Previously named a Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year by PLANADVISER and honored as a Leader by the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), Liz serves as Director of Inclusive Engagement Strategy and Financial Planner at Francis. Leveraging her experience as an international, bilingual educator, she develops innovative strategies to engage diverse participant populations and helps individuals navigate the often-confusing world of personal finance. Liz also leads Francis’s Workplace Excellence Committee, fostering a more inclusive, collaborative, and equitable environment that creates opportunities for learning and growth, benefiting both the Francis team and its clients. Passionate about her work, Liz strives to make financial wellness accessible and attainable for everyone while ensuring that all colleagues, clients, and participants feel seen, heard, valued, and supported.

Liz is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional (CFP) and holds a Series 65 license. She earned her B.A. in Communications from Seton Hall University.

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.

Kristi K. Baker is Managing Partner for HUB Retirement and Wealth Management/CSi Advisory Services (HUB CSi). Since 1993, Kristi has partnered with hundreds of plan sponsors to design and manage a successful retirement plan, both from the company perspective and from the retirement success of their employees. Kristi has upheld a commitment to building an organization centered on integrity and meaningful relationships, which seek to provide unsurpassed service and independent advice for professionals, businesses, and their employees.

Kristi is a strong advocate of financial education and successful retirement outcomes. She holds a B.S. in Finance and Insurance from Illinois Wesleyan University. She has earned the Certified 401(k) Professional (C(k)P) designation awarded in conjunction with the Anderson School of Business and Executive Management at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA); the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) professional designation awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies. She is a Chartered Advisor of Senior Living (CASL), a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU).

Kristi and CSi have been recognized for their services. Kristi has been named a Top 100 Retirement Plan Adviser by PLANADVISER, in addition to being named in 2023 and 2024 as a Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year Finalist.

Doug began his career in the financial services industry in 1994 with Empower Retirement. He later joined ABD Insurance & Financial Services, a predecessor firm of Wells Fargo Insurance Services.

In 2007, he joined Wells Fargo Advisors and formed the Bermudez/Hall Retirement Group with his associate, Erin Hall. They provide high-level service to both corporations and individuals through comprehensive financial advice.

Doug and Erin joined SRP in June of 2019, opening the Los Angeles area office. In 2005 and 2012, respectively, Doug earned the Certified Fund Specialist and Certified 401(k) Professional certifications after completing approved educational programs, passing rigorous examinations, and meeting stringent experience requirements.

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.

Bradford Campbell is a nationally recognized figure in employer-sponsored retirement plans who leverages his prior experience as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits to advise clients across a broad range of issues related to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Brad advises financial service providers and plan sponsors, particularly in relation to ERISA Title I issues, such as fiduciary conduct and prohibited transactions as well as developing policy issues. He also helps clients develop products and compliance systems that meet the requirements for qualified retirement plans and IRAs, as well as fiduciary training programs for plan officials. Brad assists clients in requesting prohibited transaction exemptions and advisory opinions for activities related to employee benefits plans. He has a track record of successfully resolving Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigations and audits for large service providers and plan sponsors, and serves as an expert witness in ERISA litigation.

Kim Cochrane, QPA, TGPC, is the Director of Client Services at HUB International Mid Atlantic LLC in Rockville, MD. She has over 25 years of experience, primarily in the consulting area of IRS, Department of Labor and ERISA regulations.

Kim focuses on corporate and non-profit retirement plans, including pension plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, profit sharing, cash balance and executive benefit plans. Kim’s day-to-day responsibilities include working with plan trustees on addressing their fiduciary responsibilities and working with individuals on managing their retirement accounts.

Kim holds FINRA Series 6, 63 and 65 securities registrations, life and health insurance licenses and is a credentialed and active member of The ARA (American Retirement Association), NAPA (The National Association of Plan Advisers) and WIPN.

At HUB, Kim is a Non-Profit Specialty Expert and has received numerous industry awards, including NAPA’s Top Woman Advisor, PLANADVISER’s Top Retirement Plan Adviser and PLANSPONSOR Adviser of the Year Finalist.

Prior to joining HUB in January 2022, she was the Director of Client Services with Raffa Retirement Services. She has spent over 20 years as a relationship manager and consultant at some of the biggest recordkeepers in the industry.

Barbara Delaney currently serves as Principal of StoneStreet Benefit Advisors. Barbara is a seasoned ERISA fiduciary advisor, specializing in defined benefit, defined contribution and most recently health and welfare plans. Based out of Tarrytown, NY, Barbara has over 40 years of experience. Many Plan Sponsors have not held the same standards with respect
to their Health and Welfare Plans as they do with their retirement plans. With the spiraling costs of healthcare and the need for increased transparency Stonestreet has broadened their scope of services to provide the same standard of care with respect to healthcare.
 Highly recognized and nationally acclaimed, Barbara was the recipient of the National Association of Plan Advisors’ (NAPA) 401(k) Summit Leadership Award and two-time recipient of Plan Sponsor Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year Award. Barbara has received numerous industry recognitions from both peers and Plan Sponsors.
In further recognition of Barbara’s leadership within the retirement plan consulting community, she has been selected to serve on the Defined Contribution Institutional Investors Association (DCIAA) RIA Advisory Council, Empower Advisory Board, Nuveen Retirement Leadership Council, Franklin
Tempelton Retirement Income Council, JP Morgan DC Advisor Council, and the Retirement Advisory Council. She is also a Government Affairs Committee Member of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (NAPA) and the Government Advisory Council of NAPA.
Barbara earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Economics from St. Thomas Aquinas College and attended the New York University’s Stern School of Business. She is a licensed life & health insurance broker and holds Series 7, 24 and 63 securities registration through LPL.

Julie has worked in all areas of the retirement plan ecosystem over the course of her career, making her a well-rounded expert in navigating the complexities of the industry. Equipped with this unique perspective and expertise, she assists her clients in making informed decisions and mitigating risk while helping their employees plan for the retirement they deserve. Alongside her everyday duties, she serves on the company’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council.

Julie has a Master of Business Administration degree from Babson College, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Communication degree from Bentley College. She is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, AIF, and a Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA). Julie has her FINRA Series 65 license and Life, Accident and Health Insurance licenses from The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Robert R. Gower, Director at Trucker Huss, concentrates his practice in fiduciary responsibility as well as tax-qualified retirement plan design, compliance and administration. He routinely works with plan sponsors and fiduciaries to 401(k), defined benefit, cash balance and profit sharing plans.

Robert has wide-ranging experience in plan drafting, including plan documents, amendments, resolutions, and summary plan descriptions. He also assists plan sponsors in preparing committee charters and bylaws to establish strong plan governance.

Robert routinely works with clients to assist with compliance efforts, including all aspects of the Internal Revenue Service Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System. He has significant experience helping clients navigate through the voluntary compliance program and plan audits.

Robert has been recognized as a 2016–2019 Rising Star, and as a Super Lawyer by the Northern California Super Lawyers publication since 2020. He was also awarded “Outstanding Volunteer” for his work from 2016 through 2018 with the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) by the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Brad Huss, Director at Trucker Huss, has been practicing in the employee benefits field for over forty years, and his practice is primarily in the areas of ERISA litigation, fiduciary responsibility matters, Department of Labor investigations, and qualified pension and profit sharing plans.

He serves as a private mediator in ERISA litigation matters and has been appointed as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Neutral in over eighty ERISA cases by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Brad has also been appointed as a Special Master in an ERISA case by the United States District Court for the District of Idaho.

He has testified before the Senate Finance Committee of the United States Congress on retirement income security issues.

Brad is a Charter Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, the highest level of recognition for an ERISA attorney. Selection as a Fellow reflects the College’s judgment that a nominee has made significant contributions to the advancement of the employee benefits field. Brad has also been ranked by Chambers and Partners continually since 2009 and by Best Lawyers in America for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and ERISA Litigation continually since 1995. Brad has been listed as a Top-Rated Employee Benefits Attorney in San Francisco by Super Lawyers since 2004. Brad has also been selected by Super Lawyers Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Attorneys” in Northern California since 2007.

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.

David Levine, Principal and Employers & Sponsors Co-Chair at Groom Law Group

Levine advises plan sponsors, advisers and other service providers on a wide range of employee benefits matters, from retirement and executive compensation to health and welfare plan matters.

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 and serves in a number of leadership roles in the American Bar Association Tax Section’s Employee Benefits Committee.

Levine has a BA from Johns Hopkins University and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Justin Londergan leads Ardea’s Retirement Plan Consulting strategy. As an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, Justin’s experience with institutional retirement plans centers around the implementation of fiduciary best practices that seek to minimize risk, reduce employer and employee costs and drive positive retirement outcomes. Justin has experience with 401(k) clients from start-ups to mid-size corporations, and 403(b) clients in higher education, independent schools and other nonprofits. He assists clients with all aspects of fiduciary governance and has experience working with leading vendors in the 401(k) and 403(b) markets. He is an advocate for transparency, mitigating plan fees and streamlining the client experience.

Prior to founding Ardea Fiduciary Advisors, Justin was a Vice President at Mayflower Advisors in Boston. Before Mayflower, Justin was a retirement plan consultant at LPL Financial. Justin earned a B.A. from Hobart College.

John Lowell is a Partner and Consulting Actuary with October Three Consulting LLC. He was President of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries in 2018 and has represented the U.S. profession globally. Based in Atlanta, he has spent nearly the last 40 years assisting employers of all sizes and in most industries with the design, funding, administration, and compliance aspects of nearly all aspects of their employee rewards programs. In recent years, his focus has been on rebuilding employer-sponsored retirement programs so that employees are able to deal with our impending retirement crisis. In particular, his focus is on building programs that cater to the workforce of 2025 and beyond by making them flexible, personalized, and adaptable to an evolving diverse workforce while keeping the program costs stable and affordable during challenging times. His clients seek to attract and retain great employees by offering them what they are asking for today.

For nearly 30 years, Marcia Mantell has helped the country’s foremost financial services firms and advisors increase their knowledge of complex retirement concepts and regulations, then turn the technical into the tangible. Her remarkable ability to translate challenging retirement concepts into everyday language educates and motivates real people to take the right steps to achieve the retirement they desire.

Through her small business, Mantell Retirement Consulting, Inc., (est. 2005) Marcia develops innovative retirement income planning workshops and programs, fun and engaging retirement education programs and seminars, and writes extensively as a guest columnist and content creator and curator. She is considered a retirement industry go-to-person for Social Security and Medicare expert-level information.

Marcia Mantell earned the RMA, Retirement Management Advisor, designation with the first class of financial professionals in 2008.  She re-certified in 2015. Marcia also holds the NSSA, National Social Security Advisor, professional designation. She earned this accredited certification in 2017 to formalize her Social Security knowledge. In 2022, Marcia added a Health Insurance License to her professional development certifications.

Robert Massa is the Managing Director of Retirement in Houston, Texas, for Qualified Plan Advisors (QPA). Rob is a retirement professional with more than 25 years of retirement industry experience. His career has been focused in the investment management and administration of qualified retirement plans in a diverse series of roles. Rob has a Bachelor of Arts in public administration and a minor in mathematics from the College of New Jersey. He is a licensed life/health representative, has passed the Series 7, 24, 63 and 65 securities exams, is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA).

Jacob M. Mattinson is a partner in McDermott Will & Emery’s Chicago office. His practice focuses on employee benefits matters related to health and welfare plans, retirement plans, and executive compensation issues. He frequently counsels privately and publicly held corporations and tax-exempt entities on a variety of benefits and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) issues, including ERISA fiduciary issues, compliance with the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), ERISA implications in corporate transactions, ERISA administrative claims and appeals, and executive compensation matters.

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 a passion for assisting clients in all things benefits and Health & Welfare, Greg is a key player on Sentinel’s leadership team. Having called Sentinel home for more than 13 years, he is driven by a desire to help people day in and day out.

Greg brings a unique view of benefits to the table, having curated a diverse background in health and welfare, insurance consulting and retirement. By helping firms create strong education game plans, his expertise enhances the value of their offerings and empowers employees to feel confident in what is offered to them. Greg has a Bachelor of Science – Business Administration, Finance from the University of Connecticut; has Life, Accident and Health Insurance licenses in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and is PPACA Certified.

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 Managing Director for Strategic Retirement Partners, Phil Senderowitz is responsible for servicing clients, as well as growing the firm’s practice in the Central Florida market. He is a specialist in investment due diligence processes, fiduciary best practices, and provider benchmarking. Phil also provides extensive experience in delivering customized employee education services to help promote more positive retirement outcomes. Phil is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Financial Planner professional.

Jeanne is CFP and a CPFA with Strategic Retirement Partners. She serves as a retirement plan consultant and financial wellness educator for companies across the country. Jeanne’s goal is to simplify advice in an over-complicated, jargon-filled industry. She has been interviewed by national publications including Forbes Magazine, Time Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, CNBC News, etc. She brings an energy and simplicity to complicated topics and is known for the original content she posts on social media. Topics range from personal finance to employer-sponsored plans. You can find her using the hashtag #401klady. Jeanne’s accessible way of providing virtual advice and engagement is creating a more collaborative platform for financial professionals to support each other and their clients in the digital age. She and her team live in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but serve clients across the country.

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.

Elise is a Vice President of State Street Investment Management and Head of Investment Strategy within the Defined Contribution team. In this role, she leads a team of subject matter experts who represent State Street’s DC investment strategies in the marketplace. In addition to supporting DC sales efforts, she also collaborates across the DC and investment teams to improve upon and expand State Street’s DC investment offerings through ongoing product innovation. As a member of the Defined Contribution team, she also serves as an internal expert on DC plan design, architecture, and key regulatory and legislative topics. Additionally, she is a member of the Defined Contribution Investment Group (DCIG), the committee that oversees the construction and glidepath of the State Street Target Retirement Funds. She joined the DCIG in September of 2023.

Prior to her current role, Elise was the Co-Head of DC Investment Strategy at Willis Towers Watson. In this role, she worked as a strategist for the firm’s largest DC clients and also served as the Head of the Target Date Fund Research Team and Head of the Managed Account Research Team.

Elise earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, with a concentration in Finance and Spanish, from the University of Notre Dame. She earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the Chicago CFA Society and the CFA Institute.

Brian J. Tiemann is a partner in McDermott Will & Emery’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group. Brian focuses his practice on providing counsel to public and private companies on a broad range of employee benefit matters, including matters related to pension plans and 401(k) plans, as well as executive and incentive compensation, particularly with respect to global incentive compensation plans. He also frequently advises plan fiduciaries with respect to their fiduciary duties, investment policies and alternative investments, and has extensive experience helping clients negotiate investment management agreements and service provider agreements.

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.

Rosie Zaklad is a principal at Groom Law Group, Chartered and co-leader of the firm’s tax practice. Her day-to-day practice involves the design, implementation and ongoing administration of retirement plans, including defined benefit, defined contribution, and tax-deferred annuity plans. She focuses on tax-qualified plan compliance issues, including Internal Revenue Service audits, rulings, and corrections. Rosie has extensive experience assisting plan sponsors in navigating the plan termination process, including preparing employee communications, obtaining agency approvals, and responding to post-termination audits. She has also represented clients in responding to Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation inquiries, investigations, and audits.

During her tenure at Groom, Rosie has counseled clients on a wide range of retirement plan issues in connection with corporate transactions and spinoffs, including distributions, plan loans, company stock, record retention, and treatment of transferring employees. She has also advised on tax and ERISA issues in connection with the post-merger integration of retirement plans.