PLANSPONSOR Roadmap 2026 Livestream Series: Fiduciary 101

Livestream |
REGISTER NOW

About

psroadmap24_about-icon-p1

2026 PLANSPONSOR Roadmap Livestream Series: Fiduciary 101

Who is a fiduciary to your retirement plan? What does it mean to be a fiduciary? These questions and more will be answered in this livestream series, intended to offer basic education about Employee Retirement Income Security Act fiduciary duties. Speakers will cover the duties of loyalty and prudence; the selection of retirement plan providers; investment selection; fee benchmarking and more. Attendees will gain actionable insights and tangible resources to help them or their plan sponsor clients develop processes that will keep them compliant with the law.

agenda

Overview
February 11
February 18
February 25
Print Agenda

PLANSPONSOR Roadmap: Fiduciary 101 Livestream Series

  1. February 11
    2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

    Understanding Plan Sponsors’ Fiduciary Duties

    The Employee Retirement Income Security Act requires retirement plan fiduciaries to adhere to the duties of prudence and loyalty. What do these mean under ERISA? Who is a fiduciary for your plan? Experts will provide a checklist of actions to ensure your plan is in compliance. Speakers will also discuss prohibited transactions and the processes plan sponsors can use to avoid them.

    Register Now

  2. February 18
    2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

    Outsourcing and Provider Selection

    Selecting plan providers is also a fiduciary responsibility under ERISA. This session will cover what to consider and evaluate when selecting recordkeepers, investment managers and advisers. Speakers will also explain the responsibilities of each party—including the plan sponsor—in a 3(16) fiduciary, 3(21) investment adviser or 3(38) investment manager outsourcing arrangement.

    Register Now

  3. February 25
    2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

    Benchmarking Investments and Fees

    Experts will explain what factors to look at when benchmarking investments, as well as what benchmarks to use to ensure investments are prudent and fees are reasonable. The issue of revenue sharing will also be explained and discussed.

    Register Now

Fiduciary 101: Understanding Plan Sponsors’ Fiduciary Duties

  1. Wednesday,
    February 11, 2026
    2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

    The Employee Retirement Income Security Act requires retirement plan fiduciaries to adhere to the duties of prudence and loyalty. What do these mean under ERISA? Who is a fiduciary for your plan? Experts will provide a checklist of actions to ensure your plan is in compliance. Speakers will also discuss prohibited transactions and the processes plan sponsors can use to avoid them.

    Panelist
    Leah Sylvester, Executive Partner, President of Retirement Plans, Shepherd Financial

Fiduciary 101: Outsourcing and Provider Selection

  1. Wednesday,
    February 18, 2026
    2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

    Selecting plan providers is also a fiduciary responsibility under ERISA. This session will cover what to consider and evaluate when selecting recordkeepers, investment managers and advisers. Speakers will also explain the responsibilities of each party—including the plan sponsor—in a 3(16) fiduciary, 3(21) investment adviser or 3(38) investment manager outsourcing arrangement.

    Panelist
    Summer Conley, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Fiduciary 101: Benchmarking Investments and Fees

  1. Wednesday,
    February 25, 2026
    2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

    Experts will explain what factors to look at when benchmarking investments, as well as what benchmarks to use to ensure investments are prudent and fees are reasonable. The issue of revenue sharing will also be explained and discussed.

    Panelists
    Heather Bader, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
    Michael Kozemchak, Managing Director, Institutional Investment Consulting

speakers

  • Heather Bader

    Heather Bader

    Partner
    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
    Heather Bader
    Partner
    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

    Heather Bader assists plan sponsors and service providers in navigating the complexities of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, as well as health and welfare plans. While her work extends to all aspects of employee benefits, she is particularly experienced in assisting plan committees and sponsors in fulfilling their fiduciary duties. Heather advises on a variety of fiduciary compliance issues and assists with the defense of government agency audits and investigations, including but not limited to the Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Heather works with plan sponsors that are publicly traded and the issues surrounding employer securities in retirement plans. Heather is co-leader of the firm’s financial services industry group.

  • Summer Conley

    Summer Conley

    Partner
    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
    Summer Conley
    Partner
    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

    Summer Conley is leader of the Faegre Drinker’s benefits and executive compensation group. She guides companies through the complicated legal landscape surrounding employee benefits.

    Conley advises on qualified plan, health and welfare and executive compensation issues related to retirement plan committee fiduciary responsibilities; Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL) correction procedures; Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA); Section 125; health care reform and alternative plan investments.

  • Michael Kozemchak

    Michael Kozemchak

    Managing Director
    Institutional Investment Consulting
    Michael Kozemchak
    Managing Director
    Institutional Investment Consulting

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

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

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

  • Leah Sylvester

    Leah Sylvester

    Executive Partner, President of Retirement Plans
    Shepherd Financial
    Leah Sylvester
    Executive Partner, President of Retirement Plans
    Shepherd Financial

    Leah is an Executive Partner and the President of Retirement Plans for Shepherd Financial. Prior to joining Shepherd Financial in 2015, Leah worked as a retirement plan designer and plan consultant. She has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame. Leah is a Qualified 401(k) Administrator; Qualified Pension Administrator; and Certified Pension Consultant.

sponsors

Become a sponsor.

Join a select group of industry product and service providers who are maximizing their firm’s exposure in front of this highly influential group of plan sponsors and retirement plan advisers.