Ernie is a Managing Director in the Client Solutions Group within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Ernie joined Goldman Sachs in September 2024 as a Managing Director. Prior to this, he was the Chief Investment O􀆯icer for UPS. Ernie had the fiduciary responsibility for all aspects of the investment portfolios for UPS’ Single Employer Defined Benefit Plans across the US & Canada. Assets under management were in excess of $55 billion.

In the CIO role, Caballero transitioned the pension funds from a growth oriented to a liability aware investment approach for both closed & frozen plans as well as open & accruing plans. He also continued expanding his investment team to accommodate the complexities of actively managing a dual mandate portfolio that was 50% risk seeking, 50% fixed income, and 30% synthetic fixed income.

While CIO of UPS, Ernie received several industry accolades, including the 2024 Chief Investment Officer Industry Innovation Award and CIO Versatility Award, and being recognized as a member of the 2023 & 2022 CIO Power 100 Group.

Colby Carter serves as Legal Counsel for the Tennessee Valley Authority Retirement System (TVARS) in Knoxville, Tennessee. TVARS, which is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors, provides retirement benefits for the 10,000 employees and 22,000 retirees and beneficiaries of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal corporate agency and the nation’s largest public power system. In this role, Colby is involved in the administration and operation of TVARS, a defined benefit plan (with both traditional and cash balance pension benefits), and a defined contribution plan (401(k) plan), and the investment of $9 billion in pension assets and $5 billion in 401(k) plan assets.
Colby previously was Senior Attorney, Retirement-Compensation-Benefits, in TVA’s Office of the General Counsel, where he served as TVA’s employee benefits counsel. Prior to joining TVA in 2004, Colby was an Associate with the law firm of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC in Nashville, Tennessee. Colby has a B.S. in Public Policy and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University and was a Fulbright Scholar in Germany.

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

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

Deb Dupont is responsible for LIMRA’s institutional (retirement plans) retirement research program. She conducts and supervises research, benchmark reporting, and study groups focused on the issues and trends faced by constituents of the defined contribution industry. She also provides guidance and thought leadership in helping LIMRA’s member firms better understand the opportunities available for improving delivery of institutional retirement solutions.

Prior to joining LIMRA in 2014, Deb was director of ING’s Retirement Research Institute (the Institute), where she created, managed, and published a research platform that included work focusing on multi-cultural, generational, and gender-based analyses of retirement behaviors, and she published insights and analyses of ING’s own cross-defined contribution (i.e., across employment sectors) participant base. Deb’s work has been recognized for effectiveness and quality by some of the most prestigious awards in the financial services and communications industries, including the Insurance and Financial Communicators’ Association and the International Association of Business Communicators. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut.

Robert Fortin is the Senior Manager of Benefits Wealth at the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak). He oversees the operation, administration, and strategy for retirement programs and financial education. He greatly enjoys riding the train across the country and engaging in conversations with railroaders to help them understand and maximize their benefits.

Robert began his career in pension and retirement consulting at Watson Wyatt, where he gained valuable expertise before transitioning to administering benefit programs for plan sponsors. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Economics from San Diego State University and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Robert is on the Board of Directors for Western Pension & Benefits Council – Portland Chapter and holds the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation.  Additionally, he is a guest speaker and instructor for the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, focusing on retirement plans.

Sean Kelly serves as a financial adviser and holds the position of Vice President at Heffernan Financial Services. With a career spanning 17 years in the retirement plan investment advisory business, Sean has become a trusted expert in group retirement plans across private, public, and nonprofit sectors. His dedication lies in helping organizations craft and sustain robust retirement plan benefits for both the company and its employees.

Sean takes pride in delivering genuine independent investment advice and fostering a consultative relationship with each client. As a committed advocate, he guides them through every step of the process, ensuring the best outcomes. Together with his team, Sean manages a portfolio of just over $1 billion in assets, distributed among 47 valued clients.

Sean pursued his education at The University of California, Santa Barbara, earning a BA in Business Economics.

Rebecca Moore is managing editor, special content, ISS Media. She previously spent 16 years as managing editor, digital, for PLANSPONSOR, an ISS Media brand. Rebecca has 31 years of experience in the retirement industry, starting as a recordkeeper in Wachovia Bank’s (now Wells Fargo) employee benefits division in 1991. She also led the nonqualified plan recordkeeping team at Wachovia Bank. Prior to joining PLANSPONSOR in 2005, she was a relationship manager at third-party administrator (TPA) Amvescap (which is now a part of MassMutual). Rebecca has a bachelor of science (BS) degree in mathematics from Elon University and a master of arts (MA) degree in mathematics from Wake Forest University. Following completion of her MA degree, she worked for three semesters as a math instructor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Bryan Peebles is a Managing Director with Strategic Retirement Partners in the Nashville region and an Investment Advisor Representative with WELLth Advisory Services. He works with plan sponsors to design, implement, and maintain their firm’s retirement plans and educates participants on how to maximize those plans to help meet their retirement goals.

A graduate of the Financial Planning program at Western Kentucky University, Bryan has earned his Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) and Non-Qualified Plan Consultant designations via the National Association of Plan Advisors.

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

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

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

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

Karen Witham is vice president of committees and communications at DCIIA. She is the staff committee lead for all DCIIA standing committees, managing thought leadership projects and members’ committee engagement. She is also responsible for both communications oversight and strategy as well as tactical implementation across multiple channels including web, email, social media, live and virtual events, and media relations. Prior to joining DCIIA in 2017, Karen was vice president of communications at Callan, an investment consulting firm. She has previously held communications, writing, and editing roles at BlackRock, T. Rowe Price, and State Street. Karen has a bachelor’s degree in American Civilization from Brown University (Providence) and a master’s degree in writing from Emerson College (Boston). She is based in Florida and is a member of WIPN (We Inspire Promote Network).

Janet Yang Rohr, CFA, is director of manager research for multi-asset and alternative strategies, North America. She guides a team of analysts who cover a variety of investment strategies, including target-date funds, 529 college savings plans, health savings accounts, and investment models.
Yang Rohr joined Morningstar in 2010 as an analyst and has held strategist, director, and most recently, Head of Managed Investment Data, roles before being appointed to her current role in 2021. Previously, Yang Rohr was vice president and investment product manager for multi-manager funds and solutions as well as target-date funds for Northern Trust Global Investments. She also served as a manager research analyst for Aon Investment Consulting, where she specialized in manager due diligence and the development of the practice’s quantitative research process.
Yang Rohr holds a bachelor’s degree in English and economics from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in business administration, with concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Yang Rohr is currently serving her third term as State Representative for the 41st District in Illinois’ 104th General Assembly.