2024 Enrollment Technology Strategy Seminar Agenda

Monday, March 4, 2024

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - REGISTRATION

5:45 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. - WELCOME RECEPTION

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - REGISTRATION

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - BREAKFAST

Sponsored by Noyo

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. - GENERAL SESSION - INDUSTRY UPDATE

Sean F. O’Donnell, LLIF - Senior Vice President, Head of Membership, Workplace Benefits, and Applied Research Solutions , LIMRA and LOMA

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. -

Back to the Future: Lessons Learned

TIM O'CONNER, Moderator/Presenter
Assistant Vice President, Partner Integration
Voya Financial

KEITH FEIST
Director, Partner Solutions
Pacific Life

CARRIE PENMAN
Business Analyst, Business Integrations
Transamerica Employee Benefits

Employers have experienced mixed results in recent years when using the latest technologies for benefits enrollment. As an industry we have talked about the who, what, when, where, and why of the latest enrollment technology trends. In this session, we’ll take a look back at where we’ve been, what worked and didn’t and what we have learned along the way. What can be learned from how our industry has (or hasn’t…) evolved as expected and what should we be looking for in the next 3 –5 years?

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - NETWORKING BREAK

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

1.1 Beyond Buzzwords: Decoding Digital Transformation Realities

JENNIFER PIERCE, Moderator
Assistant Vice President, InsurTech Partnerships
Lincoln Financial Group

BRANDON COOK, Moderator
Director, Relationship Management
Prudential

ASHISH GARG
Partner
PWC

BEATA ROGALA
Chief Operating Officer
Centro Benefits

PATRICK SULLIVAN 
VP, Insurtech Partnerships & Digital Transformations
Lincoln Financial Group

What does it really take to succeed at digital transformation? Gain valuable insights and practical tips from experts inside and outside the industry to enhance your approach to successfully navigating the challenges of your organization’s digital transformation journey. Hear from three premier industry leaders on their digital transformation journeys, each providing a unique perspective on problems and how technology can be used to create a solution.

1.2 LDEx Standards 101

NICOLE LAUGHRIDGE, Moderator/Presenter
Director Enrollment Technology Partner Management
Chubb

SHERRI BYCROFT
Director, Benefit Technology Relationships
Prudential Financial

SHEILA THOMPSON
Business Consultant-Data Standards
LIMRA and LOMA

Discover the LDEx Standards and how they are transforming the data exchange landscape with their latest releases, features, and industry adoption. Join us for a comprehensive overview of these standards and how they can elevate your business to the next level. This session is ideal for anyone interested in finding out more about the capabilities and industry adoption of the LDEx Standards.

1.3 LDEx Standards 201 (LDEx STANDARDS TECH TRACK)

BETINA MUSSER
Assistant Vice President Product Management
FINEOS

MICHAEL VOLPE
General Manager
SS & C Technologies

A technical overview of the LDEx Standards. In this session, we will be reviewing current industry-released standards, their capabilities, and their utilization. This session is intended as a technical resource for those who are responsible for developing, implementing, and executing cases utilizing the LDEx Standards.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - LUNCH

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. -

Digital Transformation in Workplace Benefits

Where do carriers stand on their digital transformation journeys? Hear the results of new LIMRA research exploring workplace benefit carriers’ technology investments, including adoption of APIs, digital customer experience capabilities, use of artificial intelligence, and overall digital strategies. We will also examine how digital capabilities have grown over the past three years and where carriers are investing for the future.

Kimberly A. Landry - Associate Research Director, Workplace Benefits Research, LIMRA and LOMA

1:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. - NETWORKING BREAK

1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

2.1 APIs: Are You Partner Ready?

KEITH FEIST, Moderator
Director, Partner Solutions
Pacific Life

NICOLE LAUGHRIDGE, Moderator
Director Enrollment Technology Partner Management
Chubb

DARYL HEMEON
Director, Customer Solutions
Noyo

DAN LANGEVIN
CEO 
Ideon

LISA LENT
Service Executive, Carrier Implementation, Service and Strategic Relationships, ADP

JILL SCHLOFER
Second Vice President, Implementation and Enrollment
The Standard

According to the 2023 Ideon Employee Benefits API Maturity Report, 84 percent of carriers are nascent, developing, or maturing their API capabilities, and 92 percent of the 25 carriers responding say APIs are used for few or none of their external transactions. With the insurance industry API journey still evolving, carriers and benefit administration platforms are faced with the need to pivot and bring these capabilities to their customers. This session’s expert panelists will share their lessons learned to help you avoid pitfalls as you select your optimal API partner.

2.2 Enrollment Education: Maximize Strategies for Successful Outcomes

SARAH MAXWELL, Moderator/Presenter
Digital Distribution and Partnerships Executive
Aflac

JEN DEVOR
Director of Enrollment Strategy
Prudential

TAMMY KAPLAN
Account Advisor – Product Consultant
Empyrean

Through conversation and specific case studies, we’ll cover how to shape a successful enrollment by maximizing technology and various enrollment strategies. By leveraging audience demographics and preferred learning styles, we’ll explore ways to increase confidence in benefit decisions and generate enrollment results.

2.3 LDEx Schema Review (LDEx STANDARDS TECH TRACK)

MICHAEL GRUDGINGS, Moderator
Business Architect, Data Standards,
LIMRA and LOMA

In this session, you will receive a technical overview of the LDEx Standards schema and endpoints for maximum performance. Whether you are new to LDEx Standards or currently using them, this session will give you valuable insights and tips to take your LDEx Standards to the next level. This session is intended as a technical resource for those who are responsible for developing, implementing, and executing cases utilizing the LDEx Standards.

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. - NETWORKING BREAK with EXHIBIT HALL SHOWCASE

Take the opportunity to visit the Exhibit Hall and network with leading solution providers in the Enrollment Technology space.

3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. -

Workplace Benefits Digital Transformation and the Consumer Experience

Varun Parekh
Vice President
Sammons Financial Group Companies

The demand for digital transformation within employee benefits is growing rapidly.  Carriers and vendors who want to remain competitive will need to react quickly.  Join us for this critical conversation about the consumer experience in through the digital transformation.        

 

4:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. - HAPPY HOUR

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - REGISTRATION

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - BREAKFAST

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

3.1 Enrollment Trends from a Broker Perspective

KEEGAN TIERNAN, Moderator
Director of Benefit Technology Partnerships
Mutual of Omaha 

BRIANNE DAUGHERTY
VP, Managing Consultant, Workforce Technology Solutions
Lockton Companies

BEN YOMTOOB
Founder/Lead Consultant
BuckleyRoberts

According to a recent LIMRA survey, only 43% of employees feel they understand their benefits. Rising costs, employee recruitment and retention and an increasingly diverse workforce make it difficult to provide the best enrollment experience. Brokers and technology partners are a critical part of the enrollment process for employers and their employees. Come hear from brokers about what employers, employees and technology partners are telling them about the enrollment experience.

3.2 Why Standards? An Insurtech’s Perspective

ALAN INGLEY, Moderator
Managing Partner Business Center of Excellence
US Enrollment Services

RUTHIE GRAY
Vice President of Management
Selerix

AMANDA LUND ANDERSON 
Director, Integrations Engineering
PlanSource

Join us for a moderated discussion on how standardization can benefit the industry and improve the effectiveness of data exchange, featuring industry experts from the Data Exchange Standards Committee. After the discussion, you will have a chance to ask questions and share your input with these experts. Don’t miss this integrated opportunity to learn more about and the advantages of standardization. This session is ideal for anyone interested in finding ways that standardization improves the relationship between carriers and technology providers.

3.3 LDEx Standards Implementation Workshop (LDEx STANDARDS TECH TRACK

SATHISH KARI KUNDAN, Moderator/Presenter
Digital Transformation, API Strategy
MetLife

CAROLYN PAGEL
Senior Product Owner
Unum

KAILEY RAE
Sr. Customer Integration Consultant
The Standard

In this working session, you will learn about the LDEx Standards’ development, integration, and implementation. You will also get a high-level overview of these standards and participate in table discussions on specific topics. This session is intended as a technical resource for those who are responsible for developing, implementing, and executing cases utilizing the LDEx Standards.

9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. - NETWORKING BREAK

9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.: CONCURRENT SESSIONS

4.1 Beyond Artificial: Real AI Solutions for Real Insurance Industry Challenges

KEEGAN TIERNAN, Moderator
Director of Benefit Technology Partnerships
Mutual of Omaha 

ERIK GRAY, Moderator
Head of Enrollment Experience
Wellfleet Insurance 

DAN WATT
Senior Vice President, Product Management & Industry Strategy
FINEOS

JASON CROSS
Help Me Choose Benefits

Join us for a dynamic session where we’ll navigate the forefront of AI innovation in group insurance and beyond. Together, we'll explore some of the amazing potential and current use-cases for AI outside of the insurance industry and how those examples could be leveraged to address the many existing challenges in group insurance processes today. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with thought leaders and experts to gain valuable insights into the evolving role of AI in shaping the insurance industry.

4.2 The Inside Scoop – Benefit Leaders and What’s Important to Them

MARGARET NEWTON, FMLI, CEBS, CLU, Moderator
Chief Sales Officer
Texas Life Insurance Company

TIM O'CONNER, Moderator
Assistant Vice President, Partner Integration
Voya Financial

MICHELLE BOOTH
Global Benefits Manager
Cirrus Logic

LINDSAY LAVIADA, CEBS, CRM
Benefits Advisor Lead, Total Rewards
USAA

 

Hear directly from a panel of HR and Benefit leaders as they discuss what they want in enrollment technology, where they struggle, and what issues we should be solving for. In this session, you will get firsthand feedback from the people who work with our industry’s technology the most.

4.3 A View from the Tech

MARY TRECEK, EdD, CMP, Moderator
Associate Research Director
LIMRA and LOMA

STEVE BRANDT
Senior Vice President, Sales
Vitech

TONY GROSSO
Head of Group Benefits Markets
EIS

CHUCK JOHNSTON
Chief Marketing Officer
FINEOS

Technology firms are an integral part of the enrollment ecosystem. Join leaders from three different firms for a conversation to discuss digital transformation, legacy systems, what they see coming in the future, and better connections for customer experience.

10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - NETWORKING BREAK

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - The ever-changing world of benefits technology and the consumer experience! What’s up next?

Sean O’Donnell
SVP, Head of Membership, Workplace Benefits and Applied Research Solutions
LIMRA and LOMA

Kellie Benson-Bray
Director, Member Relations, Workplace Benefits
LIMRA and LOMA

Shifting demographics, a diversifying workforce and new employee needs are expanding voluntary benefits.  The future of voluntary benefits is filled with endless opportunities.  Technology is helping consumers navigate the complex world of benefit choices.  So, what is next?  During this session we will take a peek into our crystal ball to discuss what is next on the horizon for technology and the consumer experience.

12:00 p.m. - ETSS ADJOURNS