2026 Life Insurance and Annuity Conference

Bernard Baumahl, M.A.

Bernard Baumohl is chief global economist at The Economic Outlook Group. He is well known for being ahead of the curve in assessing the direction of the U.S. and world economy. His ability to correctly predict the economy's path was recognized by the Wall Street Journal, which ranked Bernie twice (2019 and 2025) as the top economic forecaster in major national surveys.

Bernie began his career as an analyst with the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank specializing in international affairs and national security. He later served as an economist at European American Bank with responsibilities to monitor the global economy and develop forecasts. Bernie was also an award-winning economics reporter with TIME magazine who covered the White House, Federal Reserve and Wall Street.

A sought out speaker with an ability to translate complex economic concepts into plain English, he frequently makes keynote presentations before conferences, corporate boards and legislatures on the economic and geopolitical outlook. In additional to his current post, he conducts seminars on how forward-looking economic indicators can help business leaders better foresee turning points in the economy. He has also previously lectured at NYU, Duke University and Florida Gulf Coast University.

Bernie Baumohl is a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel and his projections on the economy and geopolitical trends are regularly featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Business Week, Financial Times, and on National Public Radio. He was a regular commentator with a variety of media outlets, including Public TV's Nightly Business Report. In 2023, Bernie also became the subject of a cover story with a major business magazine, which highlighted his insights on the economy and geopolitical trends.

Bernie is author of The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities (Pearson Education). His now classic book is in its 3rd edition and has been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and German.

He is a recipient of the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism, and is a member of the National Association for Business Economics and the American Economic Association. Bernie holds an M.A. in International Affairs and Economics from Columbia University.

Kwame Christian, Esq., M.A.

One of the world’s top negotiation experts, Kwame Christian is a best-selling author, top podcaster, keynote speaker, Forbes contributor, business attorney, and founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute (ANI), a global consulting firm that specializes in providing training, coaching and education on applying the foundations of negotiation to any difficult conversation in life or business. With expertise in the areas of negotiation, DEI, leadership, sales and conflict resolution, ANI helps organizations and individuals turn their most challenging conversations into opportunities for achieving meaningful and measurable results. Under Kwame’s leadership, ANI has coached and trained Fortune 500 companies on applying the fundamentals of negotiation to corporate success. He is the originator of the Compassionate Curiosity Framework™ and has spoken and conducted workshops around the world.

Some of Kwame’s engagements include Fortune 1000 and strategic clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Target, NASA, Apple, Intel, Honda, Owens Corning, and Workday, Inc.

Following the incredible success of his viral TEDx Talk (more than 409,000 views), Finding Confidence in Conflict, Kwame Christian launched a successful career as a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and Forbes contributor. His first bestseller, Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life was released in 2020, followed by a second bestseller, How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race: Practical Tools for Necessary Change in the Workplace and Beyond, in 2022. Kwame also hosts the podcast, Negotiate Anything, tackling subjects ranging from buying a car, salary negotiations and managing conflict with difficult people to raising funding for business start-ups. Launched in 2016, Negotiate Anything is the #1 negotiation podcast in the world, with more than five million downloads and listeners in over 180 countries. Kwame is also a regular contributor to Forbes, where he lends his expertise on a range of topics, including negotiation, conflict resolution, leadership, sales, and communication.

Kwame is a practicing attorney, working with businesses and their owners to get better deals, solve complex problems, and overcome legal challenges. He is also a popular LinkedIn instructor, teaching over a dozen courses in his areas of expertise. Kwame previously taught negotiation, communication, and mediation advocacy at the university level, including The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, the top-ranked law school dispute resolution program in the country.

Kwame earned his law degree, masters in public policy, and bachelors in psychology from The Ohio State University. He received the John Glenn College Young Alumni Award (2020) and Moritz College Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award (2021), which makes him the only person in the history of The Ohio State University to win alumni awards in consecutive years from both the law school and the masters of public affairs program. He was also named among Columbus’ 2022 40 Under 40 award recipients.

April Hansen, MSN, RN

April Hansen, MSN, RN, serves as chief executive officer of Barton Associates, the sixth-largest physician staffing company in the U.S. Previously, Hansen was group president, workforce solutions at Aya Healthcare, where she achieved record-setting 27x growth in just six years through digital
transformation.

Her career has taken her from nurse to serial entrepreneur to executive and noted business and personal growth expert. A Top 100 Workforce Leader and TEDx speaker, Hansen has appeared in news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS and CNBC, has been recognized by the Staffing Industry Analysts’ 40 under 40, and was named Wisconsin Nurse Leader of the Year in 2019.

Hansen motivates leaders and teams to infuse adaptability into their core, driving growth, innovation and change. Her “Growth Game Plan” framework offers insights, practical tools and resources to help leaders learn to adapt and innovate to meet modern business and personal challenges.