Chris is a Director in Cerulli’s Retirement practice. He leads research and analysis that covers key aspects of the retirement industry, including defined contribution (DC) plan recordkeeping, DC plan investments, and the individual retirement account (IRA) market. His research examines market sizing, product adoption and utilization, the influence of advisers and consultants, participant behavior, and more. In this capacity, he regularly engages with key players in the retirement industry, including executives within recordkeepers and asset managers, investment consultants, and financial advisory firms. In addition, his team collects data and perspectives from plan sponsors and participants annually.

Chris brings more than 20 years of DC market experience to Cerulli, having spent time at Fidelity and external research firms leading retirement and wealth-focused research programs. Before joining Cerulli, he led the U.S. market insights practice of a global financial services consulting firm, where he helped recordkeeping and insurance clients advance strategic decision-making and thought leadership. At Fidelity, he led the competitive and industry intelligence function for its Workplace Investing business and held several internal consulting and analysis roles prior to that.

John Bartlett is the Director of Retirement Services at CFS Investment Advisory Services, LLC, where he partners with plan sponsors to strengthen fiduciary oversight, improve plan outcomes, and enhance the overall participant experience. John has been with CFS since 2012, joining the firm after interning there while earning his BA in Finance from Rutgers University.

John works closely with corporate and institutional retirement plan committees to help navigate an increasingly complex retirement landscape. His retirement plan consulting work focuses on the areas plan sponsors care most about—fiduciary governance, plan cost management, investment oversight, vendor benchmarking, and participant engagement. He is known for helping committees translate fiduciary responsibility into practical, repeatable processes that support better decision-making and long-term plan success.

John is a Certified Financial Planner professional and holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) designations. He has been recognized as a PLANADVISER Emerging Leader and serves as a member of the Retirement Advisory Council (RAC), reflecting his commitment to continued professional development and leadership within the retirement plan industry.

Sean founded Bjork Asset Management to provide disciplined, independent fiduciary guidance to institutions sponsoring retirement plans and their employees. As president, Sean’s goal is to deliver a process that simplifies the complex and creates fearless, confident investors.

He is driven to make a difference in the lives of thousands of American workers who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to save for retirement by providing advice and guidance to educate them on their financial journey. For more than 20 years of working with qualified retirement savings plans and participants, the aspect of his career which has given him the most joy is knowing that the individuals who the financial services industry has traditionally overlooked were provided guidance towards meaningful retirement savings.

Sean holds AIF, CIMA and CPWA designations and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago. He graduated with a BA from St. Lawrence University, where he was captain of the NCAA Division I Alpine Ski Racing Team. 

Beyond family and work, Sean volunteers in his community as a firefighter and EMT with the Lake Bluff Fire Department and serves as a Dive Rescue Technician with the MABAS Division 4 & 5 Specialized Response Team.

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.

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

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

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

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.

Holly Verdeyen is a Partner in Marsh’s Chicago, IL office and serves as the Defined Contribution Leader in the US. Holly has overall responsibility the strategy, development, and growth of Marsh’s defined contribution business within the US. In addition, she is responsible for solutions development and the deployment intellectual capital and research to our clients and the industry.

Holly has over 25 years of investment experience and has held leadership roles in both the institutional and financial intermediary distribution channels. Holly is a member Marsh’s Defined Contribution Investment Committee and Defined Contribution Strategic Research Team. Holly was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to serve on the 15 member DOL ERISA Advisory Council from 2021-2024, representing the interests of employers. Holly was also recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Institutional Investing by Pension & Investments in 2023.

Prior to joining Marsh, Holly worked at Russell Investments, where she led the US Institutional and Intermediary DC business, which included investment consulting, outsourced CIO, DC investment only products and managed accounts. Holly has previously held roles as a founding member of the Defined Contribution Group at UBS and on the Defined Contribution Team at Barclays Global Investors, now Blackrock.

Holly serves as the Board President for the not-for-profit organization Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE). She has previously served on the Advisory Council for the Women in Leadership Executive Program at The George Washington University, and on the Boards of Directors for YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago and the Association for Investment Management Sales Executives. Holly earned her MBA from Northwestern University and her Bachelor’s degree from St. Norbert College. She holds a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation.