2018 PLANSPONSOR National Conference

SPEAKERS

  • Lynda Abend

    Chief Data Officer, John Hancock Retirement Plan Services

    Lynda Abend is Chief Data Officer for John Hancock Retirement Plan Services (JHRPS), and was previously Managing Director, Data Intelligence of New York Life Retirement Plan Services, which merged with JHRPS in April 2015. In this role, she is responsible for our data analytics vision and strategy, including data governance, business intelligence, predictive analytics, and reporting. Lynda is also responsible for Risk Management, Pricing, Trust Operations and the Benefits Consulting Group for JHRPS.  Lynda has 25 years of experience in all aspects of pension programs, including qualified retirement plans, supplemental executive retirement plans, and post-retirement health and welfare plans. Prior to her current role in our organization, she managed Defined Benefit Consulting and Compliance Services. Lynda received a B.S. in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Massachusetts. She is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA.

  • Earle W. Allen

    Partner, Cammack Retirement Group

    Earle manages the relationships of several of healthcare, public and private academic institutions, as well as other non-profit organization employers, in helping them fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to their plan and achieve best practices in plan administration. He also acts as a senior level resource to a number of other Cammack Retirement clients. In his executive role, he is responsible for the development, implementation and management of strategic initiatives in the overall delivery of services to defined contribution plan clients. He oversees the procedures for production of Cammack Retirement Group’s quarterly Due Diligence reports and the recordkeeper searches we conduct via a Request for Proposal process. He also leads the team that responds to requests for our advisor services. Earle works out of our New York City office. EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION Earle joined Cammack Retirement Group in 1990 and has over 27 years of experience providing consulting and advisory services to defined contribution plan sponsors. Earle has spent his career with Cammack Retirement Group, holding various positions both as part of the account servicing teams, as well as leading the teams for the New York City office. Earle received his Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College and his Master’s of Business Administration degree from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

  • Thomas Barberesi

    Assistant Vice President and Actuary, Institutional Income Annuities, MetLife

    Tom Barberesi is assistant vice president and actuary, Life & Income Funding Solutions (LIFS) for MetLife. LIFS includes MetLife’s Structured Settlements, Institutional Income Annuities, Specialized Benefit Resources (e.g., corporate and bank-owned life insurance) and nonpension Post Retirement Benefits businesses. The division is part of Retirement & Income Solutions, the company’s institutional retirement business, which historically has been responsible for generating over 20 percent of MetLife’s operating earnings. Barberesi, who joined MetLife in 1996, leads a team responsible for pricing, financial and technical support, and new product development for Institutional Income Annuities, Structured Settlements, Specialized Benefit Resources, Post Retirement Benefits and Critical Injury products. Barberesi, who has spent his entire career at MetLife,originally joined the company as a member of the Actuarial Student Program. Prior to assuming his current role in 2013, Barberesi held various positions in Internal Audit, Pricing, Product Development and Financial Strategies. Barberesi earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with a minor in Actuarial Science from St. John’s University in Queens, NY. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and holds the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation from the American College of Financial Services.

  • David Blanchett

    Head of Retirement Research, Morningstar, Inc.

    David is currently the head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management LLC.  In this role, he works to enhance the group’s consulting and investment services and serves as the chair of the Advice Methodologies and Automated Strategies subcommittee, which is the working group responsible for developing and maintaining all methodologies relating to wealth forecasting, general financial planning, automated investment selection, and portfolio assignment for Morningstar Investment Management LLC. He does research primarily in the areas of financial planning, tax planning, annuities, and retirement. His research has been published in a variety of industry and academic journals and has received a number of awards. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is regularly quoted in the national media.  When David isn’t working, he’s probably either out for a jog or playing with his two kids.

  • Cheryl Braun

    Director of Human Resources, United Hardware Distributing Company

    Cheryl Braun is the Director of Human Resources at United Hardware Distributing Co, who received the Plan Sponsor of the Year Award for 2018 in the $10-$50Million category.  United Hardware is a full-line wholesale hardware distributor providing products, retail programs and support services to independent retailers across 18 states and employs approximately 100 employees at the corporate office in Plymouth, MN and 200 employees at its distribution center in Milbank, SD.  Cheryl holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Capella University and has 23 years of progressive Human Resources experience.

  • Dan Bruns

    Vice President, Product Strategy, Morningstar Investment Management LLC

    Dan Bruns is Vice President, Product Strategy, focusing on the Large Plan Market in the Morningstar Investment Management workplace solutions group. In his current role, Bruns works with a team of investment, client service, and sales professionals to develop business and client strategy in the defined contribution plan sponsor marketplace. Prior to his current role, he was a Sr. Investment Analyst conducting research and building investment tools to refine Morningstar Investment Management’s portfolio construction, asset allocation, and reporting systems. He also has an extensive background in software development and financial modeling. Bruns holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Lewis University and a master’s degree from DePaul University, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

  • Drew Carrington

    Head of Institutional Defined Contribution-U.S., Franklin Templeton Investments

    Drew Carrington is a Senior Vice President, and leads Franklin Templeton’s defined contribution business within the U.S. institutional large market segment. His responsibilities include presenting the firm’s capabilities to existing and prospective DC clients and their consultants, as well as understanding and communicating the complex, evolving regulatory landscape of DC plans.
    Prior to joining Franklin Templeton in 2013, he served as head of the Defined Contribution and Retirement Solutions Group at UBS Global Asset Management, focused on developing investment solutions for large DC plans, particularly in the target date and retirement income categories. He joined UBS in 2005, as a senior fixed income client portfolio manager for UBS, where he worked closely with their Asset-Liability Investment Solutions team to design and implement the fixed income and duration overlay portions of asset-liability management strategies. Before joining UBS, he was a principal at Mercer Investment Consulting, where he worked with both public and private DB and DC clients. He began his career in the financial services industry in 1988.
    Mr. Carrington is former chair of the Retirement Income Committee and current member of the Retirement Research Board of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), a nonprofit association dedicated to enhancing the retirement security of American workers. He is a frequent speaker at DC industry conferences on retirement income, diversification opportunities and risk mitigation. Mr. Carrington holds Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations, is Series 7 and 63 licensed and holds a bachelor of arts from Harvard University

  • Joe Connell

    Partner, Sikich Retirement Plan Services

    Joe Connell is a Partner and the leader of Retirement Plan Services at Sikich Financial. Joe has been helping organizations manage and enhance their retirement plan programs since 1999. His long-term track record of success is a result of working with hundreds of employers in implementing prudent processes designed to manage their fiduciary liability, reduce plan expenses, meet specific plan goals and significantly improve participant retirement outcomes. Joe is a frequent and nationally recognized speaker and presenter to employer and industry groups alike. He has conducted numerous retirement plan workshops educating employers on the key elements of successful retirement plan design and structure. Joe was named the 2014 Retirement Plan Advisor of the Year by PlanSponsor magazine, which honors advisors annually who best represent their mission to help make retirement security a reality for workers across the nation. Mr. Connell has earned the following industry designations: Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA®), From the Center for Fiduciary Studies at the University of Pittsburgh; Qualified Plan Financial Consultant (QPFC), from the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist Designation (CRPS®), from the College for Financial Planning in Denver, CO and RF™ (Registered Fiduciary) Designation, from DALBAR – The Registered Fiduciary™ (RF™) certification identifies financial professionals that have achieved pertinent educational qualifications and licenses, learned required skills, and have passed a background check to serve in the important role of Fiduciary Adviser. RF™ certified professionals are identified as having met the highest fiduciary standards in the financial industry.

  • Emily Costin

    Partner, Alston & Bird LLP

    Emily Seymour Costin is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Alston & Bird LLP, where she focuses her practice on the defense of various employment and employee benefits disputes and counseling employers, plan sponsors and fiduciaries on litigation avoidance strategies. Emily represents plan sponsors, insurers and fiduciaries in litigation over various types of ERISA disputes, including those involving 401(k)/employer stock, employee stock ownership plans (ESOP), benefit termination, investment/fee matters and individual benefit claims.

  • Chat Cowherd

    Vice President Head of Client Relationship Management, American Century Investments

    Chat is responsible for American Century’s client relationship management team, as well as individually managing client relationships, which include public and corporate retirement plans, endowments and foundations. He oversees the entire client experience to ensure each client’s unique needs are understood and met. Before joining American Century Investments in 2014, Chat was an Executive Director with JPMorgan Retirement Plan Services supporting the consultant/advisor channels. Previously, Chat was a Relationship Manager for American Century Investments. Chat has worked in the institutional investment industry since 1988. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in business administration University of Missouri-Kansas City. Chat holds a Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) designation from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). Chat holds FINRA 6, 63, 7, and 24 licenses. Chat is a member of the American Benefits Council (ABC), the ABC Retirement Income Task Force and a committee member of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association.

  • Michael Devlin

    Principal, BCG Pension Risk Consulting

    Mr. Devlin is a Principal at BCG, which specializes in assisting Plan Sponsors with managing their pension risk. BCG has consulted on over 2500 liability settlements for defined benefit pension plans since 1983 and Mr. Devlin is responsible for all marketing efforts based in the Boston, Massachusetts Office.  In June of 2011, BCG announced it had completed the first Buy-In transaction in the US, for which Mr. Devlin was the lead consultant. Mr. Devlin graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Business. He started his career with British Tire and Rubber based in London, England. He then joined KPMG in their retirement plan office in Boston, MA. After KPMG, he went to The Hartford where he worked with plan sponsors, advisors and consultants in the defined benefit retirement plan space. Mr. Devlin left The Hartford in 2000 to form Business Consultants Group (BCG) which joined with Terminal Funding Co. in 2003 to form BCG Terminal funding Company, which is now known as BCG Pension Risk Consultants. Mr. Devlin has over 20+ years experience in the defined benefit retirement plan space, and is a frequent speaker on pension de-risking strategies at various National conferences. He also participates in various training webinars for clients and their participants. Mr. Devlin holds his FINRA Series 6, 63 & 65 security licenses along with life and annuity insurance licenses.  Mr. Devlin also is the one of the founders of a non-profit entity named The VIDA that build schools and clean water systems for children/communities in Africa.

  • Julie Doran

    Senior Vice President, Retirement Plan Advisory Services, Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group

    Julie is an Investment Advisor Representative with Sentinel Pension Advisors, Inc.  She joined Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group in 2016 as a Plan Advisor in the Institutional Retirement Services area. Today, she leads the Retirement Plan Advisory Services team for Sentinel Pension Advisors, Inc. Julie works closely with retirement plan sponsors to implement fiduciary best practices and ensure prudent plan management, with an end goal of increasing plan effectiveness and positive retirement outcomes for participants. She brings over fifteen years of retirement industry experience to Sentinel. Julie has experience providing investment advisory and plan management services to retirement plan sponsors of all sizes. She brings a unique perspective to the team, having worked on the asset management, recordkeeping, and consulting sides of the retirement industry over the course of her career. Educational background and Certifications – Babson College, Wellesley, MA – Master of Business Administration, Bentley College, Waltham, MA – Bachelor of Science – Business Communication, Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA), International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) – Retirement Plans Associate (RPA), Accredited Investment Fiduciary®, AIF®, FINRA Series 65

  • John Doyle

    SVP, Senior Defined Contribution Strategies, American Funds from Capital Group

    John Doyle is a senior vice president and senior retirement strategist at American Funds, part of Capital Group. He has over 30 years of investment industry experience and joined Capital Group in 2013.   Prior to joining Capital, John 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. John is a frequent speaker on issues and topics important to the success of the DC retirement system.  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 New York and lives in the Baltimore area.

  • Terry Dunne

    SVP, Managing Director, Retirement Services, Millennium Trust Company

    Terry is responsible for executing key strategies, managing and developing the Retirement Services team. He brings over 35 years of sales and marketing experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Millennium Trust, he served as director of marketing and client service at Harris Associates, and also held positions at Chicago Title and Trust, Arthur Andersen, and Harris Trust and Savings Bank. Terry has written on a number of retirement plan topics for several different publications, including the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), Sage’s Compensation & Benefits Review, International Foundation for Employee Benefits Plans, National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, and Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw Journal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame, an M.B.A. in accounting and finance from the University of Chicago, and a master’s degree in taxation from DePaul University. He has previously held the Certified Public Accountant®, Certified Financial Planner® and Personal Financial Specialist® designations.

  • Jodi Epstein

    Partner, Ivins, Phillips & Barker

    Jodi Epstein is a partner in Ivins, Phillips & Barker’s Employee Benefits practice. She focuses on qualified plans, with particular expertise in integrations after acquisitions, setting up benefit platforms, 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. Her practice also includes the one-of-a-kind issues that can arise, usually 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. Jodi received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University (with distinction) and her law degree from Harvard Law School (cum laude).

  • Scott Everhart

    President, Everhart Advisors

    From his leadership of Everhart Advisors and his work with clients, to his own health and wellness, Scott is goal-oriented. He sets and attacks goals with discipline and consistency. From your first meeting you can sense how Scott is invested in you—he wants everyone to get the retirement they desire, so he’s built, organized, and empowered a team of experts to make it happen.

    The joke around the office is that Scott cannot multi-task. The reality is that Scott is so laser-focused on what’s in front of him—whether that’s a client or a colleague, a plan or a portfolio—that he won’t do anything else at the same time. This is why most people will point out what a great listener he is, and why they say he’s so thoughtful, comforting, and easy to connect with.

    The neatly organized stacks of paper that line his desk reveal his sense of order, and the sticky-note-filled business books and ideas jotted down on pads of paper offer a glimpse into his process, how he moves quickly from information to ideas to action.

    Scott founded Everhart Advisors in 1995, but his focus on financial planning and retirement plan advising goes back to 1991. His depth of experience includes comprehensive wealth building, investment management, tax planning, and advanced retirement plan design. He is a nationally recognized advisor and helped pioneer increased 401(k) fee transparency.

  • Joanna Farrere

    Sr. VP, Human Resources & Administrative Services, Illinois Health and Hospital Association

    Joanna Farrere is Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Administrative Services of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA). With 200 employees and offices in Chicago, Naperville, Springfield, and Washington D.C., Farrere provides direct oversight of operational functions, including: Human Resources, Administrative and Building Services, as well as Information Technology.She is also responsible for monitoring the staffing financial impact to the overall budget and making any necessary course corrections.Farrere is a member of the IHA Senior Leadership Team ensuring resources are efficiently deployed throughout the organization to ensure alignment with IHA strategic priorities. As an adviser to senior leadership in marshaling resources to the most productive uses in creating member value, she is the architect of workforce strategy, and leader of organizational development.Farrere is also lead consultant and adviser to the President & CEO, of the Healthcare Associates Credit Union on strategic matters. Prior to IHA, Farrere held various leadership HR roles in the health care association space as well as acute care market—both community and academic health science centers.Weathering many mergers, Farrere has most enjoyed the transformational nature of HR. She is proud recipient of the 2017 PSCA Signature Award and is honored to receive the 2018 PLANSPONSOR Plan Sponsor of the Year award. Farrere earned her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from Sage Graduate School and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from State University of New York College at Fredonia. She has active SPHR and HRCI certifications

  • Spencer Goldstein

    Principal & CIO, StoneStreet Equity

    Spencer has over 15 years in the financial services industry. He oversees StoneStreet’s investment management group, which is responsible for all manager due diligence, asset allocation, and defined benefit plan asset/liability modeling. Spencer came to StoneStreet Equity in 2011, from a long/short equity hedge fund in which he managed energy equities and commodities. He is a CFA Charterholder and earned his Master of Finance and BS in Management from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business in New Orleans, LA.

  • Jamie Greenleaf

    Lead Advisor, Principal, Cafaro Greenleaf

    A recognized expert in the retirement plan industry, Jamie has been with Cafaro Greenleaf since 1993 and a principal since 1997. She has been a recognized vice president and retirement plan advisor with UBS Financial and with Prudential Securities, consistently ranking among the top retirement advisors nationally at both firms. Jamie is regularly invited to speak at industry conferences and is a sought¬ after presenter for many other advisor and plan sponsor continuing education sources such as Pensions and Investments, HR.com, and SHRM University Conference Services. Jamie serves on the Advisory Boards of Prudential and Allianz and John Hancock, as well as the Leadership Council for the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA), where she regularly provides her retirement plan expertise and experience to our nation’s regulators and policymakers in Washington DC. Jamie has spent her entire professional career helping retirement programs and public funds. She has provided consulting services in all areas of plan management and oversight, including plan design, fees and services benchmarking, investment management selection and monitoring, fiduciary and regulatory compliance, investment policy design, and financial education to many Fortune 500 and publicly traded companies, nonprofit entities and public agencies. She is an adjunct lecturer in the Plan Sponsor University certification program for UCLA’s Anderson School of Business-Executive Education. Greenleaf holds a BA in Business Administration from Delaware Valley College, is a Registered Financial Advisor and is Life insurance licensed. Jamie is also is a Registered Investment Advisor representative and holds series 7, 26, and 63 licenses. Jamie is known for her extensive and unparalleled knowledge, expertise and passion for the industry. She has a keen ability to guide, support and educate plan trustees, plan sponsors and plan participants alike. Leading from our headquarter office in Red Bank, New Jersey, Jamie advises throughout the New York Metropolitan and Tri State areas, traveling to other regions of the country when the opportunity to serve arises. Jamie currently resides in Rumson, NJ with her husband and two sons.

  • Jen Harmer

    Assistant VP, Customer Experience Strategy & Development, Lincoln Financial Group

    Jen Harmer, Assistant Vice President, Customer Experience Strategy & Development Retirement Plan Services, Lincoln Financial Group  Jen Harmer is the Assistant Vice President of Customer Experience Strategy & Development. In this role, she delivers customer experience strategies for retirement participants that center on driving successful outcomes. Areas of focus in this space have been the participant website, enrollment experience, and financial wellness.   Jen joined Lincoln in 2014, and has 20 years industry experience. Prior to joining Lincoln, she worked in the Institutional Retirement Plans business for 14 years, and Advisory business for 2 years at Vanguard. Jen served in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility, such as R&D Program Manager, Marketing Manager, and Institutional Sales Manager.   Jen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She is FINRA Series 6 and 63 registered. Jen is located in Pennsylvania.

  • Jennifer Hatcher

    Manager of Retirement Programs, TriHealth

    Jennifer Hatcher is the Retirement Plan Manager for TriHealth, a finalist for the Plan Sponsor of the Year award for 2018 in the > $100 MM category.  Jennifer has been with TriHealth for almost 15 years and brings more than 18 years of human resource and retirement plan experience to her role. As TriHealth’s Retirement Plan Manager, Jennifer administers TriHealth’s three frozen Defined Benefit Plans, their multiple qualified 401(k) and 403(b) Plans as well as their multiple non-qualified Plans.  She has worked diligently to increase participation in TriHealth’s 401(k) from 20% in 2011 to 98% today. Jennifer is a graduate Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia where she earned her MBA.

  • Leah Hill

    Director – Retirement Plan Services, Shepherd Financial

    Leah Hill (CPC, QPA, QKA) graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 2007. Prior to joining Shepherd Financial in 2015 as Director of Retirement Plan Services, Leah spent six years as a retirement plan designer / plan consultant for two employee benefits consulting firms and two years as a consulting
    actuarial student for an international benefits consulting firm. Leah has earned several professional designations from the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries Association (ASPPA), a premier retirement industry association of The American Retirement Association – Working for America’s Retirement. In 2009, Leah earned the Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation. QKAs are qualified to perform the technical and administrative functions of qualified plan administration. In 2010, she received the Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) designation. QPAs typically assist employers and consultants with the recordkeeping, non-discrimination testing and administrative aspects of 401(k) and related defined contribution plans. In 2011, Leah obtained the Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) designation. CPCs have an understanding of all nuances of retirement plan rules and their impact on clients. Leah provides strategic direction to client relationships by solving day-to-day problems that arise, ensuring projects are implemented according to schedule, and making certain clients are having a positive experience. Leah has extensive proficiency in plan design and
    compliance testing with defined benefit, cash balance, 401(k), 403(b), 457, and employee
    stock ownership plans. Since joining Shepherd Financial, Leah and her partners were named Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers in 2016, 2017, and 2018 by PLANADVISER magazine. Shepherd Financial was also a Finalist for Retirement Plan Adviser Team of the Year in 2017 by PLANSPONSOR magazine. Lastly, Shepherd Financial was named a 2017 Top Defined Contribution Advisor Firm by the National Association of Plan Advisors. Leah lives in Zionsville with her husband, Ryan. She enjoys cooking, shopping, and watching Notre Dame football.

  • David Hinderstein

    President, Strategic Retirement Group

    David Hinderstein leads Strategic Retirement Group’s consulting practice, which assists plan sponsors and participants in responding to the many challenges in managing their retirement programs. David has extensive background and significant expertise in helping not-for-profit, corporate, healthcare, and higher education plan sponsors meet their fiduciary responsibilities and manage and optimize their investment provider relationships. As a retirement benefit veteran, David has been recognized by several industry organizations for his leading experience and expertise. He is also a frequent keynote speaker at industry conferences, and an instructor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management Executive Education TRAU- The Retirement Advisor University, where he instructs on the not-for-profit retirement marketplace. Prior to starting Strategic Retirement Group, David spent almost 12 years in various management and consulting positions with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Most recently, he was President of GBS Retirement Services, Inc. (the retirement division of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.), with responsibility for consulting and servicing large defined contribution and defined benefit plans and overseeing all facets of Gallagher’s regional retirement services practice. Previously, David held multiple positions with CitiStreet (formally the Copeland Companies), where his emphasis was consulting and servicing large defined contribution plans for healthcare and not-for-profit institutions. David earned his BS degree in Finance from The American University in Washington, D.C., and has achieved the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designation. He also is an Investment Advisor Representative of Strategic Retirement Group, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisor and a Registered Representative with LPL Financial.

  • Gene Huxhold

    Senior Managing Director, John Hancock Investments

    Gene Huxhold is the Senior Managing Director for Investment Only Retirement Plans at John Hancock Investments. Gene brings more than 25 years experience to his role. Prior to joining John Hancock, Gene worked at CNA Financial, Kemper Investments (Predecessor to DWS) and Allstate Financial Services. He has held a variety of positions including Retirement Plan Wholesaler and National Sales Manager for both mutual fund and retirement plan wholesalers. Just prior to joining John Hancock, Gene was a senior vice president at Allstate, managing a large retail organization. Gene holds a BS in Finance/Personnel Management and an MBA in Economics from DePaul University. He is a Certified Financial Planner and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary. He has been recognized for his expertise by organizations such as NAPA and the Plan Sponsor Council of America. Gene is a Founding member of the Retirement Advisor Council. He has also testified before the House Ways & Means Sub-Committee on matters concerning non-profit retirement plans.
    Summary
    • Senior Managing Director for Investment Only Retirement Plans at John Hancock Investments
    • Has worked at CNA, Kemper/Scudder Investments and Allstate
    • Holds a BS in Finance/Personnel Management, as well as an MBA in Economics from DePaul University
    • Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
    • Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF)
    • Founding Member of the Retirement Advisor Council

  • Joshua P. Itzoe

    Partner and Managing Director, Greenspring Advisors

    Josh is a founder of Greenspring and leads the firm’s Institutional Client Group. He specializes in developing and managing corporate retirement plans by providing independent advice on fiduciary oversight, investment due diligence, fee-benchmarking, plan design and vendor management. He is also the author of one of the retirement industry’s most well-known books on fiduciary responsibility for defined contribution plans, Fixing the 401(k): What Fiduciaries Must Know (And Do) To Help Employees Retire Successfully and has been quoted extensively in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, SmartMoney Magazine, Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, InvestmentNews, and PLANSPONSOR Magazine. Josh is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee.

  • Greg Jenkins

    Managing Director and Head of Institutional Defined Contribution, Invesco

    Greg Jenkins Is a Managing Director and Head of Institutional Defined Contribution on the North American Institutional team. Greg and his team are responsible for new business development and delivers DC related content to large plan sponsors and consultants. They partner with the Institutional Sales and Client Service teams to ensure clients have access to defined contribution expertise. Additionally, Greg develops thought leadership focused on DC issues and he conducts research on DC participant behavior and communications. He also works closely with Invesco’s product team to develop new capabilities for DC plan clients. Mr. Jenkins joined Invesco in 2010. He entered the investment management industry in 1991 and has 25 years of experience in the defined contribution market. Most recently, he was with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, where he was responsible for institutional DC relationships and consultant relations. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Defined Contribution Sales at Charles Schwab from 2001 to 2007. Before Charles Schwab, Greg spent nine years in sales and client relationship roles, all in the defined contribution area, at three firms, including Financial Engines and Invesco. Mr. Jenkins earned a BA degree in economics from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute. He holds the Series 3, 7, 24, 30, 63, 65 and 79 registrations.

  • Todd Kading

    Managing Director, LeafHouse Financial

    Being born in Iowa and growing up in Texas can foster an interesting personality for anyone. Due to his divergent upbringing and various other factors, Todd loves the Steelers in football and the Spurs in basketball. He dislikes both hot weather and snow. Both tent camping and 5 star hotels suit him just fine. He loves the mountains because neither Iowa nor central Texas has any. And he is comfortable talking to anyone from anywhere; he will even use the words “Ya’ll” and “You Guys” in the same sentence. At the age of 22, Todd decided to start his own wealth management practice. His thoughts were, “who else is better to help guide families to secure financial futures than a 22-year-old that actually went to school specifically to get a degree in finance and to become a Certified Financial Planner™?” OK, he admits that the age factor made it difficult for him to convince 50 year olds to let him manage their life savings. The career choice proved to be a fantastic one. By the age of 27, Todd was one of the highest producing advisors out of the over 10,000 advisors that were in the parent firm. By the time Todd turned 31, he and his business partner, Neal Weaver were listed in Texas Monthly among the top 10 Most Dependable Wealth Managers in Texas. Not long after, Todd and Neal sold their successful wealth management business in order to start LeafHouse Financial Advisors, a dedicated Retirement Plan firm. In breaking away and forming LeafHouse, they fulfilled their passion to create a business and an environment free of conflicts of interest and dedicated to the idea that no one and nothing comes before the client. A few years later, Todd became one of the first Registered Fiduciary™ credentialed advisors based in the state of Texas. He utilizes his fiduciary commitments in his role as Managing Director of LeafHouse Financial Advisors, where he estimates he has been able to demonstrate to hundreds of companies how to save tens-of-millions of dollars in retirement plan costs. He has become a sought after national speaker and authority in the retirement plan arena. Todd has been interviewed by Fox Business News and spoken for numerous groups such the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Texas Association of Business, and over a dozen SHRM chapters. Todd was recently named to The National Association of Plan Advisors’ (NAPA) “Top 50 Plan Advisors Under 40.” Unfortunately, a few months later he turned 40. In 2016, Todd and Neal, achieved two of the biggest honors to-date: LeafHouse was one of 3 Finalists for the National Association of Plan Advisors’ 401(k) Leadership Award, and LeafHouse was listed by PlanAdviser Magazine as one of the Top 100 Plan Advisers in the country. Todd is married to a terrific red-head named Lori. Together, they have an energetic and inquisitive little boy named Max and a beautiful daughter named Madeleine. The Kadings recently adopted a jet-black, standard poodle that Maddie named “Hanna Banana”. As a family they enjoy camping, hiking, off-road driving, fishing and many other outdoor and wilderness activities. In 2011, Todd completed what he refers to as, “the hardest thing I ever did” – an Olympic Distance Triathlon called the TriWaco Triathlon, where he received a medal for coming in 3rd to last.

  • Michael Kane

    Managing Director, Plan Sponsor Consultants

    Mike is the Founder & Managing Director of Plan Sponsor Consultants, a nationally recognized independent retirement plan consulting firm. PSC has offices in Atlanta, Birmingham, DC, Maryland, Virginia & D.C., Michigan and Mobile, with retirement plan clients throughout the U.S. Mike has been a 2017, 2016 & 2015 Financial Times Top 401 Retirement Plan Advisors. Members of his team have won numerous awards including NAPA Top Women and Young Guns. His team has won numerous awards, including:

    • 2018, 2017 & 2016 PLANADVISER Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers
    • 2018 & 2017 PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser Team of the Year Finalist
    • 2018 National Association of Plan Advisors Top Defined Contribution Advisor Multi-Office Team
    • 2017 National Association of Plan Advisors Defined Contribution Top Team
    • 2013 ASPPA/NAPA 401(k) Advisor Leadership Award Finalist

    Mike serves as for Centre Fiduciary Excellence Analyst, as do 3 of his partners. Prior to entering the Fin. Services industry, he served an a Naval Officer & Aviator.
    Prior to entering the Financial Services industry, Mike served as a Naval Officer and Aviator.

  • Jeff Kletti

    Senior Vice President, Head of Investments, Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust

    Jeff Kletti is Head of Investments for Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust’s Institutional Asset Advisors (IAA) group. In this role Jeff and his team are responsible for over $20 billion in OCIO and $83 billion collective investment trust assets.  Additionally the IAA team oversees $53 billion in assets in Wells Fargo’s cash balance, pension and 401k plans. Jeff holds a B.A. in finance from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and an MBA in finance from the University of Minnesota. He is a CFA® charter holder.

  • Michael Knowling

    Head of Client Relations and Business Development, Prudential

    Michael Knowling is head of Client Relations and Business Development within Prudential Retirement, a business unit of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), and a leading provider of defined contribution, defined benefit, nonqualified deferred compensation plan administration, and institutional investment and risk management services.
    He is responsible for managing the profitability, growth and client satisfaction for Prudential’s current book of business while developing and delivering innovative retirement solutions. His most recent role was vice president, Key Accounts at Prudential Retirement where he led the eastern U.S. client service team responsible for the retention, profitability and satisfaction of more than 500 clients. Prior to that, Knowling served in several sales, service, plan transition and underwriting roles for Prudential Retirement and CIGNA.
    Knowling serves on the Board of the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) and the Advisory Board of Each Enterprise, LLC. He is also the executive sponsor for the Hispanic Heritage Network and a mentor with the Black Leadership Forum at Prudential Retirement. Knowling was named in Savoy Professional magazine’s 2008 “Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America.” Knowling holds a B.S. degree in Finance and Management from Eastern Connecticut State University. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.

  • Christopher Kulick

    Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, CAPTRUST

    Christopher Kulick, Jr. CIMA Senior Vice President, Financial Adviser Chris provides investment and fiduciary advisory services to institutional clients and their employees, with a focus on defined contribution, defined benefit, and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. Chris joined CAPTRUST in March of 2010 and has over 17 years of investment and retirement product experience. Chris began his career at Putnam Investments and prior to joining CAPTRUST, was instrumental in the early development of Delaware Investments’ defined contribution investment only business. Chris graduated cum laude from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. Chris is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), an accreditation achieved through the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA), in partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of IMCA and the CFA Institute. Chris has served on various investment advisory councils including: Vanguard, Prudential, Lincoln, and JP Morgan. Chris has been recognized on the National Association of Plan Advisors’ (NAPA) Top 50 under 40 list in 2017 and 2018. Chris was named the PLANSPONSOR Magazine Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year in their individual category for 2018. Chris serves as lead adviser for 25 client relationships, representing $6.3 billion in assets, serving 67,000 plan participants.

  • Bruce Lanser

    Senior Retirement Plan Consultant, UBS Retirement Plan Consulting Group

    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 addresses several priorities for each relationship—clarifying client needs, identifying goals and implementing plan changes to drive outcomes. His engagements start with an analysis to understand the current state of an organization and its retirement plan. Plan design, the investment menu, fiduciary liability, fees, service providers and participant retirement readiness are all evaluated in order to outline where things are today and discuss opportunities moving forward. From there, he applies his experience and in-depth knowledge of the 401(k) to match client needs with strategies and partners that can best support their organization and employees. PLANSPONSOR magazine named him a Finalist for the 2018 Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year Award.

  • David Levine

    Principal, Groom Law Group, Chartered

    David N. Levine is a principal at Groom Law Group, Chartered.  Mr. Levine advises plan sponsors, advisors, and other service providers on a wide range of employee benefits matters, from health and welfare to retirement and executive compensation matters.   Mr. Levine was previously the Chair of the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (2011-2013) and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association.  Mr. Levine regularly speaks on plan design, fiduciary governance, and legislative issues.  He is recognized in the Chambers USA Guide for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation.  Mr. Levine received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his B.A., with general and departmental honors, from Johns Hopkins University.

  • Lori Lucas

    President and CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)

    Lori Lucas, CFA, is the President and CEO of EBRI. Lori is responsible for leading EBRI in its mission to provide unbiased, fact-based research and data on retirement, health care, and other benefits that provide financial security for American workers.
    Formerly, Lori was an Executive Vice President and Practice Leader at Callan, where she led Callan’s DC business, and developed research and insights into retirement trends for the benefit of clients and the industry.  In previous roles, Lori was Director of Retirement Research at Hewitt Associates, served as a vice president at Ibbotson Associates, as a pension fund consultant at J.H. Ellwood & Associates, and an analyst and product development leader at Morningstar, Inc.  Lori received a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University and earned a Masters from the University of Illinois. Additionally, she earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Lori is the immediate past Chair of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association and has served as the Vice Chair and Research Chair of EBRI. She is a former columnist for Workforce Management online magazine. She has testified before the Senate HELP Committee, the DOL, SEC, and ERISA Advisory Council. Her views have frequently been cited in the press, and in articles and white papers she has written. She has also been a featured speaker at national and international conferences.

  • Christopher Maarberg

    Director, Product Development, Institutional Income Annuities, MetLife

    Chris Maarberg is director, product development, Institutional Income Annuities for MetLife. Institutional Income Annuities (IIA) enables defined contribution plan sponsors to provide guaranteed retirement income to their plan participants to help them achieve successful retirement outcomes. The business also offers specialty annuity products, including charitable gift annuity reinsurance and lottery annuities. The division is part of Retirement & Income Solutions, the company’s institutional retirement business, which historically has been responsible for over 20 percent of MetLife’s operating earnings. Maarberg, who joined MetLife in 2004, has over 20 years of insurance and investment industry experience. In his current role, he leads a team responsible for IIA’s end-to- end market strategy and product portfolio management. This includes solving customers’ needs, analyzing market trends, and focusing on the overall customer experience, while ensuring that IIA is meeting both the current and future needs of the guaranteed income market. Prior to assuming his current role in 2016, Maarberg was responsible for managing MetLife’s corporate- and bank- owned life insurance (COLI and BOLI) client group, as well as the New Accounts area of MetLife’s former brokerage and direct business. Before joining MetLife, Maarberg
    held several positions at Prudential Financial within Group Investment Plan Services and as a regional annuity wholesaler. Maarberg earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from The College of New Jersey School of Business. He is a FINRA Series 7, 24, 53 and 63 registered representative.

  • Edward O'Connor

    Managing Director, Head of Workplace Wealth Solutions and Corporate Retirement, Morgan Stanley

    Ed is a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. His current role is overseeing firm’s Workplace Wealth program. This includes delivering “financial wellness” content and solutions to participants within the firm’s institutional relationships. The service encompasses all wealth segments and is delivered through Financial Advisors and/or digitally. His previous roles included leading Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s retirement businesses and developing the firm’s strategic response to regulatory changes. Ed joined Morgan Stanley in 2010.Previous to joining Morgan Stanley Wealth Management he led the retirement and institutional consulting businesses at UBS in the Americas. Ed also held leadership roles within the respective wealth management divisions of JPMorgan Chase and Merrill Lynch.He has a Masters in Business Administration, is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the series 7, 24, 65 & 66 securities licenses. In addition Ed is an adjunct professor at New Jersey City University and is on the Foundation Board of the university.

  • Roger Paschke

    Chief Investment Officer, Hearst Corporation

    On January 1, 2008, Roger P. Paschke was named to the new position of Chief Investment Officer for the Hearst Corporation and Hearst Foundations. In his role, Mr. Paschke manages the Hearst Corporation’s pension assets, defined contribution plan, The Hearst Foundations, and related entities, which combined, exceed $5.5 billion. Recently, Roger Paschke was named to Chief Investment Officer’s Power 100 list of the most influential people at pensions, endowments, foundations, insurance funds and sovereign wealth funds worldwide. Previously, Mr. Paschke served as chief financial officer and senior vice president of OIL Group of Companies in Hamilton, Bermuda from 1997 to 2006, where he was responsible for the Company’s approximately $5 billion in assets under management. Mr. Paschke’s oversight included responsibility for rating agency relationships, accounting, budgeting, auditing, internal controls, pension investments, and financial services for the insurance companies and related investment subsidiaries. From 1978 to 1996, Paschke held a variety of positions with increasing responsibilities at the University of Minnesota. Beginning in 1992, he was treasurer and associate vice president for finance, responsible for nearly $3 billion in assets under management. Mr. Paschke holds a B.A. in Political Science and Criminal Justice Studies from the University of Minnesota.

  • Dan Peluse

    Director of Retirement Plan Services, Wintrust Wealth Management

    Daniel J. Peluse joined the firm in 2013 as Director of Retirement Plan Services and has been working in the financial services industry since 2002. He began his career at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, where he specialized in retirement plans—specifically in the areas of Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit plans.

    Dan leads the Retirement Plan Services division that helps business owners and plan sponsors to be more cost-effective and compliant, while helping reduce the administrative burden that comes with managing a plan and satisfying fiduciary obligations. The group provides a wide range of services including plan design, investment selection, 3(21) fiduciary support, policy and procedure support, service provider selection, performance reporting, and ongoing employee education.

    Dan has been recognized for multiple honors by PLANSPONSOR Magazine, including being named a finalist for ‘Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year’ (2014 and 2015), one of five finalists for ‘Retirement Plan Adviser Team of the Year’ (2011), as well as one of their ‘Top 100 Advisers’ from 2010-2015.

    Dan is also a member of the National Association of Plan Advisers (NAPA) and in 2013, joined a group of colleagues from around the country for their inaugural Washington D.C. Fly-In Meeting. Meeting with members of Congress on Capitol Hill, Dan participated in support of the Retirement Plan industry and the Plan Participants that Wintrust Retirement Plan Services represents.

    Dan graduated from Elmhurst College with a degree in Finance and has earned the designation of Certified 401(k) Professional (C(k)P) from The Retirement Advisor University and the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS) from the College of Financial Planning, Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) from the Center for Fiduciary Studies, and Certified Behavioral Finance Analyst through Allianz Investments and Professor Shlomo Benartzi of the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. Dan holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 Licenses, as well as Illinois Life and Health Insurance Licenses. He resides in Winfield, Illinois with his wife Ashley.

  • Tim Pitney

    Managing Director, Institutional Investment and Endowment Distribution, TIAA

    As Managing Director, Institutional Investment and Endowment 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.

  • Michelle Rappa

    Managing Director, Retirement Client Advisor, Neuberger Berman

    Michelle L. Rappa, Managing Director and Client Advisor, joined the firm in 2014. Michelle is focused on formulating and executing the firm’s overall defined contribution (DC) strategy and promoting our institutional DC investment capabilities. Prior to joining Neuberger Berman, Michelle was the director of DC product and strategy at Russell Investments where she was responsible for the strategic product and marketing direction of the firm’s institutional DC business. Before that, she was the director of marketing at Seligman Advisors, Inc., where she was responsible for positioning the firm’s asset management and retirement plan products. Early in her career she was involved in building retirement plan products and marketing strategies at OppenheimerFunds and Oppenheimer Capital. She began her career at Shearson Lehman Hutton. Michelle is a FINRA licensed Registered Representative (Series 7), a Registered Principal (Series 24) and a member of the New York Bar. Michelle earned a BS from the State University of New York at Albany and a JD from Fordham University School of Law.

  • Joe Ready

    Executive Vice President, Director, Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust

    Joe Ready is executive vice president and director of Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust. In this role, Joe has responsibility for products and services for more than 5,400 employer-sponsored retirement plans and custody accounts with 4 million employees representing almost $800 billion in assets, supported by more than 2,200 team members with a mission to help America’s diverse workforce prepare for a better retirement. Joe has more than 30 years of leadership experience the financial services industry, including relationship management, sales, investments, trust administration, operations and systems. He has served in a variety of leadership roles in the institutional retirement and investment areas including the mutual funds business, defined contribution, pension and employee benefits, and the institutional custody division. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Franklin and Marshall College. Joe is active in the retirement industry as a speaker and has appeared on Fox Business News, CNBC, Reuters, and has been quoted in various publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Pensions & Investments, Investment News, The Street, PLANSPONSOR, 401kWire, and The Washington Post. He also participates in several executive industry trade groups and boards. He currently is C0-Chair of the Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Trust Committee and is an active Governing Board Member of The SPARK Institute, Inc. Joe previously served as the President of SPARK Institute, Inc. from March 2014 to June 2017. Joe was also previously a board member of BPS & M, LLC, a benefit consulting actuarial firm that is now owned by Findley & Davies.
    Joe volunteers in the Charlotte, N.C. area with various charitable functions. He previously served as a board member on the College of Charleston Parent Advisory Council and chaired the Charlotte Catholic Foundation. Over the last several years, Joe has been named one of the 401(k) industry’s top 100 most influential people by 401(k)Wire.

  • Kevin Robertson

    Chief Revenue Officer, HSA Bank

    Kevin Robertson serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, where he is responsible for leading the growth strategy and organization at HSA Bank. Kevin has worked for HSA bank for five years, and has more than 20 years of experience in banking, insurance, and financial services. Under his leadership, Kevin helped HSA Bank surpass more than $5 billion in assets and 2 million members by 2016. His background covers a variety of sales, business development, and operational roles, and spans a diverse spectrum of employee benefits, insurance, and retirement products and services. In addition to his tenure as a banking executive, Kevin was also a self-employed business owner for 12 years, managing a large insurance operation with more than 25 separate agency locations, and was a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Registered Representative and Principal for eight years. Kevin is a well-known figure in the consumer-directed healthcare industry, especially for his legislative and regulatory efforts as Compliance Committee Chairman of the American Bankers Association HSA Council. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University.

  • Kerry Ryan

    Director, Benefits, Boston Medical Center

    Kerry Ryan has over 25 years of experience administering employee benefits, working her way up from a benefits assistant to her current role as the Director of Benefits at Boston Medical Center. In addition to health & welfare and retirement benefits for staff, residents, and executives, she oversees absence management, workers’ compensation and the employee wellbeing functions as well. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Boston she earned a B.A.in Art. She also earned the Certified Employees Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation. Recent recognition for BMC include the Becker’s 2018 Best Places to Work in Healthcare, WorkWell Massachusetts Award from the Worksite Wellness Counsel of Massachusetts and the 2018 Plan Sponsor of the Year award in the Nonprofit DC >$100MM category.

  • Jonathan Schultheiss

    Retirement Plan Advisor, Partner, Gate City Advisors

    As head of corporate retirement plans and author of the book disTRACKted, Jonathon is responsible for ensuring that the GCA retirement plan service model is implemented and adhered to. He is the point of contact for our plan sponsors on all plan level issues. runs committee meetings and provides fiduciary training to members. Jonathon’s philosophy can be summed up in three words: keep things simple. Gate City Advisors has designed a process that combines investment selection with employee education, and Jonathon’s ultimate goal is to provide employees with a plan that helps make their retirement goals a reality. His favorite part of the job is delivering progress reports to plan participants, distilling a large amount of information into a one-page report that clearly answers the most important questions: Am I on track for retirement?

    Jonathon’s life outside of the office revolves around his family. He and his wife, Heather, are the proud parents of Dylan, Emma, Mady and Sadie. He supports his son’s athletic ambitions, coaching the baseball team or cheering him on in the bleachers at the High School basketball game. When he gets a few days off from the office, he and the family enjoy trips out to Myrtle Beach or relaxing for a long weekend in a mountain cabin, taking a break from the sounds of city life.

    Certification: Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS®); Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®); Professional Plan Consultant (PPC)

  • Thomas J. Schatzman

    Senior Vice President and Institutional Consulting Director, Graystone Consulting division of Morgan Stanley

    Thomas J. Schatzman is a Senior Vice President and Institutional Consulting Director at the Graystone Consulting division of Morgan Stanley, co-directing a $13.3 billion advisory team focused on institutional consulting to non-profit, heath care and corporate pension plan clients.  Thomas works to advise organizations on investment policy development, investment manager selection, asset allocation, asset-liability analyses, and fee reduction while working in a fiduciary advisory capacity. Thomas has been with Graystone Consulting and predecessor firms since 1992 and has been widely recognized throughout the industry being named one of the Top 30 institutional consultants in the United States by Barron’s (2015 inaugural list, 2016-2018), and a Top 100 retirement plan advisor by Plan Sponsor Magazine (2016-2018). Barron’s recently ranked Mr. Schatzman’ s team as the # 1 consulting team in the state of Pennsylvania. Thomas holds a BS in economics and an MBA from George Washington University, graduating with distinction.  Thomas holds the Certified Investment Management Analysts designation sponsored by the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, and completed Strategic Management study at Harvard Business School

  • Alvin Shaver

    Director of Compensation and Benefits, Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc.

    With over 25 years of experience in human resources, Mr. Shaver is a seasoned total rewards professional. He has served in HR management roles in various industries including banking, healthcare, and transportation. He presently serves as Director of Compensation and Benefits at Southeastern Freight Lines, a leading regional less-than-load trucking company with over 8,400 employees and about 90 terminals located in the southeastern United States.

  • Kevin Skow

    Principal, Milliman

    Professional Designations ◾Certified Pension Consultant, American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries ◾Qualified Pension Administrator, American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries ◾Qualified 401(k) Administrator, American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries Education ◾BA, Communications, Marquette University Current Responsibility Kevin is a principal and senior benefits consultant with Milliman’s Employee Benefits practice. He joined the firm in 2004 and works in the firm’s Minneapolis office. Experience Kevin has more than 20 years of broad consulting and recordkeeping experience in both the retirement plan and financial services industries. He has focused on client relationship management and technical plan design consulting the last 15 years, building upon more than five years of experience in operations, compliance and employee education. Prior to joining Milliman in 2004, Kevin worked in the retirement services businesses at Merrill Lynch/Howard Johnson & Co., Ameriprise Financial Services, and Hewitt Associates. Kevin is actively involved in leading Milliman’s growth in the Employee Benefits discipline. He is a member of Milliman’s Vision Committee and Merger & Acquisition Task Force. He is also chair of the firm’s Recruiting Committee. Outside of Milliman, Kevin serves as president of the board of directors of Friends of FANA, MN, a nonprofit organization established to unite Colombian children of all ages with adoptive families. Affiliations ◾Member, American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries ◾President, Board of Directors of Friends of FANA, MN

  • Robin M. Solomon

    Partner, Ivins, Phillips & Barker

    Robin M. Solomon assists clients of all sizes with practical solutions to their employee benefit problems. They value her as a business-minded and practical leader, who can manage large projects on a tight deadline and translate complex legal issues into clear and comprehensible terms for non-lawyers. She brings 20 years of experience on a wide range of federal tax and ERISA issues, including plan design, operational corrections, lump sum windows, plan terminations, and fiduciary liability. Robin frequently counsels clients on health and welfare arrangements, including cafeteria plans, retiree medical plan design, FSAs, HRAs, HSAs and the Affordable Care Act. She is also experienced with the design and compliance of executive compensation arrangements and severance agreements. She possesses particular expertise in counseling clients on workforce and benefits integration after a substantial acquisition, and is experienced with the unique problems faced by large controlled groups.  She is a frequent speaker and author on employee benefit matters and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where she teaches “Retirement Plan Qualification Requirements.”

  • Jania Stout

    CEO, Fiduciary Plan Advisors, HighTower

    Jania Stout, Managing Director, Co-Founder of Fiduciary Plan Advisors at HighTower, brings over 22 years of experience in ERISA plan consulting to the organization. Her team advises approximately 3 billion in retirement plan assets and focuses on mid-market companies. She was named the 2016 Plan Adviser of the Year by Plan Sponsor Magazine.
    Jania spent the first half of her career working at two of the biggest recordkeepers in the industry. She was a Senior Account Executive at Fidelity prior to becoming an independent advisor. While at Fidelity, Jania advised on retirement plan solutions for mid-market companies. Jania gained tremendous exposure to the challenges plan sponsors face and their need to have a fiduciary partner. This exposure led her to leave Fidelity and form a team of consultants that had a unified focus on helping plan sponsors with their fiduciary responsibilities.

    Jania has been featured in the Washington Post, Investment News, Benefits Magazine, RIA Biz and Plan Sponsor Magazine. Her team won one of the most prestigious awards in the industry in 2013; the 401(k) Advisor Leadership Award sponsored by National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA).

    Ms. Stout is currently Incoming President of National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA). The Council is charged with setting the strategic direction and making policy decisions on all matters related to NAPA’s mission. Ms. Stout was asked to testify in front of Congress in the summer of 2017 to speak as a Retirement Expert. She has also met She also met with the DOL in the Spring of 2016 to provide her thoughts and opinions about the pending (at the time) Fiduciary Regulation. She is a regular speaker at the Plan Sponsor National Conference.

  • Joseph Szalay

    Director, Defined Contribution Investment Strategy, BlackRock

    Joseph Szalay, CFA, CAIA, Director, is an Investment Strategist within BlackRock’s US and Canada Defined Contribution group. He is responsible for representing BlackRock’s Defined Contribution (“DC”) capabilities to institutional investors, investment consultants and advisors. The team partners with Research and Product Development to evolve DC solutions, and works closely with distribution teams to provide thought leadership and client analytics.

    Prior to joining Blackrock, he was a member of PIMCO’s institutional business group where he focused on global consultant relations and direct marketing. In addition to this role, he was responsible for teaching “Intro to Derivatives” and “Derivatives II: Bond Math” courses to new MBAs and employees of the firm.

    Mr. Szalay graduated from the University at Albany and is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts

  • Gordon Tewell

    Principal, Innovest Portfolio Solutions

    Gordon joined Innovest in 2007 and is a principal and consultant. He is a member of Innovest’s Retirement Plan Practice Group, a specialized team that identifies best practices and implements process improvements to maximize efficiencies for our retirement plan clients. Innovest was named the 2014 PlanSponsor Retirement Plan Adviser Team of the Year. Gordon is an occasional speaker at industry conferences including the PLANSPONSOR Annual Conference, the Western Pension and Benefits Council/American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries national conference, the Colorado Public Plan Conference and the Rocky Mountain Benefit Plans Conference. Gordon has more than 20 years of retirement plan industry experience. At Innovest, Gordon provides institutional consulting services to committees and boards of various types of retirement plans, both corporate and public-sector. Due to his expertise in retirement plan design and management and in-depth understanding of IRS Code and DOL rules and regulations, his responsibilities include consulting on plan design and features, plan health and retirement readiness, fiduciary responsibilities and protection, plan benchmarking, vendor search analysis, and investment menu design and implementation. Prior to joining Innovest, Gordon worked for the Retirement Group at Merrill Lynch as a relationship manager. As a relationship manager, Gordon provided strategic direction to clients of an integrated benefit platform supporting defined benefit, defined contribution, non-qualified deferred compensation and equity compensation plans. His experience also includes working as a plan sponsor as the administrator of the City of Westminster Pension Plans. Gordon was responsible for all aspects of the City’s five retirement plans and approximately $180 million in assets. Gordon’s responsibilities included planning, developing and delivering the education and communication programs, vendor selection and relationship management, strategic planning, and all compliance functions including maintenance of the plan document and IRS filings. Gordon is a graduate of Colorado State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. Gordon is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Colorado. Additionally, Gordon has received the Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA), Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) and Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) designations from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). The CPC designation is the highest non-actuarial designation available from ASPPA and requires in-depth understanding of IRS Code and DOL regulations and an extensive working knowledge of plan features and design. CPCs generally work alongside employers to formulate, implement, administer, and maintain qualified retirement plans. Gordon is also an Enrolled Retirement Plan Agent (ERPA). The ERPA designation allows the designee to represent clients before the IRS on certain retirement plan matters. He is a member of ASPPA, the Denver Chapter of the Western Pension and Benefits Conference and a founding Board member of the Colorado Public Plan Coalition. Gordon and his wife Deb spend their free time traveling throughout the U.S., much of this time spent on their bicycles. When not bicycling or hiking in the Colorado Mountains, Gordon and Deb volunteer at their local YMCA, assisting with programs that promote healthy spirit, mind and body.

  • Attila Toth

    Partner and Co-Founder, Portfolio Evaluations, Inc

    Attila is a Partner and Co-Founder of Portfolio Evaluations, Inc. He has over 30 years of consulting experience working with a broad range of clients. Attila’s responsibility is advising retirement plan committees of participant & trustee directed plans on all phases of their fiduciary responsibility. Attila is a member of the senior management team which oversees the firm’s strategic initiatives. In 2004, Plan Sponsor Magazine awarded Attila the Most Successful Retirement Plan Advisor in the Mid-Atlantic.  In 2010, Attila was once again nominated for PLANSPONSOR’s Retirement Plan Advisor of the Year. In 2008 and 2009, 401kwire recognized Attila as one of the 300 most influential advisors in defined contribution. In 2010, Attila spearheaded the implementation of a program directed to teach elementary school children the importance of fiscal responsibility and saving at an early age. He is a current member of the Saint Joseph’s School Educational Council where he continues these efforts. Attila is also active in PEI’s outreach activities.In 2013 and 2014, Attila was featured in PLANADVISER’s list of Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers. This list consists of advisers and adviser teams competing for the annual PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser and Adviser Team of the Year Awards. Attila earned a BS in Business Administration from Saint Francis University.  Attila is a member of the Profit Sharing Council of America and the Society for Human Resource Management.

  • Joshua Ulmer

    Senior Institutional Consultant, Morgan Stanley

    Mr. Ulmer has spent his entire career in finance at Morgan Stanley (MS) or its predecessor companies, and has been focused on the pension marketplace since 2004. Joshua is a Corporate Client Group Director within Morgan Stanley’s Institutional Wealth Services division and is a Senior Vice President.

    Joshua received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business from Lewis and Clark College. He went on to get his CIMA through the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and a Certificate in Risk Management from the New York Institute of Finance. Mr. Ulmer is also a Chartered Financial Analyst, a rigorous global program attained over a minimum of three years’ study and examinations. He holds several other professional designations/accreditations, including the Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist through the College for Financial Planning, the Accredited Investment Fiduciary through the Center for Fiduciary Studies, and the Certified Behavioral Finance Analyst through the Allianz Global Investors Center for Behavioral Finance.

    Joshua has been the recipient of various forms of industry recognition, including but not limited to: 2017 PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year; PLANADVISER’S TOP 100 RETIREMENT PLAN ADVISERS in 2018 and 2017; Financial Times Top 401 Retirement Plan Advisors in 2015, 2016 and 2017; Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in America 2016 – 2018; National Association of Plan Advisers Top DC Advisory Teams in 2017; Forbes America’s Best-in-State Wealth Advisors 2018. In January of 2017, Mr. Ulmer was selected to serve as a council member for the Retirement Advisor Council of America.

    Mr. Ulmer regularly contributes to Morgan Stanley’s Institutional Wealth Services 401(k) advisory offering and participates in industry news articles, events, panels, and product evaluation committees.

    He is presently a member of the CFA Institute, the Portland Society of Financial Analysts, the National Association of Plan Advisors, as well as a Member of the Investment Management Consultant Association. Joshua is the Co-Chair of the Advisory Board at the Center for Entrepreneurship at Lewis and Clark College, and previously served on both the Finance and Investment Committee of the Children’s Cancer Association.

  • Michael Volo

    Senior Partner, Cammack Retirement Group

    Mike Volo focuses on the success and satisfaction of Cammack Retirement clients and their employees. He works with the nation’s leading academic and research institutions, healthcare providers, corporations, non-profit organizations and public sector employers to help solve their biggest retirement plan challenges. Mike is a recognized retirement savings expert, with a passion for clients and their employees, who excels at developing innovative and effective solutions. Mike has more than 25 years of experience in the investment advisory and retirement services industries. Prior to joining Cammack Retirement Group, Mike led the client service organization, focused on the non-profit sector, at the largest U.S. retirement planning firm, and served as head of acquisition and client marketing for workplace benefits. Additionally, Mike served as the chief marketing officer for a leading investment manager, where he was responsible for the retirement plan, mutual fund and insurance product lines. Mike received his Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.

  • Nathan Voris

    Managing Director, Business Strategy, Schwab Retirement Plan Services, Inc.

    Nathan Voris is managing director of Business Strategy for Schwab Retirement Plan Services. In this role, he is responsible for leading the client experience, platform and product development strategies to help retirement plan sponsors, consultants and participants meet their goals.   Nathan most recently worked at Morningstar, where he held several roles within Morningstar Investment Management. There, his responsibilities included portfolio management and asset allocation, with a focus on product development and strategy for retirement solutions, including wellness, advice and managed accounts and target-date solutions.  Previously, Nathan was a consultant with R.V. Kuhns & Associates, where he worked with defined contribution plan sponsors to help improve asset allocation and solve other needs of plan participants. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of portfolio construction, including asset allocation and manager selection/due diligence for plan sponsors, retirement plan providers and asset managers.   Nathan began his career as a plan sponsor working for defined contribution plans, including Wal-Mart and the Ohio Public Employees’ Retirement System. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the Ohio State University.  0117-SBS0

  • Rachel Weker

    Senior Manager, Financial Wellness, T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.

    Rachel Weker September 15, 2017 Rachel Weker is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. As a senior manager in Investment Platforms and Services, she is responsible for the financial wellness and retirement income solutions strategy. Prior to this role, she worked in Product and Marketing and was responsible for market-driven innovation and emerging products and services. She has also worked in Product Development and was responsible for multiple development strategies, including automated solutions, statements and personalization, advice and guidance, participant Web and mobile experience, and production on-demand solutions. Rachel serves on the Board of PACT and Kennedy Krieger, nonprofit organizations serving Maryland’s medically fragile children. Prior to joining the firm in 1998, Rachel was an assistant vice president at Boatmen’s Trust Company. She earned a B.S. in finance from the University of Illinois. Rachel is a Series 7 and 63 registered representative.

  • Tina Wilson

    SVP and head of the Investment Solutions Innovation, MassMutual U.S.

    Tina Wilson is Senior Vice President and head of the Investment Solutions Innovation organization within MassMutual’s U.S. business. In this role, she is responsible for the strategy, ideation and design of institutional and investment products and solutions, including retirement plans and annuities. Tina also oversees the management of our investment platform and operations in order to deliver strong performance inside our customer solutions. Ms. Wilson has both the FINRA series 7 and 24. She is also a member of the Hartford CFA Society and the CFA Institute. Ms. Wilson has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary and Chartered Financial Analyst designations. Ms. Wilson is a member of the School of Business Advisory Board of Western New England University, a board member of the Goldenson Center for Actuarial Research, a member of the Insured Retirement Institute Board of Directors and a member of the Connecticut Insurance and Financial Services Executive Board.

  • Jake Winegrad

    Partner, MonetaGroup

    As a Partner at Moneta Group, Jake Winegrad’s responsibilities fall under numerous areas of institutional consulting and investment advisory services. Jake works with a variety of individuals serving in a fiduciary capacity – many of which are sponsors of company retirement plans.  Jake earned his B.S. in Applied Math from Towson University and his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Sponsorship Information

Katie Bacon | 203-595-3184 |

General Information

Carol Popkins | 203-461-0985 |