2018 Distribution Conference for Financial Services Agenda

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. - REGISTRATION

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: VALUE-ADDED CONCURRENT SESSION

Taking On the "D" Word
Scott Kallenbach, FLMI, Director, Strategic Research, LIMRA
Eric T. Sondergeld, ASA, CFA, Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Technology Research, LIMRA

Disruption is among today's most misused buzzwords. People frequently use it to describe innovations regardless of their impact, as well as anything that presents even a mild challenge to an organization. But disruption is more than that. Disruptors can severely impact revenue or have a crippling effect on a business or an entire industry. Join this thought-provoking interactive discussion to learn what forces truly pose the greatest disruptive threats to manufacturers, distributors, and financial professionals and what you can do to not only guard against them, but go on the offensive and even be the disruptor.

Champions G

Customer Engagement: Buzz Word or Game Changer?
Jon Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Life.io
Jeff Wild, Managing Director, Global Operations, Life.io

This session will debunk the buzz around customer engagement and why it has become a trending topic of today's market.  Life.io presenters will define what customer engagement really means to the insurance industry and address the acute versus chronic syndrome of customer engagement neglect.

Champions F

5:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. - WOMEN LEADERS' RECEPTION

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - HOSPITALITY SUITES

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - LIMRA WELCOME RECEPTION

Thursday, March 1, 2018

7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - REGISTRATION

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. - BREAKFAST

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - GENERAL SESSION 1

The Future is Now — Challenges and Opportunities for Channel Growth

In this opening session, Sean will address the key issues in building a competitive sales channel in today's consumer-centric environment.  From distribution's role in driving profitable growth to the challenges of adapting your sales model to today's empowered consumer, this session will set the stage for this year's conference.

Sean F. O'Donnell, M.B.A., LLIF - Senior Vice President, Head of Membership, Workplace Benefits, and Applied Research Solutions, LIMRA and LOMA

Champions C/D

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - GENERAL SESSION 2

Building Stand Out Client Experiences in the Age of Empowerment

The Empowered Client has arrived. With information at their fingertips and platforms to share opinions, clients understand the power they yield in the marketplace. Financial advisors used to be expert authority figures but now, as information has become readily available, the role of the advisor is changing. The time has come to challenge conventional thinking and explore bold new approaches to relationship building in the face of disruption and shifting demographics. Robo-advising offers a service, but financial advising offers an experience. Leveraging the client experience is more important than ever. Supported with cutting edge research and category leading case studies, this program will take a deep dive into the evolving expectations of today’s empowered clients.

Kim Lear - Speaker, Writer, Strategist and Researcher

Champions C/D

9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - GENERAL SESSION 3

Posting Isn’t Prospecting: Getting Real ROI in a Social World

Quick — how did you reward your top social sellers last year? If your answer is that you didn’t, you're not alone. Getting agents and advisors to use social platforms is just the first step. Real ROI takes game-based competition, tracking and high-impact recognition and rewards. In this time of short attention spans and high expectations, this fast moving energy session will walk you through how to shift agents, recruiters and leaders beyond canned content and into generating introductions, client meetings and measurable results.

Debra Jasper, Ph.D. - Founder and CEO, Mindset Digital

Champions C/D

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - BREAK

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

Utilizing Data to Maximize Agent Recruiting Efforts
Paul Shane, Director, Talent Acquisition and Onboarding, Northwestern Mutual
Rocco Tarasi, Vice President, Finance and Operations, Bankers Life and Casualty
Moderator: Richard Harman, Territory Vice President, Bankers Life and Casualty

In today’s low unemployment environment, the cost to recruit high potential agent candidate’s, continues to rise.  Understanding how data-driven solutions will help maximize your recruiting efforts is paramount. In this workshop you will:

  • Learn fundamental concepts underlying data mining and modeling.
  • Gain a better understanding of how to utilize data mining to identify and target high potential recruits.

Champions G

The Pursuit of Loyalty: the Strategic Imperative in Cross-Selling
Tim Harris, Agency Vice President, COUNTRY Financial
Bill Hodges, Director, Marketing Field Development and Support, Farm Bureau Michigan
Patrick Smith, Senior Vice President, Field Operations, American National
Moderator: John Sullivan, Client Relationship Director, LIMRA

When multiple products are cross-sold into a household, customers save time and money while companies increase customer lifetime value and profits. Everyone wins! Consumers report a willingness to be cross-sold, though results indicate that life insurance continues to be an area of unclaimed potential for multi-line carriers. This workshop will share what we learned from LIMRA’s recent Cross-Sell study and highlight how a few companies are working to claim this potential.

Champions F

Easy Decisions Today - Costly Decisions Tomorrow
Luke Cosme, Senior Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Mutual Trust Life 
Steve Sanders, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Columbus Life
Moderator: Jerry Blair, ChFC, LLIF, Chief Distribution and Sales Officer, Midland National Life

In today fast paced world we’re forced to make a  lot of decisions. Most of the decisions we have to make allow enough time to research all of the facts, involve the various parties impacted and ultimately draw a conclusion that work best for all parties. However, there are other times when we’re under the gun to make a quick decisions and have to go with our gut. This workshop will discuss the impact of the various decisions we make as distribution leaders. The good, the bad and the ugly. We’ll look at examples showing the financial impact of those decisions as well as the collateral damage some decisions may have on the rest of our organization. Our goal is to provide our audience with tools and examples that will ultimately help them as they face future decisions.

Players C

Expanding Opportunities Through Dynamic Partnerships
David Cohodes, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley
Carol Rando, Executive Director, Professional Life Advisors Network (PLAN)
Todd Ruplinger, Founder and Vice Chairman, Covrtech
Moderator: Doug Jacobs, Vice President, BGA National Accounts, Integrated Relationship Strategies, Nationwide

This workshop provides tactics in partnering with institutions that have existing relationships with potential customers and covers a range of channels and processes institutions are using to serve mass affluent clients efficiently. In this session you will:

  • Identify/explore the multiple platforms institutions are using to reach their mass affluent clients
  • Categorize transactional vs. Advisor-led processes for a holistic approach to client needs
  • Explore the “asset class” component of this business model

Masters E

Being Direct on Buying Direct: Consumers Tell All
Jennifer Douglas, Director, Developmental Research, LIMRA
Shannon Havener, Research Analyst, Distribution Research, LIMRA
Moderator: Patrick Leary, LLIF, Corporate Vice President, Distribution Research, LIMRA

Empowered consumers have changed the way companies across all industries market, sell, and service their products. Life insurance companies are likewise aligning their business models to meet the needs of the self-directed shopper. This session will share new LIMRA research on consumer shopping patterns, preferences, and opportunities with a focus on the self-directed online life insurance shopper.

Masters B/C

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - LUNCH

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.: CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

Retail Footprint - Distribution Options for Changing Customer Preferences
Jessica Baker, MMCCU, CLU, CFP, FLMI, Vice President, Co-Operators
Tom Hochstein, LUTCF, Vice President, Agent Business Strategies, Horace Mann
Keith Ryniak, National Agency Business Strategy Director, American Family
Moderator: Jim Wingrove, CLU, ChFC, LLIF, Vice President, Agency Distribution and Sales Support, Co-Operators

This session will focus on how changing demographics, customer needs and technology enhancements are impacting how new or alternative distribution options are being developed and piloted to address these dynamic developments.   You will hear from three companies on how they are developing or evolving different agency models, employee models and corporate run offices.  This session will also discuss working to maintain presence in shrinking rural markets and different strategies working in urban areas.

Champions G

New Rules to Successfully Launch and Retain Advisors
Ed Deutschlander, CLU, CLF, Chief Executive Officer, North Star Resource Group
Chris Ginkel, CFP, CLU, Director, Field Development, Thrivent Financial
Maggie Merica, CPTM, Manager, Agency Training Design, COUNTRY Financial
Moderator: Bill Idzorek, ChFC, CLU, Vice President, National Sales Group, Thrivent Financial

Today’s business environment is not standing still. Your competitors, technology, legislation and regulations are constantly changing. What was a successful advisor training program yesterday may not be a cost-effective program tomorrow. Hear from a panel of experts who will explain how their firms are adapting to such changing circumstances and using the new rules of engagement to their advantage. Panelists will share fresh ideas on how to deliver a consistent and repeatable onboarding process, the key elements to create effective training content, and how to best deliver content to insure desired behavioral outcomes including increased advisor productivity and retention.        

Masters E

Profitability Via Partnership: My Product$ + Your Product$ = Our Product$
Jim Galli, Executive Vice President, Business Strategy and Innovation, Legal and General America
Kim Harrison, RICP, CGMA, FLMI, Vice President, Sales and Business Platform Development, Allianz Life
Moderator: Steve Robinson, Vice President, Partnerships, Legal and General America

Is there a gap in your product portfolio? Do you want to grow your distribution?  At this workshop, we’ll challenge the norm of developing a new product vs. product partnering.  Learn how you can save time, resources and minimize the expense of new product development while at the same time grow distribution and retain your best producers.

Players C

Myth Busters — Direct Sales Opportunities Beyond the Expected
Frank Muscat, CLU, ChFC, Assistant Vice President, Life Marketing, Amica
Rahim Rajpar, Vice President, Strategy and Development, John Hancock
Moderator: Nimish Doshi, Vice President, Client Services, Merkle Inc.

There are many misconceptions around Direct-to-Consumer Distribution; only millennials and seniors buy direct, products can only be guarantee-issue, face amounts cannot be greater than $100,000 and consumers only respond to direct-mail and direct TV. However, the opportunity is larger and more varied than you may think. In this session, Direct-to-Consumer industry experts will explore the myths and provide insight on how to build or expand upon Direct-to-Consumer distribution.

Masters B/C

2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - BREAK

2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.: CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

Practice Management: The Battle to Stay Relevant
Mark Dean, Director, FIC, LUTCF, Business Development and Practice Management, Thrivent
Sarah Frances Trampe, Corporate Vice President, The Nautilus Group, a service of New York Life
David Wilcox, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, Corporate Vice President, Head of Advanced Planning Group, New York Life
Moderator: Brooke Zrno Grisham, CHFC, CLU, AEP, Chief Executive Officer and Vice President, The Nautilus Group, a service of New York Life

How are you currently developing your established agents to grow and manage their practice? Does your approach differ when training a millennial agent versus a veteran advisor? Think about how an agent's practice looks today compared to how it will look 5 years from now. In the near future, it will be important to understand branding and deliver consistent messaging across all media. Client acquisition activities will be maximized and analyzed to drive growth. You will spend more time analyzing the probability of your client segments which will lead to better time management skills and efficiency. Business planning will be an important component with succession planning on the top of the list.

Players C

What Does the Agent of the Future Look Like?
Scott Campbell, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, American National
Tim Simpson, Director, Agency Services, State Farm
Moderator: Melanie Henderson, Executive Director, EY

Can the agent of today also be the agent of the future? With industry disruption coming from all directions, companies are supporting agents with new resources to meet the needs of consumers. Digital and analytic sales tools are critical so agents can spend more time focused on selling and advice, and less time dedicated to servicing clients. This workshop will explore how companies are enabling agents to transition to these New Rules of Engagement.

Masters B/C

Planning for the Unexpected: How to Mitigate Risk in the Business Planning Process
Jerry Blair, ChFC, LLIF, Chief Distribution and Sales Officer, Midland National Life
Jeremy W. Ragsdale, Chief Product and Pricing Officer, Foresters Life
Moderators: Rebecca Cummings, LLIF, CIC, LUTCF, CPIW, Assistant Vice President, National Sales Director, Foresters Financial; Michael Dunne, CLU, Assistant Vice President, Independent Distribution, Penn Mutual

We’ve all been part of the business planning process. We look at the data, the territory, do our analysis and put together a solid plan. But what about planning for the unexpected like:

  • Losing a key producer/adviser to death or disability
  • Too much concentration in a high-strained product
  • Expansion into a brand new market or distribution

During this workshop, we’ll discuss these topics with top leaders and see how they work uncertainty into their planning process. How they pivot when needed, how they remain fluid and how they prepare for the unexpected.

Champions F

Technology Business Disrupter and Consumers' Friend
Wade Seward, J.D., CLU, ChFC, Head of Distribution Strategy, MassMutual/Haven Life (Coverpath)
Debra Smith, Senior Vertical Account Manager, LexisNexis Risk Solutions
Moderator: Mark Rush, Assistant Vice President, Head of Brokerage, Head of NMO Markets, Independent Order of Foresters

This workshop focuses on reaching under-served consumers, especially the middle and mass markets.
It will include:

  • Exploration of mid-market consumer needs, access, and attitudes
  • Disruptive factors in the Advisor-Consumer and Channel relationships
  • Technology from Contact to Contract…and beyond

Our discussion will identify disruptive environmental factors so companies and their Advisors can strategize their future processes. We will explore ways to build new business realities into growth plans, rather than being surprised by them.

Masters E

Consumer Direct - Cross-sell, Up-sell and New Partners to Increase Policies and Consumer Lifetime Value
Margaret Adaniel, Head of Insurance and Personal Savings and Investments, RBC Life Insurance Company
Robert DalSanto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Insurance Profillment Solutions, Western & Southern Financial Group
Jena L. Kennedy, Director of Strategy, LexisNexis Risk Solutions
Moderator: Glenn Rothenberg, Head of Marketing, Farmers Life

Are you leveraging your and your partners' existing customer base? In this session, an insurance panel discusses their best practices in mining existing customers to generate incremental sales, profits, and customer loyalty. Topics will include:

  • Cross-selling Life into existing customer base – increased sales, household-density and CLTV.
  • Up-selling Life – those whose buy and value Life insurance buy more.
  • Channel conflict – is there conflict or synergy when leveraging Consumer Direct?
  • Product offering - selecting which products for which channels and which consumers.

    Champions G

    3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. - BREAK

    3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - GENERAL SESSION 4

    The 21 Secrets of Million Dollar Sellers

    Most organizations know the metrics used to judge the success of their sales force. What's more elusive are the behaviors attributed to the success of the sales force.  What actions or behaviors generated those sales and which, if any, can be repeated to generate the same success?  Steve Harvill and his team conducted a 2-year study to uncover the answer to this question, working across 7 different industries and interviewing 175 top sales producers.  A simple pattern of success was discovered across America’s top earners – a pattern that is shared between industries and can be repeated by anyone.  In this session, Steve will highlight these findings, creating a simple and dynamic sales process you can apply today.   

    Stephen J. Harvill - President, Creative Ventures

    Champions C/D

    Friday, March 2, 2018

    7:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - REGISTRATION

    7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. - BREAKFAST

    8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.: CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

    Exploring Advisor Profitability - A Valuable Tool for Making Better Business Decisions?
    Anthony Harlan, CLU, ChFC, CRPC, Assistant Vice President, ABGA Sales, Lincoln Financial Network
    Kathleen Nelson, Director, Strategy, Thrivent Financial
    Laura Zahn, FSA, MAAA, Actuary, Northwestern Mutual
    Moderator: Julie Flaa, FSA, MAAA, Director, Distribution Planning, Northwestern Mutual

    Many companies wonder about advisor profitability but few companies have really explored it.  Presenters with three different perspectives and experiences will share their learnings as they’ve begun to explore the topic.
    During this interactive session, you will:

    • Gain insights into why exploring advisor profitability may be useful
    • Learn tactics for how to measure advisor profitability
    • Gain advice on avoiding potential pitfalls in your analysis
    • Gather new ideas to take back to your company and test
    • Conclude that understanding advisor profitability WILL lead to better business decisions!

    Masters E

    Key Digital Trends — Digital Consumer Expectations on the Horizon
    Dean Iwaoka, Client Solutions Associate Director, Kepler Group
    Oystein Teslo, Account Executive, Google
    Moderator: Natalie Crain, Director, Media, CUNA Mutual Group

    Increasingly, consumers expect brand consistency across communication channels because their touchpoints (digital, print, TV, etc.) are where they want them and when they want them. In this session, we will discuss key digital trends that can be seen as tools to help enable both personal and consistent brand experiences across touchpoints:  Chatbots, Voice Search, Personalization/Data Connectivity and Video Marketing.

    Masters B/C

    9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - BREAK & EXHIBITOR RAFFLE

    9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - GENERAL SESSION 5

    The Future of Buying and Selling: Where Will InsurTech Play?

    How will financial advisors and agents deploy InsurTech innovation in the sales process of the future? How will the dynamics of advice change with AI and advisors joining forces? How will consumers interact with online financial solutions? These and other questions will be the focus of this panel of experts. Representatives from the venture capital and start-up space will paint the future with real life examples of what is happening now.

    Andrew Aldrich - Principal, American Family Ventures

    Alex Dudarev - Chief Executive Officer, Specialty Life
    Founder, Insurance Supermarket, Inc.

    Todd Hynes - Vice President, Strategic Distribution Programs, ivari

    Dustin Yoder - Founder & CEO, Sureify

    James W. Kerley, LLIF - Chief Membership Officer, LIMRA and LOMA

    Champions C/D

    10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - GENERAL SESSION 6

    Distribution Dynamics: Where is the Momentum?

    Many forces are impacting advisor practices. These forces are causing advisors to step back and re-evaluate their business models and the value proposition they provide to clients. To be successful, organizations must effectively align their service models to engage with desired advisor segments. This session will share early findings of the LIMRA-EY Advisor study. This survey of advisors across seven insurance, investment, and advisory practice models explores the profiles of today’s financial professionals, the drivers of productivity, and the services and support they demand from their organizational partners.

    Mark Hopkins, CLU - Managing Director, Ernst & Young LLP

    Patrick T. Leary, M.B.A., LLIF - Corporate Vice President and Director, Workplace Benefits Research, LIMRA and LOMA

    Champions C/D

    11:15 a.m. - ADJOURNMENT