Francisco is a bilingual educational specialist with a demonstrated track record working in the financial services industry. He passionately assists clients of all backgrounds to help them seek to understand their financial opportunities, secure their future, and protect their loved ones.

As Vice President, Financial Wellness and Employee Engagement, Francisco is responsible for managing relationships with our retirement plan participants and providing the support to deliver customized financial planning and retirement educational programs.

Named 2024’s Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year for Efforts in DEI, Liz serves as Director of DEI and Servicios en Español and Financial Planner at Francis LLC. She uses her extensive experience as an international, bilingual educator to help advise participants through the often-confusing world of personal finance. In addition, Liz leads the firm’s DEI Committee and works to create a more inclusive, collaborative, and just workplace; one that supports minoritized individuals and offers opportunities for learning and growth that positively impact the Francis team and their clients.

Deanna Allison is Director, Benefits, Well-Being and Financial Programs for Bread Financial based in Columbus Ohio. She has been in the retirement industry for over 20 years. Allison has done both large plan administration and third-party administrator (TPA) work during her career. Her current role includes oversight for benefits involving participant behavior and the overall well-being for a global audience. Allison’s group has proudly created and shared its award-winning content and programs for more than 10 years. They’ve met directly with more than 6,000 associates delivering content on mental health, physical well-being and financial confidence.

Vikrant Arya, CFA, CAIA, is a Managing Director within Nuveen’s Retirement Investing group. Vikrant leads Nuveen’s Defined Contribution engagements with institutional consultants, with a focus on building advocacy for Nuveen’s Target Date Fund suite, Lifetime Income solutions and other investment strategies appropriate for DC plans. Prior to joining the firm in 2021, Vikrant spent 12 years at BlackRock in various roles within their Retirement Group spanning consultant relations, institutional relationship management and product marketing. Vikrant also spent time within BlackRock’s U.S. Wealth group. Vikrant graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Finance from Howard University. Vikrant is a CFA and CAIA charter holder and holds the FINRA Series 7 registration and the Life Insurance Producer license. Vikrant also represents TIAA/Nuveen on the Executive Committee of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA).

Andy Banducci is Senior Vice President, Retirement and Compensation Policy, ERISA Industry Committee. He leads ERIC’s efforts to develop and advocate for retirement, compensation and paid leave public policies priorities for ERIC member companies at the federal, state and local levels.

Prior to joining ERIC, Andy served as the Chief Policy Officer of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), where he advised the U.S. Senate-confirmed Director on all legislative and regulatory activities; oversaw the agency’s legislative affairs; and coordinated the agency’s external activities.

In addition to his agency experience, Andy has staffed three congressional committees on retirement, compensation, and labor policy. He has a J.D. at the University of Michigan Law School and undergraduate degrees from Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College.

Sudipto Banerjee is the director of Retirement Thought Leadership in the Investment Product and Retirement Content Group. He is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

Sudipto has been with T. Rowe Price since 2018, beginning in Retirement Plan Services. Prior to this, he was employed by Employee Benefit Research Institute. 

Sudipto earned a B.S. in economics from Presidency College, India; an M.S. in economics from the Indian Statistical Institute; and a Ph.D. in economics from Ohio State University. In 2015, Next Avenue named Sudipto one of the “50 Influencers in Aging” for his analysis of the economic aspects of retirement.

Bridget Bearden is a Research and Development Strategist and member of the leadership team at the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). She helps to establish new strategic partnerships, expand membership, execute proprietary survey research, and contribute to EBRI’s in-person events. Her current research projects include EBRI’s biannual Spending in Retirement survey, and examining benefits that can improve women’s financial security, like on-demand pay, long-term care, and caregiving. She has nearly two decades of experience in developing research and thought leadership in retirement and investing. She has a Ph.D. and MS in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts, an MBA in Finance from Suffolk University, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Connecticut.

Sean founded Bjork Asset Management with the goal of providing disciplined, independent fiduciary guidance to institutions sponsoring retirement plans and their employees.

Sean is a recognized leader in the retirement plan industry with over twenty years of experience working with qualified retirement savings plans and plan participants. He holds AIF®, CIMA® and CPWA® designations, earned his MBA from the University of Chicago and previously graduated with a BA from St. Lawrence University where he served as captain of the NCAA Division I Alpine Ski Racing Team.  

Beyond family and work, Sean volunteers in his community as a Firefighter/EMT with the Lake Bluff Fire Department.

Darbi Buchanan, QPA, QKA, is a seasoned retirement plan professional with over 26 years of experience in the 401(k) industry. She began her career on the TPA side, where she became a Subject Matter Expert in qualified retirement plan design, compliance, administration, and consulting. Throughout her 24-year TPA tenure, Darbi supported a team of Compliance Analysts servicing nearly 800 plans and provided direct consulting and compliance services to her own client block—ranging from solo plans to a Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) with over 200 participating employers. Known for her “White Glove” service approach, her expertise includes MEPs, self-employment contribution calculations, new comparability allocations, and complex control group analysis.

Two and a half years ago, Darbi transitioned to the Plan Sponsor side and now serves as the Director of 401(k) Services for a large PEO-sponsored MEP with over 290 Co-Sponsors. She continues to leverage her deep technical knowledge and strong relationship-building skills to deliver exceptional retirement plan solutions and administration.

Jason Chepenik currently serves as senior vice president of the Retirement + Wealth division. He is focused on providing fiduciary guidance to corporate retirement plans. Whether he’s advocating for stronger fiduciary responsibility, lending his financial knowledge to a local non-profit, or championing financial literacy for the next generation, Jason keeps a strong sense of “the why” within his work.

Jason is also the founder of the 4.01k Race for Financial Fitness helping to raise more than $1 million to support community based financial literacy programs. Jason has earned a degree in Management with a concentration in Finance from Tulane University.

Kim Cochrane, QPA, TGPC, is the Director of Client Services at HUB International Mid Atlantic LLC in Rockville, MD. She has over 25 years of experience, primarily in the consulting area of IRS, Department of Labor and ERISA regulations.
Kim focuses on corporate and non-profit retirement plans, including pension plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, profit sharing, cash balance and executive benefit plans. Kim’s day-to-day responsibilities include working with plan trustees on addressing their fiduciary responsibilities and working with individuals on managing their retirement accounts.
Kim holds FINRA Series 6, 63 and 65 securities registrations, life and health insurance licenses and is a credentialed and active member of The ARA (American Retirement Association), NAPA (The National Association of Plan Advisers) and WIPN.
At HUB, Kim is a Non-Profit Specialty Expert and has received numerous industry awards, including NAPA’s Top Woman Advisor, PLANADVISER’s Top Retirement Plan Adviser and PLANSPONSOR Adviser of the Year Finalist.
Prior to joining HUB in January 2022, she was the Director of Client Services with Raffa Retirement Services. She has spent over 20 years as a relationship manager and consultant at some of the biggest recordkeepers in the industry.

Brian has been with Dawn Food Products for 18 years. Dawn Food Products, Inc. Under Brian’s leadership, Dawn has been recognized by: Pension and Investment Magazine (Eddy Awards & Innovation finalist), Retirement Advisor Council Financial Wellness Program Award,  PLANSPONSOR Magazine (Plan Sponsor of the Year Award finalist and winner), Employee Benefit News (Benny Award Winner-Judges Choice), PSCA Signature Award, Prudential Vision Award, The Corp! magazine (Best and Brightest in Wellness) & Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (TrendBender for 8 consecutive years). Brian has 30+ years of experience in Human Resources Prior to joining Dawn, he has held positions at Trinity Health, Accenture (Anderson Consulting) American Axle and Manufacturing, Inc. Brian is a strong believer in giving back to the community and is a past member of the Management Department External Advisory Board and guest speaker at his alma mater. He is a past Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster and Crew Advisor with the Boy Scouts. Brian has a B.A. degree from Eastern Michigan University, where he majored in Human Resources

Ralph Corasaniti is a leader on Prudential’s Future Growth Initiatives team within Retirement Strategies. This team is focused on delivering retirement income in brand new ways to expand access to retirement security across the U.S. Ralph’s focus is on the Defined Contribution Lifetime Income (DCLI) market where he partners with asset managers, recordkeepers, technology firms, consultants, advisors, and plan sponsors to bring lifetime income protection from Prudential to American workers and retirees. Ralph also leads Prudential Financial’s InterNotes® program that offers corporate notes to retail Investors through broker-dealers and registered investment advisors. Additionally, Ralph collaborates with his Future Growth colleagues on managing fintech partnerships and investments, executing on emerging retail wealth management product and distribution opportunities, and scanning the market for areas where Prudential can lead in new markets or product categories.
Prior to joining Prudential in 2024, Ralph spent 13 years working in the asset management industry. He started his career at Legg Mason and worked most recently for Franklin Templeton where he served as SVP, Strategic Accounts & Innovation Director for the US Retirement, Insurance & College Savings division. Across his time in asset management, Ralph developed a passion for growing and diversifying institutional relationships through tech-enabled co-development initiatives, which carries over into the work he does as part of Prudential’s Future Growth Initiatives team.
Ralph holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst certification, administered by the Investments & Wealth Institute and taught in conjunction with The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Bachelor of the Arts degree in history from the College of William and Mary. He also serves as co-chair of the Insured Retirement Institute’s Retirement Research Committee. He currently resides in Delray Beach, FL, where he and his wife are raising two young boys.

Kevin Crain is an accomplished and highly respected Retirement Services and Financial Wellness Expert with more than 40 years of experience in roles of progressively more significant influence and impact in the Retirement Services industry, driving strategic growth, enhancing client engagement, and delivering top-tier retirement research solutions. With broad leadership experience across all business areas, he is an influential adviser, board member, thought leader, industry events speaker, and public policy advocate in employee financial wellness, retirement savings, retirement public policy, employee benefits utilization trends, and longevity.

Kevin is currently the Executive Director of the Institutional Retirement Income Council, a Senior Advisor with McKinsey, a Senior Advisor with the Milken Institute, a Council Member with the Global Coalition on Aging Advisory Council, and a Visiting Executive for the Gerontological Society of America. He is also an Honorary Member of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA) and a Member of its Public Policy Committee.

Until August 2023, Kevin was with Bank of America Merrill Lynch for nearly 20 years in senior leadership positions in the Retirement Services sector, culminating in the role of Head of Retirement Research.

Cassie Crist, CPA, is a principal on Sikich’s accounting and consulting services team with an emphasis in employee benefit plan audits. She has over 20 years of experience working intimately with her valued clients and auditing qualified employee benefit plans, ranging in size from $1 million to over $2 billion in total assets. Cassie’s expertise encompasses 401(k) profit sharing, defined benefit pension, money purchase, health and welfare, and employee stock ownership plans.
Cassie works closely with her clients to provide ongoing technical accounting research and consulting on issues related to qualified retirement plans. She also regularly leads internal staff trainings and is a frequent speaker and presenter at external accounting and employee benefit plan conferences.
Cassie is a native Hoosier and currently resides in Chicago with her husband. When she is not at work, Cassie enjoys traveling, golfing, spending time with family and friends, and following her beloved Green Bay Packers. Cassie is also an avid foodie and enjoys using her creative skills in her own kitchen and experiencing Chicago’s thriving restaurant scene.

Jeff Cullen specializes in helping corporations and non-profits design, implement and monitor successful retirement plans.

Over the past 16 years, Jeff has built a national practice by helping organizations align HR strategy & total rewards with participant goals through innovative plan design and fiduciary best practices. As a member of the national SRP Investment Committee, he is a specialist in investment due diligence processes and innovative QDIA strategies. Beginning with his very first client, designing customized employee education services that seek to improve participant outcomes has been a hallmark offering.

Jeff received his MBA from DePaul University. He is an investment advisor representative and has passed the Series 7, Series 66 and Series 65 exams.

Monica De Agostino is an HR Leader with over 16 years of experience leading Benefits and Total Rewards. She has worked in industries where people and innovation are the keys to success. Monica believes in empowering individuals and fostering a sense of humanity and connection in the workplace. She has led MRIGlobal to win PLANSPONSOR’s 2022 Nonprofit DC Plan Sponsor of the Year and be a finalist in 2020 and 2021 Business Journal’s Healthiest Employer.

Growing up in South America, raised in multiple countries, and comfortable everywhere, Monica believes education transforms generations. Monica has a Bachelor’s in International Business and an MBA in Management. She holds Senior HR Professional Certifications from SHRM and HRCI Institutes.

Barbara Delaney currently serves as Principal of StoneStreet Benefit Advisors. Barbara is a seasoned ERISA fiduciary adviser, specializing in defined benefit, defined contribution and most recently health and welfare plans. Based out of Tarrytown, New York, Barbara has 40 years of experience.

Many plan sponsors have not held the same standards with respect to their health and welfare plans as they do with their retirement plans. With the spiraling costs of health care and the need for increased transparency Stonestreet has broadened its scope of services to provide the same standard of care with respect to health care.

Barbara earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Economics from St. Thomas Aquinas College and attended the New York University’s Stern School of Business. She is a licensed life & health insurance broker and holds Series 7, 24 and 63 securities registration through LPL.

Tom Demko is a Managing Director, Retirement Plan Consulting based in SageView’s Newport Beach, California office, providing retirement and fiduciary advisory services to both plan sponsor and private wealth clients.  He acts as OCIO or 3(38) fiduciary on pensions, DC plans, global retirement organizations and OPEB benefits.

Tom has worked with retirement plans for over 16 years. Prior to joining SageView, he was the president at Bay Mutual Financial, a registered investment advisor in Santa Monica, CA. At Bay Mutual, Tom was a member of the Plan Advisors, Endowments and Entertainment Groups. He previously served as an executive with several entertainment management and production entities.

Tom graduated from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and was a former lecturer for the Retirement Laboratory and other fiduciary organizations, focusing on legislative and Department of Labor trends, behavioral finance as well as fiduciary mentoring.

Mike is a Principal at BCG Pension Risk Consultants, Inc. He has more than 24 years’ experience helping companies and organizations across a variety of industries achieve their pension de-risking goals. His primary focus is helping clients develop a clear path to termination strategy that includes modeling, analyzing, and implementing solutions across the de-risking spectrum, from liability driven investing approaches, purchasing annuities for retirees and/or pursuing full risk transfer through plan termination, as well as the strategic positioning of plan design & structure for optimal attractiveness to eventual annuity providers. Mike graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Business.

Julie has worked in all areas of the retirement plan ecosystem over the course of her career, making her a well-rounded expert in navigating the complexities of the industry. Equipped with this unique perspective and expertise, she assists her clients in making informed decisions and mitigating risk while helping their employees plan for the retirement they deserve. Alongside her everyday duties, she serves on the company’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council.

Julie has a Master of Business Administration degree from Babson College, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Communication degree from Bentley College. She is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, AIF, and a Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA). Julie has her FINRA Series 65 license and Life, Accident and Health Insurance licenses from The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

John Doyle is a senior retirement strategist at Capital Group, home of American Funds. He has 38 years of investment industry experience and has been with Capital Group for 11 years. Prior to joining Capital, John was a senior consultant with The BridgePoint Group, where he developed retirement plan product and service strategies. He also was executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Hartford Investment Management Company. Before that, he worked as head of marketing and product at T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services and as a vice president of marketing at Fidelity Investments. He holds an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University. John is based in Baltimore.

Lisa Drake is a Retirement Plan Consultant based in SageView’s Florida office, working closely with plan sponsor clients on plan design, investment due diligence, monitoring and reporting as well as ERISA compliance to maximize fiduciary protection for employers. She specializes in driving positive retirement plan outcomes and developing long-standing client relationships.

Lisa has worked in institutional financial services for over 15 years, beginning her career at Charles Schwab. She worked as a financial adviser at Ameriprise Financial Services and later transitioned to a relationship manager role with CBIZ before moving on to FiduciaryFirst.

Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science in International Business and World Trade from the University of Buffalo and her MBA with a specialization in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix. She is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and has earned her Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) credential from the National Association of Plan Advisors. Lisa also holds the Certified Health Savings Adviser (CHSA) certification, helping provide a holistic consultative approach to employee benefits and retirement planning. 

Kevin Drever is a member of the SPS Investment Committee. For clients who engage SPS as an investment manager, the Investment Committee has overall responsibility for selecting, monitoring, and replacing funds as needed in the plan investment lineups. For clients who engage SPS as an investment advisor, the Investment Committee has overall responsibility for reviewing and monitoring funds in plan investment lineups, supervising the preparation of performance reports and the provision of investment advice to client plans.

Kevin Drever joined Strategic Plan Services, LLC in February 2018 and has over 21 years of industry experience. He has held positions in investment services, relationship management, and participant

education during the last 21 years at ADP Retirement Services. For the last 12 years, he has focused on the investment arena. Prior to joining ADP, Kevin worked for the investment firm, Scudder Kemper Investments. Kevin is a FINRA registered representative with ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc. and holds the Series 6 and 63 registrations.

Kevin Drever graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International and Spanish with a Minor in Latin American Studies from Beloit College. Later, he completed a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from Middlebury College. He maintains the designations of Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor, and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist.

Jodi has more than 25 years of experience with all aspects of employee benefits, with a particular focus on defined benefit plans and 401(k) plans. She is particularly adept at managing integrations after acquisitions, setting up new benefit platforms, pension plan lump sum windows and terminations, and advising qualified plan committees regarding their fiduciary duties. Jodi’s practice includes day-to-day compliance issues, such as assisting with implementation of new legislation and regulations, trouble-shooting when glitches arise in plan operations, and helping qualified plan committees monitor plan investments and plan vendors. She has experience with government entities as well as corporate clients. Her practice also includes the one-of-a-kind issues that arise in connection with M&A activity.  

Jodi is well-versed in the complexity and challenges raised by large controlled groups.  Clients appreciate Jodi’s ability to manage projects involving multiple plan vendors, often on a tight timetable. Her client service and responsiveness are unsurpassed. Jodi has been individually recognized by Chambers & Partners for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation since 2019 and by Best Lawyers since 2017.

Julia Fearn is a seasoned relationship manager with over 15 years of experience supporting HR and benefits professionals in complex ecosystems. After nearly a decade in HR advisory sales, she joined SoFi at Work to lead large enterprise accounts, successfully managing programs like student loan retirement matches and tuition reimbursement. Since late 2023, Julia has overseen channel and distribution partnerships, enabling key partners—recordkeepers, brokers, and consultants—with the tools to support HR leaders. As a mother of two, she brings both professional insight and personal experience to her role, making her a vital contributor to SoFi at Work’s success.

Rita is a Senior Vice President and a Senior Institutional Retirement Consultant with UBS since 1996. Rita has dedicated her career to equipping Plan Sponsors with best practices in meeting their Fiduciary responsibilities. Her focus integrates plan design consulting with employee education in building effective communication programs to increase overall plan participation. Rita serves as a partner to her clients and advocate in assisting them in maintaining the most competitive cost structures, formalization of investment committee meetings and decisions, and overall holistic management of all regulatory requirements. She is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) and a Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS). Rita has a B.A. with a concentration in finance from the University of South Florida and an M.S. in business administration from the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Amy French is an experienced HR leader with more than 30 years in the Banking and Technology industries. Amy currently works as Chief HR Officer for Westfield Bank, one of the top 10 largest community banks in Ohio. She is passionate about all things HR and is especially driven to achieve business results through strong people practices.

Amy holds a bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree from Western Illinois University. She has served on the Chamber Board for the Village of Richfield, Ohio, in various capacities, including two years as president at the height of the COVID pandemic.

Alvaro A. Galvis joined Merrill Lynch in 2002 and dedicates his time and experience to managing corporate benefit programs for small to mid-size corporations with defined contribution and defined benefit consulting needs. Alvaro is a partner with The MG Group at Merrill Lynch. His team of professionals combine their industry knowledge and capabilities with the global resources of Merrill Lynch to provide a full range of institutional consulting services and wealth management services to corporations, business owners, executives and their families.

Alvaro graduated from the Colombian Naval Academy and subsequently from Florida International University with degrees in International Business and Finance. Alvaro is a C(k)P Certified 401(k) Professional in good standing with The Retirement Advisor University in collaboration with UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education. Additionally, he holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, and the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist professional designations, giving him in-depth insight into clients’ breadth of consulting and planning needs.

Shaynan Garrioch serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where she leads all aspects of human resources across the institution’s campuses in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. Her responsibilities encompass staffing, benefits, compensation, employee and labor relations, HR systems, legal compliance, and employee communications. A proud Canadian, Shay brings a wealth of HR experience from roles at hospitality and service-sector organizations including Hilton Hotels’ Corporate Office in Beverly Hills, CA, the iconic Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, Apollo Group in Phoenix, AZ, and Canada-based Casino Windsor and Siemens Automotive. In 2024, she was honored to accept the PLANSPONSOR Plan Sponsor of the Year award on behalf of the CIA in the Non-Profit DC Plan >$100MM category.

President Joseph Biden nominated Lisa M. Gomez to serve as Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security for the U.S. Department of Labor in July 2021 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September 2022. She was sworn in on October 11, 2022, and served in that position until January 20, 2025. She is now the founding member of LMG Collaborative Consulting Solutions, a consulting firm providing services in all areas related to employee benefit plans. Previously, Gomez was a partner with the law firm Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP and the chair of the firm’s management committee.

Lisa has deep technical and practical experience in the multifaceted field of employee benefits law and has spent almost three decades representing various Taft-Hartley and multiemployer pension and welfare plans, single employer plans, jointly administered training program trust funds, a federal employees health benefit (FEHB) plan, supplemental health plans and VEBAs covering employees in a wide array of industries. As the head of the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Lisa was responsible for leading an agency with approximately 850 full-time employees nationwide and a budget of approximately $191 million, and was charged with the safeguarding of the job-based retirement, health and other welfare benefits for more than 153 million American workers and retirees and their families.  Through Lisa’s leadership, EBSA oversaw approximately 2.6 million job-based health plans, 801,000 retirement plans, and 548,000 other welfare plans, with combined assets of nearly $12 trillion, in addition to the oversight of the federal Thrift Savings Program, the largest defined contribution program with approximately seven million participants.  In this position, Lisa worked closely with the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council. Gender Policy Council, and top advisors to the President and Vice-President, as well as leadership with other federal and state agencies, members of Congress and external stakeholders. Lisa was recognized for her work with the agency during her tenure, including in areas such as retirement security, implementation of SECURE and SECURE 2.0, the No Surprises Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, the Employee Ownership Initiative and other projects and priorities. Lisa was a frequent speaker during her time at EBSA, appeared in several webcasts, podcasts, and other media interviews, and was often sought by the press as a leader in retirement and health.

Prior to her time in public service, Lisa served as a co-chair of the board of senior editors of the Bloomberg BNA treatise Employee Benefits Law. She also served in various leadership positions with the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Labor and Employment Law, including as the union co-chair of its employee benefits committee. She is a graduate of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law’s leadership development program and served as the union co-chair for that program. She was a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance. Lisa was inducted as a Fellow of The American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, Inc. in recognition of her decades of practice in employee benefits law and her contributions to the field. Lisa was also a member of the advisory board of The Peggy Browning Fund. She previously served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association as well as a volunteer mediator for the New Jersey state courts. She was a guest lecturer for the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and Hofstra University School of Law on employee benefits. Lisa was named as a Super Lawyer for Employee Benefits on the Super Lawyers New York Metro Annual Lists for 2021 and 2022. She earned her law degree from the Fordham University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Hofstra University.

Ben advises clients on a broad range of employee benefits, federal tax, fiduciary, planning and controversy matters.

Ben’s employee benefits practice consists of advising employers on a wide range of issues, including: ERISA; health, welfare and retirement plans; compliance with state and federal laws and regulations; and executive compensation. In particular, he regularly advises plan committees, providing legal updates and fiduciary training. He recently advised a Fortune 500 public company on a large ($1 billion) annuity lift-out from a pension plan.

In addition, Ben has assisted clients in structuring settlements, asset sales, reorgs, and charitable donations. He has experience drafting estate planning documents, administering estates, and with probate matters. He also has advised boards of directors and the management of nonprofits. In addition to being a counselor to nonprofits, he has also served as an officer and/or director for tax-exempt organizations.

Before law school, Ben was a business manager at Capital One, where he developed strategy and analysis for its credit card and banking businesses.

Errol joined CAPTRUST in 2013 as director, product specialist who now serves as a principal and financial adviser. He is responsible for providing retirement plan advisory services to corporate fiduciaries and universities. Prior to joining CAPTRUST, Errol served as vice president of strategic growth and development at Freedom One Financial Group and has worked in the industry since 1993.

Shawn Heron is a Vice President and Senior Investment Consultant with USI Advisors, Inc., a federally registered investment adviser. Shawn joined USI in 2008 and is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring investment strategies for defined contribution and defined benefit clients. Shawn is also actively involved with all aspects of fund monitoring. On an ongoing basis Shawn conducts investment review meetings with clients.

For five years prior to joining USI Consulting Group, Shawn was a Vice President and Relationship Manager with a major investment firm. In this role, Shawn was responsible for providing investment support and expertise to core defined benefit and defined contribution plan sponsors by implementing strategies and providing performance reviews. Shawn also served six years as an investment adviser with an additional major investment firm, specializing in working with plan sponsors in all areas of retirement plans including asset allocation, investments and administrative services.

Prior to Shawn’s entry into financial services he was an Operations Manager for a manufacturing company in Jersey City, NJ. Shawn was responsible for daily operations of the company including Human Resources and Benefits Director. He introduced to the company its first 401(k) plan which he administered for several years.

Shawn earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Wagner College, the designation of CIMA® (Certified Investment Management Analyst) from the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also earned the designation of Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant from the SPARK Institute, Certified Financial Manager from the College for Financial Planning and Six Sigma BlackBelt from the Six Sigma Academy. Additionally, Shawn is a registered representative with USI Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC, and holds FINRA’s Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses.

Pam Hess is the Executive Director at the DCIIA Retirement Research Center. Previously, she was with Aon Hewitt and served as their Director of Retirement Research. Earlier in her career Pam worked on the investment side at Aon Hewitt and with other firms in the financial services industry, including Smith Barney. Pam received a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Illinois, at Chicago. She earned her master’s in business administration from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in accounting, finance and managerial & organizational behavior. Pam is also a CFA Charterholder since 2002. She is based in Charlotte, NC.

Shelly is a retirement plan expert with over 27 years of experience.  She provides consulting and fiduciary advisory services to non-profits, private and public corporations in focused areas such as, fiduciary governance, plan design, investment consulting, compliance, employee education and wellness. Shelly leads the World Investment Advisors team in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C.

Shelly was named a 2024 Top 100 Retirement Plan Adviser by PLANADVISER and a Top Women All-Star in 2015-2023 by the National Association of Plan Advisors.

Viv Hunter Turner advises employer-sponsored welfare plans on employee benefit compliance issues under the Affordable Care Act, Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), ERISA, and COBRA. Additionally, she counsels clients on implementing wellness programs that comply with applicable regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, and the HIPAA wellness rules. Higher education institutions and affiliated organizations turn to Viv for a range of issues such as plan governance structure, contracts, wellness initiatives and providing benefits to both union and non-union populations. Other industries served include Fortune 50 mass media and retail, Fortune 100 entertainment and transportation, health insurance issuers, and the industrial engineering industry.

Mark Iwry served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury from 2009 to January 2017, and concurrently as the Treasury Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Retirement and Health Policy.  In this capacity, he was responsible, together with the Assistant Secretary of Labor, for overseeing the regulation of the nation’s private pension system. His portfolio included pensions/retirement (DB and DC plans, IRAs, etc.) and national savings policy; related tax policy and other tax and legal aspects; legislative and regulatory implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and other health policy; other employee benefits and compensation, and related legislative, policymaking, and rulemaking/regulatory responsibilities.

Currently Mark is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Visiting Scholar at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a partner in the law firm of Covington & Burling and Of Counsel to the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, providing advice and assistance to plan sponsors, service providers, other major corporations, investment firms, financial institutions, trade associations, small businesses, and non-profits. He previously served as the Treasury Department’s Benefits Tax Counsel, Research Professor at Georgetown University, and a co-founder and Principal of the nonpartisan Retirement Security Project.

Greg leads Newfront’s award-winning Retirement Services Practice. Spending much of his career in finance and strategic operations, Greg is known for blazing trails and disrupting the status quo. Spending nearly a decade on the finance team at Microsoft, Greg developed deep financial market expertise managing multi-billion-dollar investment and hedging portfolios. While at Microsoft, Greg was responsible for managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios, running complex hedging programs, and finding ways to successfully navigate the business climate in challenging markets/environments and was involved in some of the largest M&A transactions on record. He then joined Specialized as Treasurer, where he built global cash management and hedging programs to support global worldwide distribution, overseeing all 401k, EB, and P&C operations.

Greg holds a BBA from University of Michigan and is a CFA.

Rob Kaufman is a Nonqualified Plan Design and Strategy Consultant for Empower. In his role, he assists plan sponsors and their advisors in the implementation and ongoing administration of nonqualified deferred compensation plans. Rob’s priorities and knowledge are in plan design, operational corrections, and the various technical issues related to laws and regulations that impact nonqualified plans, such as Internal Revenue Code section 409A.
Rob joined the organization in 2012 and has also worked for Prudential Retirement. He has more than 20 years of experience in the retirement plan services industry.
Rob holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a JD from Duke University School of Law.

Kathleen Kelly, originally from Ballston Lake (Saratoga County), NY, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Wake Forest University. She is a Founding and Managing Partner of Compass Financial Partners, a Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company, and a 30-year veteran of the financial services industry, specializing in the areas of retirement plan consulting & investment advisory services for qualified retirement plans and executive benefit planning. Ms. Kelly has achieved the Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS) designation, and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA).

In recognition of Kathleen’s leadership within the retirement plan consulting community, she has been selected to serve on the Defined Contribution Institutional Investor Association (DCIIA) RIA Advisory Council, Empower Advisory Board, Nuveen Retirement Leadership Council, Principal Financial Professional Advisor Council, the Prudential Advisor Council, the MassMutual Retirement Partners Council, the Transamerica Retirement Solutions RIA Advisory Board, the JP Morgan DC Advisor Council, the Fidelity Workplace Investing Advisor Council (inaugural member), the T. Rowe Price Retirement Client Advisory Board, the EY Innovation Studio and the Retirement Advisor Council.  She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and regularly quoted in trade publications.

Active in her community, Ms. Kelly was appointed by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors to the Board of Trustees for Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), one of the nation’s leading HBCUs, where she is the immediate-past Chairman of the Board and Chaired the Chancellor Search Committee last year. She was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, which was initiated by WSSU.  Additionally, she has served on both the Wake Forest Board of Visitors and Greensboro College Board of Visitors and is currently on the Wake Forest Board of Visitors Emeritus, the United Way of Greater Greensboro Board of Directors, and the Greensboro Science Center Board. She was awarded a “Women in Business” Award (based on successful entrepreneurship) through the Triad Business Journal and was named a “2019 Women of Distinction” by the Peaks to Piedmont Girl Scout Council for making a difference in the community, where she served as a past Board member.

In her spare time, Ms. Kelly enjoys playing golf and tennis and spending time with her husband, two children and golden retriever.

In this role, Jeff is responsible for sales, relationship development, and operational support with financial representatives and plan sponsors in small to midsize/large
markets across the country. He has more than 30 years’ experience in financial services. During his time at John Hancock, Jeff has been privileged to work with plan sponsors, advisors, and other intermediaries to help organizations and their employees meet retirement goals. He started at John Hancock in 2004 as a regional vice president in the greater Chicago area, focusing on qualified retirement plans in the $0 to $100 million market. Jeff assumed his current role in 2016. He holds Illinois Life Insurance and Variable Products licenses, as well as FINRA Series 6, 7, and 63 licenses. Based in Chicago, Illinois, Jeff earned a B.S. from the College of Commerce at DePaul University. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, helping his children hone their hockey skills, and traveling.

Michael Kozemchak, C(k)P, is Managing Director at Institutional Investment Consulting. Michael is the practice leader of IIC. He has 26 years of experience consulting on retirement plans, 20 of which has been with IIC.

Michael and IIC are regularly recognized by PLANSPONSOR and PLANADVISER as one of the nation’s leading retirement plan consulting firms having consulting engagements representing in excess of $150 billion dollars of plan assets. 

Michael has been a regular speaker at numerous industry conferences over the years, including those of PLANSPONSOR, PLANADVISER, SHRM and SPARK.

Bruce Lanser is a First Vice President–Wealth Management and Financial Advisor at TruSource Advisors at UBS. For more than 30 years, Bruce has been helping plan sponsors strengthen their employee retirement plans. He focuses his practice on delivering insights and results in three key areas within corporate retirement planning: sponsor and participant success, investment consulting, and fiduciary guidance.

Bruce has been named to PLANADVISER’s Top Retirement Plan Advisers listing in 2014, 2019 and 2023. Educational degrees include B.S.B.A. Accounting, Marquette University. Credentials include Certified Investment Management Analyst, Certified Portfolio Manager, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist.

Percy advises clients on a wide range of federal income tax, estate and gift tax, and employee benefits issues. He specializes in developing creative solutions to the challenges of providing benefits to a modern, dynamic workforce while maintaining compliance with applicable regulations, such as HIPAA.

At Stanford Law School, where he received his J.D., Percy served as the Senior Finance Editor of the Stanford Law Review and an Editor of the Stanford Journal of Law, Business and Finance. He also participated in the Stanford Supreme Court Litigation Clinic and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, and completed a summer internship at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

With over two decades in the financial services sector, Lauren K. Loehning is a respected Partner at Retirement Impact, where her client-first approach has earned her a reputation for excellence. As the Co-Founder of Moniwell, she leads a pioneering initiative blending psychology, science and technology to redefine financial well-being.

Lauren’s expertise, spanning financial planning, investment management and financial therapy, is bolstered by prestigious certifications, including Certified Financial Planner practitioner, Certified Investment Management Analyst, Certified in Financial Social Work, and Accredited Investment Fiduciary.

Lisa partners with clients to navigate the complexities of
employee benefits law—offering practical, solutions-oriented
counsel on plan design, compliance, and fiduciary governance.

Lisa focuses on employee benefits and executive compensation, advising clients on the design, implementation, and administration of qualified and nonqualified retirement
plans, including pension, 401(k), employee stock ownership, and deferred compensation arrangements. She counsels publicly and privately held companies on employee benefits
issues arising from mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, as well as fiduciary responsibilities and plan investment matters under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Lisa represents clients in matters before the Internal Revenue Service, US Department of Labor, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. She regularly assists clients with
internal compliance reviews, voluntary correction filings under the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS), and applications for IRS determination letters.

In addition to her US-focused work, Lisa advises multinational employers on global employee benefits compliance, expatriate benefits, and benefits considerations in crossborder
transactions. She also provides guidance to plan fiduciaries on claims and appeals procedures under ERISA.

Education: JD, University of Michigan Law School,
BA, Yale University.

John Lowell is a Partner and Consulting Actuary with October Three Consulting LLC. He was President of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries in 2018 and has represented the U.S. profession globally. Based in Atlanta, he has spent nearly the last 40 years assisting employers of all sizes and in most industries with the design, funding, administration, and compliance aspects of nearly all aspects of their employee rewards programs. In recent years, his focus has been on rebuilding employer-sponsored retirement programs so that employees are able to deal with our impending retirement crisis. In particular, his focus is on building programs that cater to the workforce of 2025 and beyond by making them flexible, personalized, and adaptable to an evolving diverse workforce while keeping the program costs stable and affordable during challenging times. His clients seek to attract and retain great employees by offering them what they are asking for today.

For nearly 30 years, Marcia Mantell has helped the country’s foremost financial services firms and advisors increase their knowledge of complex retirement concepts and regulations, then turn the technical into the tangible. Her remarkable ability to translate challenging retirement concepts into everyday language educates and motivates real people to take the right steps to achieve the retirement they desire.

Through her small business, Mantell Retirement Consulting, Inc., (est. 2005) Marcia develops innovative retirement income planning workshops and programs, fun and engaging retirement education programs and seminars, and writes extensively as a guest columnist and content creator and curator. She is considered a retirement industry go-to-person for Social Security and Medicare expert-level information.

Marcia Mantell earned the RMA, Retirement Management Advisor, designation with the first class of financial professionals in 2008.  She re-certified in 2015. Marcia also holds the NSSA, National Social Security Advisor, professional designation. She earned this accredited certification in 2017 to formalize her Social Security knowledge. In 2022, Marcia added a Health Insurance License to her professional development certifications.

Jacob M. Mattinson is a partner in McDermott Will & Emery’s Chicago office. His practice focuses on employee benefits matters related to health and welfare plans, retirement plans, and executive compensation issues. He frequently counsels privately and publicly held corporations and tax-exempt entities on a variety of benefits and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) issues, including ERISA fiduciary issues, compliance with the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), ERISA implications in corporate transactions, ERISA administrative claims and appeals, and executive compensation matters.

Nick Maynard, SVP at Commonwealth, builds and scales employee savings innovations to improve the lives of financially vulnerable workers. Nick has led strategic partnerships and program rollouts with Walmart, Staples and H&R Block, and now works closely with the benefits organizations at Best Buy, ADP and others through the BlackRock Employee Savings Initiative (ESI), a $50M fund. 

Nick also works with policy makers and fintech firms to address the chronic financial insecurity that plagues millions of employees who have inadequate savings and no meaningful wealth.

Previously, Nick spent nearly a decade providing strategy and operational consulting to Fortune 1000 companies. He holds a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, and a Bachelors of Engineering and Operations Research from Princeton University.

Dwyatt McClain is financial services executive with over 30 years of experience. Dwyatt brings a breadth and depth of experience to the Retirement Income Market which includes Annuity, Stable Value, Custom Portfolio Solutions and Alternative Investments. He’s adept at building start-up businesses within larger corporate enterprises. His expertise in product knowledge and business development have enabled him to lead various business development teams.
Since joining Fidelity in 2021, Dwyatt is leading the retirement income distribution team for the Tax Exempt and Corporate Markets focused on Fidelity suite of retirement income solutions. In addition, he leads the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) strategy for the Tax Exempt Market.
Dwyatt maintains Series 7, 24, 63 and 65 registrations.* Dwyatt holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation. Dwyatt earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Fitchburg State University. Dwyatt is a native of Massachusetts and he currently resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife and three sons. His hobbies include basketball, golf, family get together and mentoring young professionals.

Sam has been with the UBS Retirement Plan Consulting Group since 2007 working with employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k), 403(b) and nonqualified deferred compensation. Sam brings a human element to helping participants become financially aware of their short and long-term investment goals. He specializes in working with plan sponsors to design and implement targeted employee education and communication campaigns that empower plan participants of all age groups, whether they’re just starting their savings or nearing retirement.

David has over 25 years of experience in Healthcare Finance and is the former Vice President of Finance for the Inspra Health Network, which services patients in five counties of New Jersey. The Inspira Health Network has three medical centers, five health centers and over 150 locations. 

He holds a Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Rider University and an MBA from Eastern University. He is a New Jersey Certified Public Accountant and a Fellow in the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He joined the Inspira Health Network, formerly South Jersey Healthcare in May of 2001. Prior to joining Inspira, he spent three years at UPS Supply Chain Solutions, formerly Livingston Healthcare Services Inc., where his responsibilities included financial management of the pharmaceutical distribution service line and five years at Virtua Health System, formerly Memorial Hospital of Burlington County. 

Jon provides guidance to plan sponsors in all things retirement planning, including investment performance monitoring, asset allocation optimization, investment manager searches and overall plan benchmarking. He boasts an impressive background in investment manager research, actively covering more than 50 unique investment strategies for the firm. Jon currently serves on the firm’s investment committee, providing insights on global capital markets. Jon is a member of the Marquette University Applied Investment Management (AIM) Program.

With over 20 years of experience, Mark Olsen is the Managing Director of PlanPILOT, advising 401(k), 403(b), and defined benefit plans. He specializes in plan governance, investment searches, monitoring, and oversight, working with clients in higher education, government, energy, and manufacturing. A respected industry leader, Mark frequently speaks at national conferences such as the Institutional Investor Adviser Summit and CUPA-HR. Before founding PlanPILOT, he held senior roles at Mercer and Willis Towers Watson. Outside of his industry leadership, he’s a passionate sailboat racer, regularly competing in the renowned Chicago Mac race.

David joined WTW in 2000 and as WTW’s Head of DC Investment Strategy is responsible for developing and bringing WTW’s expertise to all current and prospective DC clients, as well as leading WTW’s DC investment research and custom solution development and implementation.

David is a frequent speaker at DC industry conferences including P&I, DCIIA, Institutional Investor Defined Contribution Institute and CIEBA. He also authors DC thought leadership, including “Is your DC plan evolving to meet today’s challenges?”, “Can Asset Diversification & Access to Private Markets Improve Retirement Income Outcomes?”, “Generating and Protecting Retirement Income in Defined Contribution Plans: An Analysis of How Different Solutions Address Participant Needs”, “The Evolution of Target Date Funds: Using Alternatives to Improve Retirement Plan Outcomes” and “Moving the needle on defined contribution plans”. 

David received a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Michigan. He is an associate of the Society of Actuaries and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

Emily works with plan sponsors on holistic management of their retirement plans and helps develop investment solutions with the goal of aligning investment programs with the plan sponsor’s objectives. With over 18 years of experience, Emily provides strategic portfolio, risk management and governance advice to asset owners. She is responsible for partnering with clients across a range of investment services including establishing investment objectives, developing investment structure, manager selection, performance evaluation, and ongoing monitoring. Emily is also a member of WTW’s DC OCIO Investment Committee.
Prior to WTW, Emily worked at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which she joined by way of its acquisition of Rocaton Investment Advisors in 2019. Previously, Emily served in a similar capacity at Segal Rogerscasey.
Emily graduated magna cum laude from Providence College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and a minor in French.

As Managing Director, Head of Lifetime Income Default Distribution, Tim brings his knowledge and skills to plan sponsors and consultants as they design their retirement plans that seek to deliver the best possible outcomes for their plan participants. Driving innovation in the increasingly important default and QDIA space, Tim leads our custom default and QDIA strategies team. He works closely with consultants and plan sponsors to create default options unique to their plan that focus on generating lifetime income for participants1.

Tim and his team are also responsible for helping our clients and consultants understand the value of TIAA and CREF annuities and the importance of generating a lifetime of income – TIAA’s focus for over 100 years.

Prior to joining TIAA in 2013, Tim was an independent consultant providing consulting services to both institutional retirement plans and individual wealth management clients.  He gained valuable perspectives on the challenges facing plan sponsors and helped them with their fiduciary duties including: investment menu design, retirement committee formation and plan governance, employee education and fee alignment. He was recognized as one of PLANADVISER’s Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers in 2013 and was one of five finalists for PLANSPONSOR’s Retirement Plan Advisor of the Year in that same year.  

Tim also spent 12 years at Fidelity Investments where he held a variety of roles ranging from client service to product development and sales. Tim led the product development for bundled defined benefit services and also drove the development and distribution of an early version of an outsourced CIO business and led the national sales team.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Master of Science degree in finance from Clark University. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 63 registrations. An energetic and engaging speaker, he is a frequent presenter at client and industry conferences throughout the country and has lectured at several New England colleges and universities.

With a passion for assisting clients in all things benefits and Health & Welfare, Greg is a key player on Sentinel’s leadership team. Having called Sentinel home for more than 13 years, he is driven by a desire to help people day in and day out.

Greg brings a unique view of benefits to the table, having curated a diverse background in health and welfare, insurance consulting and retirement. By helping firms create strong education game plans, his expertise enhances the value of their offerings and empowers employees to feel confident in what is offered to them. Greg has a Bachelor of Science – Business Administration, Finance from the University of Connecticut; has Life, Accident and Health Insurance licenses in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and is PPACA Certified.

Anna Rappaport is an actuary, consultant, futurist, author, and speaker, and is an internationally recognized expert on the impact of change on retirement systems, late-in-life, and workforce issues. She is passionate about improving retirement security and opportunities for older Americans and is focused on making a difference. Some of the specific issues she has focused on include helping people thrive at older ages, women’s security, disability and defined contribution plans, phased retirement, and improving the individual’s ability to plan. She has identified gaps in retirement planning, particularly for late-in-life individuals and solo agers. By late-in-life she means the period after when people have started to decline, have significant decline, and then major decline. She is the author of several summary reports on Society of Actuaries retirement risk research. She was a major contributor to the Society of Actuaries’ Late in Life Decision Guide and the Underlying Research. Recently, she has developed a Workbook/Checklist to help people thrive and stay in control as they age.  She is using the Workbook/Checklist to help residents of a Continuing Care Retirement Community identify what they need to do now to thrive and keep their plans up to date. Her dream for the next two years is to expand this work and make it available to everyone interested in life-in-life issues. Everyone is older or hope to be one day, and many people have parents and grandparents who are older.

Rui Remedios is a Senior Investment Consultant for the Retirement Investment Services group in Richfield, Ohio. Mr. Remedios has been with Schwab since 2000 and is responsible for providing investment consulting services to Schwab Retirement Plan Services’ retirement plan clients.

In addition to his role with Schwab, Mr. Remedios has six years of experience as an Accountant (public and private) and two years as a Corporate Risk Manager.

Mr. Remedios was born in Hong Kong, China and spent his formative years in the San Francisco Bay area. He graduated from California State University, East Bay with a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in accounting. He currently holds the FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

Kelly Rome is Vice President of Product Development and Management for Empower. In her role, she is responsible for a variety of investment-related products, including retirement income, fiduciary services, and asset allocation programs, as well as multiple employer plans (MEPs), pooled employer plans (PEPs), and professional employer organizations (PEOs). In addition, she oversees Taft-Hartley and regulatory products, including those related to the implementation of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022.
Kelly joined the organization in 1988 and has also worked for Prudential Retirement. She has 35 years of experience in the financial services/retirement plan services industry, including working for CIGNA.
Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut in economics and an MBA from the University of Hartford. She currently maintains FINRA Series 7 and 24 securities credentials and the Series 63 state securities credentials. She also holds the Retirement Plan Associate (RPA) designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans (IFEBP) and is a SAFe® 6 Product Owner/Product Manager.

Amanda Ross is a Managing Director and Head of Participant Experience within Bank of America’s Workplace Benefits. In this role, she leads the end-to-end participant engagement strategy to deliver a differentiated and personalized experience that helps participants live their best financial lives.
Amanda is a very involved leader holding seats on the Workplace Benefits Executive Operating Committee and is Executive Sponsor for the New England Parents and Caregivers Network. She is a Global Diversity & Inclusion Manager award recipient and is an active participant in several employee engagement networks.
Amanda joined Merrill Lynch in 2006 as a Retirement Solutions Specialist. She quickly established a reputation for innovative thinking, leadership, and revenue growth. She has held numerous leadership positions across the organization and prior to her current position she was the Head of Wealth Management Sales Support for the personal retirement, insurance, and trust lines of business.
Amanda received her B.S. in Finance and Economics at Bentley College and her Master of Business Administration at Boston University. She holds both the Certified Retirement Planning Counselor and Certified Retirement Plan Specialist designations through the College for Financial Planning as well as a Certificate in Longevity Studies from the University of Southern California. She is also registered through numerous securities and insurance designations including the Series 7, 66, 24 and MA Life/Health Insurance licenses.
Amanda lives in Hopkinton, MA, with her husband, Patrick, and their four rambunctious children. She is an adjunct professor at Boston University Questrom School of Business and Brandeis International Business School, a town representative on the Hopkinton School Council and an avid fundraiser for the Hopkinton Center for the Arts.

In her role as Head of People Operations for Vitality Group US, Patti Ruh is responsible for supporting the human factor in the business. She drives the business unit specific people initiatives and services to support, attract, develop, engage and retain employees.

Patti provides HR expertise and helps drive the following areas to liberate the best in Vitality’s people: Change management, culture, recruitment, benefits, immigration, compliance, rewards & recognition; along with providing support in talent management, leadership, learning & development, engagement, and performance management.

Patti has been with Vitality for 13 years and passionate about driving a strong culture. Patti leads the Benefits Committee; an internal group that regularly reviews benefits and drives benefit related initiatives. She has served as a co-sponsor of Vitality’s SoWell team, an internal group focused on promoting employee culture and wellbeing from 2014-2021. She continues to be an active member today.

George Sepsakos is a principal at Groom Law Group, Chartered who represents clients on a broad range of ERISA, federal tax and securities law matters. His practice is primarily focused on issues related to Title I of ERISA, including fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction issues.  George’s practice includes:

• Regularly defending plan trustees, fiduciaries, and service providers in investigations and enforcement proceedings brought by the Department of Labor.
• Representing clients in front of the Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), seeking advisory opinions, prohibited transaction exemptions, no action letters, and other guidance.
• Counseling banks, broker-dealers, recordkeepers, investment managers and advisers and other financial services companies on the structuring and marketing of retirement plan services and products.
• Advising clients on compliance with DOL’s final regulation defining the term “fiduciary.”
• Regularly counseling large employers and plan committees to develop processes and best practices regarding plan investments, including the acquisition and management of employer securities, and plan governance matters.
• Conducting reviews and internal audits of plan governance and administrative practices.

With over 30 years of advising plan participants under her belt, Kelli Send has extensive financial wellness knowledge and oversees the firm’s financial wellness team. She is responsible for curriculum design and delivery, as well as the firm’s money coaching services. Under her leadership, the financial wellness team has won 15 Eddy Awards for excellence in retirement plan participant education programs.

Kelli is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional (CFP) and has her Series 65 license and ERISA Fiduciary certification. She has a B.A. in Marketing from Michigan State University and an M.A. in Adult Education from Carroll University.

As a Managing Director for Strategic Retirement Partners, Phil Senderowitz is responsible for servicing clients, as well as growing the firm’s practice in the Central Florida market. He is a specialist in investment due diligence processes, fiduciary best practices, and provider benchmarking. Phil also provides extensive experience in delivering customized employee education services to help promote more positive retirement outcomes. Phil is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Financial Planner professional.

Brent Sheppard is Partner, Financial Adviser and Director of Corporate Retirement Plan Consulting at Cadence Financial Management. Brent has earned the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist, Retirement Income Certified Professional, and Accredited Investment Fiduciary designations. He helps companies design and manage innovative retirement benefit plans, financial wellness programs and customized executive services. What he is most proud of is seeing his clients, their organizations, and their employees achieving their financial goals. Brent is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences such as those hosted by PLANSPONSOR, SPARK Institute and SHRM. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware and has his Series 7, 63, and 66 securities licenses.

Phil Sherman, CFP, is the Senior Retirement Plan Consultant of Deschutes Investment Consulting in Portland, OR. He was originally drawn to the retirement plan industry after years of working in the wealth management field, where his interactions shed light on the lack of financial literacy. This inspired him to shift his focus to retirement plans and their participants. By working with retirement plans, he realized he could have a direct impact on education through workplace benefits and help employees better handle their money and make choices today that will have a lasting impact for tomorrow.

Adelia Soremekun is a highly experienced HR professional dedicated to creating impactful and valuable experiences throughout the employee life cycle. With over 20 years of experience, including 14 years in HR administration, she currently serves as the Senior Director, Total Rewards at The Jackson Laboratory. Her in-depth knowledge and strategic approach has played pivotal roles in optimizing HR processes and enhancing employee satisfaction.

Her expertise cover employee education, program and policy design for benefits, compensation, wellness, absence and general employee relations. She holds an MBA along with multiple certifications, including SHRM-CP, PHR, CPDM, and Global benefits.

Adelia is the convener of CommonSense HR, a LinkedIn group.

Kendall Stice is a financial services professional with significant expertise in the evolving landscape of healthcare benefits. In the role of VP at Fidelity Investments, Kendall focuses on providing strategic direction and fostering strong relationships with leading Benefits Consultant firms. With a deep understanding of HSA solutions, Kendall has a proven ability to navigate the complexities of the industry and contribute to the development of effective strategies. Kendall holds a Bachelor of Science in Financial Planning & Counseling from the University of Utah and maintains Series 7, 63, and 66 certifications.

Kimberly Stockton is Head of DC Research and Thought Leadership at Vanguard. Her team conducts investment research to support Vanguard thought leadership, portfolio construction solutions, and the development of new products, tools, and strategies. Her recent research topics include the value of advice in defined contribution plans, hybrid annuity target date funds, and retirement income. Prior to her current role, Kimberly was an investment research strategist in Vanguard’s first investment research group, where she authored more than 40 white papers and codeveloped Vanguard’s investment methodology models and library. She earned a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from Villanova University.

Matt Stubblefield serves as Aggregator Channel Head at Allianz Life. In this role, his focus is on helping advisors meet the growing demand for lifetime income solutions in the defined contribution marketplace. Matt brings more than 12 years of experience in the retirement plan industry.

 Prior to joining Allianz, Matt spent 5 years at Dimensional Fund Advisors as Regional Director where he led retirement distribution efforts across RIA aggregator and broker dealer complexes. Previous to this, he held various roles at Fidelity Investments, John Hancock, and State Street.

Matt holds a bachelors degree in Economics-Finance from Bentley University and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations. He lives in Austin, TX and enjoys spending time with family and traveling. He is an avid golfer and competes in a number of amateur tournaments throughout Texas.

Holly Tardif is a senior consultant with over 20 years of experience in the retirement industry, specializing in defined contribution (DC) plans. She advises on a broad range of areas, including plan strategy and effectiveness, governance, administration, compliance, and financial resilience solutions. With a background in investment consulting and recordkeeping, Holly has worked with employers of all sizes—from start-ups and spin-offs to multi-billion-dollar organizations—across both the private and public sectors. Her expertise spans many types of DC plans and outsourcing models. Holly is also responsible for product development and thought leadership for the LifeSight Pooled Employer Plan.

Holly holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida.  She is a member of several industry groups including Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association, Women in Pensions, and National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators. 

Heather Taylor, Director, Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Strategies, MarshMcLennan Agency

Heather Taylor supports Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) retirement advisers and their clients with plan design, implementation, and financing strategies for nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans.

She began her financial services career with Principal Financial Group and moved to the Nonqualified Plans team in 2003 providing support in the southeast region. Heather joined Marsh McLennan Agency in 2023 and provides national consulting support for MMA advisers.

Elise is a Vice President of State Street Global Advisors and Head of Investment Strategy within the Defined Contribution team. In this role, she leads a team of subject matter experts who represent SSGA’s DC investment strategies in the marketplace. In addition to supporting DC sales efforts, she also collaborates across the DC and investment teams to improve upon and expand SSGA’s DC investment offerings through ongoing product innovation. As a member of the Defined Contribution team, she also serves as an internal expert on DC plan design, architecture, and key regulatory and legislative topics. Additionally, she is a member of the Defined Contribution Investment Group (DCIG), the committee that oversees the construction and glidepath of the State Street Target Retirement Funds. She joined the DCIG in September of 2023.

Prior to her current role, Elise was the Co-Head of DC Investment Strategy at Willis Towers Watson. In this role, she worked as a strategist for the firm’s largest DC clients and also served as the Head of the Target Date Fund Research Team and Head of the Managed Account Research Team.

Elise earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, with a concentration in Finance and Spanish, from the University of Notre Dame. She earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the Chicago CFA Society and the CFA Institute.

Joe is one of the founding members of the group that originally formed Francis in 2004. He currently leads the firm’s marketing and business development efforts and is continually looking for ways to create value for organizations and their employees. Before his time at Francis, he served as chief financial officer of a Wisconsin printing operation, allowing him to bring a valuable perspective to his plan sponsors and prospective development efforts. Joe is a member of both the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Metro Milwaukee Society for Human Resource Management and serves on the board of directors of Wisconsin Retirement Plan Professionals.

Raul Valdes-Perez is co-founder/CEO of OnlyBoth, provider of BenchMine.com, which rethinks and automates performance-benchmarking with proprietary AI, enabling unprecedented transparency. He was co-founder/CEO of enterprise-search company Vivisimo, acquired by IBM. At Vivisimo he was a regional E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year. He received seven NSF research grants and published 50 journal articles and book chapters in computer, natural and social science. His computer science PhD is from Carnegie Mellon, where his adviser was Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon, and he then joined its faculty. Raul authored Advice is for Winners: How to Get Advice for Better Decisions in Life and Work.

Keith is a member of the Investment Consulting Group at John Hancock Investment Management and has more than 30 years’ experience in the asset management industry. Prior to joining John Hancock Investment Management in 2018, Keith ran his own consulting firm, where he built professional development programs for advisors focused on behavioral investing and alternative investments. Keith started his career at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, where he held a variety of positions including client portfolio manager, investment strategist, and head of private bank distribution. Keith earned a B.S. from Ithaca College, and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Certified Financial Planner, and Certified Investment Management Analyst designations

Julie Varga is Senior Vice President, Product and Investment Specialist for Morningstar Retirement. She works with a team of investment, client service, and sales professionals to develop business and client strategy in the defined contribution plan sponsor marketplace and provide expertise on managed account services and target-date products.

In her previous role as Vice President of Product Management, Varga was responsible for the various target-date options available at Morningstar Retirement, in particular development of the target-date CIT and custom target-date models.

Prior to that, Varga was the Director of Account Management, responsible for managing strategic client relationships for the retirement solutions group. She focused on broadening key relationships, developing customized solutions for clients and strategic planning based on the needs of the marketplace.

Varga’s first role at Morningstar was as lead project manager for Morningstar® Retirement Manager^SM, responsible for building out Morningstar’s managed accounts accumulation and in-retirement services.

Varga holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematical economics from the University of Michigan.

Marcia S. Wagner is the founder of The Wagner Law Group, one of the nation’s largest and most highly regarded law firms specializing in ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation, and has practiced employee benefits law for over 38 years. Wagner is an authority on qualified and non-qualified plans, fiduciary issues, deferred compensation and welfare benefit arrangements, with experience in plan design and drafting, compliance, tax planning and consultation on all aspects of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. She also serves as an expert witness in ERISA litigation. Wagner has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors for the American Benefits Council, as well as a Member to the Board of Governors of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. She has written hundreds of articles and 27 books. She is a highly sought after lecturer, is widely quoted in financial journals and has been a guest on Fox, CNN, Bloomberg and NBC.

Allison Wardlaw is the Director of Plan Development and Compliance and has been with the State of Michigan for 13 years. During that time, she has served in several leadership roles. Allison is experienced with the challenges of leadership in the Office of Retirement Services, balancing the changing needs of its customers with the fiduciary responsibility of managing public trust resources. Allison holds an undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University and a master’s degree in public administration from Western Michigan University. In addition, she holds a CEBS certification from IFEBP as well as a CRC designation from InFRE.

Chris West is a Managing Director in WTW’s Retirement practice and leads WTW’s U.S. LifeSight Pooled Employer Plan (PEP”). She also leads the Defined Contribution Strategy and Nonqualified practice. She has over 30 years of experience with employee benefits, specifically defined benefit, defined contribution, non-qualified plans, and executive benefits.

Chris is a strategic partner to her clients and has advised both private and public companies on strategies and compliance issues across a variety of practice areas including pension plans, 401(k) plans including PEPs, non-qualified plans (both for profit and tax exempt), and executive compensation arrangements. Her areas of expertise include plan design, nonqualified funding vehicles (COLI, Mutual Funds, Total Return Swaps), committee meeting attendance and support, operational and compliance reviews, 409A compliance and corrections, vendor search services and benchmarking, including selection and contract negotiation, plan harmonization and corporate governance. Chris is also an active member of WTW’s Gender Equity Network team in her local office.

Prior to joining WTW, Chris spent nearly four years as Mercer’s Central Market Executive Benefits leader; and prior to that a combined 25 years at MullinTBG (a Prudential Retirement company) where she served as Regional Vice President and responsible for client relations, plan design and governance and new business development in the Central Region.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science, Administration degree with a focus in Finance from the University of Phoenix, AZ.

Pam West joined Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2013, bringing with her more than two decades of global experience in human resources management and consulting. Since then, she has played a pivotal role in shaping and overseeing comprehensive total rewards programs that support both the national organization and independent clubs.  For the past 12 years, Pam has led initiatives focused on the design, implementation and compliance of strategic HR solutions. In collaboration with the Board Retirement Committee, she oversees the management and administration of the BGCA Master Retirement Plan and Trust, working in coordination with the recordkeeper, trustee, ERISA counsel, and investment adviser.  As a trusted subject matter expert, Pam partners closely with executive leaders and board members to deliver tailored human resources strategies that advance organizational goals and strengthen long-term impact.

As a 25-year industry veteran, Chuck has devoted his professional life to enhancing the financial well-being of institutional and individual clients. As the Finspire, LLC Chief Executive Officer and Senior Consultant, Chuck provides oversight of the firm and is a lead consultant for many of the firm’s corporate retirement plans and high-net worth individual clients. Chuck is also an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies where he has been teaching the Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits course since 2005.

Prior to co-founding Finspire, LLC, Chuck served as a Managing Director and Senior Lead Consultant with Sheridan Road Advisors, LLC for 10 years, and with Bank Leumi for the 8 years prior. Chuck is continually working to strengthen his industry knowledge and expertise. Chuck is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS), A Certified 401(k) Specialist (C(k)P), an Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS) and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF). He earned his B.S. in Finance from DePaul University and his Masters in Business Administration from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University.

Rosie Zaklad is a principal at Groom Law Group, Chartered and co-leader of the firm’s tax practice. Her day-to-day practice involves the design, implementation and ongoing administration of retirement plans, including defined benefit, defined contribution, and tax-deferred annuity plans. She focuses on tax-qualified plan compliance issues, including Internal Revenue Service audits, rulings, and corrections. Rosie has extensive experience assisting plan sponsors in navigating the plan termination process, including preparing employee communications, obtaining agency approvals, and responding to post-termination audits. She has also represented clients in responding to Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation inquiries, investigations, and audits.

During her tenure at Groom, Rosie has counseled clients on a wide range of retirement plan issues in connection with corporate transactions and spinoffs, including distributions, plan loans, company stock, record retention, and treatment of transferring employees. She has also advised on tax and ERISA issues in connection with the post-merger integration of retirement plans.