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Johnny R. Adcock, CLU is a member of the American Society of Charter Life Underwriters (CLU), a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) and is affiliated with NFP Securities. He has been a member of The Society of Financial Service Professionals since 1972 and a member of the International Forum since 1998 where he served as President in 2003. Johnny is a member of many industry advisory boards, including the ING-Security Life Advisory Board, and the AXA Equitable Advisory Board. Johnny is also a member of AALU serving on the Estate Planning and Business Insurance Committees.
Johnny is equally active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors at Bay Cities Bank, member of the Foundation of St. Joseph’s Hospital Board, and member of Avila Golf & Country Club. Johnny is also a member of the Auburn University Football Letterman’s Club. Past involvements include Chairman of Northside Bank of Tampa Board, Chairman of the Tampa Sports Authority, member of the Advisory Board of Auburn University School of Business, President of the Tampa Chapter of the National Football Foundation, and member of The Executive Committee (TEC).
Johnny is a graduate of Leadership Tampa and Leadership Tampa Bay. Johnny graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Business Administration. He and his wife Susan have been married for 45 years, and they have three sons and seven grandchildren. Along with spending time with their family and many friends, Johnny and Susan are active in Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church.
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Michael Amoia is Vice President of Advanced Sales for Crump Life Insurance Services overseeing Advanced Sales for all of Crump Life Insurance Services and supporting Crump Potomac Affluent Markets, which is the premier professional services group for exceptional life insurance producers in the United States. Michael has over nineteen years of experience within the financial planning and life insurance industry. During that time, he has focused his attention mainly on estate and business planning for high net worth clients. He speaks nationally at industry and non-industry events, has taught a number of Wealth Transfer Planning courses and has authored numerous articles. He received his BS in Economics from George Mason University. He graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore, School of Law, and recently received his LL.M. in Taxation and Certificate in Estate Planning from Georgetown University Law Center. He is admitted in Maryland.
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Guy Baker, MBA, CFP, MSFS, ChFC, MSM is an experienced financial planning expert, having appeared on a number of talk shows and tele-video conferences and MDRT Main Platforms. He was named by Worth Magazine, as one of the USA top 250 planners. OC Metro picked Guy as a 5 Star advisor in 2010.
A frequent writer and speaker, Guy has spoken to advisors in more than ten countries. His most recent book “Market Tune-up” details how is qualified for as a 40 year member of the Million Dollar Round Table and one of only 30 planners internationally to qualify more than 32 times for the Top of the Table.
Guy served as President of The Million Dollar Round Table – the Premier Association of Financial Professionals in 2010. Guy is currently the Managing Director of the BTA Advisory Group, a multi-disciplinary practice serving wealthy families and owners as closely held businesses. Guy received a BS in Economics in 1967 from Claremont McKenna College, a MBA in Finance in 1968 from the University of Southern California, a Master’s in Financial Services (MSFS) and a Master’s in Management (MSM).
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Anirban Basu is chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group Inc. an economic and policy consulting firm in Baltimore, Md. He is one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s most recognizable economists, in part because of his consulting work on behalf of numerous clients, including prominent developers, bankers, brokerage houses, energy suppliers and law firms. On behalf of government agencies and nonprofit organizations, Basu has written several high-profile economic development strategies.
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Teresa Bippen, JD is the Director of Advanced Case Design and Training for MetLife Executive Benefit Resources (EBR), which markets corporate owned life insurance (COLI) for various types of executive benefits and for Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs).
Teresa provides marketing, technical and design support for all types of nonqualified plans, ESOPs and advanced cases. She also creates and designs various training and educational programs in the areas of executive benefits and ESOPs. Prior to this position, she was the Marketing Director for Nonqualified Plan Services (NQPS), which provides nonqualified plan administration where she marketed the administration services for NQPS and assisted General Agents and field agents with plan design. Teresa is an attorney with previous experience in General American Life Insurance Company's Advanced Underwriting department before transferring to Nonqualified Plan Services. Teresa has a Masters in Business Administration from St. Louis University, John Cook School of Business, a B.S. in Business Administration with majors in Finance and Economics from St. Louis University School of Business. She also has a law degree from St. Louis University School of Law with emphasis in tax law. She is licensed to practice law in both Missouri and Illinois.
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Paul Bowen
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Curtis V. Cloke is the president and founder of Thrive Income Distribution System. He is an international speaker, trainer and mentor in the retirement income and estate planning market place. He is also a Financial Advisor with an active practice in Iowa where he now serves with his son, Joshua, as his partner and has been serving his clients since 1987. He was recognized in 2009 as a top five finalist for Senior Advisor of the Year by Senior Markets Advisor Magazine. Curtis is a member of NAIFA, 4 X Top of The Table and 2 X Court of the Table MDRT member and a member of the Society of FSP and a first year member of the Forum 400. In 1999, Curtis began the creation of unique retirement income planning concepts and processes using newly discovered income annuity products for his client’s that has now been developed into a suite of planning tools made available to financial advisors in 2009.
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Mayur T. Dalal, MBA is Chief Executive Officer of The Oxford Group of Lake Success where has been a specialist in Values-Based Succession and Wealth Transfer Planning since 1988. Mr. Dalal is a life member of the Top of the Table of the Million Dollar Round Table and the Forum 400. He also maintains membership in the Association of Advanced Life Underwriters, Financial Planners Association, Advisors in Philanthropy and he is a charter member of the Legacy Wealth Coach network. He has served as member of the board at Forum and currently Vice-Chair of AALU business Insurance and Estate Planning Core Committee. He has spoken at The Forum 400, AALU, Advisor in Philanthropy, Estate Planning Council, Paramount Planning Group, and several Ultra high net worth forums. He has a bachelor degree in Chemical Technology and Master in Business Administration.
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Sam Donaldson, JD, LLM (Tax) is Associate Dean and a Professor at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, Washington. The former Director of the law school’s Graduate Program in Taxation, Professor Donaldson teaches a number of tax and estate planning courses, as well as courses in the areas of property, commercial law and professional responsibility. Professor Donaldson is a five-time recipient of the Philip A. Trautman Professor of the Year award from the School of Law’s Student Bar Association, most recently in 2011. He is currently Of Counsel with the Seattle office of Perkins Coie LLP and is an Academic Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). A member of the Bar in Washington, Oregon, and Arizona, he is the author of the Thomson-West casebook, Federal Income Taxation of Individuals, a co-author of the Price on Contemporary Estate Planning treatise published by CCH, and a co-author of Federal Wealth Transfer Taxes, a reference published by Thomson-West. Professor Donaldson has served as the Harry R. Horrow Visiting Professor of International Law at Northwestern University and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. An amateur crossword constructor, his puzzles have been published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and USA Today. A perennial contender for People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” honor, Professor Donaldson was recently notified by email of his selection to receive substantial sums of money from high-level Nigerian business officials in exchange for his bank account information.
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Bryan Field , Co-Founder and CTO at MeetingResult LLC
Bryan Field is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer for MeetingResult LLC. At MeetingResult, our mission is to rid the world of bad meetings by helping businesses like yours improve the way they plan, execute and follow through on meetings each and every day. Bryan has more than 15 years of experience in business process reengineering and developing innovative process and technology solutions that improve operational efficiencies for businesses. He has a B.S. in Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, is ITIL V3 certified and has been a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute for more than seven years.
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Jonathan M. Forster, listed as one of nation's top tax lawyers, focuses on business planning for privately held companies, business succession, executive compensation and estate planning. Jon provides innovative, practical tax strategies to assist business owners in building and preserving the value of their companies and personal net worth. He also supports the life insurance industry, having worked in the financial services industry in the early 1980s for EF Hutton where he supported the Washington, DC insurance coordinator. Jon is the founder of two privately held companies, a continuing education firm and a distance learning company, both of which provided accredited continuing education for life insurance producers. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of several companies and non-profits, and is an active member of the regional life insurance councils. Jon has spoken at the 2003 Million Dollar Roundtable and 2008 LISA (Life Insurance Settlement Association) compliance conference, and is an avid writer.
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Carmine Gallo is a presentation, media training and communication skills coach who transforms executives of the world’s most admired brands into extraordinary presenters. His clients include Intel, Hyundai, Chase, IBM, Nokia and many other notable companies. Gallo also has made a mark as a crisis communications specialist, working with major banks, consumer goods and agricultural companies that faced industry-threatening challenges. He is a columnist for Businessweek.com, writing a popular weekly column on the topic of leadership and communications, as well as a keynote speaker and seminar leader whose multimedia presentations are a hit with audiences around the world. As a former television anchor and business correspondent for CNN, CBS, TechTV, and Fox, Gallo is a popular guest and has appeared on CNBC, NBC, CBS, and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, MSNBC.com, BNET, RedBook, Forbes.com, as well as many other media outlets. He also worked as Vice President of Media for Ketchum, a global top 5 public relations firm. He brings a unique breadth of experience as a journalist, entrepreneur, author and public relations professional.
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Vincent Granieri is CFO and Chief Actuary for 21st Services, LLC. He is responsible for 21st Services' financial area and all actuarial activities with respect to its life expectancy underwriting systems. He is spearheading 21st Services' project to study over 15 million Medicare records to improve the state of the art of longevity analysis. Prior to joining the company, Granieri spent more than five years operating an independent consulting practice that he founded, serving the insurance and financial services arena. As Chief Actuary/Chief Financial Officer for virtually all the organizations he has served over the past 20 years, he has built and managed every aspect of actuarial and financial operations. He supplemented these skills with meaningful assignments in operations, investments, marketing and systems. He has also worked with Life Settlements provider, Life Equity LLC. Granieri earned his bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) from Ball State University, majoring in actuarial science. He also holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, as well as an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA. He currently serves on the American Academy of Actuaries' SVL2 Steering Committee Sub-Group on Corporate Governance.
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Buzz Hankinson, CLU, ChFC, CFP began in the insurance business in August 1970 with Mutual of New York. He first became a member of the Forum 400 in 1978 which at that time was called The Five Million Dollar Forum. Buzz’s sons, Hank and Ben, joined him in the business in 1995 and 1998 respectively. Buzz graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with emphasis in finance and economics. In July 1996, Buzz was honored to be chosen as one of the participants to carry the Olympic. Buzz and his wife, Judy, will celebrate their 45th Wedding Anniversary in September.
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Brian D. Hartstein, MSFS, CLU, ChFC serves as CEO and principal of Economic Concepts Inc., in Scottsdale, Ariz. He concentrates primarily on working with CPAs, financial advisors, successful business-owners, and affluent clients in the qualified and non-qualified plan markets, estate planning and financial and investment planning. Brian has been practicing in the Valley since 1995. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Phoenix Tax Workshop, a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, a member of the Arizona Business Leadership Association, and served as the President of the Financial Planning Association of Greater Phoenix for 2002 and 2003 as well as being an active member. He counseled and educated thousands of affluent individuals and families, CPAs, tax specialists, attorneys, and financial service professionals over the last 15 years. He has published and been quoted in publications such as the Journal of Financial Planning, the Journal of Financial Service Professionals and the Arizona Republic. He received his undergraduate degree from Lafayette College in Easton, Penn., in 1991 and his master’s degree in financial services from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn., in 2001.
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Kenneth R. Hartstein, Chairman of Economic Concepts Inc. (ECI), earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Long Island University. From 1968 to 1980, he was a partner in an East Coast corporation doing financial planning and pension plan consulting. In 1980, he moved to Phoenix as a principal in both Investment and Retirement Systems and Actuarial and Administrative Services. ECI is a product marketing and consulting firm formed in 1991 as the successor entity to Investment and Retirement Systems. ECI has offices in Scottsdale, Ariz., Houston, Texas, and Carlsbad, Calif. Ken's principal area of expertise is in qualified pension and profit sharing plans, and over the years he has designed and successfully marketed tax advantaged programs used to assist clients in minimizing their business pretax profits.
Ken is currently Chairman of First Financial Resources, an independent marketing organization. He is the past Chairman of the Phoenix Tax Workshop's 401 Committee; a past President of the Phoenix Chapter of the American Society of Financial Service Professionals; and a member of Forum 400, where he served on the Board of Directors for six years. In addition to being a Life and Qualifying member of the MDRT, he was a member of their Top of the Table for many years. Ken and his wife, Marilynne, reside in Scottsdale, AZ. Their sons Brian and Evan are actively involved in the business and are officers of ECI.
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Jeffrey I. Hollander, J.D. is Assistant Vice President in the MetLife’s Advanced Markets Group. In addition to managing a team of advanced sales attorneys, Mr. Hollander concentrates on Top Producer case support and oversees and delivers training programs. Jeffrey has worked at MetLife for 20 years and has served in numerous Advanced Markets support positions. Aside from Jeffrey’s technical experience, he has extensive real world, point-of-sale experience in everything from “kitchen table” sales to advance markets sales. Mr. Hollander’s specialty is his ability to “demystify” advanced markets concepts.
Before joining MetLife, Jeffrey served as Associate Counsel, Director Advanced Markets for Mutual Benefit Life in Newark, NJ and as Advanced Underwriting Attorney for Aetna Life and Casualty in Bridgeport, CT.
Jeffrey is a graduate of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and the University of Bridgeport School of Law in Bridgeport, CT. He currently serves as one of MetLife’s representative on the LIMRA Advanced Sales Committee
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John Irvin joined PartnersFinancial as President in July 2008. From 1993 to July 2008, he was Chairman and President of Innovative Benefits Consulting, Inc., a life insurance consulting firm. From 1983 through 1993, Mr. Irvin was a partner and co-founder of Mid Atlantic Capital group and president of Mid Atlantic Insurance Corporation. While at Mid Atlantic, he specialized in serving the financial planning, asset management and insurance needs of ultra-high net worth individuals. In 1980, he formed the certified public accounting firm of John Irvin and Company. From 1976 through 1979, Mr. Irvin worked for the international accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Company, where, as a certified public accountant, he engaged in individual taxation, financial planning, estate planning and trust work. Mr. Irvin served on the board of directors for Argon ST, a NASDAQ traded firm, and chaired its audit committee until it was acquired by The Boeing Company in 2010. He also serves on The American College board. Mr. Irvin received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Lehigh University.
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Martin Kalb has over 35 years of experience representing clients in all aspects of tax law, estate planning, corporate matters, and mergers and acquisitions at Greenberg Traurig . Marty also served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of UniCapital Corporation, a former New York Stock Exchange equipment leasing company. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig he was an attorney in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C.
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Chris Layeux, MBA, CLU, ChFC is Director, Premium Finance and Advanced Case Design of ING Insurance Sales Support. Chris began his career in the financial services industry in 1983. He has worked in a variety of positions including, advanced case design consultant, agent, brokerage manager, and has extensive knowledge in non-qualified deferred compensation and estate planning.
Chris came to ING in 2003 as a member of the Advanced Case Design team. In 2005, Chris joined the Advanced Sales team to maximize ING’s premium financing sales. He is a published author and a popular speaker at local and national industry events. Chris is also a past director for the SFSP - Twin Cities Chapter.
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Leon L. Levy, CLU, RHU is the President and Founder of Leon L. Levy & Associates. Leon received both a CLU and RHU designation from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American College of Life Underwriters, the Association for Advanced Life Underwriters, the Life Underwriting Training Council and the prestigious Top of the Table and International Forum. He has served as a faculty member for all of these organizations. Leon also offers his knowledge and experience to a variety of community organizations.
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Raquel Malo, MS, RD, LD/N serves as Senior Vice President of Executive Training and Director of Nutrition for the Human Performance Institute; Raquel trains thousands of top corporate executives of Fortune 500 companies every year and helped design and implement the Nutrition component of the Corporate Athlete® Course. She specializes in keynote speaking and group facilitation. Raquel possesses a Master of Science degree in Nutrition from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Florida. She is a Registered Dietitian and she has specialized in Pediatric Nutrition.
Raquel has published and presented scientific findings from her nutrition research in a variety of professional publications. She frequently makes appearances on national radio and television as a nutrition expert. Her professional experiences include working as a community Clinical Dietitian in Dallas, Texas and as a Pediatric/Maternal Dietitian for the Department of the U.S. Army.
Raquel has also developed a national nutrition education and weight control program for online use. She is on the Blue Ribbon Advisory Board for PepsiCo, advising on health and wellness issues and strategies. Raquel’s professional interests include nutritional genomics and disordered eating patterns. She speaks Spanish fluently and enjoys salsa dancing. Raquel lives in Orlando with her husband and two children.
The Human Performance Institute is the leader in Energy Management technology. Managing energy, not time, is the key to sustained high performance. The Institute’s ground-breaking Corporate Athlete® training solutions range from executive and on-site training courses to keynotes and train-the-trainer courses. Corporate clients include Procter & Gamble, The Estée Lauder Companies, Dell, FBI, GlaxoSmithKline, PepsiCo, and Smith Barney Citigroup.
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Ken Masters is Director of Life Insurance Design and Development at Pinnacle Financial Group, specializing in the design and modeling of sophisticated life insurance strategies. In addition to building dynamic models of advanced planning techniques and other stochastic modeling, Ken stays abreast of the regulatory environment and financial condition of the insurance industry. Ken is a sought-after speaker at national insurance conferences and has been published in National Underwriter and other industry publications.
Ken graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor's of Commerce Finance degree from the Desautels Faculty of Management. He holds his Life Accident and Health insurance license as well as his Series 7 General Securities Representative license, FINRA Series 66 Uniform Combined State Law Examination and Series 24 General Securities Principal licenses. He also maintains the ChFC, AEP and CLU designations. Ken is a member of the Boston Estate Planning Council.
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Jon B. Mendelsohn is President and CEO of Ashar Group LLC, a nationally-licensed and independently owned life settlement firm. He has presented at The International Forum Annual Meetings, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU) Annual Meeting, National Underwriter’s Annual Life Settlement Summit, Florida Bar Conferences, and has provided CE nationally on Life Settlements. His team has developed a unique process for analyzing the present value of life policies in the secondary market that saves advisors valuable time by providing pre-submission medial underwriting and policy reviews to determine the viability of the case. This is critical to manage client’s expectation levels in a responsible manner while protecting the time of the advisor.
Jon is a board member of the Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA) and a member of the Forum 400 and 21st Services Customer Advisory Board. He earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and marketing and a master’s degree in education from the University of Florida.
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Michael A. Mingolelli, Jr., Esq. consults with clients on the design, implementation and monitoring of wealth transfer life insurance portfolios. He also consults with employers and executives on the design, funding and administration of executive benefit plans. Michael's clients include executives of public and private companies, business owners and family offices, as well as advisors focused in wealth management, law, tax and accounting. In addition to leading Pinnacle's private client practice, Michael serves as Pinnacle Financial Group’s Chief Executive Officer.
Prior to joining Pinnacle Financial Group, Michael was a corporate lawyer in Boston, most recently with Sullivan & Worcester LLP, a prominent Boston-based, 200 lawyer, full-service law firm. Prior to that, Michael was a corporate lawyer at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP, a then national leader in venture capital work and emerging company representation.
Michael graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in Finance, magna cum laude, where he was a member of the Carroll School of Management's Honors Program. He also attended Boston College Law School, where he graduated cum laude. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Boston Estate Planning Council, where he serves on the Board of Directors, as well as the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU) and Forum400. Michael is also a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association.
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Joe Navarro, not many can say they were personally approached to join the FBI, but this is exactly what happened to Joe Navarro while he was working as a police officer at the tender age of 23. He accepted their offer and became one of the youngest agents ever to join the renowned investigative agency.
Joe spent the next 25 years at the FBI, working both as an agent and supervisor in the areas of counterintelligence and counterterrorism. Through his work he was able to study, refine and apply the science of non-verbal communications. His acumen in this field and his success as a spy-catcher, led Joe to begin training FBI agents and the intelligence community.
Retiring from the FBI in 2003, and meeting overwhelming demand for his notable insights into human behavior, Joe has dedicated himself to speaking and consulting with major corporations worldwide.
Today Joe is recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on reading non-verbal communications and he is regularly interviewed on programs such as NBC’s Today Show, Fox News, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’ Early Show, and for publications such as The Washington Post and Psychology Today.
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Michael J. O'Donnel is a Principal with Alliant Insurance Services in a Houston, Texas. O’Donnel began his career in 1986 as part of an office with three brokers and three support staff. Today, Alliant has over 1,000 employees in 28 different cities as a result of several strategic mergers and acquisitions. Alliant’s brokerage services include property/casualty, employee benefits, executive benefits and wealth transfer/exit planning. O’Donnel specializes in executive benefits, retirement and estate planning. His clients include business executives and high net worth individuals. He is a registered representative with Lincoln Securities, on the Board of Directors of The International Forum and the World Health and Golf Association. He has spoken at many industry functions as well as various associations. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston and completed the Retirement Strategies Program and the Wharton School of Business.
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Robert Pokorski, M.D., became the first Chief Medical Strategist in The Hartford’s 200-year history. Dr. Pokorski was hired to help financial advisors, their clients and consumers better understand the health issues they need to consider when creating or reviewing a retirement plan. Dr. Pokorski is certified by the Board of Insurance Medicine and American Board of Internal Medicine, and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a doctorate of medicine from Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. He has published more than 130 articles.
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Alan Pratt, CAP, CEP is a family legacy advisor specializing in philanthropy and family wealth preservation. He brings a unique blend of personal experience and technical knowledge to the estate planning process. Alan helps families understand, in plain English, their options for preserving wealth in a way that honors their underlying values. Alan’s company, Pratt Legacy Advisors, practices a unique form of estate planning that goes far beyond strategic wealth distribution. Alan believes that a meaningful estate plan comes from knowing your values, living your values and planning from your values. His firm has created Legacy Planning from the Heart™, a process to help you integrate your life experiences with your estate plan, while maintaining ongoing communication within your family. He holds trust, listening and life-long relationships as core values in everything he undertakes, and shares from his own personal experiences.
Alan is in demand as a speaker at regional, national and international conferences dealing with family relationships, wealth preservation, and stewardship. He is recognized as a leader in Advanced Life Insurance designs, which is often used as a strategy to responsibly transition family wealth.
He earned his Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation in 2006 and currently serves as the President of The International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy (AIP). In 2007, he became a founding member of the Seattle Philanthropic Advisors Network (SPAN) and currently serves on the Board as Vice President. He is an active member of the National Institute of Certified Estate Planners, Washington Planned Giving Council, and the Seattle Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Alan serves on the Advisory Board of the Chief Seattle Council–Boy Scouts of America and the Seattle Christian Community Foundation. Alan and his wife, Helen, were married in 1984 and have 3 children.
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Andrew J. Rinn, JD, CFP®, CLU, ChFC is Senior Advanced Markets Consultant with MetLife’s Wealth Advisory Group. Andrew’s expertise includes wealth preservation, estate planning, business planning and executive benefits. He consults with insurance professionals and client’s tax advisors, when appropriate, to facilitate sales opportunities. Andrew is a frequent speaker and has authored articles in Life Insurance Selling, Senior Market Advisor, National Underwriter and AALU.
Prior to joining MetLife, Andrew was an Advanced Markets consultant at Mutual of Omaha and Principal Financial Group where he specialized in business and estate planning. Andrew obtained his B.S. from Midland Lutheran College and received honors as an Academic and Athletic All-American. He was inducted into the NAIA Athletic Hall of Fame in May of 2007. He obtained his Juris Doctorate (JD) from Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa where he was a member of the Dean’s List. After passing the Iowa Bar exam, Andrew served as an Assistant County Attorney and Iowa Assistant Attorney General before beginning his career in Advanced Markets. He has also served as the Chapter President of the Des Moines Society of Financial Service Professionals. Professional Designations & Licenses: JD, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, FINRA Series 6, 63.
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Larry Rybka is President and CEO of ValMark Securities, a FINRA firm that specializes in working with over 100 of America’s premier independent wealth transfer firms in 28 states. Larry has authored over a dozen articles in U.S. financial industry journals. Larry’s thoughts on industry change have resulted in being invited to address every major industry meeting from the main platform including MDRT, Top of the Table, the International Forum and AALU. Larry has served on the boards of AALU, the MDRT Foundation and the CFP Board of Standards. Larry and his family reside in Peninsula, OH.
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Bobby Samuelson is the founder and principal of SamuelsonDesign, an independent consulting firm providing product intelligence and creative design to producers across the country. His specialty is life insurance design for estate planning techniques. Bobby regularly presents to industry groups on product pricing, anomalies and applications. Bobby worked in the Advanced Sales Resources team at National Financial Partners prior to founding SamuelsonDesign. He graduated from Furman University with honors in Economics.
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Bryan Schick, CPA is Senior Vice President and head of the Advanced Sales Resource team at National Financial Partners Corp. (NFP), where he leads a talented group of tax, legal and advanced design professionals. With over 11 years of experience in finance and financial services, he brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to NFP firms. His background as an independent business owner also contributes to his sensitivity to the needs of entrepreneurial organizations. Bryan has been instrumental in working with industry leaders such as Goldman-Sachs and Credit Suisse to structure products for the premium financing and longevity capital markets. He has earned a reputation as a respected speaker, presenting in events hosted by organizations and groups including the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU), AICPA, Wells Fargo, UBS Insurance Academy and Morgan Stanley.
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Matthew Schiff, CLU is President of Schiff Benefits Group LLC, specializing in the design, implementation, financing and ongoing administrative support of supplemental executive benefits programs. Mr. Schiff has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and is recognized as a leader in the deferred compensation field. Prior to starting Schiff Benefits Group, LLC, Mr. Schiff was a Managing Director with NYLEX Benefits, a subsidiary and the executive benefits consulting arm of New York Life Insurance Company.
Before joining NYLEX Benefits, Mr. Schiff served as Regional Director with Clark/Bardes Partners, the successor to Insurance Alliances Group, Inc. From 1995 to 1998 he served as a Technology Specialist for the Equitable Life Insurance Company and was a Million Dollar Round Table Qualifier as an agent for them. Before joining the Equitable, he served as Marketing Director for Client Systems at FDP Corp., an insurance industry software company.
He is a graduate of Tulane University, holds the CLU professional designation, and is a member of AALU. Matthew is an accomplished competitive sailor who now spends most of his free time with his two daughters who dance competitively, a son who loves playing soccer, baseball and hockey, and a wife who is a retired real estate attorney turned yoga instructor. |
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Scott W. Schoettlin is Director of National Accounts for Sterling Foundation Management LLC. He is responsible for top-down business development within the financial services industry. By introducing Sterling's range of charitable planning services to advanced planning departments and decision makers at broker/dealer and RIA firms, Scott works to establish selling agreements, providing advisors with access to Sterling’s solutions. Before joining Sterling, Scott gained 11 years of experience in financial services as an advisor. He founded an independent practice, Riverwalk Wealth Management, in July 2007. Previoulsy, he served high net-worth clients at UBS Financial Services in Newport Beach, CA, and Citibank in Orange County, CA. Scott, a native of Missouri, relocated from Southern California back to Missouri in 2009, and lives there now with his wife and their two sons.
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Simon Singer, CFP, RFC is renowned throughout the financial services industry as one of the brightest and most successful practitioners in the nation. He has co-authored three books on Asset Protection and Estate Planning in conjunction with the Esperiti Peterson Institute and the National Association of Family Wealth Counselor’s, and lectures frequently on these subjects nationally. He is also the Past President of The International Forum.
Through the company he founded, the Advisor Consulting Group, in addition to the Southern California Institute, and the CPA/Law Forum, he teaches attorneys and CPAs advanced educational information as well as team building and communication skills so as to better serve their clients.
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Admiral Ray Smith served in the Navy for 39 years, 31 as a SEAL. Starting as a Seaman Recruit, he achieved the rank of two-star Admiral. He served as a platoon commander in Vietnam and commanded the 300 strong SEAL force assigned to Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, conducting 270 successful missions while incurring no casualties.
In 1990, Admiral Smith was selected to command all 2500 Navy SEALs, remaining in that position for 4 years. In 1996, Admiral Smith became Deputy Commander of our nation’s 47,000 Special Operations men and women, retiring in 2000.
He has been married to his spouse Kathy for 44 years. They have three sons; Ray III – Firefighter, Nathan – Navy SEAL 9 years, now company president, and Adam – Navy SEAL 9 years, now FBI Special Agent. He also has a nephew, Travis, serving as a Navy Captain in the SEALs. Most importantly, he has 5 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. |
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Henry A. Smith, III is a partner of Smith & Downey, a law firm with a national practice concentrating in employee benefits, executive compensation, and labor and employment law. Henry advises employers of all sizes, in all industries and in all areas of the country, concerning the full range of employee benefit and executive compensation issues. Henry also regularly works with other benefits professionals (and other attorneys) who require for their clients legal expertise in Henry's practice area.
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Chuck Van Devander is a Senior Vice President of Aviva USA and the head of Aviva’s Distribution Services Group, which includes Advanced Markets, Training, Sales Development and Sales Support teams for all of Aviva’s life insurance and annuity business in the United States.
Prior to joining Aviva in April, 2007, Chuck spent five years leading the Advanced Markets efforts for New York Life. In addition to managing all field and home office advanced markets staff, he assisted in the development of a premium financing program, lead the efforts to create a small business market development team and managed the creation and implementation of numerous road show marketing efforts. From 1994 – 2002, Chuck worked in various roles for ING Financial Services, including litigation counsel, advanced markets counsel, Associate General Counsel, and Vice President, Compliance where he had responsibility for compliance functions at Security Life of Denver, Southland Life Insurance Company and Equitable of Iowa Insurance Company. Chuck has a diverse insurance background and has in-depth experience in advanced marketing, illustration systems, product development, administration, claims, legal and compliance. He is an accomplished speaker and has presented to numerous legal, banking, accounting, small business and insurance organizations. Additionally, he has conducted numerous continuing education courses on life insurance, estate planning, premium financing, income taxation, litigation awareness, compliance and ethics. Chuck received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Arizona State University, his Juris Doctor and Masters in Taxation degrees from University of Denver and his CLU and ChFC designations from the American College. Chuck also maintains his Series 6, 26 and 63 securities licenses as well as his life insurance license.
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Dave Wilken is Senior Vice President of ING U.S. Insurance Life Sales. Dave is responsible for the leadership and management of ING Life Sales. Dave has been with ING for over 24 years in a variety of roles including financial management, strategy and distribution management. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dave attended the University of Minnesota where he received a B.S. in accounting. He earned his MBA in finance from the University of St. Thomas. Wilken is a member of AALU, NAIFA and is also a trustee for the MDRT Foundation.
Dave, his wife Lori and their 3 boys live in Minneapolis.
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Norman H. Winer, CLU founded the current National Benefits Group (NBG) in 2002 with partners from his 32-year relationship with the largest U.S. casualty insurance agency and currently serves as President. NBG LLC is a joint marketing company selling and servicing executive and company-owned plans to both private and public companies. NBG's management group includes employees with more than 20 years as NBG associates. Mr. Winer began his financial services career in 1964, specializing in joint marketing.
Mr. Winer has designed and implemented nonqualified plans for several of the largest corporations in the United States, working with insurance companies to develop specialized products. In 2000, NBG was acquired by its partner, Marsh & McLennan.
Mr. Winer served on the Board of Directors of the International Forum and the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting's (AALU) accounting for life insurance task force, and currently serves on the AALU nonqualified plans committee.
Mr. Winer resides in Minneapolis with his wife, Sally, where they are active in numerous charitable organizations.
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Ralph Antolino Jr. is a veteran of the Financial Services Industry. He is the inventor of The UltraVision System™, a unique process that helps business owners and high paid executives maximize prosperity for themselves, their families and their communities. Ralph graduated from The Ohio State University with honors, went on to graduate from Law School with an emphasis in Business and Tax Planning. Ralph has obtained numerous professional designations, including his Charter Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant designations. Ralph is the past president of the International Forum, a member of the Bar Association and sits on various small business boards and in on The Million Dollar Round Table Top of the Table planning committee. His happy marriage to Cindy for 30 years has been blessed with two daughters, Lindsay and Marisa. For fun Ralph enjoys flying private aircraft, bicycling, and sporting events.
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Michael Amoia is Vice President of Advanced Sales for Crump Life Insurance Services. Michael has over seventeen years of experience within the financial planning and life insurance industry. During that time, he has focused his attention mainly on estate and business planning for high net worth clients. In fact, he has been selected as one of “America’s Top Financial Planners” (2006 & 2008 ed. Consumers’ Research Council of America, Washington, D.C.). He speaks nationally at industry and non-industry events, has taught a number of CLU and CFP® classes for the American College and has authored numerous articles, such as: The Interplay of 409A and Split Dollar, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts in Times of Tax and Legal Uncertainty, The Goodman Triangle, and FLPs Flipped Upside Down. He received his BS in Economics from George Mason University and graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore, School of Law. He is finishing his LL.M. in Taxation at Georgetown University Law Center. He is admitted in Maryland.
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Stephen Bargeron is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. He holds licenses for Series 6, Series 63, variable life, variable annuity, life accident and sickness insurance. Stephen entered the financial services industry in 1994. Stephen’s concept is a one-stop financial service team which provides comprehensive financial planning for his clients using a networking system consisting of CPA’s and estate attorneys to meet the client’s needs. Stephen resides in Kennesaw, Georgia with his wife Connie and two boys, Hugh 8 and Ben 6. The Bargerons attend the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, Georgia.
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Chris Baker is Managing Partner of TexIns Solutions, LTD., a Houston, Texas based distributor service organization, serving agents and planners to high net worth and high income individuals, as well as, small, mid-sized and large business’s nationally. Chris formed TexIns in 2004 after spending nearly 20 years working for 2 Fortune 500 life insurance companies in both regional and national sales management roles.
Chris and his wife of 24 years, Dana live in The Woodlands, Texas and have a 22 year old son attending Texas A&M University and a 19 year old daughter attending Ole Miss University.
Chris attended The USAFA (United States Air Force Academy) preparatory school and Oklahoma State University and is a life member of the O Club. Additionally, Chris is a member of AALU (Advanced Association of Life Underwriters), NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors), The International Forum, LOMA International and serves on advisory boards for several insurance related companies.
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Curtis V. Cloke is a Financial Advisor in Iowa where he has served his clients since 1987. He was recognized in 2009 as a top five finalist for Senior Advisor of the Year by Senior Markets Advisor Magazine. Curtis is a member of NAIFA, 3 X Top of The Table and 2 X Court of the Table MDRT member and a member of the Society of FSP. Curtis is a recognized speaker and trainer in the retirement planning industry. In 1999, Curtis began creation of a retirement income planning process for his client’s that has now been developed into a suite of planning tools now available to financial advisors in the US.
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Dr. Jack Cotlar is the former VP and Medical Director of Aviva Life Insurance Company/Indianapolis Life Insurance Company. He currently serves as part-time Medical Director for United Home Life Insurance Companies and as Medical Director for First Financial Resources. Dr. Cotlar is the founder and President of Strategic Medical Consulting, Inc. He practiced internal medicine for 15 years and is board certified in Insurance Medicine and Internal Medicine. Dr. Cotlar is active in the American Academy of Insurance Medicine (AAIM) and has served on the committee that prepares and administers the insurance medicine board examination.
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James Dyer is a founding Principal of First Financial Resources and Co-Founder of The Wealth Preservation Institute. Jim is one of ten individuals to achieve twenty-two years of qualified membership in The International Forum, MDRTs Top of the Table, and industry watch group AALU. He is a Charitable Development Officer for the National Foundation, Inc., and retains a lifetime Qualified Charitable Advisor status as a Charitable Trust Officer under Renaissance, Inc. Jim has been in the advanced financial services profession since 1963 and studied at the University of Illinois. Jim and his wife Marilynn divide their time between Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and Indian Wells, California.
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Chris Erblich is a member of the firm’s Partner Board. In addition to practicing in the areas of tax and estate planning, Chris also concentrates in corporate and advanced life underwriting law. He has extensive experience regarding federal transfer taxation and various income tax and estate planning techniques. Chris provides on-going business counseling and guidance to many corporate clients and is considered to be the trusted advisor for closely-held businesses and their families as well as high-net worth individuals including prominent sports figures.
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Jonathan M. Forster, listed as one of nation's top tax lawyers, focuses on business planning for privately held companies, business succession, executive compensation, and estate planning. Jon provides innovative, practical tax strategies to assist business owners in building and preserving the value of their companies and personal net worth. He also supports the life insurance industry, having worked in the financial services industry in the early 1980s for EF Hutton where he supported the Washington, DC insurance coordinator. His representation includes numerous government contracting firms, national life insurance distribution firms, and several large family offices. Jon is the founder of two privately held companies, a continuing education firm, and a distance learning company both of which provided accredited continuing education for life insurance producers. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of several companies and non-profits, and is an active member of the regional life insurance councils. Jon has been interviewed by Business Week magazine and the Wall Street Journal; has spoken at the 2003 Million Dollar Roundtable and 2008 LISA (Life Insurance Settlement Association) compliance conference; and is an avid writer.
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Doug French is the Managing Principal of the Insurance and Actuarial Advisory Services practice of Ernst & Young LLP’s Financial Services Office (FSO). He is also the FSO’s insurance sector advisory services leader. Mr. French is based in New York City. Prior to joining Ernst & Young he was a Principal and Global Practice Director of a major actuarial consulting firm. Mr. French has spent over 26 years in actuarial consulting. He has worked on engagements in the United States, Mexico, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. His clients include banks as well as insurance companies. Prior to entering advisory services, Mr. French was involved in various areas of life insurance company actuarial operations, with an emphasis on product development. He is a frequent speaker at industry seminars on topics such as enterprise risk management, capital management, economic capital modeling, retirement income and Solvency II. Mr. French is a co-author of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia’s sessional paper “Margin on Services Reporting: The Financial Implications,” which was the Institute of Actuaries of Australia 1993 Parker Prize Winner. He is also a Corporate Advisory Council Member of the International Association of Black Actuaries.
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Larry Herman has been in the insurance and wealth planning business since 1992. Prior to that, he practiced tax and transactional law for seven years with Rudnick & Wolfe, a predecessor firm to DLA Piper. Since 1994, Larry has been the President and Chief Experience Officer of Herman Agency, Inc., an independent multi-carrier insurance brokerage agency that distributes life, long-term care, disability, and annuity insurance products nationally for more than 20 leading insurance companies. The Herman Agency provides a highly differentiated insurance brokerage experience through industry leading advanced marketing support, Redefined Case Design,SM The Breakthrough Underwriting System,SM and a team whose extensive experience enhances the producer’s experience. Larry is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and Northwestern University School of Law, and is active in many industry organizations. Larry, his wife Sara, and daughters Mia and Abby reside in Oak Brook, Illinois. His hobbies include music, outdoor recreation, genealogy, and travel.
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Joel Hummel has over ten years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked in various positions including agent, sales trainer, and sales manager with a major insurance carrier. Joel came to ING in 2007 and is currently a member of the Advanced Case Design team where he can utilize his extensive knowledge of business planning, estate planning, and other advanced concepts.
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John Irvin joined PartnersFinancial as President in July 2008. From 1993 to July 2008, he was Chairman and President of Innovative Benefits Consulting, Inc., a life insurance consulting firm. From 1983 through 1993, Mr. Irvin was a partner and co-founder of Mid Atlantic Capital group and president of Mid Atlantic Insurance Corporation. While at Mid Atlantic, he specialized in serving the financial planning, asset management and insurance needs of ultra high net worth individuals. In 1980, he formed the certified public accounting firm of John Irvin and Company. From 1976 through 1979, Mr. Irvin worked for the international accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Company, where, as a certified public accountant, he engaged in individual taxation, financial planning, estate planning and trust work. Mr. Irvin served on the board of directors for Argon ST, a NASDAQ traded firm, and chaired its audit committee until it was acquired by The Boeing Company in 2010. He also serves on The American College board. Mr. Irvin received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Lehigh University.
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Martin Kalb has over 35 years of experience representing clients in all aspects of tax law, estate planning, corporate matters and mergers and acquisitions at Greenberg Traurig . Marty also served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of UniCapital Corporation, a former New York Stock Exchange equipment leasing company. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig he was an attorney in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C.
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Scott Keffer is an internationally-recognized financial educator, wealth planner, consultant, author and sought-after speaker. Keffer has recently co-authored his second book on advanced wealth planning, which can be seen on http://www.ScottKeffer.com. He is the creator of The Legacy Planning® Process, The Donor Motivation Program™ and The Affluent Engagement System™, among others. He is an invited guest on radio and TV and thousands of CPAs, attorneys and financial advisors have benefited from his Continuing Professional Education instruction. His articles have appeared in Physician’s News Digest, Resort Living, National Underwriter, Dynamic Business and Journal of the American Chiropractic Association. His processes and wealth planning practice have been featured in Research Magazine and in Dan Sullivan’s Creative Destruction and Unique Process Advisors. His counsel and assistance has saved clients over $712 Million in estate and income taxes.
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Randy Kemnitz is responsible for the strategy to support and drive Business Planning and Executive Benefit life insurance sales. Randy has over 25 years of financial services experience. Before joining ING, he was director of communications for a major benefits consulting firm, where he was involved in designing and implementing executive benefit and supplemental benefit plans for large non-profit organizations on a national level. Randy’s past experience also includes several years with major life insurance carriers.
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David A. Kottler Having earned a law degree and gained over 20 years experience in a family owned business, has enabled me to help privately held business owners over the past fifteen years.
My passion for philanthropy led me to help various organizations and their donors with significant planning and endowment results.
Realizing that captive insurance planning combined with wealth transfer techniques offers tremendous financial protections and benefits for the high net worth business owner, I allied myself with Alta, premier provider of these services. This alliance has helped me solve the difficult problem of constant access to excellent prospects through their advisors.
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Maribeth Kuzmeski, President of Red Zone Marketing, is a dynamic speaker on Red Zone Marketing strategies that have lead businesses from average to extraordinary. An accomplished marketing consultant, business owner and author, Maribeth shows her audiences the Marketing Playbook for success. Let Maribeth bring energy and actionable ideas to your next event.
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Clarke Langrall, Jr. is a CEPA (Certified Exit Planning Advisor)
and has provided insurance and financial planning professional services since 1975. He has been President of Triumvirate, Inc. t/a Forecast Strategic Advisors since 1985. Since 1978, he has been a life and qualifying member of The Million Dollar Round Table. He is a member of The International Forum since 1987 and currently serves as President. The International Forum represents the top 350 estate planning and executive compensation planners in the USA. Clarke has also been a member of the Financial Planning Association for over 34 years.
Clarke is one of 88 Certified Exit Planning Advisors in the US. He assists business owners by creating a written roadmap so they can successfully exit their business in style. He regularly gives presentations on exit planning to trade associations, business owner groups, and industry meetings. He has authored numerous articles on owner exit planning and provides a bimonthly newsletter titled Exit Planning Review.
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Victor S. Levy is the Managing Director of taxation, estate planning and financial planning for Leon L. Levy and Associates, an insurance, employee benefits and tax planning consulting firm located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm specializes in multi-level financial planning centered in comprehensive succession planning and wealth transfer planning consultation, in conjunction with employee benefits and wealth management. The firm's client base consists of major regional public and private corporations, professional and advisory firms, retail and manufacturing concerns, and a variety of closely held business organizations. Before joining Leon L. Levy Associates nearly 20 years ago, Victor served as a tax consultant with Ernst & Young, specializing in tax planning strategies and tax research. His previous tax consulting experience included service with the Northern Trust Company of Chicago and the law firm of Pelino and Lentz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Each of these provided a variety of experience with corporations and individuals primarily in tax consultation, with a specialty in tax compliance, forecasting and planning.
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Daniel Nigito is the President of Merion Financial Services, LLC and its sister company, Market Street Philanthropic Advisors, Inc. The combined mission of the two companies is to “provide wealth management for people who want to add meaning to their money.” To fulfill his vision, Dan specializes in using charitable remainder trusts, life insurance, and family foundations to create strategies for wealth accumulation and preservation. His programs have saved families millions in tax dollars and created millions more for charities across the United States. He is the author of three books: Avoiding the Estate Tax Trap (Contemporary Books, 1992), Don’t Die Until You Read This! (American Books, 2001), and most recently, The Power of Leveraging the Charitable Remainder Trust. Your Secret Weapon Against The War on Wealth (J. Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2009).
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John Porter, a senior partner in the Houston office of the law firm of Baker Botts L.L.P. primarily handles federal gift, estate, and income tax litigation and controversy work. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in representing taxpayers before and against the IRS in estate and gift tax controversies, especially those involving hard-to-value assets. John has served as lead counsel for taxpayers in numerous cases in the United States Tax Court, the Court of Federal Claims, and Federal District Court and has represented taxpayers in many other federal tax audits and appeals. John also has a substantial practice in fiduciary litigation.
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Larry Rybka is President and CEO of ValMark Securities, a FINRA firm that specializes in working with over 100 of America’s premier independent wealth transfer firms in 28 states. Larry has authored over a dozen articles in U.S. financial industry journals. Larry’s thoughts on industry change have resulted in being invited to address every major industry meeting from the main platform including MDRT, Top of the Table, the International Forum and AALU. Larry has served on the boards of AALU, the MDRT Foundation and the CFP Board of Standards. Larry and his family reside in Peninsula, OH.
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Gerry Sacks entered the Life Insurance business in 1969 and has consistently been among the top in the industry. He has presented, developed and implemented charitable planning and estate planning programs for numerous organizations and individuals throughout the United States. He has recorded video and audio tapes on charitable planning, estate planning and retirement planning techniques and marketing, presently being used by major insurance companies and organizations. For many years, he taught classes for CE credits for the Life insurance industry across the United States. He has also taught classes for Attorneys and CPAs in many states for their CE credits. Gerry was a main platform speaker at the Top of the Table and the Twenty Five Million Dollar International Forum and the Million Dollar Round Table. He is a charter Member of the Top of the Table (1977). A 32 year qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table and was President of the International Forum (formerly the Twenty-Five Million Dollar International Forum) in 1997. He and his wife Gloria and their four children reside in Houston, Texas.
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Bobby Samuelson is the founder and principal of SamuelsonDesign, an independent consulting firm providing product intelligence and creative design to producers across the country. His specialty is life insurance design for estate planning techniques. Bobby regularly presents to industry groups on product pricing, anomalies, and applications.
Bobby worked in the Advanced Sales Resources team at National Financial Partners prior to founding SamuelsonDesign. He graduated from Furman University with honors in Economics.
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Howard E. Sharfman, President of Schwartz Benefit Services, Inc. manages one of the nation’s premier insurance and benefit consulting firms. Howard’s practice concentrates on effective wealth transfer strategies for his high net worth clientele. He also consults to both large and small companies in the area of business succession planning and employee and executive benefit programs. Howard’s strategies for Wealth transfer, including the “ZERO ESTATE TAX PLAN” have been implemented by many of the nations leading families. Howard understands the importance that benefits play in the attraction and retention of quality employees. By creating innovative solutions he has been successful in helping businesses enhance their benefit and executive benefit programs. Known throughout the insurance industry as an estate tax and executive benefits authority, Howard is a frequent lecturer to a variety of industry groups as well as a contributor to numerous publications. He has spoken to and consulted with many major Accounting and Law firms, executives at insurance companies and insurance producer groups both nationally and internationally. Recently he spoke at The Heart of America Tax Conference, Chicago Estate Planning Council, The Missouri CPA Society, The International Forum, and the NFP/Partners Annual meeting. Howard has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Babson College where he majored in accounting and entrepreneurial studies. In addition to numerous continuing education courses and industry achievement awards, he is a member of the International Forum, AALU, Million Dollar Round Table and Top of the Table.
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Terri Sjodin is the Principal and Founder of Sjodin Communications, a Public Speaking, Sales Training and Consulting Firm, based in Newport Beach, California. She is one of America's most highly sought after female speakers and has trained and motivated thousands of people from all over the world. Her unique specialization is advancing the persuasive presentation skills of professionals. She is the author of the highly acclaimed book, New Sales Speak - The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and How To Avoid Them published by John Wiley & Sons, New York. She is also co-author of Mentoring - A Success Guide for Mentors and Protégés, co-written with Floyd Wickman, and published by McGraw-Hill. Sjodin’s clients include an impressive list of Fortune 500 companies, industry associations, academic conferences, and leadership on Capital Hill. She was named one of the top five “Women in Business” by the Orange County Business Journal at the distinguished WIB awards.Beyond her success as an entrepreneur and author, Sjodin is a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows throughout the country appearing on CNN, CNBC, and many major network affiliates to comment on issues relating to public speaking and presentation skills in today’s market.
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Scott A. Sobel is Managing Director at Alta Holdings, LLC. He brings over 20 years of experience as a financial analyst, sales professional and senior executive of both Fortune 500 and middle market companies. Mr. Sobel was introduced to captive insurance companies in 1998 when a firm he served as principal in was acquired by a large privately held conglomerate that utilized captive insurance. Mr. Sobel served as Vice President of WareOnEarth Communications, Inc, where he was instrumental in establishing and managing professional service relationships with Motorola, AT&T, Mellon Bank, Best Buy, U.S. Bank and other leading firms. During his tenure with WareOnEarth Mr. Sobel was responsible for corporate planning, business development, and commercial operations.
Earlier Mr. Sobel served as Vice President of Clicker Corporation until it was acquired by Chamberlain Group in 1998. While at Clicker, Mr. Sobel managed to grow the company from a start up to market share leader in the commercial building, hardware, and retail industries for remote control replacements.
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David Steel (author, motivational speaker and sought-after sales and social media coach) is one of the nation’s leading experts on Sales Motivation and leveraging Social Media to increase sales. Widely recognized for his ability to energize sales teams and drive revenue results, David works with businesses and C-level executives on social media and sales strategies.
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Evan Unzelman is Director and Chief Operating Officer of Sterling Foundation Management, a leading provider of backoffice administration for private foundations. In his role as COO, Evan is responsible for oversight of all day-to-day operations at Sterling. Evan played an instrumental role in the development of Sterling’s charitable remainder trust (CRT) program, the leader in facilitating sales of CRT income interests. Evan works particularly close with financial, insurance, legal and tax advisors, educating them on the sale transaction and assisting them throughout the sale process.
Evan received finance and economics degrees from Pacific Lutheran University (summa cum laude) in Tacoma, Washington. Evan and his wife Bradie reside in Reston, Virginia.
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Chuck Van Devander is a Senior Vice President of Aviva USA and the head of Aviva’s Distribution Services Group, which includes Advanced Markets, Training, Sales Development and Sales Support teams for all of Aviva’s life insurance and annuity business in the United States. Prior to joining Aviva in April, 2007, Chuck spent five years leading the Advanced Markets efforts for New York Life. In addition to managing all field and home office advanced markets staff, he assisted in the development of a premium financing program, lead the efforts to create a small business market development team and managed the creation and implementation of numerous road show marketing efforts. From 1994 – 2002, Chuck worked in various roles for ING Financial Services, including litigation counsel, advanced markets counsel, Associate General Counsel, and Vice President, Compliance where he had responsibility for compliance functions at Security Life of Denver, Southland Life Insurance Company and Equitable of Iowa Insurance Company. Chuck has a diverse insurance background and has in-depth experience in advanced marketing, illustration systems, product development, administration, claims, legal and compliance. He is an accomplished speaker and has presented to numerous legal, banking, accounting, small business and insurance organizations. Additionally, he has conducted numerous continuing education courses on life insurance, estate planning, premium financing, income taxation, litigation awareness, compliance and ethics. Chuck received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Arizona State University, his Juris Doctor and Masters in Taxation degrees from University of Denver and his CLU and ChFC designations from the American College. Chuck also maintains his Series 6, 26 and 63 securities licenses as well as his life insurance license.
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Carl R. Waldman is the principal of Carl R. Waldman, A Law Corporation, located in Westlake Village, California. Mr. Waldman emphasizes Tax Planning and Estate Planning for business owners and executives as well as Charitable Planning and Trust and Estate Administration law. Mr. Waldman is a frequent author and lecturer and has written for Estate Planning magazine, Los Angeles Lawyer, Southeast Wealth Management Business and other publications. He is a principal and a managing partner of WealthCounsel, LLC, which developed the WealthDocx document assembly software system and continuing education programs used by over 1,000 estate planning law firms. Mr. Waldman has spoken for the Western Pension Conference, the University of San Diego School of Law, the California Society of CPAs, the American Society of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys, WealthCounsel, LLC, the Society of Financial Service Professionals, Sharp Healthcare Foundation, the Southern California Institute and other organizations on a variety of estate planning and tax planning related topics.
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Jerome F. Weihs brings 25 years of experience in Advanced Sales to Sun Life Financial. He has a diversified background combining degrees in law, business administration, and economics with experience in public accounting and business, estate, and pension planning. An attorney and CPA, he managed the Advanced Sales area for Allmerica Financial. Jerry is very effective at communicating technical, financial, legal, and tax information in an understandable manner with strong expertise in estate planning, as well as benefit and business planning issues for small business owners. Jerry is a frequent speaker before professional groups on advanced planning topics. He has extensive experience with private placement programs for high net worth individuals, COLI plans for executives, and working with CPA distribution channels. Jerry has extensive product development expertise with variable products for COLI and second-to-die markets.
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Dave Wilken is Senior Vice President of ING U.S. Insurance Life Sales. Dave is responsible for the leadership and management of ING Life Sales.
Dave has been with ING for over 24 years in a variety of roles including financial management, strategy and distribution management.
A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dave attended the University of Minnesota where he received a B.S. in accounting. He earned his MBA in finance from the University of St. Thomas. Wilken is a member of AALU, NAIFA and is also a trustee for the MDRT Foundation.
Dave, his wife Lori and their 3 boys live in Minneapolis.
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Michael F. Amoia, JD, CFP, CLU, ChFC, Vice President, Advanced Markets for The Potomac Group and Crump Life Insurance Services, Inc., is well-versed in financial planning and life insurance and has authored numerous articles, including The Interplay of 409A and Split Dollar, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts in Times of Tax and Legal Uncertainty, The Goodman Triangle, and FLPs Flipped Upside Down. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from George Mason University and graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law. He is attending Georgetown University Law Center to earn a master of law degree in taxation.
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Leanne Garland Barlow, JD, of the national firm of Joyce Paul, PLLC, practices estate planning in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her practice is concentrated on multi-generational wealth transfer and asset protection for families and family-owned businesses. She received her bachelor's degree in History from Southern Methodist University and her Juris Doctorate degree from Baylor University School of Law.
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Jim Bowman joined SAF in April 2007 and has an impressive and consistent track record in creating successful strategies for marketing life products and managing distribution channels. Prior to joining Summit Alliance, Bowman most recently headed the Life Division at AXA Distributors. He also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Agency Officer for Transamerica Insurance and Investment Group and during his tenure, led the organization to record sales year after year. Bowman is known for his tremendous energy, expertise, and success in generating product sales for independent producers and national accounts. He is a graduate of Purdue University. He and his wife, Jeane, have two children - Haley and Connor.
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D. Scott Brennan of South Bend, Indiana is a graduate of Indiana University. He is the Past President (2007) of The International Forum, a member of AALU, and a past Board Member of LIFE. Currently he is serving as Secretary of the Million Dollar Round Table’s Executive Committee. Brennan and his wife, Robin, have been married 25 years and are the proud parents of two adult daughters and one grandson.
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Roger Brooks, ChFC, CLU, RIA, is a partner with Schwartz Benefit Services, Inc. He and his colleagues handle all the life insurance work for clients of the tenth largest CPA firm in the country, where 90 percent of his business is done jointly with professional advisors. His success has come from convincing and showing CPAs how working together will enhance the relationship with their clients, and make them look better and different than their competition. Brooks' 31 years in financial services provides clients and advisors with vast expertise in estate planning, wealth transfer, charitable planning and executive benefits. Brooks is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA).
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Ken Byers founded Ken Byers & Associates more than 37 years ago to provide full-service advisory wealth management and business consulting to help successful business owners and individuals plan, build and protect their business and personal net worth. He has particular expertise in family business succession planning. His longevity in this business reflects the confidence and trust that his clients have in him and the passion he has for serving them. He provides a basic, quality-driven approach in today’s most difficult financial times and brings knowledge, wisdom and long-term commitments to each of his clients’ business and individual planning needs.
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Jeffrey S. Cohen, CFP, is Principal for Siller & Cohen, which he co-founded in 1988. Cohen is the recipient of the 2005 and 2007 Lincoln Financial Advisors (LFA)/Sagemark Consulting Planner of the Year Award and is also a member of LFA’s elite “Prestige Planner Program.” Cohen is a member of the Steering Committee for the 2009 Barron’s conference as well as a speaker at their national conference in May. He is a Certified Continuing Education Instructor for accountants, recruiters and other professionals in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Cohen is a guest lecturer for numerous associations and charitable organizations and has been quoted in FA Magazine, Time, MarketWatch, Money Magazine and Westchester and Fairfield Business Journals.
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David L. Cook, PhD, is one of the country's top Peak Performance coaches and seminar leaders. He served as "Mental Training Coach" for the San Antonio Spurs from 1996 – 2004 that included two World Championships. He also served as mental training coach for the Washington Wizards of the NBA in 2005, helping them reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. Cook is President of his Texas-based Peak Performance firm that bridges the gap between the sports and business arenas. He is the former Director of Applied Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Kansas (1984 – 1996) where his peers elected him President of the National Sport Psychology Academy in 1992. Cook has been recognized by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Golf Illustrated and Golf Tips. He recently released his first performance novel, Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia.
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Lawrence Cronin, CLU, is a recognized leader in the area of life insurance funded employee benefit compensation plans. He graduated from the University of Santa Clara with a BSC in Finance in 1966 and an MBA Degree in 1967. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and holds advanced degrees in estate planning and compensation planning. He has been actively involved in the design, installation and communication of employee benefit plans and special supplemental income plans for managers and executives for the past 20 years. Currently he is President of Cronin Insurance Services, Inc. (CIS). CIS’s main focus is providing “back office” support for representatives working in advanced sales concepts of life insurance based financial planning solutions for their clients. Cronin has lectured extensively throughout the country. He has taught numerous seminars for CPAs, financial planners and life insurance agents. Cronin is a registered representative with Invest Financial Corporation and works exclusively in the area of advanced market sales.
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Michael K. Farrell is Executive Vice President at MetLife responsible for leading U.S. Distribution, consisting of Employee Benefits Sales, Individual Distribution, third party distribution through MetLife Investors and the sales support functions. He also oversees a team focused on the operations, sales and investment product management for MetLife’s four broker-dealers (MetLife Securities, New England Securities, Tower Square Securities and Walnut Street Securities).
Before assuming his current position in August 2009, Farrell was in charge of all aspects of MetLife’s market-leading annuity business, including sales, marketing, annuity product development and pricing, fund investment platforms, customer experience and retirement strategy. Prior to this role, Farrell was responsible for third-party distribution, overseeing the company’s dramatic growth in wirehouse, banks, planner, regional broker-dealers and brokerage organizations. Prior to joining MetLife in May 2001, he was President of Michael K. Farrell Associates, Inc. Over the span of his career, Farrell has held the positions of President at Mutual Benefit Pension Corporation, and Senior Vice President of Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company. He served as National Sales Director for ReliaStar Retirement Plans, and as a Member of the ReliaStar Enterprise Council.
Farrell is on the Board of the Insured Retirement Institute, an industry trade organization addressing the retirement income needs of Americans. He is active in community affairs and serves as a board member of the Boys and Girls Club Life Camp. He is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University.
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Jonathan M. Forster, listed as one of nation's top tax lawyers, focuses on business planning for privately held companies, business succession, executive compensation and estate planning. Forster provides innovative, practical tax strategies to assist business owners in building and preserving the value of their companies and personal net worth. He also supports the life insurance industry, having worked in the financial services industry in the early 1980s for EF Hutton where he supported the Washington, DC insurance coordinator. His representation includes numerous government contracting firms, national life insurance distribution firms, and several large family offices. Forster is the founder of two privately-held companies, a continuing education firm, and a distance learning company both of which provided accredited continuing education for life insurance producers. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of several companies and non-profits, and is an active member of the regional life insurance councils.
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M. Bryan Freeman began his career as a life insurance agent. In 2009, Freeman celebrated 20 years since the completion of his first life settlement. He founded Habersham Funding LLC, a licensed provider doing business nationally, in 2001. Freeman is in his fifth term on the Board of the Life Insurance Settlement Association and is its former four-term President. He was selected in the inaugural list of the 10 Most Influential People in Life Settlements by Life Settlement Review. In 2006, Freeman was commended for his long service and pioneering efforts in life settlements by both the State of Georgia Senate and House.
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Rao K. Garuda, CLU, ChFC, came from India with seven dollars and a scholarship from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado to pursue his master’s degree in engineering. Garuda is now President and CEO of Associated Concepts Agency, Inc., founded in 1979. He has over 26 years of experience in the financial services industry. Garuda is frequently invited to conduct seminars for CPAs, attorneys and physicians on financial planning techniques for their clients. He also conducts seminars on asset protection, how to significantly reduce taxes, retirement income planning, charitable giving and estate planning. Garuda is a life and qualifying member of MDRT and has consistently qualified for the Top of the Table.
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Vincent J. Granieri FSA, MAAA, EA is CFO and Chief Actuary for 21st Services, LLC. He is responsible for 21st Services' financial area and all actuarial activities with respect to its life expectancy underwriting systems. He is spearheading 21st Services' project to study over 15 million Medicare records to improve the state of the art of longevity analysis. Prior to joining the company, Granieri spent more than five years operating an independent consulting practice that he founded, serving the insurance and financial services arena. As Chief Actuary/Chief Financial Officer for virtually all the organizations he has served over the past 20 years, he has built and managed every aspect of actuarial and financial operations. He supplemented these skills with meaningful assignments in operations, investments, marketing and systems. He has also worked with Life Settlements provider, Life Equity LLC.
Granieri earned his bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) from Ball State University, majoring in actuarial science. He also holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, as well as an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA. He currently serves on the American Academy of Actuaries' SVL2 Steering Committee Sub-Group on Corporate Governance.
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David Isaacson, CLU, ChFC received his MBA at the Wharton School of Business and is a founding Principal of First Financial Resource with more than 80 offices nationally. He has offices in Massachusetts and Kansas where he works with “older, richer, sicker” clients as a product specialist to buy life insurance policies FOR his clients, and when appropriate, FROM his clients. His first life settlement was closed in 1996. Just last year he wrote: Understanding Life Settlements—Uncovering the Treasure in Unwanted Life Insurance Policies. The book is intended for consumers and their advisors and will be useful for agents wanting to learn how to proceed in this market. Issacson feels strongly that the settlement industry offers all of us the opportunity to sell more insurance and to be advocates for our clients.
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Buzz Hankinson, CLU, ChFC, CFP, graduated from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in business with emphasis in finance and economics. He is a Certified Financial Planner professional (CFP), a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU). In July 1996, Hankinson was honored to be chosen as one of the participants to carry the Olympic Torch as it passed through his hometown of Waynesboro, Georgia, on its way to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympic Games. Hankinson and his wife, Judy, will celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary in September. They are members of the Trinity-on-the-Hill United Methodist Church. When not helping individuals make smart choices about their money, he enjoys spending time with his family – especially his six grandchildren.
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Todd Harris’ practice serves the investment, estate and financial planning needs of affluent families and owners of privately-held businesses, including physicians and attorneys. He brings a unique perspective by diligently focusing on the formulation and professional implementation of personalized, client-centered strategies. Harris specializes in identifying and resolving complex financial planning and asset-protection problems, using a tightly disciplined strategic approach which ensures that his clients’ objectives are incorporated into a highly customized plan. He then works closely with clients to help them fully implement their plans.
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Peter F. Hibbard, CLU, ChFC, CPM, has been in the financial services business since 1971. In 1978 he founded Columbia Benefits Consultants, Inc. (CBC). CBC is an independent consulting firm advising business clients on the proper design and administration of qualified and non-qualified benefit plans. A 1967 graduate of Rutgers University, Hibbard served as a United States Marine with decorated combat service as an infantry officer in Vietnam. He is a member of The International Forum (2009 Membership Committee Chair), the Society of Financial Services Professionals, American Society of Pension Actuaries and the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting. He has earned the professional designations of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) conferred by the American College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Hibbard is a recognized expert in the application of unique tax advantaged benefit plans (qualified and non-qualified), which assist the business owner in the creation of personal wealth. He is a sought after national speaker and speaks frequently to organizations of tax and investment professionals.
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Charles D. Hollander has been a member of The International Forum for 10 years. His success began over the course of an 18 year career with one of our industry’s most respected leaders; Sidney Friedman. After years of building a successful practice in Philadelphia, Hollander packed up everything and started over in Scottsdale, Arizona. His company has grown from providing comprehensive client advice to providing practice management and training to advisors and enjoying the value of sharing expertise that was passed down to him with other professionals. M21 Consulting is the latest milestone in his progression.
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John Irvin joined PartnersFinancial as President in July 2008. From 1993 to July 2008, he was Chairman and CEO of Innovative Benefits Consulting, Inc., (IBC) a life insurance consulting firm and wholly owned subsidiary of NFP. From 1983 through 1993, Irvin was a partner and co-founder of Mid Atlantic Capital group and President of Mid Atlantic Insurance Corporation. While at Mid Atlantic, he specialized in serving the financial planning, asset management and insurance needs of ultra high net worth individuals. In 1980, he formed the certified public accounting firm of John Irvin and Company. From 1976 through 1979, Irvin worked for the international accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Company, where, as a Certified Public Accountant, he engaged in individual taxation, financial planning, estate planning and trust work. Irvin serves on the Board of Directors for Argon ST, a NASDAQ traded firm, and chairs its audit committee. He also serves on The International Forum Board of Directors. Irvin received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Lehigh University.
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Richard E. Jackim, JD, MBA, CEPA, is the Founder of the Exit Planning Institute and the author of the critically acclaimed book, The $10 Trillion Opportunity: Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Business Owners. Jackim is an experienced investment banker, former Wall Street attorney and consultant. He is responsible for business development for MidCap Advisors, a middle-market investment bank that represents privately-owned businesses with revenues of between five and $150 million. During his career Jackim has been involved in over 60 mergers or acquisitions of privately owned companies with a combined market value of over $1 billion.
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Linwood Jones, ACS, FLMI, AIAA, has over 30 years of experience in underwriting. He has worked at Manulife Financial focusing on Underwriting Operations and at North American Life Assurance of Toronto. Jones is focused on maintaining a relationship business and his goal is to deliver in a professional and timely manner.
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Martin Kalb has over 30 years of experience at Greenberg Traurig representing clients in all aspects of tax law, estate planning, corporate matters and mergers and acquisitions. Kalb also served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of UniCapital Corporation, a former New York Stock Exchange equipment leading company. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig he was an attorney in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington D.C.
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Deborah Knupp has worked globally with CEOs, executives, managing partners and attorneys as a coach, consultant and business executive for nearly 20 years. She is the founder and Managing Partner of Akina, a national consulting and training firm based in Chicago that helps organizations rethink how to sell and lead though creating and sustaining relationships. Prior to Akina, Knupp was an executive in sales and human resources in high-tech professional service firms and at Alcan Packaging, Frito-Lay and Pearle Vision. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science. and Senior Fellows honors in Organizational Communication from The University of Texas at Austin.
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John McCarroll, JD, serves as general counsel at Q Capital Strategies LLC, a life settlement provider. Prior to this position, he practiced insurance regulatory and corporate insurance law, most recently with firms Dewey and LeBoeuf and Locke, Lord, Bissell, and Liddell. He also worked as an in-house attorney with Insurance Services Office and has represented clients in litigation, corporate and employment matters. McCarroll was recently elected Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Life Insurance Settlement and is Chairman of the Legal Committee. He worked extensively to revise the Life Insurance Settlement Association Standards and Best Practices. McCarroll earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from St. John’s University School of Law.
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Jon B. Mendelsohn, President and CEO of Ashar Group, LLC, a nationally-licensed, life settlement firm, has extensive life settlement process experience and expertise in both the operational and marketing components of the secondary market. He became active in the life settlement industry when the market transitioned to an institutionally-driven market. Mendelsohn has spoken nationally at numerous financial services conferences and frequently conducts continuing education for both financial advisors and attorneys nationally. He is a member of The International Forum and the 21st Services Customer Advisory Board. Mendelsohn earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and marketing and a master’s degree in education from the University of Florida.
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Timothy L. Messett, CLU, is President and owner of Pension Investors Corp. of Orlando, Inc., founded in 1982. Messett has more than 30 years of experience working with business owners to develop financial, estate, tax and business succession plans, and designing and implementing qualified plans; including 401(k), Defined Benefit, Cross-tested Profit Sharing Plans and ESOPS. Messett is Past President and Co-founder of the Employee Benefits Council of Central Florida; a member of the Central Florida Estate Planning Council as well as The International Forum; and a lifetime qualifying member of MDRT, and Co-founder and Board Member of National Partners Group, Inc., an insurance producer group.
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Dana M. Mikstay, CLU, is Senior Managing Director, Shareholder and Practice Leader of the individual life and disability practice of Mesirow Financial — an independent, employee-owned diversified financial services firm founded in 1937, headquartered in Chicago.
With over 20 years of experience, Mikstay focuses on creative insurance planning for affluent families and individuals. She has qualified for MDRT since 1994 and Top of the Table since 2002. Mikstay is a member of AALU and The International Forum, sits on the Boards and councils of several local organizations, and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and Chicago Finance Exchange.
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Moshe A. Milevsky, Ph.D. is a tenured Finance Professor at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto (Canada), the Executive Director of the non-profit IFID Centre and President and CEO of the QWeMA Group. Since 2002 he has been a Fellow of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences and has lectured at Universities in the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia. He has also consulted and provided expert witness testimony for a variety of global pension funds and insurance companies and is currently a member of a number of corporate advisory councils.
Milevsky has written six books, including the Calculus of Retirement Income which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2006. He has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles on the topics of insurance, investments, pensions and annuities. His popular writing was acknowledged with two National Magazine (Canada) awards in 2003, and he received a Graham and Dodd scroll award for a 2006 article in the Financial Analysts Journal.
His most recent book, entitled Are You a Stock or a Bond?: Create Your Own Pension Plan for a Secure Financial Future was published by the Financial Times/Pearson Education press in the Fall of 2008.
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David Nour is a social networking strategist and one of the foremost thought leaders on the quantifiable value of business relationships. He is the author of Relationship Economics (Wiley, 2008), The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Raising Capital (Praeger, 2009) and Social Networking Technology Best Practices Series, a senior management advisor, and a featured speaker for corporate, association and academic forums.
Nour and his team have researched over 400 social networking applications in 22 distinct categories, publishing articles such What’s your social networking strategy? in numerous publications. Nour is a contributor to The Social Media Bible (Wiley, 2009) and is currently researching and writing his next forthcoming book on Enterprise Social Networking.
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Michael J. O’Donnel is a Principal with Alliant Insurance Services in a Houston, Texas. O’Donnel began his career in 1986 as part of an office with three brokers and three support staff. Today, Alliant has over 1,000 employees in 28 different cities as a result of several strategic mergers and acquisitions. Alliant’s brokerage services include property/casualty, employee benefits, executive benefits and wealth transfer/exit planning. O’Donnel specializes in executive benefits, retirement and estate planning. His clients include business executives and high net worth individuals. He is a registered representative with Lincoln Securities, on the Board of Directors of The International Forum and the World Health and Golf Association. He has spoken at many industry functions as well as various associations. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston and completed the Retirement Strategies Program and the Wharton School of Business.
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Sam Radin, JD, is the founder of National Madison Group, Inc., a nationally recognized firm that provides life insurance services to high net worth individuals and businesses. Radin is known as an expert in the sophisticated use and design of life insurance products. A unique aspect of his practice is planning for writers and other creative professionals, including the disposition of their copyright catalogues. With more than 30 years of experience in personal, business, estate and gift tax planning, Radin has served as a member of various bar association tax committees, and is a frequent speaker to accountants, attorneys and financial planning professionals.
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Michael Rodman, CFP has been a life insurance industry leader for the past 25 years. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1983, Rodman has been an agent, general agent and a brokerage general agent during the course of his career. Rodman has qualified for the Top of the Table five times, MDRT’s highest honor; he has been a five-year member of The International Forum and a speaker on multiple occasions. He is a member of the Association of Advanced Underwriters (AALU); is also Past President of NAIFA-San Diego; and is a member of The Financial Planning Association (FPA), The Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP) and The National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA).
In 2003, Rodman founded Best Practices of America, and has since helped many top advisors gain access to new clients and has managed the referral systems among these advisors. Rodman also serves as President and Founder of Advanced Planning Services, Inc. (APS) – the industry’s first advanced sales brokerage general agency.
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Lloyd Rothenberg's client base includes private equity, venture capital and hedge funds, premium finance and life settlement companies. His practice focuses on private equity acquisitions, financings and dispositions, mergers and acquisitions, premium financing, life settlements, strategic alliances and joint ventures, complex commercial transactions, venture capital investments and private placements of securities. Rothenberg also represents high net worth individuals, corporate executives, closely held business owners and U.S. citizens and residents residing in Israel in a variety of commercial transactions and in connection with their estate and tax planning.
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Lawrence J. Rybka, JD, CFP is President and CEO of ValMark Securities, a FINRA firm that specializes in working with over 100 of America’s premier independent wealth transfer firms in 28 states. Rybka has authored over a dozen articles in U.S. financial industry journals. His thoughts on industry change have resulted in being invited to address every major industry meeting from the main platform including MDRT, Top of the Table, The International Forum and AALU.
Rybka has served on the Boards of AALU, the MDRT Foundation and the CFP Board of Standards. Rybka and his family reside in Peninsula, Ohio.
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Bobby Samuelson is the founder and principal of SamuelsonDesign, an independent consulting firm providing product intelligence and creative design to producers across the country. His specialty is life insurance design for estate planning techniques. Samuelson regularly presents to industry groups on product pricing, anomalies, and applications. He worked in the Advanced Sales Resources team at National Financial Partners prior to founding SamuelsonDesign. He graduated from Furman University with honors in Economics.
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Jack Scott is the President of Comprehensive Integrated Planning, Inc (CIP). Scott’s firm has developed a sophisticated and proprietary math modeling software system that helps families reduce their estate and income tax liabilities. He and his firm are responsible for over $10 billion of assets transferred estate and gift tax free. Scott has been a Top of the Table member for 25 years, is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table, a member of The International Forum and previous Board Member. He has spoken extensively to MDRT, Top of the Table, The International Forum and AALU.
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John Scroggin, JD, LL.M (tax), AEP, has practiced as a tax attorney in Atlanta for more than 30 years. He holds a BSBA, J.D. and LL.M. (tax) from the University of Florida. In 2009, Atlanta magazine selected Scroggin as both a Georgia “Super Lawyer” and a Five-Star Wealth Advisor. Scroggin serves as Founding Editor-in-Chief of the NAEPC Journal of Estate and Tax Planning, is the author of over 200 published articles and columns, and has been quoted extensively, including: The Wall Street Journal (1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2009), CHH Headline News, National Public Radio, Fortune, Forbes, Kiplinger’s, Money, Dow Jones Investment Advisor, Worth, Financial Advisor, Smart Money, Wall Street Magazine, Registered Rep. National Underwriter, Bloomberg Wealth Management, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The South China Post, The LA Times and Newsday.
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Howard E. Sharfman, President of Schwartz Benefit Services, Inc. manages one of the nation’s premier insurance and benefit consulting firms. Sharfman’s practice concentrates on effective wealth transfer strategies for his high net worth clientele. He also consults to both large and small companies in the area of business succession planning and employee and executive benefit programs.
Known throughout the insurance industry as an estate tax and executive benefits authority, Sharfman is a frequent lecturer to a variety of industry groups as well as a contributor to numerous publications. He has spoken to and consulted with many major accounting and law firms, executives at insurance companies and insurance producer groups both nationally and internationally. Recently he spoke at The Heart of America Tax Conference, Chicago Estate Planning Council, The Missouri CPA Society, The International Forum and the NFP/Partners Annual meeting. Sharfman has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Babson College where he majored in accounting and entrepreneurial studies. In addition to numerous continuing education courses and industry achievement awards, he is a member of The International Forum, AALU, Million Dollar Round Table and Top of the Table.
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Simon Singer, CFP, RFC, is renowned throughout the financial services industry as one of the brightest and most successful practitioners in the nation. He has co-authored three books on Asset Protection and Estate Planning in conjunction with the Esperiti Peterson Institute and the National Association of Family Wealth Counselor’s, and lectures frequently on these subjects nationally. He is also the Past President of The International Forum.
Through the company he founded, the Advisor Consulting Group, in addition to the Southern California Institute, and the CPA/Law Forum, he teaches attorneys and CPAs advanced educational information as well as team building and communication skills so as to better serve their clients.
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Terri Sjodin, is the Principal and Founder of Sjodin Communications, a Public Speaking, Sales Training and Consulting Firm, based in Newport Beach, California. She is one of America's most highly sought after female speakers and has trained and motivated thousands of people from all over the world. Her unique specialization is advancing the persuasive presentation skills of professionals. She is the author of the highly acclaimed book, New Sales Speak - The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and How To Avoid Them published by John Wiley & Sons, New York. She is also co-author of Mentoring - A Success Guide for Mentors and Protégés, co-written with Floyd Wickman, and published by McGraw-Hill. Sjodin’s clients include an impressive list of Fortune 500 companies, industry associations, academic conferences, and leadership on Capital Hill. She was named one of the top five “Women in Business” by the Orange County Business Journal at the distinguished WIB awards.Beyond her success as an entrepreneur and author, Sjodin is a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows throughout the country appearing on CNN, CNBC, and many major network affiliates to comment on issues relating to public speaking and presentation skills in today’s market.
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Robert C. Slane, AEP, CLU, is President of The Wealth Transfer Group, Inc., and member-manager of Wealth Transfer Group, LLC in Altamonte Springs, Florida. He is a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, Central Florida Estate Planning Council, Central Florida Association of Life Underwriters and The International Forum, where he served as president in 2005. His speaking engagements include the NYU Tax Institute, NADA conference, The International Forum and the 2007 summer ACTEC Estate and Gift Tax Committee. He has appeared on CNBC’s Power Lunch, on National Public Radio Marketwatch and been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Trusts and Estates magazine and Bloomberg Wealth Manager magazine. Slane was granted a patent for a tax strategy involving non-qualified stock options by the U.S. Patent office in 2003. This was the first patent ever issued on a tax strategy.
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Steven Solys has 16 years of experience in the financial services industry. He joined Sagemark Consulting/Lincoln Financial Group in July 1992 as a financial advisor. His current national practice specializes in family estate, charitable business, insurance and wealth management planning solutions for his highly affluent clientele. Solys is a frequent speaker at Lincoln's national sales conferences and agency meetings. He is a consultant to several Lincoln/Sagemark offices for working with the affluent and their advisors using sophisticated estate and charitable plan design. Solys has degrees in biochemistry and genetic engineering from the University of Michigan and the University of Toledo.
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Melvin Warshaw is General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Investor Relations for Financial Architects Partners (FAP). Warshaw’s primary responsibility is to create and deepen FAP’s relationships and provide strategic marketing for advisors, including lawyers, CPAs and family offices and has over 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining FAP, Warshaw was the Senior Wealth Advisor at JP Morgan Private Bank in the New England region. Previously, he was a partner at, and the head of, the McDermott Will & Emery Private Client Department in the Boston office. He has also been an estate planning and tax partner at the Boston-based law firm, Burns & Levinson. Warshaw began his legal career as an attorney in the General Counsel’s office at the Internal Revenue Service National Office in Washington, D.C.
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Jerry Weihs brings 25 years of experience in Advanced Sales to Sun Life Financial. He has a diversified background combining degrees in law, business administration and economics with experience in public accounting and business, estate and pension planning. An attorney and CPA, he managed the Advanced Sales area for Allmerica Financial. Weihs is very effective at communicating technical, financial, legal and tax information in an understandable manner with strong experience in estate planning, as well as benefit and business planning issues for small business owners. He is a frequent speaker before professional groups on estate planning topics. He has extensive experience with private placement programs for high net worth individuals, COLI plans for executives, and working with CPA distribution channels. Weihs has extensive product development expertise with variable products for COLI and second-to-die markets.
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Jay M. Weinstein, CLU, ChFC, has worked in the life and health insurance industries since July 1962. Weinstein has received the National Quality award and the National Sales Achievement Award for over 25 years. He is an active member in his personal and professional community and is a member of 12 insurance and civic organizations. In these organizations Weinstein has held ranking positions including President and Board Member. He is currently a member of The International Forum 2010 Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee.
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Henry Whiffen, MSFS, AEP, CAP, Chairman & Founder of The Estate Advisory Group, is a Wealth Preservation Strategist. Nationally recognized in his field, his specialty is helping to plan larger estates. His financial modeling and strategizing, done in conjunction with the client’s legal and tax advisors, utilizes numerous techniques, found in the Internal Revenue Code, to legally eliminate estate taxes. In addition to benefiting the family, many of these saved taxes are redirected to charity. As a result of his planning, Whiffen’s clients have donated, or have made plans to donate, over $3 billion to the charities of their choice. His planning also focuses on transitioning businesses, perpetuating functional family values and creating plans that help prepare heirs for responsible stewardship.
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Stuart Youngentob, JD, CPA, is a principal of Arkin Youngentob Associates, LLC, a leader in the insurance and financial services industry in the Washington, DC metropolitan area for more than 50 years. With more than 22 years of experience in the areas of insurance, tax and investment planning Youngentob counsels professional and industry leaders in the design of estate plans, advanced retirement plans, business succession plans, executive compensation plans and employee benefit programs. His areas of expertise extend to all forms of corporate benefit programs including health and welfare benefits, qualified and nonqualified pension plans, long term care plans and incentive compensation planning. He has significant experience in the structuring and implementation of business and financial transactions for closely held businesses.
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The International Forum
2009 Annual Meeting
January 24-28, 2009
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza
Los Angeles, California
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Dan Allison, The Money Code founder, dedicated his early career to the mental health industry concentrating on behavioral psychology. Upon completion of master’s level education in the field, he sold a successful chain of behavioral health clinics and moved into the financial services industry. After watching several companies struggle, he used his knowledge of human behavior and business to create a successful system involving the integration of focus groups into his business models. Allison began educating financial services industry businesses on the benefits of incorporating focus groups into a successful, relationship-driven business model. From large corporations to individual practices, he brings a common sense approach to building a better business. Allison is a published author in both the mental health and financial services fields. |
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Mario Armstrong is a technology advocate and co-owner of Mario Armstrong, Media, LLC. He delivers national television segments for Comcast's "Your Morning" and "Money Matters" and on WBAL-TV, a top ranked NBC affiliate. Armstrong is a technology correspondent for National Public Radio heard on NPR's “Morning Edition” and NPR's “News and Notes” programs. He hosts a national
radio show for XM and two regional technology talk shows: "The Digital Café” and "The Digital Spin." He hosted and co-produced the business magazine TV show entitled "Business Pulse." Some of his radio and television guests have included: Spike Lee, Ted Waitt, Tavis Smiley, Stedman Graham, Russell Simmons, Sid Meier, Michael Dell and Dr. Cornel West. Armstrong has been seen on CNN, CNBC, TV-One, PBS, AOL.com and C-Span. |
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Michael F. Amoia, JD, CFP®, CLU, ChFC vice president, Advanced Markets for The Potomac Group and Crump Life Insurance Services, Inc., is well-versed in financial planning and life insurance and has authored numerous articles, including “The Interplay of 409A and Split Dollar,” “Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts in Times of Tax and Legal Uncertainty,” The Goodman Triangle,” and “FLPs Flipped Upside Down.” He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from George Mason University and graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law. He is attending Georgetown University Law Center to earn a master of law degree in taxation. |
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Bradley A. Barros, director of Bancroft Life and Casualty, Ltd. and president of Captive Educational Resources, Inc. is an industry leader in providing association-sponsored coverage for business interruption risks. Captive Educational Resources is a national training organization providing continuing education to attorneys, accountants and wealth advisors on captive insurance. A seasoned presenter, Barros has hosted conferences and spoken for broker-dealers, wealth planning organizations, law firms, accounting firms and business and estate planning organizations worldwide. |
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William R. Brereton, JD, CLU, is president of The Brereton Group. Brereton holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and earned his Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, from Chase College of Law in Cincinnati. He frequently conducts seminars with other attorneys on client-oriented solutions to wealth preservation. Brereton also was the consulting editor for “The Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust - Forms and Drafting Notes,” which is part of the American Bar Association's Insurance Counselor Series. In addition, he was the contributing author to “Generations - Planning Your Legacy,” a 1998 guide to estate planning. Brereton is a member of the Ohio Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association and the American Bar Association. His firm specializes in financial modeling, which is critical to wealth transfer planning for the larger estate. |
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J. David Briggs is a 31-year veteran in the financial services industry, who formed the Colorado Financial Group, which is currently a partnership firm with M Financial. Briggs’ honors include life and qualifying status 32 times in the Million Dollar Round Table, Court of the Round Table qualifications since 1989 and seven Top of the Table qualifications. Briggs serves on The International Forum Board of Directors. He holds a master’s program certificate from the Strategic Coach® Program of entrepreneurial training and is a frequent guest speaker for industry organizations on the subject of business and estate planning. |
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Donald W. (Butch) Britton is president of ING U.S. Life Business Group. His experience includes more than 18 years with First Colony Life, culminating as president of that company, and commensurately senior positions with GE Financial Assurance. Most recently, Britton was president of the Life Division at American General Financial Group, where he helped create and manage an innovative distribution and product management model that doubled sales during a three-year period. He is a member of the Fellow Society of Actuaries and the American Academy of Actuaries, and he is a recipient of the Douglas Mooers Award presented annually by the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies. Britton is a past chairman and board of director member of the LIMRA Brokerage Committee. He serves as a director on the LIMRA and LOMA Global Board. Britton earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics from East Carolina University. |
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Jordan J. Carreira, vice president, chief underwriter, Lincoln Financial Group, is responsible for developing the underwriting philosophy and policy for the company, underwriting large face amount cases, reinsurance negotiations, training and auditing. Prior to joining Lincoln, he was the managing director and assistant vice president for Phoenix Reinsurance and ERC Reinsurance companies. He entered the industry as an underwriter at Connecticut General, gained sales experience as an independent insurance agent for a local full service brokerage agency and has served as chief life underwriter and manager of the Strategic Sales Unit at Connecticut Mutual. He is a fellow of the Academy of Life Underwriting, past president of the Hartford/Springfield Life Underwriting Association and member of the Impaired Risk Underwriting Association. |
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Kevin Casey spent 32 years of his career in the health insurance and health care services fields working for United Health Group and its multiple legacy companies. At UHG, he served in many executive roles, including chief operating officer assignments for four of the company’s major business segments. Upon leaving United in 2005, Casey co-founded a new breed of consumer-driven health care services company, RedBrick Health, where he served as president and COO, securing $30 million of venture capital investment within an 18-month period, while organizing and building the company’s systems and operations from the ground up. After developing RedBrick into a fully operational and competitive force, Kevin “semi-retired” in the fall of 2007 to start up his own consulting company. This company assists small- and mid-size companies to re-engineer their operations, re-structure organizational models and build top-grade staffs. |
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Dean F. Chatlain, has been director of technical concepts, advanced sales of Lincoln Financial Distributors since August 2006. He has 31 years of experience as a tax attorney. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University and Vanderbilt Law School, Chatlain became an IRS trial attorney.
After leaving the IRS, he spent the next 24 years as the corporate tax counsel for the Jefferson Pilot Financial group of companies. Because of his responsibilities for tax planning and compliance, he combines a solid background in individual and corporate taxation with a thorough understanding of tax and financial planning advantages offered by the full range of Lincoln’s annuity, investment, life insurance, disability and retirement products. Chatlain has been a member of the company and product tax committees at the ACLI, and has spoken about insurance product taxation at several Federal Bar Association Insurance Tax Conferences. |
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Mayur Dalal, MBA, is chairman and CEO of Legacy Planning Group Inc., specializing in servicing inter-generational wealth planning needs for closely-held family businesses, high-net-worth families and pre-retiree physicians. He is the creator of two intellectual capital processes: The Family CFO™ and Legacy Perpetuator process™. Dalal is a United Way of LI and Paramount Planning Group, a division of AXA Equitable, board member and past board member of The International Forum. He holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and graduate degrees in marketing and finance. Dalal has been a speaker at International Forum, Suffolk County Bar Association and the Center of Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University. |
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Brad Davidson, president, Securities Pricing And Research, Inc., is a recognized expert in the valuations field. The valuation reports of the Securities Pricing And Research, Inc. have been cited by "The Wall Street Journal" on numerous occasions. Financial service providers that have chosen Securities Pricing And Research, Inc., to provide valuation services to their clients include New York Life, AXA Advisors, National City Bank, MassMutual, PNC Bank, Guardian and Morgan Stanley Trust. |
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Ross Devol, director of regional economics and the center for health economics, Milken Institute, is considered an expert on the intangible economy, which is the idea that value has shifted from tangible brick and mortar assets to intangible assets such as patents, brand value and customer relationships. Ranked by International Economy magazine among the “Super Stars” of Think Tank Scholars, Devol has authored numerous studies including: “An Unhealthy America: the Economic Burden of Chronic Disease,” “Mind-to-Market: a Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer and Commercialization” and “America’s High-Tech Economy: Growth, Development, and Risks for Metropolitan Areas.” He also created the Best Performing Cities Index, an annual ranking of the best U.S. metropolitan areas for job creation and economic expansion. Formerly, DeVol was senior vice president of Global Insight, Inc., where he supervised their Regional Economic Services Group. He was the firm’s chief spokesman on international trade. He also served as the head of Global Insight’s U.S. Long-Term Macro Service and authored numerous special reports on behalf of the U.S. Macro Group. |
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Robert W. Dineen heads Lincoln Financial Network, the retail distribution arm of Lincoln Financial Group, and serves as president of Jefferson Pilot Securities Corp. and Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. Formerly, Dineen was senior vice president and head of Merrill Lynch’s Managed Asset Group, where he was responsible for leading and directing the manufacturing and distribution of all retail and institutional separate accounts businesses. This included managing relationships with 140 asset management companies and 3,000 fund families that distribute mutual fund, separate account and alternative investments. Dineen is Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York and Forum for Investor Advice board member and serves on the Board of Governors for the Money Management Institute. |
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Joseph M. Durnford, CPA, CVA, CM&AA, of Registered Securities Principal, is considered an expert in the development of consumer-branded products and companies. Since founding JD Ford & Company in 1996, he has been responsible for completing more than $1 billion in M&A transactions and various debt/equity financings. Formerly, he was a corporate finance manager with Pricewaterhouse Coopers and a senior consultant with Deloitte. He has also been involved in several entrepreneurial pursuits and equity investments. Durnford is a frequent author and lecturer and has served on many corporate and charitable boards. |
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Chris Erblich, JD, of Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP, and member of the firm’s Partner Board, practices in the areas of tax and estate planning with a concentration in corporate and advanced life underwriting law. He has extensive experience regarding federal transfer taxation and various income tax and estate planning techniques. Erblich provides ongoing business counseling and guidance to many corporate clients and is considered to be the trusted advisor for closely-held businesses and their families, as well as high-net worth individuals including prominent sports figures. |
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Timothy Ferris was nominated as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People of 2007,” is author of the #1 “New York Times,” “Wall Street Journal,” and “BusinessWeek” bestseller, “The 4-Hour Workweek.” He has been featured by dozens of media, including “The New York Times,” “The Economist,” “TIME,” “Forbes,” “Fortune,” CNN, and CBS. He speaks six languages, runs a multinational firm from wireless locations worldwide and has been a popular guest lecturer at Princeton University since 2003, where he presents entrepreneurship as a tool for ideal lifestyle design and world change. As a professional polymath, he has amassed a diverse roster of credentials and experience. Ferriss received his BA from Princeton University in 2000, where he studied in the Neuroscience and East Asian Studies departments. He developed his nonfiction writing with Pulitzer Prize winner John McPhee and formed his life philosophies under Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburo Oe. |
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Barry J. Fisher, CSA, LTCP, CEO of Barry J. Fisher/Paradigm Insurance Marketing, a brokerage general agency focused on long-term care insurance, co-founded the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance. Fisher began his life and health insurance career in 1976 at Metropolitan Life. He became an independent, personal-producing general agent in 1980 and began his insurance marketing career in 1990. In 2002 the California State Legislature recognized him for his leadership in health care and long-term care legislative advocacy, and in 2003 he received the National Association of Health Underwriter’s Legislative Achievement Award. He serves on the California Department of Insurance Agents & Brokers Advisory Committee and participates in various California Department of Insurance work groups pertaining to legislative and agent education issues. Fisher has been an officer and past president of the Los Angeles and California Associations of Health Underwriters. |
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Jonathan Forster, JD, is listed as one of Washington's top lawyers in the field of tax planning, focusing on business planning for privately held companies, business succession, executive compensation and estate planning. Forster provides innovative, practical tax strategies to assist business owners in building and preserving the value of their companies and personal net worth. He also counsels life insurance companies on a wide array of tax and regulatory strategies often serving as their outside general counsel. His representation includes numerous government contracting firms, national financial service firms and several large family offices. |
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Howard Freedland, CFA, is the CEO of Global Life Underwriting, LLC a life expectancy provider. He is the author of the monograph “Morbidity vs. Mortality” and a lecturer on life expectancy and the demographics of the senior population. He is a founding member of the International Society of Life Settlement Professionals and is the Chair of the Education and Certification Committee. Freedland was the former Chairman and CEO of National Water & Power and before that, the CFO of GE Capital – ResCom. Earlier in his career Freedland was Managing General Partner of September Investors, Ltd., a hedge fund and September Venture Partners, Ltd., a private equity fund and CEO of London Freedland Incorporated, a NASD broker/dealer. He began his investment career as a quality of earnings analyst and mutual fund portfolio manager for St. Paul Advisors. Freedland was an instructor in finance at the University of Minnesota where he worked with Professor C. Robert Carlson to create the financial formula Net Terminal Value. Freedland received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota and has been a Chartered Financial Analysts since 1978. |
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Tom Godlasky is chief executive of Aviva North America. He is also president and chief executive officer of Aviva USA. Godlasky is a director on the boards of Aviva USA and Aviva Canada. As chief executive officer of Aviva North America, Godlasky leads Aviva’s strategic development and growth in the region. Godlasky was chairman, president and chief executive officer of AmerUs Group and assumed his current role upon the acquisition of AmerUs Group by Aviva plc in 2006. Godlasky has over 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. Godlasky received a bachelor of science degree in urban and regional planning from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and holds a masters degree in public administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. |
| Jerald E. Hampton, director of sales, Longmore Credit Services, is a 31-year veteran in the financial services industry. Formerly, he was CEO of AXA Distributors and executive vice president of AXA Financial, where he was responsible for third party relationships and company product sales. Prior to his current position, he served as executive vice president and director of Private Client Financial Services for Smith Barney. Under his leadership, Smith Barney became the #1 distributor of life insurance and annuities on Wall Street. He also worked for EF Hutton as part of the pilot program to launch Universal Life into the market and for MONY where he achieved Rookie of the Year and Agent of the Year honors. |
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David Hartman is the president of the Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA). Founded in 1995, LISA is America's oldest, largest and most widely recognized trade association in the life settlement industry, participating in legislative and regulatory matters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Hartman is also the chief operating officer of Life Settlement Providers, LLC, a licensed Maryland life settlement provider. He joined Life Settlement Providers in August of 2005 and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the firm. Prior to joining Life Settlement Providers, Hartman was a principal of A. M. Pappas and Associates, a $150 million venture capital firm. He was formerly a manager in the consulting division of Deloitte & Touche. Hartman holds an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a CPA and recipient of the Katherine Guthrie Bronze Medal recognizing the third-highest score on the November 1996 North Carolina CPA Examination. Hartman also holds the Certified Fraud Examiners designation. |
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Ken Hartstein, CLU, CHFC, is chief executive officer of Economic Concepts Inc., a product marketing and consulting firm formed in 1991 as the successor entity to Investment and Retirement Systems, specializing in qualified pension and profit sharing plans. Additionally, he and his sons are managing partners of Medalist Pension Advisors, LLC, a full service pension and profit sharing administration firm. Hartstein has designed and successfully marketed tax-advantaged programs to assist clients in minimizing their business pretax profits. From 1968 to 1980, he was a partner within a corporation providing financial planning and pension plan consulting. In 1980, he served as a principal in both Investment and Retirement Systems and Actuarial and Administrative Services. He is a board member for The International Forum, member of the Advanced Association of Life Underwriters, past chairman of the Phoenix Tax Workshop's 401 Committee and past president of the Phoenix Chapter of American Society of Financial Service Professionals. He is a life and qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table and Top of the Table. Hartstein earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Long Island University. |
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Todd S. Healy, CLU, ChFC, AEP, principal, IPS Advisors, Inc., an independent insurance brokerage and consulting firm, is the creator of The Values Perpetuator Process®. For nearly three decades, he has worked with high net-worth individuals to help maximize their estates. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of California at Berkeley, holds Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant designations and is an Accredited Estate Planner with the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils. Healy frequently lecturers on advanced estate planning and the development of charitable giving programs and has served on many boards. |
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Jerry Hesch, JD, practices at the national law firm of Greenberg Traurig and is an adjunct professor at the University of Buffalo and the University of Miami law schools. He has published numerous articles and several Tax Management Portfolios, and he co-authored a law school casebook on Federal Income Taxation, now in its third edition. Hesch participated in several bar association projects, such as the Drafting Committee of the Florida Revised Uniform Partnership Act and preparing the ABA’s comments on the IRS’s proposed private annuity regulations. Formerly, Hesch worked in the Internal Revenue Service Office of Chief Counsel and was a full-time law professor. He received his bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Buffalo Law School. |
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Charles D. Hollander Jr. is president of Applied Strategies & Counsel, Inc., and co-founder of The Performance School. The concepts that led to the formation of Applied Strategies & Counsel, Inc. and the creation of The Performance School have evolved over the course of an 18-year career with industry leader, Sid Friedman. After building a successful practice in Philadelphia, Hollander packed up everything and started over in Scottsdale, Ariz. Applied Strategies & Counsel, Inc., has grown from providing comprehensive client advice to providing practice management training to advisors and enjoying the value of sharing expertise. The Performance School is the latest milestone in this progression. He serves on the board of directors of The International Forum and is a past Top of the Table member. |
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John Irvin, CPA, chairman and CEO, IBC, Innovative Benefits Consulting, Inc., a life insurance consulting firm and wholly owned subsidiary of National Financial Partners, NFP (NYSE), is an active representative of the financial advisory industry and frequent speaker and consultant for public and private organizations. Formerly, he was a partner and co-founder of Mid Atlantic Capital Group and president of Mid Atlantic Insurance Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary. He worked at the international accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Company in its tax department and formed the certified public accounting firm of John Irvin and Company. Irvin serves on the Argon ST, a NASDAQ traded firm, Board of Directors and is the Audit Committee Chairperson. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University with an accounting major. |
| Eric A. Jacoby, CFP, Registered Investment Advisor, runs his own practice, The Jacoby Agency, which services more than 800 clients. He has extensive knowledge of life, disability and long¬-term care insurance and is also experienced in the areas of estate, retirement and education planning. Jacoby frequently conducts long-term care planning continuing education. He attended San Diego State University, majoring in Business Administration. |
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Hendrik F. Jordaan, partner, Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, advises financial and strategic buyers and in public and private M&A transactions. He also serves as co-chairman of Holme Roberts & Owen LLP corporate group. In the course of his M&A practice, Jordaan routinely structures, negotiates and documents a wide array of transactions including asset acquisitions, stock acquisitions, mergers, leveraged buy outs, auction transactions, tender offers, going-private transactions and cross-border transactions. His practice spans a variety of industries including health care, logistics, natural resources, sports and entertainment, telecommunications and technology. |
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Martin Kalb, JD, represents Greenberg Traurig clients in all aspects of tax law, estate planning, corporate matters and M&A during a 30+ year tenure. Formerly, he was a shareholder and head of the firm's tax practice, executive vice president and general counsel of UniCapital Corporation, a former NYSE equipment leasing company and attorney in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service. |
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DuWayne Kilbo, FLMI, MBA, is principal of Windsor Insurance Associates, a brokerage general agency, is a 20+-year veteran with home office and field experience. His areas of expertise include underwriting, strategy development and implementation, brokerage management, agent recruitment, reinsurance treaty development and negotiation, home office underwriting management/underwriting standard development, case underwriting and process improvement. Kilbo is also an author and lecturer. |
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Stuart Kirsner founded the Pension Center of New York and the Stuart Estate Planning Organization. He is a 30-year and 20-year qualifier respectively of the Million Dollar Round Table Top of the Table. Kirsner has launched many of the biggest producers into seminar sales. He is a member of The International Forum and the Agents Advisory Council of Lincoln Financial. |
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Craig Kirsner, MBA, authored a book about the real estate bubble and coming crash, successfully calling the top of the real estate market. He is well-versed in life insurance, real estate mezzanine financing and stock trading. He graduated at the top of his master’s in business administration finance class from the Chapman School of Business at Florida International University. Krisner was inducted into the prestigious Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. His undergraduate studies were completed at the University of Florida. |
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Jason Kurchner has twenty-five years of experience in the life insurance and financial services industries. He is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Sage Consulting, a nationally recognized estate planning firm. He is affiliated with “The M Group”, the largest and most successful producer group in the country. Kurchner is a member of the board of directors of The International Forum, a member of the American Association of Life Underwriters (AALU) and the Financial Planning Association of Northeastern New York. Kurchner received his BA at Skidmore College, CFP through the College of Financial Planning and is an NASD Registered Representative and General Securities principal. |
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Joel Kurtzman is a senior fellow at the Milken Institute and executive director of SAVE, the institute’s program on alternative energy and climate change. He serves as senior advisor and chairman to Knowledge Universe and chairman of the Kurtzman Group, a consulting and advisory firm. He also advises a number of private equity firms and is co-chairman, with Harvey Pitt, of the Corporate Governance Summits, a meeting limited exclusively to directors of boards. He recently published his 20th book, “Global Edge” (Harvard Business School Press), about global risk management. Prior to his current roles, Kurtzman held the positions of Global Lead Partner for Thought Leadership and Innovation at PricewaterhouseCoopers, partner in a private equity firm, president of his own advisory firm, an alliance partner with Booz-Allen & Hamilton and an international economist at the United Nations and World Bank. Formerly, he was editor of the Harvard Business Review magazine and business editor of The New York Times, columnist for The New York Times and Fortune magazine, and Harvard Business School Publishing editorial board member. He is a member of the editorial board of MIT Sloan Management Review journal. Kurtzman speaks to diverse business and government audiences around the world, has hosted television and radio programs globally and served as chairman of numerous conferences. |
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Richard H. Linsday, CLU, AEP, ChFC, RFC, works with Planned Estate Services, headquartered in Westlake Village, California and is a Company of Met Life. Linsday has worked with accounting, legal and trust advisors in the design and implementation of sophisticated tax and investment strategies for his clients. This interest in strategic planning has allowed Linsday to integrate family wealth and life planning into creative financial and estate strategies for individuals and business owners alike. As an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Rich is active in, The Society for Financial Services Professionals as Director, Foundation for Society of Financial Services Professionals, President, the Los Angeles Estate Planning Council and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (West Los Angeles). He presently teaches "Personal Financial Planning" at California State University Northridge as an Adjunct Professor of Finance in their School of Business. He graduated from Northern Illinois University and attended National Defense University for graduate work. |
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William L. MacDonald, MBA, is CEO and Chairman of the Board at Retirement Capital Group. He founded Compensation Resource Group in 1978, which grew to one of the industry leaders in nonqualified plans. In 2000, the Compensation Resource Group was acquired by a NYSE company, where MacDonald served as president and CEO of the executive benefits division until 2003. With a passion for building organizations, he founded RCG in 2003. Just five years later, this organization is among the top firms in the field with offices in six major cities. MacDonald is a 28-year member of Top of the Table and a member of the Association For Advanced Life Underwriting. He graduated from Northeastern University and the Harvard Business School. |
| Jerry Mainardi is with Lighthouse Strategic Projects Group. With 28 years of marketing experience, Mainardi has seen the good, the bad and the ugly. His marketing skills were developed directing film for some of the nation's top financial services companies, pioneering interactive television in conjunction with Bell Atlantic in 1995 and winning the Top 100 Multimedia Producer title in the United States in 1996. His directing skills culminated in 2005, with his first feature length motion picture, “The Final Patient.” His passion for creating meaningful, engaging marketing resulted in the formation of Selling Technologies, a software company established in 1995. The company's focus is developing emotionally compelling sales tools for the financial services market, with a heavy reliance on video content. There are two CD-ROM-based titles presently in the insurance marketplace, businessKillers® and FamilyMatters ® with another, FootPrints™, scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2008. He has been quoted in many national publications on the subject of electronic marketing techniques and is a featured speaker at regional, national and international conferences on multimedia’s effect on the financial services industry and how technology can shorten the sales cycle. |
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Robert Massengill, president, SES Advisors, has been working with owners of privately-held companies for more than 20 years. His experience in M&A as an investment banker in New York provided a solid foundation for his transition into the ESOP advisory business. He is a frequent speaker on ESOP matters and is an active member of the leading trade associations, including The ESOP Association, where he is a member of the Valuation Advisory Committee and the National Center for Employee Ownership. Massengill has authored several articles for The Journal of Employee Ownership Law and Finance including articles on non-leveraged ESOPs and using convertible preferred stock in ESOP transactions. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Miami University (Ohio) and a master’s degree in business administration from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. |
| John McCarroll, JD, serves as general counsel at Q Capital Strategies LLC, a life settlement provider. Prior to this position, he practiced insurance regulatory and corporate insurance law, most recently with firms Dewey and LeBoeuf and Locke Lord Bissell and Liddell. He also worked as an in-house attorney with Insurance Services Office and has represented clients in litigation, corporate and employment matters. McCarroll was recently elected vice president of the Board of Directors of the Life Insurance Settlement. He worked extensively to revise the Life Insurance Settlement Association Standards and Best Practices. McCarroll earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from St. John’s University School of Law. |
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Jon B. Mendelsohn, president and CEO, Ashar Group, LLC, a nationally-licensed, life settlement firm, has extensive life settlement process experience and expertise in both the operational and marketing components of the secondary market. He became active in the life settlement industry when the market transitioned to an institutionally-driven market. He has spoken nationally at numerous financial services conferences and frequently conducts continuing education for both financial advisors and attorneys nationally. He is a member of The International Forum and the 21st Services Customer Advisory Board. Mendelsohn earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and marketing and a master’s degree in education from the University of Florida. |
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Paul R. Myers, FSA, MAAA, assistant vice president and marketing actuary of Munich American Reassurance Company, is responsible for client management and marketing of individual life reinsurance products and services to direct insurers. For most of his career, he has developed and priced life insurance products for both the direct and reinsurance markets. Myers also worked for Hartford Life, served as the lead life actuary for a National Financial Partners Core Carrier and spent time in sales serving as a regional director and a wholesaler for an insurer. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the Pennsylvania State University. |
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Mike O’Donnel is a principal with Alliant Insurance Services in a Houston, Texas. O’Donnel began his career in 1986 as part of an office with three brokers and three support staff. Today, Alliant has over 1000 employees in 28 different cities as a result of several strategic mergers and acquisitions. Alliant’s brokerage services include property/casualty, employee benefits, executive benefits and wealth transfer/exit planning. O’Donnel specializes in executive benefits, retirement and estate planning. His clients include business executives and high net worth individuals. He is a registered representative with Lincoln Securities, on the Board of Directors of The International Forum and the World Health and Golf Association. He has spoken at many industry functions as well as various associations. Some of these include Rice University, the University of Houston, the State Bar of Texas, The International Forum and at numerous life insurance company conventions.He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston and completed the Retirement Strategies Program and the Wharton School of Business. |
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F. Ted O’Hara, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, is president of Araho Ltd., a full-service pension administration firm; a partner in Adirondack Financial Services, a professional money management firm; and a registered representative of Berthel Fisher. He is a 34-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table, member of the Top of the Table and past treasurer of The International Forum. |
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Terry O’Neill is founder of The O’Neill Company, an affiliated National Financial Partners firm, which is a 220-person national financial and employee benefit enterprise. Formerly, he served as president and CEO of The O’Neill Company consulting firm. He is the author of “The Life Insurance Kit, a Consumer Guide” (Dearborn Financial Publishing) and has published financial articles in "Employee Benefit Plan Review," "Financial Services Week," "Leaders Magazine," "Life Association News," "The National Underwriter," "San Diego Commerce," "Solutions and workforce.com." He frequently lectures on financial innovation, retirement planning, health care benefits and planning, employee and executive benefits and estate planning. O’Neill has served on many boards and advisory councils. |
| Steve Orr serves as President of Life Settlement Providers, LLC, one of the largest vertically-integrated life settlement providers. In this capacity he is responsible for the firm’s sales, marketing, and government relations functions. Before joining Life Settlement Providers, LLC, he served as Insurance Commissioner in Maryland where he was actively involved in health care reform, property-casualty issues, and producer concerns. Originally from North Carolina, but a Maryland resident for 28 years, Orr is a 30-year veteran of insurance, information technology and banking. He was Senior Vice President/Chief Information Officer of Universal Underwriters Group (UUG) in Overland Park, Kansas. Prior to UUG, Orr served as Vice President North American Shared Services of Zurich Financial Services in Baltimore, Maryland. Between 1982 and 2000, Orr was an entrepreneur, founding and operating several technology start-ups. Between 1978 and 1982, he worked in commercial banking in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Baltimore, Maryland. Orr, 53, is a cum laude with honors Economics graduate of Wake Forest University and holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He also holds a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. |
| Caleb Pitters, JD, director, Credit Suisse, manages the Delta One Trading desk in the Life Finance Group. He specializes in emerging markets sales and trading. Prior to his current role, Pitters traded bonds and credit default swaps for sovereign and corporate credits in Latin America and Asia on behalf of Credit Suisse. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. |
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Alan Pratt, CEP, CAP, is a family legacy advisor who specializes in Advanced Life Insurance designs. His company, Pratt Legacy Advisors, created Legacy Planning from the Heart™. He frequently speaks about wealth preservation, stewardship and family relationships. Pratt earned his CAP designation in 2006 and was elected to the Board of Directors of The International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy. In 2007, he became a founding member of the Seattle Philanthropic Advisors Network. Pratt is also an active member of the National Institute of Certified Estate Planners, Washington Planned Giving Council and the Seattle Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. |
| Paul Robb, CLU, ChFC, CFP®, managing director, Succession Capital Alliance, and founder, The Wealth Management Alliance, LLC, an alliance based joint-work producer network, is a recognized expert in the field of multidisciplinary practices and premium financing. Formerly, Robb served as CEO of Collaborate Solutions, a software company specializing in technologies that facilitate the alliance business model, and he was a Northwestern Mutual Life career agent. During the successful tenure of his Wealth Management Alliance model, Robb incorporated the CMS premium financing program into his joint work marketing efforts. Today, CMS is endorsed by 10 major life insurance carriers and represents the multi-billion dollar placement of life insurance policies with a premium portfolio of more than $1.7 billion. Resulting from a partnership relationship between CMS and a Fortune 100 Company, Succession Capital Alliance was created to address a void in the understanding and communication of life insurance within the insurance industry. He is a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table and The International Forum and has achieved Top of the Table status. Robb holds a business degree from the University of Arizona. |
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Warren Rosen |
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Philip D. Rowe, CLU, is chief marketing officer for Niche Marketing, Inc. Niche was co-created by Rowe and Judi Carsrud in 1991 to serve planning professionals with new ideas and support for welfare benefit plan implementation. Rowe has a substantial financial planning and insurance background, having spent 22 years in the Connecticut General-CIGNA system as the regional manager of one of their most successful sales offices, and he has subsequently owned and operated his own financial planning organization. Rowe is a member of The International Forum, has spoken at Million Dollar Round Table meetings and conducts frequent seminars on welfare benefit plans. He is a graduate in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. |
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John Scroggin, JD, LL.M (tax), AEP, has practiced as a business, tax and estate planning attorney for 30 years. He serves as founding editor-in-chief of the NAEPC Journal of Estate and Tax Planning. He is a frequent lecturer as well as the author of more than 200 published articles and columns. Scroggin has been quoted extensively, including: "The Wall Street Journal" (1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), CNN Headline News (on the Terri Schavio case), MSN National Public Radio Marketplace Radio, National Public Radio Talk of the Town, "Fortune" magazine, "Forbes" magazine, "Kiplinger’s", "Money" magazine, "Dow Jones Investment Advisor," "Worth" magazine, "Financial Advisor," "Bloomberg Wealth Management," "Financial Planning," "The New York Times," "Chicago Tribune," "Smart Money" magazine, "Wall Street Magazine," "The South China Post," "The LA Times" and "Newsday." |
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Howard E. Sharfman, president, Schwartz Benefit Services, Inc., is a recognized estate tax and executive benefits authority. Sharfman’s strategies for wealth transfer, including the “Zero Estate Tax Plan,” have been implemented by many of the nation’s leading families. He brings a unique perspective to the industry as a result of his strategic alliances with accounting firms across the country. He serves on the advisory boards of John Hancock and Partners Financial and is a frequent lecturer and contributor to publications. Sharfman serves on The International Forum Board of Directors, is a member of the Advanced Association of Life Underwriters, Million Dollar Round Table and Top of the Table and is the current chairman of ING’s LifeDesign Advisory Board. |
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Robert C. Slane, AEP, CLU, is president of The Wealth Transfer Group, Inc., and member-manager of Wealth Transfer Group, LLC. He assists attorneys, accountants, trust officers and wealthy families on a broad range of wealth transfer planning strategies. Slane has appeared on CNBC’s Power Lunch and has been quoted in the "The New York Times," "The Wall Street Journal," "Trusts and Estates" magazine and "Bloomberg Wealth Manager" magazine. He received a U.S. patent for a business method involving non-qualified stock options in 2003. Slane is a current member and past president of The International Forum. |
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Simon Singer, CFP, RFC, is renowned throughout the financial services industry as one of the brightest and most successful practitioners in the nation. He has co-authored three books on Asset Protection and Estate Planning in conjunction with the Esperiti Peterson Institute and the National Association of Family Wealth Counselor’s, and lectures frequently on these subjects nationally. He is also the Past President of The International Forum.
Through the company he founded, the Advisor Consulting Group, in addition to the Southern California Institute, and the CPA/Law Forum, he teaches attorneys and CPAs advanced educational information as well as team building and communication skills so as to better serve their clients. |
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Steven Solys has 16 years of experience in the financial services industry. He joined Sagemark Consulting/Lincoln Financial Group in July 1992 as a financial advisor. His current national practice specializes in family estate, charitable business, insurance and wealth management planning solutions for his highly affluent clientele. Solys is a frequent speaker at Lincoln's national sales conferences and agency meetings. He is a consultant to several Lincoln/Sagemark offices for working with the affluent and their advisors using sophisticated estate and charitable plan design. Solys has degrees in biochemistry and genetic engineering from the University of Michigan and the University of Toledo. |
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Warren Steinborn is a leading life insurance producer and one of the industry’s foremost experts on qualified plan marketing. As a consultant to several life insurance companies, he currently shares his expertise with producers in the indexed life market. Steinborn received his undergraduate degree at Southern Illinois University and attended Washington University Law School. As a personal producer since 1968, he has mastered the unique ability to develop sales concepts, strategies and market penetration by utilizing standard insurance products to niche markets. Steinborn is a member of NAIFA, AALU- Association of Advanced Life Underwriters; as well as the International Forum, a producer-based organization with member production requirements of $500,000 or more per year. Warren is a member of the American Society of Pension Actuaries as well as a member of the prestigious NAACI group, the National Association of Actuaries and Consultants, Inc. |
| Dan Sullivan is the founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc. and the creator of The Strategic Coach® Program. Since its inception in 1988, this lifetime focusing program has helped accomplished entrepreneurs to reach new heights of success and happiness. Sullivan has more than 30 years of experience as a highly regarded speaker, consultant, strategic planner and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups. The Strategic Coach has helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs in 60 different industries to simplify their lives, focus their Unique Ability®, develop their organizations and expand their success in the marketplace. A sought-after speaker, Sullivan is the author of over 30 publications, with a reading and listening audience of more than 100,000 individuals. |
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Thomas A. Taylor is a Regional Vice President and Sales Manager for Prudential Annuities, supporting the South Texas region. He has worked in the financial services industry for over a decade. Taylor spent many years as a successful financial planner with an NASD firm in New Orleans, before joining Prudential Annuities in late 2004. In 2005, he received the New Wholesaler of the Year award. Taylor received the Divisional Sales Leader award in 2006. Today, Taylor is responsible for the sale of variable annuity products in South Texas in Prudential Annuities’ independent broker-dealer channel. A certified continuing education instructor, he also provides financial professionals with sales techniques and initiatives to help them grow their business. As a top retail producer, Taylor is eager to share the knowledge and experience he has gained with independent advisors to help them meet their clients’ needs. Taylor has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of New Orleans. He currently resides in Houston, Texas with his wife and two dogs. |
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Steve Walker is the Chief Operating Officer of 21st Services, a leading provider of life expectancy evaluations. Walker has more than 13 years' experience in the viatical and life settlement industry and was one of the founders of 21st Services, LLC, which opened its doors in 1998. Walker is in charge of all aspects of the company's operations, including underwriter productivity, underwriting support, client services, post-purchase mortality tracking and death claim processing, throughout North America and much of Europe. 21st Services has made its mark in the life expectancy evaluation business by emphasizing independence, consistency and reproducibility in its evaluations. From the beginning, the company has combined underwriting expertise with systems innovation to provide a unique life expectancy product. |
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Benjamin Woloshin serves as vice president of the Longevity Markets Group of Goldman Sachs. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, he worked within the variable annuity and life insurance space for MetLife International. He also worked for Citigroup, CitiInsurance and Travelers Life and Annuity in a variety of global distribution and product development roles. In addition, Woloshin preformed various global roles in the investment management business both at Putnam Investments and the Bank of America. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago. |
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Perry Wong, senior managing economist in regional economics, the Milken Institute, is an expert on regional economics, development and econometric forecasting. He specializes in analyzing the structure, industry mix, development and public policies of a regional economy. He designs, manages and performs research on labor and workforce issues, the relationship between technology and economic development, and trade and industry, with a focus on policy development and implementation of economic policy in both leading and disadvantaged regions. Wong is actively involved in projects aimed at increasing access to technology and regional economic development in California and the Midwest. His work extends to the international arena, where he is involved in regional economic development in southern China, Taiwan and elsewhere in Asia. Prior to joining the institute, Wong was a senior economist and director of regional forecasting at Global Insight Inc. He earned a master's degree in economics from Temple University. |
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Teague Wright, executive vice president of The Potomac Group, a Crump Company, addresses the needs of the high net-worth marketplace. Prior to her current role, Wright held the positions of senior vice president, sales, for The Potomac Group and vice president, underwriting, for National Financial Partners. There, she built National Financial Partner’s Underwriting Advocacy Program. She also worked for BISYS for six years, where she served as director of the major case division. Wright received her bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University. |
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Glenn Yago, director of Capital Studies, the Milken Institute, is a leading authority on financial innovations, capital markets, emerging markets and environmental finance. He is also a Senior Koret Fellow, directing postgraduate research on economic and financial reform in Israel. Yago focuses on the innovative use of financial instruments to solve long-standing economic development, social and environmental challenges. He is the author of five books, including "Global Edge" (Harvard Business School Press), "Restructuring Regulation and Financial Institutions" (Kluwer) and "Beyond Junk Bonds" (Oxford University Press), and he is co-editor of the Milken Institute Series on “Financial Innovation and Economic Growth” (Springer). Yago created the Milken Institute’s Capital Access Index, an annual survey measuring access to capital for entrepreneurs across countries and co-created the Opacity Index, measuring financial risks associated with corruption, legal, enforcement, accounting and regulatory practices internationally. He holds a doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. |
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E. Dennis Zahrbock is the founder and president of a 30-year-old financial resources firm with expertise in comprehensive financial planning, 401(k) design, administration and funding and business owner exit planning strategies. He has two partners and eight staff associates including a chief operating officer, which resulted from Kevin Casey’s consulting project with his firm. His life insurance career began as a senior in college. Within seven months, Zahrbock had sold a million dollars of whole life insurance. Five years later he discovered that he had been selling an inferior product and vowed to become smarter about service and products or else exit the industry. |
The International Forum
2008 Annual Meeting
January 12-16, 2008
Loews Miami Beach Hotel
Miami Beach, Florida
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William R. Brereton, JD, CLU, is president of The Brereton Group. Brereton holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and earned his Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, from Chase College of Law in Cincinnati. He frequently conducts seminars with other attorneys on client oriented solutions to wealth preservation. Brereton also was the consulting editor for The Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust - Forms and Drafting Notes, which is part of the American Bar Association's Insurance Counselor Series. In addition, he was the contributing author to Generations - Planning Your Legacy, a 1998 guide to estate planning. Brereton is a member of the Ohio Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association and the American Bar Association. His firm specializes in financial modeling, which is critical to wealth transfer planning for the larger estate. |
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John H. Brown, JD, is the president of Business Enterprise Institute, Inc. (BEI) and founder of the Denver law firm of Minor & Brown, P.C. Brown began his practice as an estate planner, but over the last 30 years has represented hundreds of business owners as they work to orchestrate successful exits from their companies. As president of BEI, Brown has taught thousands of advisors how to solve their clients' most pressing problem - how to exit their companies in style. |
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Alan Buerger is CEO and co-founder of Coventry. Under Buerger’s leadership, Coventry created the secondary market and has transformed the life insurance industry by giving consumers the opportunity to sell their unwanted policies in a free market environment. Coventry’s efforts have enabled policy owners to receive more than $1.2 billion over cash surrender value. Coventry continues to provide consumers with new ways to leverage the market value of life insurance. For more than 30 years, Buerger has been one of the industry’s chief innovators. He has worked to continually expand the power, value and flexibility of life insurance, and he is responsible for more than a dozen major innovations. |
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Steve Cain, CLTC, CSA, has been with MARSH Private Client Services (formerly Centrelink Insurance and Financial Services) since May of 1999. In 2004, he became the director of the Long-Term Care Division. After receiving a BA in communication, with a minor in business from the University of California at Santa Barbara, he had a brief career in professional baseball with the Detroit Tigers farm system. Cain was part of the team that introduced Lincoln Benefit Life’s long-term care policy to the brokerage market. At MARSH PCS, Cain is responsible for overall sales production, corporate/group sales, marketing support and agent training for MARSH PCS representatives. |
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Judi Carsrud is president and co-founder of Niche Plan Sponsors, Inc. Niche has been a leader in the proper use of welfare benefit plans since 1991 and specializes in supporting the financial service industry in the sales and implementation of welfare plans. Carsrud has almost 30 years of experience in the life insurance industry and in financial planning. Her technical expertise on 419 is well known and respected throughout the industry. Carsrud has been very active in working with Congress and the Treasury for clear guidance on welfare benefit plans and is committed to furthering the use and application of welfare benefits for small-to medium-sized businesses. |
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Brian T. Casey, Esq., is a partner in the Financial Services and Insurance Practice Group of Lord, Bissell & Brook LLP and chairs the Insurance Capital Markets Practice. Casey focuses on corporate mergers and acquisitions, premium finance and life settlement transactions, multi-state insurance regulation and technology matters for insurance companies, insurance agencies, third party administrators and financial services firms. He also represents clients in privacy, reinsurance, corporate finance, venture capital and taxation matters. He is a founding member of the Life Insurance Finance Association, a board member of the Life Insurance Settlement Association and chaired The First Annual Life Insurance Premium Finance Symposium. Casey speaks nationally on life settlements and life insurance premium finance transactions. He graduated from Auburn University (BS, BA accounting, summa cum laude, 1984); The Ohio State University College of Law (JD, 1987) and Emory University (Master of Laws in Taxation, 1992). |
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Thomas Commito, JD, LL.M, CLU, ChFC, AEP, is with Lincoln Financial Distributors and has 30 years of experience in advanced sales, life insurance products and life insurance marketing. He has managed the traditional product line at National Life of Vermont. Commito is a graduate of Cornell University (BA), Boston College Law School (JD) and Boston University Law School (LLM -Taxation). He is admitted to practice law in Vermont and Massachusetts. Since 2001, he has written annually the Life Insurance Section for NYU Review of Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation published by Lexis/Nexis. Commito has also published two books: Working with FLPs and LLCs: A Practitioners Guide and Comprehensive Buy-Sell Agreements. |
| Dan Cornwell is managing director of Cambridge Wealth Strategies, a division of Cambridge Consulting Group. Cornwell helps high net-worth individuals grow and protect their savings and investments through estate conservation techniques, financial strategies, long-term tax planning services and wealth preservation programs. In addition, he provides insurance and investment analysis for both individuals and emerging businesses. He has been with Cambridge for more than 15 years and since 1997, he has helped grow Cambridge Wealth Strategies’ revenue by more than 150%. Cornwell is a graduate of Walsh College of Accounting and Business Administration. |
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Douglas Davidoff, CFP, is the founder and CEO of Imagine Business Development and Imagine Wealth Management. He is the author and publisher of TheFastGrowthBlog.com, which gets more than 250,000 visits per month. He is the creator of The INTELLIGENT GROWTH Process™ enabling fast-growth companies and advisors to break free from commoditization and cut their sales cycle time in half. Davidoff has owned and operated four businesses. He is also the author of five books, most recently, Building The Bridge: 4 Steps to Cutting Your Sales Cycle in Half and The 11 Laws of Accelerating Business Growth. |
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Charlie Day, M.A.A.A., EA, CPC, CLU, MSPA, is president and CEO of Actuarial Business Solutions, LLC. and Actuarial Data Inc., professional firms specializing in actuarial consulting, valuation and retirement plan administration services. He is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries, the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries and the American Society of Financial Professionals. He is also an enrolled actuary, certified pension consultant and chartered life underwriter. Day has served on the board of directors of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries and President Jimmy Carter’s Council on Pension Policy. He is a member of AALU, The International Forum and the MDRT (both a Court and Top of the Table qualifier). |
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Harry S. Dent, Jr. is the founder of the H. S. Dent Foundation, whose mission is “Helping People Understand Change”. In his book The Great Boom Ahead, published in 1992, Dent stood alone in accurately forecasting the unanticipated “Boom” of the 1990s. In his latest book, The Next Great Bubble Boom, Dent offers a comprehensive forecast for the next two decades with strong growth ahead followed by an extended economic contraction. Dent received his MBA from Harvard Business School. |
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Todd Fithian, CEO of The Legacy Companies, has literally grown up in the financial services industry. Third generation family in the industry, Fithian, along with his late brother Scott C. Fithian, were always driven to approach things a little differently than their predecessors. A lifelong entrepreneur, Fithian formed his own financial advisory firm in Boston soon after graduating from The University of Massachusetts. He then joined forces with his brother in 1996 to form The Legacy Companies, a consulting company for professional advisors to learn and implement the Fithian's proprietary "Discovery Process". As co-developer of The Legacy Wealth Optimization System®, he has consulted with advisors, business owners, corporations and families in the United States, Canada and Australia. |
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Robert J. Gaspard is the vice president and director of LBP® for Peachtree LBP Finance Company, LLC. Gaspard joined Peachtree in August 1998 as an account executive and rapidly became a top performer in the Structured Settlement Division. In 2001, he became a key member of the WealthBuilder/CompBuilder team and, in late 2004, he transitioned to the new LBP® Division. Prior to his current role, Gaspard was named vice president – national accounts and has spearheaded the release of the company's new LBP 401(k) Plussmsolution. Gaspard received his Bachelor of Science degree in business and finance from Belhaven College, Jackson, Miss., where he graduated with honors. |
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David Goldman is a founding member of the Life Finance Group at Credit Suisse. Since the group's formation in 2003, Goldman has been involved in all aspects of the life insurance finance activities of the bank and currently runs its structuring efforts. Goldman has designed and managed each of the wide range of products under the life finance umbrella, including life settlements, annuity / life policy combination transactions, permanent financing and traditional fixed-term maturity financing. An alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Goldman holds a Bachelor of Science in economics with a concentration in finance. |
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Thomas J. Handler, JD, is the principal chair of the Advanced Planning and Family Office Practice Group of Handler, Thayer & Duggan, LLC. Handler’s primary area of expertise involves the analysis and design of complex structures and estate plans while creating estate and income efficiency. Such planning often involves the interplay of income tax, estate tax, executive benefits and financial matters. Handler is particularly experienced in advising institutional clients, entrepreneurs, executives, professional athletes, celebrities and family offices. He has extensive experience in the analysis, design and implementation of domestic and international business planning, financial and estate planning, asset protection and advanced tax planning strategies. |
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Charles Hollander is president and CEO of Applied Strategies and Counsel, Inc. (ASC), and co-founder of The Performance School. The concepts that led to the formation of ASC and the creation of The Performance School have evolved over the course of an 18 year career with one of our industry leaders, Sid Friedman. After 18 years of building a successful practice in Philadelphia, Hollander packed up everything and started over in Scottsdale, Ariz. The company has grown from providing comprehensive client advice to providing practice management training to advisors and enjoying the value of sharing expertise. The Performance School is the latest milestone in this progression. |
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David Houston, JD, is an advanced marketing consultant with ING Life and has worked for ING since 2004. Houston has been working in the life insurance industry since 2000 and specializes in estate planning, executive benefits planning and nonqualified benefits for nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations. Prior to entering the life insurance field, he was an attorney in private practice with a small Minneapolis law firm specializing in estate planning. Houston has given numerous presentations around the country to insurance professionals and financial planners on topics ranging from estate planning to executive benefits planning. |
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Scott Keffer is president of Wealth Transfer Solutions, Inc. Keffer is a nationally recognized financial educator, speaker and lecturer, who has been interviewed by Bill Flanagan on KDKA TV’s Sunday Business Page, WPXI TV’s Region’s Business and on Eleanor Schano’s AgeWise program on PBS. Keffer is a contributing author on two books on advanced wealth planning: Love, Money and Control; Reinventing Estate Planning and Giving; Philanthropy for Everyone. He has conducted over 455 presentations across the country on topics including zero estate tax planning, family wealth preservation in the 2000s and tax smart retirement planning. Keffer has advised wealthy individuals and families across the United States for more than a quarter of a century. His counsel and assistance has saved them over $727 million in estate and income taxes. Keffer earned his BS in economics, graduating cum laude from Washington and Jefferson College. |
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Scott Kirby is co-president of Advanced Settlements. He has an extensive background in the life settlement industry dating back to 1997 when the secondary market for life insurance began to emerge. Having begun his career with a viatical settlement broker in Florida, he helped pioneer the company’s entry into the life settlement marketplace and completed some of the industry’s very first transactions. In 2000, Kirby co-founded Advanced Settlements and has helped the company grow to one of the leading life settlement firms in the industry. He is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and resides in Windermere, Fla. |
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Denis Kleinfeld, JD, CPA, is a shareholder of Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, a principal of Kleinfeld Global Services, LLC and general counsel of Four Points Family Office LLC. He serves as a strategic legal advisor to affluent families and closely held businesses on sophisticated national and international income tax, estate tax, investment and transaction planning and asset protection planning matters. He is co-author of the two volume treatise Practical International Tax Planning published by Practicing Law Institute, and is on the editorial board of Estate Planning Magazine published by Research Institute of America. Kleinfeld graduated from the University of Illinois (BS in accounting) and was registered as a CPA. Kleinfeld received his JD from Loyola University of Chicago, School of Law. |
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Blaine Laverick, CEBS, CRPS, CLU, ChFC, is a vice president with the Principal Financial Group®. Laverick is responsible for providing nonqualified sales support for national distribution networks. He received his BA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and earned the professional designation of Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Laverick is a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) with Court of the Table qualification, the National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS). |
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Brent Longnecker, CCC, CCP, CBP, is president of Longnecker & Associates. He has more than 20 years of experience in the analysis, design and implementation of innovative performance, productivity-enhancement and cost-savings programs. Longnecker was selected by Consulting Magazine as one of the 2005 Top 25 consultants in the U.S. Additionally, he was selected by The Heritage Registry of WHO’s WHO for inclusion in the 2005-2006 edition. His consulting engagements with numerous CEOs, boards of directors, investment bankers, attorneys and certified public accountants for all major industries have embraced a wide range of operational, organizational, strategic and ethical business issues. Longnecker is frequently quoted in the national print and broadcast media and has authored hundreds of articles and more than a half-dozen books on this increasingly complex area. |
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William L. MacDonald, MBA, founded Retirement Capital Group, Inc. (RCG) in San Diego in 2003, where he serves as CEO and chairman of the board. In 1978, he founded Compensation Resource Group (CRG), later acquired by a NYSE company having served as president and CEO of the Executive Benefits Division until 2003. MacDonald has consulted on executive compensation and benefit issues for more than 25 years for numerous public and privately held firms. He is a frequent lecturer to various organizations, including The Conference Board, World-at-Work, Forbes CEO Forum and the YPO. He is a 27 year member of the Top of the Table and a member of AALU. MacDonald graduated from Northeastern University and The President’s Program on Leadership from Harvard Business School. |
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Dan Marino is founder of the Dan Marino Foundation and one of the most celebrated athletes in the world. As quarterback of the Miami Dolphins for 17 consecutive seasons, he held 20 National Football League Records, including “Most Passes Completed, Career” at an astonishing 4,967, “Most Seasons, 3,000 or More Yards Passing” at 13 seasons, and “Highest Completion Percentage as a Rookie”. In August 2005, Marino was guaranteed his place in sports history by being inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. Motivated by experiences in raising their second son, Michael, who has autism, Marino and his wife, Claire, created the Dan Marino Foundation in 1992. The Dan Marino Foundation has been an important resource for children with developmental disabilities and for the families who love them. |
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Z. Christopher Mercer, ASA, CFA, is founder and chief executive officer of Mercer Capital, a business valuation and investment banking firm serving a national and international clientele. Mercer began his valuation career in the late 1970s. He has prepared, overseen or contributed to hundreds, if not thousands, of valuations for purposes related to M&A, litigation and tax, among others. He is a prolific author on valuation-related topics and one of the most sought after speakers on business valuation issues for national professional associations and other business and professional groups. Mercer is the author of five books and is a contributing author to Valuation for Impairment Testing (Peabody Publishing, LP, 2001). Mercer has also published scores of articles and given numerous speeches on topics related to business valuation and investment banking. |
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Steve Milbrath is a shareholder of Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A. He has substantial experience in the trial and appeal of complex cases, including all phases of intellectual property, and in the representation of litigants in federal court appeals. He recorded one of the top 100 verdicts (by damage amount) in the United States in 2006 and was named one of Florida’s super lawyers by SuperLawyer.com. Milbrath is board certified by The Florida Bar in business litigation and served as an assistant U.S. attorney, a federal court law clerk and a member of the Levin Law Center's adjunct faculty on Internet law. His memberships include the Federal Circuit Bar Association, American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Intellectual Property Law and Antitrust Committees of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar. |
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Thomas E. Miller, CLU, ChFC, CFP, is president and founder of The VisionLink Advisory Group and creator of The VisionLink Solution™, a unique process that helps businesses envision, create and sustain great compensation and rewards programs. Miller’s background includes 30 years of advising both private and public companies on the adoption of compensation and benefits programs. In addition to running The VisionLink Advisory Group, he is a principal in VisionLink Corporate Insurance Services, an M Financial firm. He has been responsible for the implementation of numerous corporate owned life insurance programs around the country. |
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Elizabeth B. Monty, CPA/ABV, CFE, CVA, is a co-founder and managing director with Veriti Consulting, LLC, which provides litigation support, business valuation, fraud and forensic accounting services. With more than 19 years of public accounting experience, she was also previously a managing director at American Express Tax and Business Services, Inc. for 12 years. In that position, she served as a testifying expert, consulting expert or project director in fraud detection, forensic analysis, calculation of damages and business valuation matters. Monty received her BS in accounting from Arizona State University (ASU), and has also completed advanced studies in the field of taxation. Monty has also served on the School of Accountancy’s Advisory Board for the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. |
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Deborah O’Neil, JD, CFP, CLU, joined AXA Equitable Insurance Company in July 1993 after serving in the U.S. Air Force for eight years in Nebraska and Germany. While in Heidelberg, Germany, she received her BS in business management from the University of Maryland, European Division. In May 1994, she earned her JD from the University of Denver, College of Law. O'Neil's positions with AXA have included advanced underwriter, director of advance planning, assistant director, life marketing and estate planning and director, wealth planning team. In her current position, O'Neil is responsible for assisting Paramount Planning Group (PPG) members with advanced planning issues for case design and technical matters. |
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Richard A. Oshins, JD, MBA, in taxation, LLM in taxation, is a shareholder of the Las Vegas law firm of Oshins & Associates. Oshins concentrates in tax and estate planning with a substantial emphasis on multi-generational wealth planning, particularly with regard to closely held businesses. He is regarded as one of America’s top estate planning lawyers, advising wealthy clients throughout the United States. Oshins is also an advisor and consultant to many of the largest financial institutions in the United States. He has been listed in both The Best Lawyers in America and Martindale-Hubbell's list of Preeminent Lawyers from their inception and has been honored as a recipient of the “Distinguished Accredited Estate Planner” award by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. He received a JD from St. John’s School of Law, holds an MBA in taxation with honors from the University of California at Berkeley and a LL.M degree in taxation with honors from George Washington University School of Law. |
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Thomas Petersen, RHU, FLMI, ALHC, HIA, is a senior partner at Petersen International Underwriters, one of the largest underwriting companies of disability insurance, through Lloyd’s. Petersen has an MBA from Pepperdine University, has studied at the UCLA School of Medicine and has developed numerous specialty insurance coverages, including specialty disability and international medical and kidnap insurance. He has been an MDRT, Top of the Table producer twice. |
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Phillip D. Rowe, CLU, is chief marketing officer for Niche Marketing, Inc. Niche was co-created by Rowe and Judi Carsrud in 1991 to serve planning professionals with new ideas and the support for welfare benefit plan implementation. Rowe has a substantial financial planning and insurance background, having spent 22 years in the Connecticut General-CIGNA system as the regional manager of one of their most successful sales offices, and has subsequently owned and operated his own financial planning organization. Rowe is a member of The International Forum, has spoken at MDRT meetings and conducts frequent seminars on welfare benefit plans. Rowe is a graduate in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. |
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Lawrence J. Rybka, JD, CFP, is president and CEO of Securities, Inc. Rybka received his BS in finance from The University of Akron as a university scholar, and his law degree from Wake Forest University. ValMark Securities, a NASD firm, specializes in working with independent wealth transfer firms in 32 states. ValMark’s independently-owned member firms are some of the most productive in the industry averaging $700,000 of commissions. He has authored over a dozen articles in U.S. financial industry publications with three of these articles being awarded the distinction of being technical article of the year by the CFP Board of Standards and the editors of The Journal of Financial Service Professionals. Rybka has also addressed every major financial industry group from the main platform including MDRT Top of the Table, The International Forum and AALU. He has served on the boards of AALU, the MDRT Foundation and the CFP Board of Standards. Last year he was named Financial Executive of the Year by the University of Akron. |
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Second City Communications has been performing improvisational sketch comedy in front of audiences for more than 46 years, making it the standard by which comedy and improv in America is judged by. So much talent has come from the ranks of the company’s many theaters over the years, it reads like a who’s who of contemporary American comedy. Some of their most well-known alumni are John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Mike Meyers, Chris Farley, Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch to name a few. The Second City also works with corporate groups to create a fun, interactive and unconventional approach to training. Working with groups as small as four and as large as 18,000, they have coached the employees of more than 200 Fortune 500 companies. |
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Andrew I. Shapiro, CLU, ChFC, is director of special projects for Nationwide Financial Services, Advanced Sales. He began his career as an agent, and after winning two sales awards, directed his energies into developing and educating life insurance professionals. He has worked with several large insurance companies, holding both home office, agency sales and marketing positions. He founded the Life and Health Insurance Department for a large multi-line firm in N.J. and has developed a national reputation for his expertise in business planning and executive benefit planning. Shapiro has been a featured speaker at local, regional and national meetings of insurance companies, broker-dealers and organizations such as The International Association of Financial Planners and the Forum. Shapiro graduated from Long Island University. |
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Wesley Sierk, CLU, ChFC, CRIS, is president and lead strategist for Risk Management Advisors, Inc. Sierk is an expert in alternative risk transfer and captive tax law. He works directly with clients to evaluate the many considerations a company must make before electing to form a captive. He has more than 14 years of experience helping highly profitable, closely held businesses limit their risk exposure and taxes through creative business structures, on-shore and off-shore entities and trust arrangements. Sierk works primarily with highly profitable homebuilders, manufacturing companies, real estate developers and sports and entertainment professionals. |
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Robert C. Slane, AEP, CLU, is president of The Wealth Transfer Group, Inc., and member-manager of Wealth Transfer Group, LLC in Altamonte Springs, Fla. He is a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, Central Florida Estate Planning Council, Central Florida Association of Life Underwriters and The International Forum, where he served as president in 2005. His speaking engagements include the NYU Tax Institute, NADA conference, The International Forum and the 2007 summer ACTEC Estate and Gift Tax Committee. He has appeared on CNBC’s Power Lunch, on National Public Radio Marketwatch and been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Trusts and Estates magazine and Bloomberg Wealth Manager magazine. Slane was granted a patent for a tax strategy involving non-qualified stock options by the U.S. Patent office in 2003. This was the first patent ever issued on a tax strategy. |
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Henry Smith, JD, is a partner of Smith & Downey, a law firm with a national practice concentrating in employee benefits, executive compensation and labor and employment law. Smith advises for-profit, tax-exempt, governmental and church-related employers of all sizes, in all industries and in all areas of the country, concerning the full range of employee benefit and executive compensation issues. Smith received his BA in political science, magna cum laude, from Frostburg State College, master's degree from the Johns Hopkins University and JD from the University of Maryland School of Law, where he graduated with honors and was selected to the Order of the Coif. Smith is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars. |
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Warren Steinborn of Warren Steinborn Associates is a registered investment advisor. He is a leading life insurance producer and one of the industry’s foremost experts on qualified plan marketing. As a consultant to Aviva Life Insurance Company, Steinborn currently shares that expertise with producers in the indexed life market. He founded Warren Steinborn Associates in 1968 as an employee benefits consulting firm. Today, WSI, Inc., and WSA Pension Services, Inc. provide insurance, investment and pension services for employers and individuals alike. He is also a founding partner and chairman of National Partners Group, an insurance marketing organization specializing in providing personal life insurance for the affluent client, working in conjunction with qualified plan administrators. Steinborn is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and a member of The International Forum and the American Society of Pension Actuaries. |
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Jim Stovall is president of the Emmy Award-winning Narrative Television Network (NTN). He is also a National Olympic weightlifting champion and a highly sought after author and platform speaker. He is the author of the best selling book, The Ultimate Gift, which is now a major motion picture starring James Garner and Abigail Breslin. Steve Forbes, president and CEO of Forbes magazine, says, “Jim Stovall is one of the most extraordinary men of our era.” For his work in making television accessible to our nation’s 13 million blind and visually impaired people, The President’s Committee on Equal Opportunity selected Stovall as the Entrepreneur of the Year. He was also chosen as the International Humanitarian of the Year, joining Jimmy Carter, Nancy Reagan and Mother Teresa as recipients of this honor. |
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Mark A. Teitelbaum, JD, CLU, ChFC, joined AXA Equitable in June 2006 to manage the advanced markets and marketing efforts of AXA Distributors – Life Division. Additionally, he is one of the attorneys responsible for handling field calls in the areas of business, estate and retirement planning. His primary focus, however, is in developing sales tools and marketing campaigns to position AXA Equitable’s life products in independent distribution channels. Prior to joining AXA Equitable, Teitelbaum was vice president of advanced sales at MetLife Investors and second vice president of advanced marketing at Travelers Life & Annuity. In those roles he primarily focused on developing sales tools to help integrate client-based approaches with proprietary life insurance illustration systems. Teitelbaum is a graduate of Kenyon College and obtained his JD and LL.M. at both Ohio Northern University and Boston University. |
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Henry Whiffen, MSFS, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, AEP, CAP, of The Estate Advisory Group, has worked with hundreds of very wealthy clients (now ranging from $50 million to over $1 billion net-worth) throughout the U.S. With his advanced planning and specialized software, Whiffen has saved billions in taxes and raised more than $2 billion for charity from his clients. He currently (along with two tax attorneys) is writing a book on that process, Advanced Estate Planning for Multi-Millionaires. He has spoken six times at MDRT (main platform in 1982), AALU, The International Forum and Top of the Table. |
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John P. White, MBA, CPA/AVB, CFE, CBA, ASA, is a co-founder and principal of Veriti Consulting LLC, which provides litigation support, business valuation and forensic accounting services. Previously, White was a founder and managing director of White Giordano & Associates Ltd., a Scottsdale, Ariz. based business valuation, litigation support, consulting and CPA firm. He has also led the business valuation practice of Henry & Horne, P.L.C., the largest Arizona-based CPA firm, and he worked with Spinelli Corporation in business valuation, litigation support and forensic accounting. White received his MBA and BS in accounting from Radford University. He also completed advanced graduate studies in accounting at Virginia Tech. |
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Christofer C. Ashby, Ph.D., is a co-founder and managing member of Premium Funding Group, LLC. He has more than 18 years of experience in financial and operational management, mergers & acquisitions and business development in the telecommunication, banking, shipping and insurance sectors. As an executive consultant with Ernst & Young's Privatization and Utilities Group in Central Eastern Europe, he led large-scale privatization engagements on behalf of The World Bank, Nomura Securities, Maersk Lines and General Electric among others. During his tenure with Deloitte & Touche, he specialized in mergers and acquisitions and private equity finance in emerging markets. Ashby is a licensed life and accident/health broker. |
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Kathleen R. Barrow, Esq., MBA, SPHR, is president and chief counsel for Millennium Marketing Group, LLC. Barrow is an Oklahoma and Texas-licensed attorney who has represented corporations, municipalities and other entities in the areas of healthcare employment, employee benefits and federal employment law. Barrow often authors articles, trains business managers and supervisors in ERISA/tax issues, federal labor and employment law compliance, workplace investigations and progressive discipline procedures. Barrow served as litigation defense counsel for various private corporate and public entities, including United Parcel Service, Halliburton Company and Seagate Technologies. Barrow earned her MBA from the Oklahoma City University and her JD from the University of Oklahoma, College of Law, both with high honors. |
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Jeff Blackman is a speaker, author, success coach, broadcast personality and lawyer. He heads a results-producing business-growth firm in the Chicagoland area. His clients call him, a "business-growth specialist." For over two decades, Jeff has shared his positive and profit-producing messages with Fortune 500 companies, closely-held businesses and entrepreneurial-driven organizations. Jeff is also a Contributing Editor to numerous magazines and newspapers, and he has authored several books, as well as, audio and video business-growth tools. |
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J. David Briggs is a native of New York state, graduated from the University of Denver and has been in the financial services and life insurance industries since 1974. In 1987, Briggs formed the Colorado Financial Group. Briggs' honors include life and qualifying status 25 times in the Million Dollar Round Table, Court of the Round Table qualifications since 1989 and Top of the Table qualifications since 1995. He has also qualified for The International Forum since 1991. Briggs received the Colorado Springs General Agents and Management Association Distinguished Life Underwriter Award. Briggs is a frequent speaker for industry organizations on the subject of business and estate planning. |
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Lawrence Brody is a partner of Bryan Cave LLP, an international law firm. Brody is the leader of its Private Client Service Group and is a member of its Entrepreneurial, Technology & Commercial Practice Client Service Group. He is an adjunct professor at Washington University School of Law, a visiting adjunct professor at the University of Miami Law School and is the author of numerous articles and books on the use of life insurance in estate planning. Brody is a member of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and The American College of Tax Counsel. He received the designation of Accredited Estate Planner by the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils, and was awarded its Distinguished Accredited Estate Planner designation in 2004. |
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Alan H. Buerger is co-founder and CEO of Coventry First, a leader in the secondary market for life insurance. Under Buerger’s leadership, Coventry First has transformed the life insurance industry by giving consumers the opportunity to sell unwanted or underperforming insurance products in a free market setting. Coventry’s efforts have enabled policy owners to receive more than $500 million over cash surrender value for their life insurance products that are underperforming or no longer needed. For more than 30 years Buerger has been in the forefront of the life insurance industry. Buerger is a regular speaker at top industry conferences and roundtables including the NYU Tax institute, the Conference and Consulting Actuaries, LIMRA, Top of the Table, AALU, The International Forum, NAILBA, The Federalist Society and the Manhattan Institute. |
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Thomas F. Commito, JD, LLM, CLU, ChFC, is senior tax advisor in Lincoln Financial Distributors' RSM/Advanced Sales Channel, where he works with producers to increase their existing business. Commito is a graduate of Cornell University (BA), Boston College Law School (JD) and Boston University Law School (LLM -Taxation). He is admitted to practice law in Vermont and Massachusetts. Since 2001, he has written annually the Life Insurance Section for NYU Review of Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation published by Lexis/Nexis. Commito has published two books, Working with FLPs and LLCs: A Practitioners Guide and Comprehensive Buy-Sell Agreements. He has published more than 100 articles in journals such as Journal of American Society of Financial Society Professionals. |
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Dennis A. Cunning, CPA, retired, is founder and president of Pension Professionals of America, Inc., an NFP company. He is a member of Million Dollar Round Table, Court of the Table, Top of the Table, The International Forum and AALU. He specializes in retirement planning, asset protection and wealth transfer with an emphasis on exit strategies from qualified plans. Cunning has worked in the retirement and estate planning area for over 30 years. A CPA practicing public accounting in Oregon for over 25 years, Cunning retired his certificate from active public practice in 1996. He now focuses on retirement, estate and charitable gift planning for privately held businesses, high net-worth individuals and professionals. He works with accountants, investment advisors, life insurance agents, attorneys and other client advisors in designing and implementing pension plans and planned gift strategies. |
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Dean De Marco is co-founder and a managing member of Premium Funding Group LLC. Prior to joining PFG, De Marco was with American International Group, Inc. for 17 years in various management positions. Most recently, he was an executive vice president for A.I. Credit Corp., an AIG subsidiary responsible for making insurance premium and other insurance related commercial loans. De Marco headed up A.I. Credit’s Business Development, maintenance and management of its industry-leading life insurance premium financing program. De Marco began his career at Manufacturers Hanover Leasing Company as a staff accountant. He graduated from Dowling College with a BBA in accounting in 1984 and holds a diploma in financial management from New York University. |
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Jim Ferrell is managing director of The Arbinger Institute, a management consulting firm and scholarly consortium that is the world's pioneer in the area of "self-deception" and its relevance to organizations. Ferrell has degrees in economics and philosophy and is a graduate of Yale Law School. He is a member of the California Bar and joined Arbinger as managing director in 1996. He is a best-selling author and has written several books about Arbinger's material, including books about its application to business, leadership, peacemaking, intervention, teaching, counseling and family life. He has taught and consulted around these ideas with leaders of corporations, governments and organizations of all kinds throughout the world. |
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Alfred A. Gelfond is president of Alfred A. Gelfond & Co., an organization specializing in employee benefits, insurance and estate planning for 49 years. He is founder and member of Hemisphere Life and Group, an agent-owned re-insurance company that was acquired by National Financial Partners. Gelfond is a member of The International Forum and serves on the Board of Directors, as well as the Top of the Table. Gelfond is also past president of New England Life Leaders Association, Tri-County Estate Planning Council, Central New Jersey Life Underwriters Association and serves on the board of directors of several religious and charitable institutions. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri. |
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Hank George is invasive to underwriting. He created its journal, seminar program, world congress, four study groups and four associations; published 150 articles and papers, addressed Million Dollar Round Table three times and Top of the Table twice. All of these accomplishments were completed while writing publications, creating 35 Society of Actuaries events, educating globally and co-authoring two books. |
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Julius H. Giarmarco, Esq., is a partner in the law firm of Cox, Hodgman, & Giarmarco, P.C., in Troy, Mich., where he heads up the firm's 15-person Estate Planning Division. Giarmarco lectures on a national basis, including speeches before The International Forum, the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU) and numerous life insurance companies, brokerage firms and trade associations. |
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Joshua Gottlieb has been a licensed life insurance agent for over 30 years, specializing in the creation and development of financial products and services within executive compensation and benefit plans. Gottlieb has become an industry leader in devising proprietary products and marketing and sales techniques in the benefits finance arena. He owns and operates several companies that provide specialized services in this arena, which have underwritten permanent life insurance coverage of more than $3 billion, with more than $300 million of life insurance premiums. Gottlieb has been a member of the Cleveland and Ohio Association of Life Underwriters, AALU, NAIFA, the Million Dollar Round Table, the Court of the Table, the Top of the Table and The International Forum. |
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Lawrence L. Grypp is president and CEO of Columbus Life Insurance Company, a member of The Western & Southern Financial Group in Cincinnati. Prior to joining Columbus Life, he served for over 25 years in the financial services industry, most recently as president and CEO of Summit Financial Resources, Inc. in Parsippany, N.J. Grypp was associated with MassMutual Financial Group for over 20 years, concluding his tenure as executive vice president, leading the four core businesses at MassMutual. Grypp graduated from Western Illinois University and completed the executive program at Dartmouth College in 1994. Grypp is a member of LIMRA’s Strategic Marketing Issues Committee, a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table and a member of the World Presidents Organization (WPO). |
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Thomas J. Handler, JD, PC, is managing principal and chairman, Advanced Planning & Family Office Practice Group at Handler, Thayer & Duggan, LLC. His primary area of expertise involves the analysis and structuring of complex business enterprises and estate plans and handling the related tax planning issues. Such planning often involves the interplay of income tax, estate tax, executive benefits and financial matters. In this regard, Handler is particularly experienced in dealing with business owners, directors, executives, professional athletes, celebrities and family offices. He has extensive experience in analysis, design and implementation of domestic and international business planning, financial and estate planning and advanced tax planning strategies. Handler has lectured extensively both nationally and internationally at professional and family office educational conferences. |
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Kenneth R. Hartstein is president and chief operating officer of Economic Concepts, Inc. (ECI) in Scottsdale, Ariz. Hartstein earned his B.S. in finance from Long Island University. From 1968 to 1980, he was a partner in an east coast firm doing financial planning and pension plan consulting. In 1980, he moved to Phoenix as a principal in both investment and retirement systems and actuarial and administrative services (AAS). ECI is a product marketing and pension consulting firm formed in 1991. Hartstein’s principal area of expertise is in qualified plans, and over the years he has designed and successfully marketed tax advantaged programs used to assist clients in minimizing their business pretax profits. Hartstein is a member of MDRT's Top of the Table and is a member of and serves on the Board of Directors of The International Forum. |
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Charles D. Hollander is president of Applied Strategies & Counsel, Inc., creator of The Performance School and author of How to Escape from Alcatraz. The concepts that led to the formation of ASC and the creation of The Performance School have evolved over the course of an 18-year career in the industry. Most recently the company has grown from providing comprehensive client advice to providing practice management coaching to young advisors and enjoying the value of sharing expertise with other professionals. The ASC Group and The Performance School are the latest milestones in this progression. |
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Richard D. Landsberg, JD, LLM, CLU, ChFC, RFC, APM, AIF, is director of advanced sales with Nationwide Financial Services at its world headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Landsberg's expertise focuses on executive benefits, employee benefits and investment advisory services. He received both his BA and JD from the University of Tulsa. Landsberg is active in professional organizations such as the American Bar Association's Section of Labor & Employment Law. Academically, he has taught financial planning at Purdue University and ERISA & employee benefits at the University of Iowa College of Law. A writer and commentator on industry activities, Landsberg serves on numerous Editorial Boards, one being the Journal of Deferred Compensation. He is a political advocate for the financial services industry. He has served as a legislative liaison for ASPPA. Landsberg has lectured before state bar associations, accounting societies, banking organizations and life underwriter associations. |
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Patrick A. Lang, JD, CLU, ChFC, CFP, CFS, FLMI, is a vice president of advanced sales-case support. Lang began his career as a home office underwriter. After law school he served in several advanced marketing positions before joining Chubb Life in 1990 as director of advanced marketing. He was promoted to assistant vice president in 1991 and made vice president 1995. Now a part of Jefferson Pilot Financial, Lang's responsibilities include advanced market support for JP's producers in the areas of estate and business planning and charitable giving. Lang holds a bachelor of business administration degree (cum laude) from the University of Massachusetts, a MBA and JD from Western New England College. |
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Leon L. Levy, CLU, RHU, is celebrating his 50th year in the life insurance industry and has provided excellent service and quality products throughout his career. In 1972, Levy started his own agency, Leon L. Levy & Associates. In that same year, he joined the Phoenix Life Insurance Company and was awarded the distinctive rank of company leader. He has repeated that performance 23 times. In recognition of his work, Phoenix recently established the Leon L. Levy Award. In 2000, he was named agent of the decade. Levy is a generalist in the life and health insurance industry. He is sought after as a speaker in addition to teaching at seminars and sales congress. Memberships include the Million Dollar Round Table, Top of the Table and The International Forum. |
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Michael Lloyd is one of the founding partners of Williams Coulson and the head of its ERISA Department. Williams Coulson is a Pittsburgh-based firm which concentrates its practice in estate, business, tax and retirement planning services. After earning both a BA in political science and a JD from University of Pittsburgh, Lloyd graduated with distinction with a masters in laws of taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. Lloyd was a senior tax attorney for the office of the Associate Chief Counsel, Employee Benefits and Exempt Organizations, Internal Revenue Service, Washington, D.C. At the IRS he worked primarily in the areas of executive compensation and qualified plans. He was the docket attorney of the Code Section 401 (a)(26) Regulations Project and a member of the group of attorneys responsible for drafting the Code Section 401 (a)(4) Nondiscrimination Regulations. |
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Michael L. Millman is the founder of Michael L. Millman, Ltd. Prior to founding his own company in 1994, Millman was principal in the firm of T.R. Paul, Inc. for 13 years. Over the past 30 years, he has assisted more than 70 public companies and institutions as well as hundreds of closely held businesses in developing supplemental and non-qualified programs. Millman is a 1968 graduate of the University of Rhode Island and earned his MBA from Pace University in 1973. |
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Maggie Mitchell, JD, CLU, ChFC, is vice president of advanced markets for ING, where she is responsible for development and delivery of advanced sales strategies for ING's National Sales Support Team. Mitchell received a BA from the University of San Diego and JD from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. She is member of the California and Arizona State bars, the LIMRA Advanced Sales Committee and also holds a Series 7 securities license. Mitchell has published numerous articles in national publications and is a frequent speaker at life insurance and financial services industry meetings, where she has a reputation for utilizing creativity, ingenuity and simplicity to explain complex planning strategies. |
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Richard A. Oshins Esq., is a shareholder of the Las Vegas law firm of Oshins & Associates where he concentrates in tax and estate planning with a substantial emphasis on multi-generational wealth planning. Oshins is regarded as one of America's top estate planning lawyers advising wealthy clients throughout the United States. Oshins is also an advisor and consultant to many of the largest financial institutions in the United States. He has been listed in both The Best Lawyers in America and Martindale-Hubbell's list of Preeminent Lawyers from their inception. Prior to coming to Nevada, Oshins served as a law clerk for the United States Court of Claims in Washington, D.C. and as an attorney-advisor in the Office of Tax Legislative Counsel, U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. |
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Albert W. Papa, CLU, ChFC, is chairman and chief executive officer of Cambridge Financial Services, Inc. Cambridge is a financial services firm specializing in estate and financial planning for high net-worth individuals and business continuation planning for institutional, public and privately held companies in the Midwest, New York, Florida and California. In 2003, Papa became the managing director of the Paramount Planning Group at AXA Equitable, a hybrid producer group, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of AXA Advisors, LLC. Papa has published several articles and given seminars on exit strategies, estate planning and developing a professional practice at conferences nationwide. He was the main platform speaker at the AALU. Alongside FOX News Networks' Stuart Vareny, Papa spoke about estate planning issues on a broadcast to the National Bar Association. |
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Robert B. Ritter Jr., chairman/CEO of InsMark, has been in life insurance sales and sales management for over four decades. A former general agent for Mass Mutual in New York City, Ritter formed InsMark, a company dedicated to producing transferable marketing techniques for a wider group of producers. The success of InsMark has been phenomenal as 150+ companies have sponsored InsMark products utilized by over 30,000 producers. Ritter is a life member of MART and was a qualifier for Top of the Table and The International Forum until the growth of InsMark required all of his time. |
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Michael T. Rodman, CFP, is president of Advanced Planning Services, Inc. (APS). APS offers value added consulting on the more complex advanced planning techniques that financial professionals consider using. Rodman graduated from the University of Notre Dame and is a member of The International Forum. |
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Stephen O. Rothschild CLU, ChFC, CRC, RFC, is a national expert in wealth accumulation and transfer, providing advanced estate planning and business continuity strategies for successful entrepreneurs and their professional advisors. Rothschild is president of Rothschild & Sale, a St. Louis wealth planning firm. Rothschild is president of the Million Dollar Round Table, a member of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriters and on the advisory board for Trusts & Estates magazine. He was past president of both Estate Planning Council Chapter and Financial Planning Association of St. Louis. A renowned international speaker, Rothschild is known for lectures to attorneys, accountants and financial service professionals about advanced and creative estate planning and business continuity strategies. |
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Albert J. "Bud" Schiff is chief executive officer of NYLEX Benefits LLC, a company specializing in the design, implementation, financing and ongoing administrative support of supplemental executive benefits programs. Prior to NYLEX, Schiff served as president and chief executive officer of Clark/Bardes Partners. Prior to that, he retired as senior executive vice president and a member of the board of trustees of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York (MONY). Schiff is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has earned the Pension Actuary (MSPA), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) professional designations. In addition, Schiff has served in numerous insurance industry leadership roles including, but not limited to, AALU and Million Dollar Round Table Top of the Table. |
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John J. "Jack" Scott is the chairman of the board of Comprehensive Integrated Planning, Inc (CIF). Scott has developed a very sophisticated and proprietary math modeling software system. This system helps families reduce their estate and income tax liabilities. Scott was past president and a charter member of RADA, a national organization of 47 independent employee benefit firms located in 27 states. He was recently a board member of The International Forum and has given seminars for more than 600 professional advisors, CPAs, attorneys and financial planners. He has been a Top of the Table member for 23 years and is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table. Scott has spoken extensively to MDRT, Top of the Table, The International Forum and AALU. |
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Egil Stigum, CLU, was born and primary school educated in Oslo, Norway. Stigum arrived in America on a student VISA and $90. Stigum earned his bachelor of arts in geography from Dartmouth College in 1956 along with earning All American in skiing and soccer. Stigum's MBA was earned at Amos Tuck School of Business Administration 1959. Stigum worked in public accounting 1959 through 1965 and received CPA designation in 1962. His career in life insurance began in 1965. His personal accomplishments include the Five Million Dollar Forum, Top of the Table, Director of the New England CLU conference board and earning the Mass Mutual Agent of the Year, twice. |
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John Stossel is co-anchor/correspondent for 20/20andanchor/correspondent for The John Stossel Specials. Stossel is an award-winning news correspondent and was named co-anchor of ABC News 20/20 in May 2003. He joined the highly acclaimed newsmagazine in 1981.Stossel is featured in a weekly segment entitled Give Me a Break. These short commentaries take a skeptical look at a wide array of issues, from pop culture controversies to censorship and government regulations. Stossel has received 19 Emmy Awards. He has been honored five times for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club and won the George Polk Award for Outstanding Local Reporting and the George Foster Peabody Award. In his early years at ABC, Stossel was consumer editor at Good Morning America. Prior to that, he was a consumer reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City. Stossel began as a researcher for KGW-TV in Portland, Ore. Stossel is a 1969 graduate of Princeton University, with a bachelor of arts in psychology. |
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Robert K. Strauss, JD, is the founder and CEO of Emerging Money Corporation. He is an honors graduate of the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and the Boston University School of Law. Strauss is admitted to practice law in New York and Connecticut. |
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Dan Sullivan is the founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc. and the creator of The Strategic Coach® program. Since its inception in 1988, this lifetime focusing program has helped accomplished entrepreneurs to reach new heights of success and happiness. Sullivan has over 30 years of experience as a highly regarded speaker, consultant, strategic planner and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups. Over the past 16 years, The Strategic Coach has helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs in 60 different industries to simplify their lives, focus their unique ability, develop their organizations and expand their success in the marketplace. A sought-after speaker, Sullivan is the author of over 40 publications, with a reading and listening audience of over 100,000 individuals. |
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Sharon M. Theall is president of Strategic Management Advisors, Inc. Theall assists independent marketing organizations and financial service companies in strategic growth initiatives, operations and project management. She served as the senior advisor to the Board of Directors for The Hemisphere Group (1999-2000), served as executive director, leading the organization’s negotiated acquisition by National Financial Partners and its subsequent management transition. Theall also worked with BancBoston Executive Benefits, LLC in joint venture with William J. Lynch and Associates as managing director. During this time the firm achieved $46 million of new premiums. |
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Henry Whiffen, chairman and founder of The Estate Advisory Group, is a wealth preservation strategist with more than 40 years of experience. His current focus is on consulting with charities and attorneys, CPAs, banks, insurance and financial advisors to assist them in providing advanced estate planning for their high net-worth clients. As a result of Whiffen's planning recommendations, his clients have donated or made plans to donate more than $1.5 billion to charities. He has a bachelor's degree in business and accounting and a masters degree in financial services. He has also completed post-graduate studies in tax, estate planning, business finance and economics. |
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Andrew J. Willms is the founding shareholder of Willms Anderson, S.C. Willms practices in the areas of estate planning, probate, corporate law and taxation law. He has assisted his clients with all aspects of estate and retirement planning, including estate tax planning, insurance and retirement planning, corporate succession, the use of living trusts, protecting assets from creditor claims, probate and probate-related litigation. Willms is licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and Florida. He received his bachelor of arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Business in 1984, and both his juris doctorate, cum laude, and master of laws degree in estate planning from the University of Miami College of Law in 1985. Willms is the author of numerous publications on estate planning, retirement planning and martial property law. |
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Teague Wright is highly regarded throughout the independent life distribution industry for her unparalleled effectiveness, based on a high level of integrity, persistence and expertise. Currently focused on strengthening BISYS Insurance Services' Potomac platform in the high-net-worth marketplace, she is developing new business using her unique ability in the underwriting arena. She is committed to providing insurance agents with a distinct competitive edge. Throughout her career, Teague has cultivated the trust of leading carriers, while demonstrating an in-depth understanding of the specific challenges that producers face. Wright held the position of executive vice president with Ash Brokerage and before that a pivotal role in her career as the vice president of underwriting with a heavy emphasis on business development for National Financial Partners, where she built NFP's underwriting advocacy program. She also worked for BISYS for six years, where she served as Director of the Major Case division. Wright received her bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University. |
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Christofer C. Ashby, Premium Funding Group LLC
Dean J. De Marco, Premium Funding Group LLC
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James M. Benson, John Hancock Life Insurance Company
Using Tactical Asset Allocation to Manage Assets in Estate Planning
Bret Berg, Nationwide Financial
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The Secondary Market for Life Insurance: New Nonforfeiture Values
Alan H. Buerger, Coventry First
New Frontiers That Change Everything
Lowell Catlett, New Mexico State University
100 Best (and Worst) Planning Ideas for Retirement Benefits
Case Studies in Estate Planning for Retirement Benefits: What to Do in Real Life
Natalie B. Choate, Bingham McCutchen
Charity or Investor Owned Life Insurance: Is It Good, or Dangerous, For Our Industry?
Gus Comiskey, AALU
Fred Goldberg, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom, LLP
Ken Kies, AALU
Joe Mikrut, Capitol Tax Partners
Capital Asset Transfer Techniques Using Life Insurance
Dale K. Edwards, Agilis Benefits Services
Expert Attorney Panel
Chris Erblich, Husch & Eppenberger, LLC
Thomas J. Handler, Esq., Handler, Thayer & Duggan, LLC
Art Sederbaum, Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler LLP
Exit Strategies for Premium Financing
Chris Erblich, Husch & Eppenberger, LLC
Dennis Roberts and Jay L. Thacker, CFP, AIG American General Affluent and Corporate Markets Group
Annuities: Their Role in Financial Planning
Rao Garuda, CLU, ChFC, First Financial Resources
Nutrition Performance and the Fitness Journey
Philip Goglia, PhD, PFC Nutrition
The Importance of Raising National Saving
The Honorable Dr. Edward M. Gramlich, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
They're Back: Using Valuation Discount Entities to Sell Life Insurance
Lance S. Hall, ASA, FMV Opinions, Inc.
Assessing the Multi-Family Office Alternative
Financial Families and Financial Services: Tying the Gordian Knot
Sara Hamilton, Family Office Exchange LLC
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Thomas J. Handler, Esq., Handler, Thayer & Duggan, LLC
Trust Owned Life Insurance - Professional Analysis and Review
Lisa Harmon, JD, CLU, ChFC, Jefferson Pilot Financial
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Kenneth R. Hartstein, Economic Concepts, Inc.
Agent Litigation Experiences
Richard S. Bernstein, Richard S. Bernstein & Associates, Inc.
Amy Holmwood, HK Ventures, LLC
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John Huggard, Huggard, Obiol and Blake, PLLC
Regulatory and Risk Management Issues in CPA Alliance Programs
Steve Insel, JD, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, LLP
What Does Your Insurance and Broker Dealer Contract Really Say?
Theodore Jacobs, CLU, ChFC, Jacobs & Associates, Inc.
Advance and Creative Estate Planning (with a Modern Corporate Trustee) in an Uncertain Tax and Economic Environment
Al W. King III, JD, LLM, South Dakota Trust Company, LLC
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Michael E. Lloyd, William Coulson
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William L. MacDonald, Retirement Capital Group, Inc.
Advanced Planning Strategies Within the Competitive World of Premium Financing
Scott McVicker, CPA, CFP, Capital Management Strategies, Inc.
John A. Oliver, CLU, ChFC, Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company
Business Disability Insurance: The Creative Side to Financial Planning
Thomas R. Petersen, RHU, HIA, ALHC, FLMI, Petersen International Underwriters
Our Children Are Being Killed, and You Can Do Something About It.
Larry Plotkin, The Advisor Consulting Group
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Douglas Price, Zenith Marketing Group
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Mike Rodman, Advanced Planning Services, Inc.
Long Term Care, An Inside Story
Barbara Shyloski
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Conrad Teitell, Cummings & Lockwood
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Stephen P. Toth, CLU, ChFC, National Pension Associates
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Howard Wight, Howard Wight Seminars
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Henry Whiffen
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