purpose drives, align daily work with long-term values, and enhance motivation and well-being — skills that improve performance, reduce burnout risk, and strengthen leadership across disciplines.
Speakers: Jordan Grumet, M.D. — Author/Podcaster, Earn & Invest
Today’s executives are more mobile, better compensated, and more skeptical than ever. In this session, we’ll move beyond theory and into real-world design of executive benefit programs that drive retention, reward performance, and align with corporate objectives. We’ll compare and contrast 162 bonus plans, split dollar, traditional nonqualified deferred compensation, phantom stock, stock appreciation rights, and other tools — highlighting when each works, when it doesn’t, and why. Through detailed case studies, attendees will see how sophisticated employers are blending these strategies to solve real compensation challenges.
Annuity products are evolving faster than the rules that govern them, creating new challenges for advisors and advanced planners. Our panel will explore emerging product trends, regulatory pitfalls, and practical ways to build and maintain expertise in this fast‑changing environment — with insights shaped by a range of real‑world experience levels.
Speakers: Christopher Price, Director, Advanced Planning, Prudential Distributors; Natalia D. Keene, Advanced Sales Consultant, Lincoln Financial; Gary Pence, Director, Advanced Markets, Corebridge Financial; Ryan C. Bertrand, Vice President and Managing Director, Transamerica
Living in a state with its own estate tax means planning beyond federal rules. State exemptions are often much lower, portability may not apply, and taxes are due quickly, creating liquidity pressure. For clients who do not want to move, effective planning focuses on asset location, trust strategies, lifetime gifting, and insurance for liquidity—balancing estate tax reduction with income tax consequences and family goals.
Speaker: Patrick Olearcek, Head of Advanced Sales, MassMutual Financial Group; Michele B. Collins, Director, Advanced Sales, MassMutual
Charitable giving can be a powerful planning tool, creating value for donors, the organizations they support, and financial advisors. This session explores key charitable strategies — including bundling, charitable life insurance, charitable gift annuities (CGAs), charitable remainder unitrusts (CRUTs), and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) —and clarifies when each may be most effective. Through practical case studies, participants will learn how to strategically donate assets such as cash, stock, real estate, and even farm equipment to support clients’ financial and philanthropic goals.
Speakers: Jay Kautt — Vice President of Advanced Market Sales, Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company; Ben Boline, Charitable Solutions Consultant, Thrivent Charitable; Ron Lutes, Senior Advice Services Consultant, Thrivent Financial
Business owners face interconnected challenges, whether from taxes, liquidity, employee compensation, succession uncertainty, or personal retirement gaps. This session examines these persistent issues and maps them to life insurance and annuity solutions that advanced sales professionals can support. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to position the solutions to these challenges strategically, adapt to changing dynamics, and deliver greater value for these complex cases. Participants will leave with practical ideas to elevate their advanced sales support and steer impactful advisor conversations.
Speakers: Jordan Skog, VP, Life Advanced Markets, Allianz Life; Desiree Day, Head of Case Consultants, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
With large 401(k) balances and a dizzying array of options, retirees want to lock in lifetime income, and they need professional help. This session focuses on the opportunities that abound for tax-smart lifetime income (particularly, but not exclusively, with annuities) and adds cautionary tales about the mistakes that can be made. This includes new considerations such as:
The growth in lifetime income annuities
Alternatives such as CITs, deferred contingent annuities, and reverse mortgages
And how to navigate retirement income within the tax minefield of the Secure Act(s)
Speakers: Steve Parrish, Professor of Practice and Scholar in Residence, The American College of Financial Services
The policy environment impacting the financial security profession is moving fast — across taxes, retirement, and regulation — and it’s getting harder to separate real impact from political noise in an election year. With major decisions unfolding in Washington, understanding what’s ahead is key to advisors supporting families and businesses.
In this session, Jen Fox, VP of Federal and Political Affairs at Finseca, will walk through what to expect with upcoming legislation, which developments matter most to the profession, and where Finseca is actively advocating on your behalf. She’ll offer a clear-eyed look at the risks and opportunities ahead — and practical insight into how financial security professionals can stay informed, anticipate change, and navigate what’s next with confidence. Jen will preview how the 2026 elections could reshape financial security policy, and what it all means for your practice.
Speakers: Jen Fox, VP of Federal and Political Affairs, Finseca
Gen X Is About to Control the Capital: Are You Positioned to Advise Them? Gen X is entering its most powerful wealth window in history: peak income, peak inheritances, and peak business liquidity. Trillions are shifting quietly into the hands of investors who often feel overlooked, misunderstood, and under-advised. While the industry focuses on aging boomers and future millennials, Gen X is accumulating and deploying capital right now. The advisors who understand this shift will own the next 20 years of growth.
Speakers: Jeannie Underwood, SVP, Head of Global Atlantic Consulting, Global Atlantic Financial Group
There are over 700 life insurance companies in the United States. If each were to average eight different product offerings, consumers would have over 5,600 products to choose from. What makes one product better than another? How can one product be great for one client but not very good for another? This session will explore the different types of life insurance products (term, whole life, UL, IUL, VUL, and hybrids) and the way they can be customized for different sales scenarios.
Speakers: David Hayward, Sr. Advanced Sales Specialist, National Life Group; Sam Barton, Advanced Sales Consultant, MassMutual Strategic Distributors; Todd Baker, Division Vice President, RiverSource Life Insurance Company
In this session, we’ll explore how annuities are built alongside an expert in the field, breaking down the key components that shape these products. We’ll examine core building blocks such as product design, risk management, and performance features, while also discussing how evolving market demands influence innovation. Additionally, we’ll highlight how the industry is driving toward long-term success through strategic development, improved client outcomes, and adapting to changing economic and regulatory landscapes.
Speakers: Thea Marasa‑Scafidi, VP, Head of Advanced Markets, Global Atlantic Financial Group; Jacklynn Blossom, VP, Product Design, KKR
This interactive, peer‑led session is designed for advanced markets professionals looking to share ideas, tools, and best practices with others who truly understand the role.
Moderated by Thea Marasa‑Scafidi and Ana Canelos, participants will break into small groups to discuss real‑world practice management topics that impact advanced markets teams, including:
Staying current in a rapidly evolving market
Training and developing advanced sales talent
Incorporating technology and AI into daily workflows
Measuring impact and success
Maintaining a competitive edge
Each table will collaborate and share insights, tools, and approaches that are working today, followed by a broader group discussion to capture takeaways.
Come prepared to contribute, learn from peers, and walk away with practical ideas you can apply immediately.
Speakers: Thea Marasa‑Scafidi, Head of Advanced Markets, Global Atlantic Financial Company; Ana Medinaceli Canelos, Advanced Marketing Director, John Hancock
Often we focus on the fancy, but sometimes we need to focus on the “other stuff” to help clients and advisors. In this workshop, we will focus on rules and practices for 1035s of annuity, life, and long-term care products — including what is allowed, potential tax issues, differences between processes, and timing of the exchange. We will also highlight a few possible “gotcha” ownership/beneficiary scenarios.
Speakers: Dan Finn, Advanced Solutions Director, Principal Financial Group; Valerie Grombchevsky, Vice President, Advanced Sales, Corebridge Financial
This interactive session will showcase how advanced markets professionals are leveraging core technologies — eMoney, Salesforce, and data analytics tools — in their day‑to‑day roles to enhance advisor support, insight generation, and decision‑making. Through brief demonstrations and live audience polling, participants will see practical applications of each tool and how technology enables more efficient, informed advanced markets engagement.
Speakers: Jeanmarie Holm, Corporate Vice President, New York Life; Kevin Russ, Head of Advanced Markets Group, Brighthouse Financial; Joel Liu, Head of Advanced Sales, MMSD, MassMutual
Trust planning has evolved far beyond tax minimization. This advanced session explores today’s most critical trust design and administration issues, including jurisdiction and situs selection, multi‑trustee structures, state income and estate tax considerations, decanting flexibility, and ILIT trustee challenges. We will also examine recent trust planning trends reshaping advisor recommendations, such as increased emphasis on flexibility, governance, and income tax outcomes. Attendees will gain practical insights to better support advisors navigating complex trust decisions and aligning trust structures with modern planning objectives.
Speakers: Kurt Kauffman, Advanced Sales Consultant, Lincoln Financial
AI hype is everywhere, but what's actually true? What should life insurance professionals do about it? This workshop cuts through six common AI myths, from "you need perfect data" to "AI will replace your team," and replaces them with practical fundamentals. Attendees will leave with a clear-eyed view of what AI can (and can't) do today, concrete security guardrails to protect their organizations, and a prioritized action plan they can start executing Monday morning.
Speakers: Nicholas Bowman, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Xcela, Inc
Market volatility exacerbated by war, AI investment boom continuing, tariffs weighing on business confidence, private credit worrying investors, inflation remaining stubbornly above-target, job growth slowing to a crawl, and a new Fed Chair may be about to introduce another variable into the outlook for interest rates. What is happening on the macroeconomic front that could help investors make sense of markets? These and other matters will be discussed.
Speakers: Richard J. Litchfield, Sr. Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager, Maple Capital Management
11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Closing Remarks and Adjourn
Registration
Early Registration Fee: (by July 1, 2026) Member: $1,750 Nonmember: $2,950
Standard Registration Fee (after July 1, 2026): Member: $1,950 Nonmember: $3,150
Cancellation Policy
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.
All cancellations must be received in writing. Email customer.service@limra.com. Cancellations received before TBD will be refunded, less a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received from TBD to TBD will be refunded, less a $275 processing and administrative fee. No refunds will be issued after TBD.
Make your reservations by July 1, 2026, by following the reservations link, or by calling the reservations phone number and mention the LIMRA Advanced Sales Conference in order to receive the group rate of $199.00 single/double (plus applicable sales taxes). Requests after July 1, 2026, will be accepted on the basis of space availability. The group guest room rate will be offered three days prior and three days after the meeting dates subject to availability and must be booked by calling the hotel.
Please note that hotel rates will go up after the cut-off date or when the meeting room block sells out, whichever comes first. Make your reservations early to be able to take advantage of our discounted rates.
If you receive any unsolicited or suspicious emails or phone calls about a hotel booking in conjunction with this meeting, our advice is to delete the email immediately. In the case of a phone call, never give out your credit card information. Our designated conference hotels will not call you unless you contact them first.
Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor
The Advanced Sales Forum connects industry experts, business thought leaders, and top-notch life & annuity professionals.
Join the conversation by securing a sponsorship or exhibiting at the conference.
