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2024 Advanced Sales Forum

Navigating the Changing Tides

8/12/2024 - 8/14/2024

Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, Boston, MA

Overview

2024 Advanced Sales Forum Schedule at a Glance.pdf

Who Attends

Advanced sales and marketing executives of carriers and distributors, CMOs, sales officers and estate and business planning specialists with accountability for serving individual markets.

Highlights

Created by advanced sales professionals, the Forum provides advice and insights from industry leaders, and subject matter experts, with unique expertise in this segment of the financial services market. Whether you are seeking new, innovative ways to meet the challenges of organizational change, creative, yet proven concepts to bring to your distribution partners, or finding more effective ways to communicate with and educate stakeholders, attending the Forum will give you unparalleled insights from peers and implementable ideas from experts.

Speakers

Kathleen Bilderback, JD, LL.M. (Taxation), AEP

Counsel, Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C.

Kathleen Bilderback, JD, LL.M. (Taxation), AEP

Counsel, Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C.

Kathleen Bilderback specializes in estate, business, and executive benefits planning, with special emphasis on incorporating and maximizing the benefits of life insurance. She is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and former adjunct professor in the LL.M. in Taxation program at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Bilderback graduated from St. Louis University with degrees in Accounting and Theatre. She received her law degree and LL.M. in Taxation from Washington University’s School of Law. Beginning her Advanced Markets career at General American Life Insurance Company (later merged into MetLife), she provided training and advanced underwriting support for the top producers of MetLife and its subsidiaries for 10 years before returning to private practice. In 2007, Kathleen and her partners founded Affinity Law Group, LLC to provide legal services to businesses, their owners, and executives at every stage of their life cycles. She rose to the position of Managing Member prior to successfully combining the firm into Sandberg Phoenix, a firm of approximately 200 attorneys in eight offices with a nationwide practice.

She is a member of the Missouri, Illinois, and Pennsylvania bars. She is a former national President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. She has been an active member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) at the national and local level. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Zoo Association and the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation Planned Giving Committee. She received the Accredited Estate Planner designation from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. She has presented at AALU and the Top of the Table Meeting for the Million Dollar Roundtable. Kathleen was selected for inclusion in Missouri and Kansas SuperLawyers each year since 2012 and recognized by Best Lawyers in the areas of Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, and Trusts and Estates each year since 2020.

Bradford Campbell

Partner, Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP

Bradford Campbell

Partner, Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP

As partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Brad advises financial service providers and plan sponsors on ERISA Title I issues, including fiduciary conduct and prohibited transactions. A nationally-recognized figure in employer-sponsored retirement plans, he is the former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits and head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration. As ERISA's former “top cop” and primary federal regulator, Brad provides his clients with insight and knowledge across a broad range of ERISA-plan related issues. He also serves as an expert witness in ERISA litigation. Brad has been listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Persons in Defined Contribution by 401kWire and has been listed as one of the top 15 ERISA attorneys in the country by a poll of the National Association of Plan Advisors. In addition, he testified before three Congressional Committees regarding the effects of the Department of Labor fiduciary regulation.

Michele Collins

Director - Advanced Sales MassMutual Financial Network

Michele Collins

Director - Advanced Sales MassMutual Financial Network

Michele Collins is a Director with MassMutual’s Advanced Sales organization. Michele joined MassMutual in 2016, having spent the last 10 years in the Advanced Markets Department at MetLife.

As a member of the Advanced Sales team, Michele provides estate, business, charitable, retirement, special needs and financial planning case assistance to MassMutual agents and financial planners. In addition, Michele provides product and sales tools support on advanced markets case work.

Michele is a graduate of the State University of New York, College at Geneseo, and the Syracuse University School of Continuing Education (Certificate in Human Resource Management). She received her JD from Suffolk University Law School in Boston. Michele has also been admitted to the Massachusetts State Bar.

Michele is a former member of the Board of Directors and the Past-President of the Boston Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP). Michele is a volunteer with the Boston Bar Association’s M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program. She is also an active volunteer with New England Donor Services (NEDS).

Cliff Karthauser, CLU, ChFC, CLF

Founder and President, CPKEdge

Cliff Karthauser, CLU, ChFC, CLF

Founder and President, CPKEdge

Cliff Karthauser spent 36 years of his professional career in Executive Leadership with the Principal Financial Group. During his tenure Cliff’s organization was consistently recognized as one of Principal’s flagship firms. With 25 Management Achievement Round Table (MART) qualifications, Cliff was honored more than any other field leader and received Principal’s top honor Grand Trophy four times.

As President of CPKEdge, Cliff now serves the Insurance and Financial Services Industry as a Leadership Consultant, Executive Coach and Speaker. Cliff is sought after as a speaker for purpose-driven leadership, possibility thinking, motivation, and maximizing performance. Cliff authored and released “Breaking the Tape” where he shares his inspiring message of overcoming obstacles through the life lessons and defining moments of his experience.

Alex Kim

Vice President, Public Policy, Finseca

Alex Kim

Vice President, Public Policy, Finseca

At Finseca, we advocate for the financial security profession, develop and grow its leaders, and promote the noble and necessary work our members do to provide financial and retirement security for the individuals, families, and businesses they serve.

Alex leads the development of Finseca’s federal and state policy efforts to support the organization’s mission and strategy — managing policy setting working groups, develop policy solutions, analyze relevant marketplace, legislative, and regulatory developments to identify impacts on the profession and their clients.

Prior to joining Finseca, Alex spent over two decades working in the life insurance industry — Adv Markets and Compliance director at a life insurance agency, Adv. Case Design at a boutique financial planning shop specializing in wealth and business planning for family offices and businesses, and as an attorney in the Adv Markets team for a life insurance carrier.

He lives in New Jersey with his wife, eagerly waiting (and encouraging) for the last of his three children to leave the nest.

Deborah A. Miner, JD, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, RICP®

Director, National Sales Consulting, Delaware Life Marketing

Deborah A. Miner, JD, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, RICP®

Director, National Sales Consulting, Delaware Life Marketing

Deborah A. Miner, JD, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, RICP®, is a Director on the National Sales Consulting team at Delaware Life Marketing. She has been in the industry for several decades, serving as Editorial Director of the Tax and Financial Planning Group at The National Underwriter Company for 20+ years and overseeing the publication of 50+ tax and financial planning publications, including Tax Facts. She spent the years since in advanced sales departments of various carriers and spent several years teaching the Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits graduate course in The American College of Financial Services’ MSFP degree program.

Kelly Piacenti, MA, CHSNC®

Head of MassMutual SpecialCare

Kelly Piacenti, MA, CHSNC®

Head of MassMutual SpecialCare

Kelly Piacenti is responsible for MassMutual’s SpecialCare program which includes nearly 500 financial professionals across the country who have received extensive training in special needs planning. She also oversees partnerships between MassMutual and some of the largest special needs national non-profit organizations. Kelly serves on United Cerebral Palsy’s National Board of Directors, and on The Academy of Special Needs Planners’ Advisory Board and The American College Center for Special Needs. She was the mother of a child with special needs for 19 years, and possesses the knowledge, insight, and empathy to act as a resource for families facing similar challenges.

Nicholas P. Sargen, Ph.D.

Economic Consultant, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc.

Nicholas P. Sargen, Ph.D.

Economic Consultant, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc.

Nick is an international economist turned global money manager. He has been involved in international financial markets since the early 1970s when he began his career at the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. He subsequently worked on Wall Street for 25 years. In 2003 he became Chief Investment Officer for the Western & Southern Financial Group and its affiliate, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. Nick subsequently served as Chief Economist from 2014 until 2019. He currently is an economic consultant to Fort Washington.

Sargen has written extensively on international financial markets. He has authored three books: Global Shocks, Investing in the Trump Era, and JPMorgan’s Fall and Revival. Sargen is also a regular contributor to THEHILL and forbes.com. He appeared frequently on business television programs throughout his career on Wall Street and was a regular panelist on Louis Rukeyser’s Wall Street Week.

Registration

Early Registration Fee (by July 5th)
Member: $1,650
Nonmember: $2,850

Standard Registration Fee (after July 5th):
Member: $1,850
Nonmember: $3,050

Cancellation Policy

In the event that a scheduled meeting or event is cancelled by LIMRA for any reason, LIMRA shall refund any conference registration fees that have been paid by the registrant. Under no circumstances, however, shall LIMRA be liable to the registrant for any other expenses including, but not limited to, airfare and hotel expenses incurred by the registrant. All cancellations must be received in writing. Email customer.service@limra.com

All cancellations must be received in writing. Email customer.service@limra.com. Cancellations received before July 22, 2024, will be refunded, less a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received from July 22, 2024 to August 5, 2024 will be refunded, less a $375 processing and administrative fee. No refunds will be issued after August 5, 2024.

Hotel / Venue

Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston

138 St. James Avenue
Boston, MA, USA, 02116

(617) 267-5300

Hotel Reservations

1-866-540-4417 (mention the Advanced Sales Forum)

Make your reservations by July 16, 2024 by following the reservations link, or by calling the reservations phone number and mention the LIMRA Advanced Sales Conference in order to receive the group rate of $363.00 single/double (plus applicable sales taxes). Requests after July 16, 2024 will be accepted on the basis of space availability. The group guest room rate will be offered three days prior and three days after the meeting dates subject to availability and must be booked by calling the hotel.

Please note that hotel rates will go up after the cut-off date or when the meeting room block sells out, whichever comes first. Make your reservations early to be able to take advantage of our discounted rates.