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2025 LIMRA Annual Conference: Innovation, Growth and Impact

Author

David Levenson
President and Chief Executive Officer
LIMRA and LOMA

September 2025

What a difference five years makes — and what a powerful journey it’s been, guided by our five-year strategic plan: Compass 2025. Since its launch, Compass 2025 has served as our strategic North Star, helping LIMRA and LOMA support the life insurance, annuity and workplace benefits sectors through a period of extraordinary transformation. From navigating the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic to embracing purposeful innovation and forging new partnerships, the industry has shown remarkable agility, courage and commitment.

Each year’s Annual Conference theme over the past five years has reflected a key milestone in this journey — from Taking Charge of Change in 2020 to Innovate with Purpose in 2024 — capturing the spirit of progress and collaboration that Compass 2025 has helped inspire. These themes have not only shaped our programming and priorities but also reinforced our shared mission: to protect families, empower communities, and elevate the future of financial security.

At the 2025 LIMRA Annual Conference later this month, I will spend some time reflecting on key association accomplishments over the last five years — and then share a forward-looking vision that leverages this foundation. At its core, this will be an opportunity for reflection, recognition of our shared achievements, and heeding a call to action to work together in shaping the future.

Guided by the conference theme Elevating Tomorrow, my message will highlight meaningful ways we are proud to have helped the industry advance its central missions. To provide just a selection of examples representing each of the primary ways we serve our members:       

  • Knowledge: We built the Strategic Leadership Experience to develop the next generation of senior leaders, as well as the Industry Advantage program — a deep library of industry-specific content.

  • Insights: LifeCompass and AnnuityCompass are go-to resources that provide a wealth of data on these markets. In addition, Experience Studies give companies invaluable information that allows them to benchmark their key product risks and product experience against the industry.

  • Connections: Our advisory boards are comprised of industry executives who work together to offer insights and guidance on life insurance, annuities, workplace benefits, retirement plans, and the Canadian marketplace. In addition, we have formed high-level resource groups focused on contemporary industry topics — including the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Group, the Independent Brokerage Distribution Committee, and the Annuity Broker-Dealer Committee.

  • Solutions: We are committed to providing impactful solutions that address widespread industry issues, such as the LIMRA Data Exchange Standards, FraudShare, and applied research projects (which include custom and consortia studies).

We are also very focused on key trends within our three vertical businesses. In the life insurance space, for instance, it will be important to commit to navigating the decrease in the financial professional base. A continued focus on boosting operational efficiency and transactional capital efficiency for in-force business will be important as well.

The retirement landscape is in the midst of the Peak 65 wave, where record numbers of Boomers are reaching age 65 each day. This creates tremendous opportunities for the annuity industry. Also, we are likely to witness greater use of decumulation strategies in financial planning, a push toward fee-based advisory platforms, and increased consideration of in-plan annuities.

The workplace benefits sector will see heightened fiduciary pressure on plan sponsors, growth in nontraditional benefits, and employers refining their work models to align with employee preferences. In addition, there is both complexity and opportunity to address in absence and leave management.

Finally, a critical theme underlying all three areas is to leverage AI to its full potential.

Ultimately, I look ahead with optimism to the remainder of this year and to 2026, confident that we will see continued partnership in building a future shaped by innovation and collaboration. I extend my sincere gratitude to our members, the LIMRA and LOMA staff, and our partners for their many important contributions. Engagement and active participation in everything from our advisory boards and pilot programs to leadership experiences and learning events have never been more critical. We are strongest together, and each of you plays a vital role in Elevating Tomorrow.

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