See Who’s Speaking

Todd Buchholz

Former White House Director of Economic Policy and Managing Director of Tiger hedge fund

Todd G. Buchholz is an economist who has served as a White House director of economic policy and a managing director of the eminent Tiger hedge fund, where he helped lead the macro team’s investments in global bonds and foreign exchange. He has also served as a consultant to some of the world’s leading investment groups.
In the White House under President George H.W. Bush, Buchholz coordinated decision-making on tax, finance, energy, and technology policy; organized presidential briefings by the Federal Reserve chairman; and drafted decision memos for the president on fiscal and regulatory issues.

Buchholz was founding president of the G7 Group and has advised central banks, including the Bundesbank, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of England, as well as investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and HSBC, where he managed a foreign exchange portfolio. He has debated fiscal and monetary policy with officials including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, former Council of Economic Advisers chairs Jason Furman and Austan Goolsbee, and former Deputy Treasury Secretary Roger Altman.
Buchholz earned advanced degrees in economics and law from Cambridge University and Harvard University. Harvard’s Department of Economics awarded him the Allyn Young Teaching Prize. He served as a fellow at Cambridge University in 2009 and is currently a fellow of Branford College at Yale University.
He was named one of the top 21 speakers of the 21st century by Successful Meetings magazine and has delivered keynote presentations at the U.K. Parliament, the White House library, the U.S. Treasury, and the Abu Dhabi and Mexico City stock exchanges.

Buchholz contributes commentary on finance and trade to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, and professional articles to publications including the Brookings Institution’s Policy Matters, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, IMF Finance & Development, the Journal of Law & Religion, and the Review of Economic Conditions.

Prosperity Ahead — or Not? (2 CE)

3:30 pm - 5:30 pm, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

The economy never sleeps, and neither can your business. As the United States navigates new policies under the Trump White House, and the European Union and United Kingdom wrangle over Brexit, energy, and immigration, Todd Buchholz explains the forces that will determine whether the economy climbs higher — and what that means for you.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how White House policies on trade, regulation, and Federal Reserve Board policy are impacting the economy.

• See how the latest gyrations in the stock market and interest rates are altering long-term growth prospects and the financing of businesses.

• Discover how demographics, technology, and globalization are reshaping the future for the United States and countries throughout the world.

• Pinpoint the signs of stock market rallies, and the warning signs of slumps.

• Identify the political pressures from trade, debt, and interest rates on the United States, European Union, and China.

Dorie Clark

Columbia Executive Education faculty and Wall Street Journal & USA TODAY bestselling author of The Long Game

Dorie Clark has been named four times as one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, and was recognized as the #1 Communication Coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith Leading Global Coaches Awards.

Clark, a consultant and keynote speaker, teaches executive education at Columbia Business School, and she is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of The Long Game, Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. magazine. A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, Clark has been described by the New York Times as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.”

A frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, she consults and speaks for clients including Google, Microsoft, and the World Bank. You can download her free Long Game strategic thinking self-assessment at dorieclark.com/thelonggame.

Cultivating Mental Agility in a Complex World (1 CE)

4:15 pm - 5:30 pm, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

In an era defined by rapid change, uncertainty, and competing demands, success depends less on having the right answers and more on asking better questions. Today’s leaders and professionals must be able to adapt quickly, anticipate what’s coming next, and make sound decisions even when the path forward isn’t clear.

In this talk, Columbia University executive education professor Dorie Clark - named 4x as one of the Top 50 Business Thinkers in the World - shares practical strategies for building mental agility in the face of complexity. Drawing on research, real-world case studies, and insights from top performers across industries, she explains how to sharpen your ability to spot emerging patterns, learn systematically from experience, and turn uncertainty into a source of advantage.

Participants will leave with concrete tools to think more clearly, respond more nimbly, and position themselves to thrive amid constant change.

Learning Objectives

•  Create “smart networks” that surface early signals and help you anticipate change ahead of others

• Stress-test decisions by analyzing potential failures before they happen—so you can prevent them

• Seize new opportunities by identifying and leveraging your unique advantages

• Harness the forces that create serendipity, increasing the likelihood of unexpected breakthroughs

Dan Pink

#1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret, When, To Sell is Human, Drive, and A Whole New Mind

Daniel Pink is the author of seven bestselling nonfiction books on a range of topics, from human motivation to the science of timing to a graphic novel career guide.

Pink’s books include the New York Times bestsellers The Power of Regret, When, and A Whole New Mind, as well as the No. 1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell Is Human. His deeply researched works have been translated into 46 languages and have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.

Over the years, Pink has hosted a National Geographic television series, delivered one of the most popular TED talks of all time, written a regular column for The Sunday Telegraph and The Washington Post, served as chief speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore, and been a clue on Jeopardy!

Beyond Resilience: A New Path to a Strong Culture (1 CE)

8:00 am - 9:15 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

As organizations face a rapidly evolving landscape, they are reexamining their operations and rethinking their priorities. What do they stand for? How should they navigate what comes next? And how might they build cultures where people can do their best work and be their best selves?

In this provocative and practical presentation, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink offers a fresh set of strategies. Pink will draw on an unprecedented two-year study of our most misunderstood emotion: regret. He will show that ignoring or rejecting regrets is a colossal mistake.

Instead, confronting regrets systematically can deliver an array of organizational benefits. It can sharpen leaders’ decisions, speed learning and development, and boost individual and team performance. In particular, he will show how the four core regrets shared by people around the world contain the seeds of a reimagined and more powerful corporate culture.

By understanding what people regret the most, we can learn what they value the most — and that can help organizations of every kind attract top talent, deepen employee engagement, and strengthen loyalty and commitment. With Pink’s trademark blend of big ideas and smart takeaways, compelling stories, and sharp humor, this presentation provides an urgent and inspiring map for flourishing in unpredictable times.

Learning Objectives

• How to anticipate — and avoid — the most significant organizational regrets.

• How to transform existing regrets into a positive force and a coherent culture.

• Why regrets of inaction outnumber regrets of action — and how to use that insight to spark innovation.

• Why doing the right thing is more important to employees than most C-suite executives understand — and why, in this fraught moment, being a good organization can pave the way to becoming a great one.

Carl Richards

Author, The Sketch Guy

Carl Richards — creator of The New York Times' “Sketch Guy” column and a trusted voice in the financial planning world for more than 25 years — delivers a transformational experience for financial professionals. Drawing from hundreds of keynote events, thousands of real-life conversations, and the most powerful insights from his new book, Richards weaves live sketching, storytelling, and timeless human truths into a session that is both deeply engaging and profoundly practical.

Your Money: Reimagining Wealth Through Simple Sketches (1 Ethics CE)

11:30 am - 2:00 pm, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

This isn't about performance or products — it’s about the emotional side of money and the real work of advice. Through a carefully curated selection of sketches, Carl Richards helps advisors move beyond rigid financial plans toward a more adaptable, values-based approach. By exploring the critical tensions that define the advisor-client relationship, this session equips attendees with the language, metaphors, and frameworks to help clients make better decisions and have the conversations that truly matter.

Learning Objectives

• Understand key health and longevity principles and their impact on the long-term quality of life, helping advisors guide clients in aligning lifestyle choices with wealth management goals.

• Explore methods for integrating wellness and preventative health planning into financial advising, enhancing value and differentiating advisory services to meet HNW and UHNW clients' needs.

• Gain actionable insights into how longevity science and personalized health strategies can influence retirement and legacy planning, empowering advisors to support clients' aspirations for a fulfilling and well-rounded future.

Moe Allain, RMA®, CPWA®, AAMS®

Vice President, Financial Advisor, Baird

Moe Allain is a vice president and financial advisor at Baird in the Houston energy corridor. Allain grew up in southwest Louisiana and has served high-net-worth retirees and pre-retirees for 23 years, with a focus on optimizing employer benefits and making the transition from the saving phase to the spending phase of retirement less stressful.

Allain has been an active member of the Investments & Wealth Institute since 2013 and serves as a member of the Investments & Wealth Review Editorial Advisory Board, and as co-chair of the Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) Certification Commission. Allain has been certified by the Institute as an RMA® and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®).

Keeping it Real in Retirement: What Advisors Get Wrong about Inflation, Investing, and Spending (1 CE)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Join retirement researcher David Blanchett and financial advisor Moe Allain for a timely fireside chat exploring why inflation-adjusted spending typically declines over the course of retirement, and what that reality means for how individuals save, invest, and draw income.

The conversation will unpack the data behind changing retiree spending patterns, the ongoing impact of inflation and healthcare costs, and how these trends should shape asset allocation decisions before and during retirement. Attendees will come away with practical insights to help better align retirement strategies with how people actually spend later in life.

Learning Objectives

• Explain the pattern of inflation-adjusted spending in retirement and findings on why retirees outlays tend to decline over time.

• Describe the interaction between inflation risk and retirement spending needs, especially the role of healthcare costs that often rise faster than broad inflation.

• Assess how declining real spending patterns should influence pre-retirement savings rates and portfolio asset allocation decisions.

• Evaluate strategies for sequencing retirement income and spending, including the roles of guaranteed income sources verses market-dependent withdrawals.

• Identify planning implications of the "retirement spending smile" and how spending needs shift across retirement stages.

Ilias Benjelloun

Senior Vice President, Portfolio Strategy Team, Macquarie Asset Management

Ilias Benjelloun is a senior vice president at Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) and leads one of the portfolio strategy teams.

Since joining Macquarie in 2010, Benjelloun has played a pivotal role in investment and asset management within MAM’s infrastructure funds business. Throughout his tenure, Benjelloun has held senior roles in London and Sydney, focusing on utility, transportation, digital, green energy, and waste infrastructure investment opportunities.

During his time in Sydney, he gained extensive experience in the power grid sector, holding board positions across two distribution and transmission businesses in New South Wales and South Australia. Benjelloun earned a Bachelor of Science in international business from Maastricht University and a Master of Science in finance from EDHEC Business School.

Inside Infrastructure: The Macquarie Edge—Megatrends, Macro Shifts, and Market Opportunities (1 CE)

9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

Infrastructure is being rebuilt at an unprecedented speed as digitalization, electrification, and decarbonization reshape global demand, while inflation, interest rate normalization, and geopolitical uncertainty continue to test markets.

This session examines the macroeconomic backdrop, the megatrends driving infrastructure investment, and how private capital supports the essential systems that enable growth. Panelists will share perspectives on navigating volatility, generating value through active stewardship, and investing in infrastructure designed to meet the demands of a faster-changing world.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the macroeconomic factors influencing infrastructure investment today, including interest rate normalization, inflation persistence, and geopolitical uncertainty.

• Explain how long term structural forces – digitalization, electrification, decarbonization, and shifting supply chains are driving sustained demand for infrastructure globally.

• Understand how experienced infrastructure investors seek to generate value across cycles through disciplined investment processes, active stewardship, and operational engagement.

David Blanchett, PhD, CFA®, CFP®

Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Head of Retirement Research, PGIM DC Solutions

David Blanchett is managing director, portfolio manager and head of retirement research for PGIM DC Solutions. Before joining PGIM, he was the head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management LLC and before that the director of consulting and investment research for the Retirement Plan Consulting Group at Unified Trust Company.

Blanchett has published more than 100 papers in a variety of industry and academic journals. His research has received numerous awards from across the industry, including the Academy of Financial Services (2017), the CFP® Board (2017), the Financial Analysts Journal (2015), and the Financial Planning Association (2020, 2023). He currently is an adjunct professor of wealth management at The American College of Financial Services, a Research Fellow for the Alliance for Lifetime Income, and on the Editorial Board of the Financial Analysts Journal, Financial Planning Review, and the Journal of Retirement.

Blanchett earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in financial services from The American College of Financial Services, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a doctorate in personal financial planning program from Texas Tech University.

Keeping it Real in Retirement: What Advisors Get Wrong about Inflation, Investing, and Spending (1 CE)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Join retirement researcher David Blanchett and financial advisor Moe Allain for a timely fireside chat exploring why inflation-adjusted spending typically declines over the course of retirement, and what that reality means for how individuals save, invest, and draw income.

The conversation will unpack the data behind changing retiree spending patterns, the ongoing impact of inflation and healthcare costs, and how these trends should shape asset allocation decisions before and during retirement. Attendees will come away with practical insights to help better align retirement strategies with how people actually spend later in life.

Learning Objectives

• Explain the pattern of inflation-adjusted spending in retirement and findings on why retirees outlays tend to decline over time.

• Describe the interaction between inflation risk and retirement spending needs, especially the role of healthcare costs that often rise faster than broad inflation.

• Assess how declining real spending patterns should influence pre-retirement savings rates and portfolio asset allocation decisions.

• Evaluate strategies for sequencing retirement income and spending, including the roles of guaranteed income sources verses market-dependent withdrawals.

• Identify planning implications of the "retirement spending smile" and how spending needs shift across retirement stages.

Massi De Santis, Ph.D, CFP®

Clinical Assistant Professor of Finance, Assistant Director - Langston Wealth Management Center, University of Texas

Massi De Santis, PhD, CFP®, is a clinical assistant professor of finance and assistant director of the Langston Wealth Management Center at the University of Texas, McCombs School of Business. A PhD economist and 20-year industry veteran, Massi specializes in converting complex economic theory into actionable practice for wealth managers.

He is the 2024 recipient of the Investments & Wealth Institute’s Journal Research Award for his pioneering work on retirement spending. In his current research and as the founder of DESMO Wealth Advisors, LLC, Massi focuses on the structural challenges facing the modern advisor—including the integration of AI-driven efficiency, the rise of "relationship alpha," and the increasing demand for personalized, goals-based planning at scale. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at Dimensional Fund Advisors and Stone Ridge Asset Management.

Session Details Coming Soon

Sara Dorosti, JD

Director, Wealth Strategist, Merrill Lynch

Sara Dorosti earned her BA at UC Berkeley and her JD at Berkeley Law. She practiced as an estate planning attorney at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman before joining Merrill Lynch as a wealth strategist. Her expertise is in the areas of estate, tax, and business succession planning. Dorosti also is currently an adjunct professor at Berkeley Law, where she teaches trust & wills.

Under the Surface: Navigating the Logistics of Business Succession Planning & Family Dynamics

2:10 pm - 3:00 pm, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

Full session details coming soon.

David Finley

Senior Strategy Consultant, AlphaScale

David Finley is a leading advisor positioning strategist with more than three decades of specialized expertise helping financial advisors and wealth firms differentiate, grow, and lead.

As a senior strategy consultant at Alpha Scale and president and chief strategist of Wealth Brand Partners, Finley has guided hundreds of advisors and boutique wealth firms by sharpening their competitive positioning and upgrading their businesses to align with shifting wealth demographics and evolving client expectations.

Since beginning his career in 1993, Finley has founded, scaled, and successfully exited two uniquely positioned specialty broker-dealers and held senior executive and complex manager roles at major national firms. Along the way, he was a partner in a $1 billion practice recognized as one of the fastest-growing advisory businesses in Canada, driven in part by innovative digital publishing and marketing strategies that accelerated asset growth by more than $100 million annually.

His career includes the founding and sale of two specialized broker-dealers, building a reputation for identifying underserved niches and transforming them into high-value enterprises. His experience spans advisor services, enterprise marketing, branch leadership, and mergers and acquisitions, giving him a rare perspective on both strategy and execution.

Today, Finley works with growth-oriented advisors who want to become market leaders in clearly defined specialties, helping them clarify their message, dominate their niche, and build enduring enterprise value.

Winning Market Leadership: Unlocking the Power of Positioning Strategy and Wealth Demographics for Financial Advisors

8:00 am - 9:40 am, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Unlocking the Power of Positioning Strategy and Wealth Demographics for Financial Advisors. In today’s increasingly crowded advisory landscape, success is no longer about offering more services—it’s about becoming the clear leader in the minds of the clients and prospects you serve. A key differentiator in achieving that leadership is client relevance and reputational authority.

One of the most powerful ways advisors can elevate credibility and market perception is through professional designations and specialized credentials. This workshop is a high-impact, strategy-driven experience designed for financial advisors who want to sharpen their positioning, better understand wealth demographic opportunity, and strategically leverage the advantages of Investments & Wealth Institute certifications to stand out in competitive markets.

The workshop goes beyond theory to illustrate specific, real-world approaches working right now to help advisors build trust faster, reinforce specialized expertise, and attract ideal affluent clients.

Learning Objectives

• Define a differentiated competitive positioning.

• Leverage wealth demographic trends shaping investor needs and behaviors.

• Adopt the strategies top advisory leaders are using to win in competitive markets.

• Strengthen authority and credibility through elevated positioning.

• More effectively showcase professional designations and expertise.

Melissa Kemp, CFP®, AEP®, CAP®, CNAP®

Chief Executive Officer, FPA Arizona

Melissa Kemp delivers ethics education that professionals actually remember — and apply.

Kemp is a recognized CFP® ethics instructor, CEO of FPA Arizona, and the primary creator and author of LearningHub+, a modern learning framework designed to elevate professional judgment, adult learner engagement, and community capacity. She is widely recognized for transforming mandatory ethics CE content into an interactive, practical, and thought-provoking experience.

Her ethics expertise is grounded in regulatory and governance service at a variety of professional levels. Kemp served as a CFP Board Hearing Panel volunteer in 2019, was appointed to the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission from 2021–2024, and currently serves on the CFP Board’s Standards Resource Commission, contributing directly to the interpretation and application of professional standards.

Kemp’s courses blend real-world case studies, behavioral insight, and live audience interaction to help professionals navigate ethical gray areas with clarity and confidence. Her approach replaces “check-the-box” compliance with meaningful learning that strengthens professional judgment, fiduciary mindset, and trust.

Ethics+: A Practical Application of the CFP® Board's Codes and Standards (2 Ethics CE)

9:00 am - 11:00 am, Wednesday, Apr 22, 2026

This program fulfills the requirement for CFP Board-approved Ethics CE. It has been designed to educate CFP® professionals on CFP Board's new Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct effective July 1, 2024.

Learning Objectives

• Apply the CFP Board’s fiduciary duty.

• Recognize when a CFP® professional is providing financial advice.

• Understand when financial advice requires financial planning.

• Meet the duties when using our referring to other service providers and technologies.

• Become familiar with the process to uphold the code and standards.

Donna Krohn, CFP®, GFP Fellow

Financial Planner, Retirement Wealth Advisors

Donna Krohn has worked with financial advisors across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia since 2013. Krohn is a Certified Financial Planner®, Global Financial Planner (US), and behavioral finance advisor.

The cross-section of certifications across multiple disciplines in financial planning allows Krohn to take a thorough, dynamic approach to planning with individual clients. She remains active in financial planning communities, facilitating educational conferences domestically and abroad.

Krohn earned a BS from Penn State University and holds a Certificate in Financial Planning from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. Krohn is also a behavioral finance advisor, which emphasizes a holistic approach to financial planning.

Do’s and Don’ts for U.S. Citizens Living Abroad

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm, Wednesday, Apr 21, 2026

U.S. citizens living abroad face complex financial, tax, and investment challenges that differ significantly from those of other expatriates. This session provides a practical overview of the most critical do’s and don’ts — from avoiding PFIC pitfalls and maintaining tax compliance to making informed decisions about retirement accounts, insurance, and long-term financial commitments. Attendees will gain clear, actionable guidance to help globally mobile clients navigate cross-border planning with confidence.

Learning Objectives

• Identify key tax and investment pitfalls facing U.S. citizens abroad, including PFIC exposure.

• Evaluate appropriate insurance and retirement account strategies for expatriates.

• Explain ongoing U.S. tax filing and reporting obligations for Americans living overseas.

• Assess the financial implications of changes to residency, domicile, or citizenship status.

• Analyze planning considerations related to equity compensation and asset location decisions.

Annalee Kruger

President of Care Right, Inc. and Author of The Invisible Patient: The Emotional, Financial, and Physical Toll on Family Caregivers, Care Right, Inc.

Annalee Kruger started Care Right Inc., a virtual consultancy, in 2011 after working in continuing care retirement communities for 22 years. Kruger has devoted her career to guiding family caregivers and their aging loved ones through decisions related to aging, dementia progression, and the senior care landscape. Her work includes helping families evaluate aging-at-home considerations, outline current and future care options, establish “safety triggers” for when additional care is needed, and develop aging-at-home care budgets to avoid financial barriers to qualifying for quality care communities. Kruger has been curated by more than 32 wealth management firms to work directly with their clients.

She is a national speaker on aging, caregiving, dementia, family dynamics and mediation, and end-of-life issues. Major financial services conferences where Kruger has presented include the Investments & Wealth Institute, Financial Planning Association, National Association of Plan Advisors, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, American Institute of CPAs®, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants®, Truist, D.A. Davidson, and numerous conferences across the healthcare and senior care industries.

Kruger is the author of The Invisible Patient: The Emotional, Financial, and Physical Toll on Family Caregivers.

Addressing the Human Side of Financial Planning (1 CE)

9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

This course helps financial professionals recognize hidden risks that traditional planning often overlooks and introduces practical ways to add value through better questions, collaboration, and informed referrals. Participants will gain awareness of the real human factors that influence portfolios, client decisions, and long-term relationships — positioning advisors as trusted, holistic partners in an increasingly complex planning landscape.

Learning Objectives

• Identify how aging, caregiving, and dementia create financial and planning vulnerabilities.

• Recognize the emotional, physical, and financial toll on family caregivers.

• Understand common misconceptions about aging-at-home and senior care costs.

• How to ask more effective questions to uncover hidden client challenges.

• Understand how caregiving impacts careers, health, and wealth.

Mike Kurz, CIMA®, CPWA®, RMA®, CFP®, CAIA

Director of Programs, Investments & Wealth Institute

As director of programs at the Investments and Wealth Institute, Mike Kurz leads the strategic design, delivery, and continual enhancement of the Institute’s three flagship certification education programs. Kurz oversees program innovation and operational excellence by aligning curriculum development, candidate engagement, and faculty collaboration to deliver a premier learning experience. Under his leadership, the programs team focuses on driving measurable candidate success, increasing program reach, and ensuring the Institute remains at the forefront of professional education for wealth management advisors.

CPWA® Masterclass: Application of Advanced Strategies (2 CE)

8:00 am - 9:40 am, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Designed for Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certificants seeking to deepen their expertise and elevate client outcomes, this CPWA® Masterclass translates advanced wealth management concepts into practical, client-ready strategies. Participants will explore real-world scenarios involving tax planning, estate considerations, concentrated wealth, and behavioral dynamics to refresh their skills and deliver more confident, comprehensive guidance to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Learning Objectives

• Apply advanced CPWA® frameworks to identify and address key planning opportunities for high-net-worth clients.

• Evaluate tax-aware wealth strategies and explain trade-offs in clear, actionable terms to clients.

• Assess complex client balance sheets, including concentrated positions and liquidity events, to improve decision-making and outcomes.

• Incorporate estate and legacy planning considerations into holistic client conversations and recommendations.

• Use behavioral coaching techniques to strengthen client engagement and improve implementation.

Mathew Libordi, CIMA®, CRPS™

Director, CVC Funding, LLC

Mathew Libordi is a director on the Client and Product Solutions team at CVC, based in San Francisco. He joined the firm in 2025. Before CVC, Libordi worked at Janus Henderson Investors, where he focused on private wealth and client coverage. He holds a BA in finance from Michigan State University.

Inside Infrastructure: The Macquarie Edge—Megatrends, Macro Shifts, and Market Opportunities (1 CE)

9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

Infrastructure is being rebuilt at an unprecedented speed as digitalization, electrification, and decarbonization reshape global demand, while inflation, interest rate normalization, and geopolitical uncertainty continue to test markets.

This session examines the macroeconomic backdrop, the megatrends driving infrastructure investment, and how private capital supports the essential systems that enable growth. Panelists will share perspectives on navigating volatility, generating value through active stewardship, and investing in infrastructure designed to meet the demands of a faster-changing world.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the macroeconomic factors influencing infrastructure investment today, including interest rate normalization, inflation persistence, and geopolitical uncertainty.

• Explain how long term structural forces – digitalization, electrification, decarbonization, and shifting supply chains are driving sustained demand for infrastructure globally.

• Understand how experienced infrastructure investors seek to generate value across cycles through disciplined investment processes, active stewardship, and operational engagement.

Kim Ledger

Senior Vice President of Complex Assets, Ren

Kim Ledger is the senior vice president of complex assets for Ren, North America’s largest independent philanthropic solutions provider. In this role, she advises donors on the charitable opportunities presented by noncash assets such as business interests, IPO stock, private equity, and artwork.

Since she launched the firm’s complex asset practice in 2018, Ledger has worked with donors seeking to distribute more than $5 billion in assets, leveraging relationships with the nation’s leading financial institutions, elite nonprofit organizations, and community foundations to ensure that donors make informed and strategic gifts that deliver the greatest possible value for charities, donors, and their families.

From Signal to Strategy: How 2025 Philanthropic Trends Are Defining 2026

10:30 am - 10:55 am, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

2025 marked a turning point in philanthropy. Clients became more strategic, advisors more involved, and complexity the norm, not the exception.

In this session, we’ll explore the most important philanthropy trends that emerged in 2025 and unpack how they are reshaping client expectations, advisory conversations, and planning strategies in 2026. Advisors will leave with practical insights to stay relevant, add value, and lead with confidence in a rapidly evolving philanthropic landscape.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the most impactful philanthropy trends emerging from 2025 and assess how they are shaping client expectations and charitable planning strategies in 2026.

• Examine how growing complexity and increased advisor involvement are transforming philanthropic conversations and apply practical frameworks to lead more strategic client discussions.

• Develop actionable approaches to position yourself as a trusted philanthropic advisor by proactively addressing evolving client needs and integrating trend-informed strategies into your practice.

Chris Leslie

Executive Chairman, Real Assets Americas; Senior Managing Director, Green Investments, Macquarie Asset Management

Chris Leslie is executive chairman of Macquarie Asset Management’s (MAM’s) real assets business in the Americas. He is also a senior managing director for MAM Green Investments.

From 2005 to 2016, Leslie served as chief executive officer of Macquarie Infrastructure Partners (MIP), where he oversaw three vintages of the fund. Following this, Leslie was global head of sustainability for MAM, during which time he was instrumental in expanding MAM’s activities and commitments to sustainability, including MAM’s commitment to net zero by 2040. Leslie earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Melbourne.

Inside Infrastructure: The Macquarie Edge—Megatrends, Macro Shifts, and Market Opportunities (1 CE)

9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

Infrastructure is being rebuilt at an unprecedented speed as digitalization, electrification, and decarbonization reshape global demand, while inflation, interest rate normalization, and geopolitical uncertainty continue to test markets.

This session examines the macroeconomic backdrop, the megatrends driving infrastructure investment, and how private capital supports the essential systems that enable growth. Panelists will share perspectives on navigating volatility, generating value through active stewardship, and investing in infrastructure designed to meet the demands of a faster-changing world.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the macroeconomic factors influencing infrastructure investment today, including interest rate normalization, inflation persistence, and geopolitical uncertainty.

• Explain how long term structural forces – digitalization, electrification, decarbonization, and shifting supply chains are driving sustained demand for infrastructure globally.

• Understand how experienced infrastructure investors seek to generate value across cycles through disciplined investment processes, active stewardship, and operational engagement.

Laura Martin, CFA®, CMT®

Managing Director of Financial Planning, Verdance Capital Advisors

Laura Martin earned her BA from Stanford University and her MBA from Harvard Business School, and she holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Market Technician designations. Martin began her career at Drexel Burnham Lambert in media investment banking, followed by Capital Research & Management, where she advised $100 billion in assets and managed a $500 million portfolio of media stocks. She moved to Credit Suisse First Boston in 1994 as a senior media analyst, where she was nationally ranked by Institutional Investor in 1999, 2000, and 2001.

In 2002, Martin moved to Paris to become executive vice president of financial strategy and investor relations for Vivendi Universal. In 2004, she founded Media Metrics LLC, publishing equity research on the largest entertainment, cable, and internet stocks in the United States, and was nationally ranked as “Best of the Independent Research Boutiques” by Institutional Investor for many years. In 2009, Martin joined Needham & Co., where she publishes research on the largest internet and entertainment companies.

Hyperscaler Winners and Losers

10:40 am - 11:30 am, Sunday, Apr 20, 2026

Hyperscalers are expected to spend more than $500 billion in capital expenditures to build out their artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in 2026, and a total of $2 trillion over five years, according to our estimates.

This session will address key investor concerns, including: Are hyperscalers spending too much? If so, do all of them lose, or do some lose more than others? If the $2 trillion in generative AI spending is justified, which sectors of S&P revenue are displaced by hyperscalers to generate a 10% annual return, or roughly $200 billion per year, on their generative AI investments?

Learning Objectives

• The role of research analysts on Wall Street.

• Whether we are in a generative AI investment bubble, i.e., all hyperscalers lose.

• If generative AI is the next tech disruption, which S&P 500 sectors are most vulnerable?

• How to handle the uncertainty created by generative AI, where valuation shifts may be defined by winner-take-most economics.

Sarah Mouser, CFP®, CDFA®, CES™, CTS™, CCFS®, ELA™

Managing Director of Financial Planning, Verdance Capital Advisors

With more than two decades of experience in planning strategy and executive leadership, Sarah Mouser is a frequent source for financial publications and a recognized speaker on wealth planning, process development, and best-practices thought leadership. She serves as a member of both Virginia Tech’s and George Mason University’s Financial Planning and Wealth Management Advisory Boards, generously investing her time and expertise in developing the next generation of industry leaders.

Women & Wealth: Growing with Intention and Purpose (1.5 CE)

4:30 pm - 5:45 pm, Sunday, Apr 19, 2026

Session description and learning objectives coming soon

Building a Strong Bench to Scale Your Business (1 CE)

10:40 am - 11:30 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

Looking to build capacity and streamline processes to scale your business? Join Sarah Mouser of Verdence Capital Advisors to learn how she has developed and implemented platform processes, centralized support to increase advisor capacity, enhanced service offerings to add value to client relationships, and expanded advisory teams to support growth and succession needs.

This session also highlights strategies for increasing capacity to focus on high-value expertise, empowering support staff as subject matter experts, implementing efficiencies through data-driven process development, and recruiting and hiring next-generation talent with defined career paths.

Learning Objectives

• Strategies to implement at multiple stages of growth to scale.

• Recruiting, hiring, and training tips.

• Pinpoint the signs of stock market rallies, and the warning signs of slumps.

• Identify the political pressures from trade, debt, and interest rates on the United States, European Union, and China.

John Nersesian, CIMA®, CPWA®, CIS, CFP®

Founder, Nersesian Wealth Education LLC

John Nersesian is head of advisor education at Nersesian Wealth Education LLC, providing advanced wealth management and investment consulting education to financial professionals.

Previously, Nersesian was a first vice president at Merrill Lynch Private Client Group, where he also led advanced training for financial consultants. He served as a board member of the Investments and Wealth Institute from 2006 to 2017 and as chairman for the 2014–15 term, and he is a faculty member for the Institute’s Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) and Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) education programs held at Yale University and The University of Chicago.

Nersesian has 37 years of investment and financial services experience and holds an undergraduate degree in business and economics from Lehigh University.

CPWA® Masterclass: Application of Advanced Strategies (2 CE)

8:00 am - 9:40 am, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Designed for Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certificants seeking to deepen their expertise and elevate client outcomes, this CPWA® Masterclass translates advanced wealth management concepts into practical, client-ready strategies.

Participants will explore real-world scenarios involving tax planning, estate considerations, concentrated wealth, and behavioral dynamics to refresh their skills and deliver more confident, comprehensive guidance to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Learning Objectives

• Apply advanced CPWA® frameworks to identify and address key planning opportunities for high-net-worth clients.

• Evaluate tax-aware wealth strategies and explain trade-offs in clear, actionable terms to clients.

• Assess complex client balance sheets, including concentrated positions and liquidity events, to improve decision-making and outcomes.

• Incorporate estate and legacy planning considerations into holistic client conversations and recommendations.

• Use behavioral coaching techniques to strengthen client engagement and improve implementation.

Cindy Nagel, CFP®, ABFP®

Founder, HolistiPractice

Throughout her career, Cindy Nagel has built and sold a successful independent advisory practice, led investment programs at major financial institutions, and coached hundreds of financial advisors—from solo practitioners to multi-advisor, multi-office firms.

Nagel has also consulted with leading financial institutions nationwide on advisor development, program oversight, and strategic growth initiatives. Nagel has spoken on panels and at events regionally and nationally.

Her commitment to advancing the profession also includes volunteer work inspiring high school– and college-aged women to explore careers in finance. Drawing from firsthand experience managing client relationships, running a business, and leading institutional programs, Nagel brings a grounded, practical perspective to her consulting, coaching, and speaking engagements.

Cracking the Code: Behavioral Finance and the Client Mindset (1 CE)

2:10 pm - 3:00 pm, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

"Clients don’t always make financial decisions based on logic. Money is emotional.

Cracking the Code: Behavioral Finance & The Client Mindset explores how clients interpret money through a behavioral lens, often responding emotionally to uncertainty, perceived risk, or conflicting information. Financial professionals will learn how to identify primary factors influencing client decisions, apply behavioral finance principles in everyday conversations, and help clients stay aligned with their long-term goals."

Learning Objectives

• Identify key factors influencing client decisions to better understand their actions.

• Reframe conversations to address biases like loss aversion and confirmation bias.

• Apply behavioral finance principles to enhance communication and client engagement.

• Enhance office environments and interactions to boost client confidence.

Pascal Noel, PhD, MSc

Singh Family Professor of Finance, Chicago Booth

Pascal Noel is the Singh Family Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Noel’s research interests include household finance, public finance, macroeconomics, real estate, labor, and behavioral economics. His research uses microeconomic administrative data and natural experiment-based empirical strategies to uncover how households make financial decisions. Noel examines the implications of this consumer financial behavior for structural models of household decision-making, the design of public policy, and the evolution of the macroeconomy.

Noel earned a PhD in economics from Harvard University, an MSc in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA in economics and in ethics, politics, and economics (summa cum laude) from Yale University. From 2009 to 2011, Noel worked as a senior policy advisor at the White House National Economic Council, focusing on housing and financial markets. Noel joined the Chicago Booth faculty in 2017.

Economic Theory and Evidence on Household Decision-Making and Financial Distress

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

Households face a wide range of financial shocks—from job loss and income volatility to health expenses, and market risk—yet many are poorly prepared to absorb them.

Drawing on economic theory and recent empirical research, this session explores how households actually behave when their finances are under stress. Why do so many households struggle to smooth spending? What triggers financial distress and delinquency? And how can advisors design strategies that better protect clients from unexpected shocks?

Participants will gain insights into the role of liquid reserves, behavioral biases, and real-world financial frictions in shaping household financial outcomes. The session highlights practical ways investment and wealth advisors can help clients build greater financial resilience and make better long-term decisions.

Learning Objectives

• Explain why households struggle to smooth consumption in the face of income and expense shocks, despite strong theoretical incentives to do so.

• Identify the key factors that lead to financial distress, including income volatility, unexpected expenses, and insufficient liquidity buffers.

• Apply behavioral insights to client advice, using tools such as liquidity planning, defaults, and automation to strengthen household financial resilience.

Steve Parrish, JD, RICP®, ChFC®, CLU®, RHU®, AEP®

Professor of Practice and Scholar in Residence, The American College of Financial Services

"Steve Parrish is a professor of practice and a scholar in residence at The American College of Financial Services, where he previously served as co-director of the Retirement Income Center. He also recently served as an adjunct professor of estate planning and interim director of the Compliance and Risk Management Department at Drake University Law School.
With more than 45 years of experience as an attorney and financial planner, Parrish is an expert on retirement, estate, and business-owner succession planning. He is a recognized industry authority, spokesperson, and author, serving as an ongoing contributor for Forbes.com and as a contributing author to the 2024 e-textbook, “Retirement Plans and Retirement Planning.”

Parrish was the 2023 winner of the Kenneth Black Jr. Journal Author Award and has written for the Journal of Financial Service Professionals — where he also serves as an associate editor— the Journal of Financial Planning, and the Hastings Business Law Journal. He has served as an expert source for prominent media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, National Public Radio, InvestmentNews, Money.com, U.S. News & World Report, and AARP The Magazine.

He also has served as an expert witness. In addition, Parrish is a sought-after speaker for bar associations, estate planning councils, and financial services industry meetings."

New Opportunities in Retirement Planning for Business Owners (1 CE)

2:10 pm - 3:00 pm, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

This session examines the unique challenges business owners face when planning for retirement and offers potential solutions. It includes an overview of the current environment for small businesses, including taxation and business valuation, and addresses strategies for converting business capital into retirement income.

Learning Objectives

• Highlight timely financial issues in today's economic environment that concern small business owners contemplating retirement.

• Consider exit planning and succession solutions, including legal, tax, and product strategies.

• Discuss a process for advisors to help their business Owner clients deal with exit and retirement planning.

Robert Powell, CFP®, RMA®

Editor-in-Chief, Retirement Management Journal

Robert Powell, CFP®, RMA®, is editor-in-chief of the Investments & Wealth Institute’s Retirement Management Journal and serves as a faculty member on the Institute’s Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) certification program. He serves as the editor and publisher of Retirement Daily on TheStreet.com and as a retirement columnist for USA Today and MarketWatch.com.

Previously, he served as a managing director of DALBAR. He is also co-chair of the Swampscott Age-Friendly Committee, the chair of the Swampscott Council on Aging/Senior Center, and a member of the Swampscott Retirement Board. He earned a BA from Marquette University and an MS in journalism from Boston University.

Keeping it Real in Retirement: What Advisors Get Wrong about Inflation, Investing, and Spending

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Join retirement researcher David Blanchett and financial advisor Moe Allain for a timely fireside chat exploring why inflation-adjusted spending typically declines over the course of retirement, and what that reality means for how individuals save, invest, and draw income.

The conversation will unpack the data behind changing retiree spending patterns, the ongoing impact of inflation and healthcare costs, and how these trends should shape asset allocation decisions before and during retirement. Attendees will come away with practical insights to help better align retirement strategies with how people actually spend later in life.

Learning Objectives

• Explain the pattern of inflation-adjusted spending in retirement and findings on why retirees outlays tend to decline over time.

• Describe the interaction between inflation risk and retirement spending needs, especially the role of healthcare costs that often rise faster than broad inflation.

• Assess how declining real spending patterns should influence pre-retirement savings rates and portfolio asset allocation decisions.

• Evaluate strategies for sequencing retirement income and spending, including the roles of guaranteed income sources verses market-dependent withdrawals.

• Identify planning implications of the "retirement spending smile" and how spending needs shift across retirement stages.

Ross Riskin, DBA, CPA/PFS™, CCFC, MS Tax

Chief Creative Officer, visiWealth

Ross Riskin's research and professional expertise focus on advice engagement, education planning, and tax and wealth transfer planning for high-income and high-net-worth individuals. He serves as the founder and chief creative officer at visiWealth, vice president at Riskin & Riskin, PC, and managing member of Riskin Wealth Management, LLC.

In addition, Riskin sits on the advisory council for the American Institute of Certified College Financial Consultants and acts as a senior strategy advisor for the Investments & Wealth Institute. Riskin is the author of “The Adviser’s Guide to Education Planning: 1st and 2nd Editions,” which are published by the AICPA. Riskin has been the recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award from both InvestmentNews and CPA Practice Advisor and has received the Standing Ovation in Personal Financial Planning Award from the AICPA, and the Accounting Educator of Excellence Award from the Connecticut Society of CPAs.

He has been quoted in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, U.S. News, The New York Times, and Investment News, and has also been published in journals such as the Journal of Wealth Management, Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Accountancy, Tax Notes, and the Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives.

A Beautiful Design: The Power of Using Visuals to Provide Clarity and Identify Opportunities Around the OBBBA (1 CE)

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has reshaped the tax and financial planning landscape, creating both new opportunities and new challenges for advisors and their clients.

This session will focus on using visuals to conceptualize and simplify various planning strategies that will apply to diverse client groups, such as young families, young professionals, business owners, and high-income/high-net-worth individuals who are focused on "planning with purpose" by using philanthropic and multigenerational tax planning strategies to reach their immediate and long-term goals.

Learning Objectives

• Identify key provisions of the OBBBA that significantly alter individual, business, and multigenerational tax planning strategies.

• Understand how visuals can be used to simplify and communicate complex planning concepts for diverse clients—ranging from young families and professionals to business owners and high-net-worth individuals.

• Evaluate tax-efficient approaches to "planning with purpose," including philanthropic giving, legacy design, and multigenerational wealth transfer strategies under the new rules.

Client Complexity in Practice: An Interactive Roundtable Case Study Experience (2 CE)

8:00 am - 9:40 am, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

 This dynamic, roundtable-based workshop flips the script on traditional case study formats. Instead of being handed a fully baked client profile, each table will focus on a specific dimension of a client scenario—such as family structure, income source, or lifestyle—and collaborate to select a representative client situation based on real-world experiences. Participants will first share insights and anecdotes from their own practices related to the assigned category and will vote on the client profile that best reflects common or complex planning dynamics. The winning profile from each table will appear live on the screen—building, piece by piece, a fully crowdsourced case study for everyone in the room to analyze together. By the session’s end, you’ll help build the client and explore how these variables intersect to influence holistic planning decisions. 

Learning Objectives

• Identify and articulate key client dimensions — such as family structure, income source, and lifestyle—and assess how they impact financial planning strategies.
• Collaborate with peers to synthesize real-world experiences into representative client profiles through structured discussion and digital polling.
• Analyze a fully crowdsourced client case study to evaluate how intersecting client variables influence comprehensive, holistic planning decisions.

Raja Sampathi

Principal, meanderingSapien

Raja Sampathi spent 19 years as a management consultant in operations and an executive coach with Fortune 500 companies. Now, he helps small teams and nimble businesses fix the messy stuff that slows them down using artificial intelligence (AI).

Sampathi automates boring and grunt work, such as document processing, client onboarding, and data entry, so teams can focus on client work. This is real AI ROI—AI that works.

Human Integration of AI for Wealth Management Leaders

3:10 pm - 4:00 pm, Monday, Apr 21, 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how financial advisors lead, serve clients, and scale their practices. In this focused breakout session, Raja Sampathi explores how wealth management leaders can integrate AI in practical, human-centered ways that enhance executive effectiveness, deepen client and prospect relationships, and strengthen team adoption. This session emphasizes mindset, stewardship, and real-world, personal application.

Learning Objectives

• Leverage AI to support a busy executive lifestyle while reducing cognitive load and improving decision-making.

• Enhance engagement with top prospects and your best clients through thoughtful, ethical AI integration.

• Lead AI adoption within a firm by modeling stewardship, building trust, and encouraging team confidence in new tools and strategies.

Steve Siegel, JD, LLM

President, The Siegel Group

Steve Siegel is president of The Siegel Group, a Morristown, New Jersey-based national consulting firm specializing in tax consulting, estate planning, and advising family business owners and entrepreneurs. Siegel is the author of several books, including “The Grantor Trust Answer Book,” “CPA’s Guide to Financial and Estate Planning,” and “Federal Fiduciary Income Taxation.” He has served as an adjunct professor of law in the Graduate Tax Program of the University of Alabama and has served as an adjunct professor of law at Seton Hall and Rutgers University law schools. He earned a BS from Georgetown University, a JD from Harvard Law School, and an LLM in taxation from New York University.

CPWA® Masterclass: Application of Advanced Strategies (2 CE)

8:00 am - 9:40 am, Monday, Apr 21, 2026

Designed for Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certificants seeking to deepen their expertise and elevate client outcomes, this CPWA® Masterclass translates advanced wealth management concepts into practical, client-ready strategies. Participants will explore real-world scenarios involving tax planning, estate considerations, concentrated wealth, and behavioral dynamics to refresh their skills and deliver more confident, comprehensive guidance to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Learning Objectives

• Apply advanced CPWA® frameworks to identify and address key planning opportunities for high-net-worth clients.

• Evaluate tax-aware wealth strategies and explain trade-offs in clear, actionable terms to clients.

• Assess complex client balance sheets, including concentrated positions and liquidity events, to improve decision-making and outcomes.

• Incorporate estate and legacy planning considerations into holistic client conversations and recommendations.

• Use behavioral coaching techniques to strengthen client engagement and improve implementation.

Michael Silver

Founder and Managing Director, AlphaScale

Michael Silver is a co-founder and managing director of AlphaScale, where he helps financial advisors and RIAs, as well as wealth and asset management firms, achieve sustainable growth and scale. With more than 30 years of experience as a speaker, coach, and consultant, Silver brings deep expertise in client acquisition, marketing, practice management, team development, and the client experience.

Silver helped build and routinely implement the AlphaScale framework for driving organic growth. He is frequently sought after by leading wealth and asset managers as a keynote speaker and offsite facilitator and personally coaches many of the industry’s fastest-growing and most successful teams.

Before launching AlphaScale, Silver was a financial advisor for 13 years, giving him firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities advisors face. He leverages this perspective to deliver practical strategies that drive measurable impact for firms and their advisors.

Silver earned a BS in finance from Ithaca College and holds a certification in organizational and executive coaching from New York University.

Winning Market Leadership: Unlocking the Power of Positioning Strategy and Wealth Demographics for Financial Advisors

8:00 am - 9:40 am, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Unlocking the Power of Positioning Strategy and Wealth Demographics for Financial Advisors. In today’s increasingly crowded advisory landscape, success is no longer about offering more services—it’s about becoming the clear leader in the minds of the clients and prospects you serve. A key differentiator in achieving that leadership is client relevance and reputational authority.

One of the most powerful ways advisors can elevate credibility and market perception is through professional designations and specialized credentials. This workshop is a high-impact, strategy-driven experience designed for financial advisors who want to sharpen their positioning, better understand wealth demographic opportunity, and strategically leverage the advantages of Investments & Wealth Institute certifications to stand out in competitive markets.

The workshop goes beyond theory to illustrate specific, real-world approaches working right now to help advisors build trust faster, reinforce specialized expertise, and attract ideal affluent clients.

Learning Objectives

• Define a differentiated competitive positioning.

• Leverage wealth demographic trends shaping investor needs and behaviors.

• Adopt the strategies top advisory leaders are using to win in competitive markets.

• Strengthen authority and credibility through elevated positioning.

• More effectively showcase professional designations and expertise.

Blake Spivey, CFA®

Head of Enterprise Wealth—Americas, S&P Dow Jones Indices

"Blake Spivey is head of the North America Enterprise Wealth Team at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). The Enterprise Wealth Team focuses on strategic home office engagement with leading asset, wealth, and fintech managers. Previously, Spivey worked as a strategist on S&P DJI’s Digital Wealth team, where he collaborated to enhance S&P DJI’s brand visibility and drive revenue through thought leadership and consultative sales.

Before joining S&P DJI, Spivey served as a client-facing portfolio manager and team leader within BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Strategy and Solutions (MASS) group, where he developed and managed customized portfolios in excess of $8 billion for high-net-worth individuals and not-for-profit organizations. Prior to that role, he was a portfolio manager at Truist Financial, co-managing a tax-sensitive large-cap core strategy for the bank’s private client division.

Spivey earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Georgia State University and completed executive studies at Harvard Business School. He is a CFA charterholder. Additionally, he serves as a board member of Glow International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the humanitarian needs of underresourced and vulnerable populations in Central America."

Global Index Perspectives: Active and Index in a Changing World

11:00 am - 11:25 am, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

What happens when active funds are combined into a traditional 60/40 portfolio? This session explores why most multi-asset active blends have struggled to outperform comparable index allocations and what that means for portfolio construction.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how combining active funds within a traditional 60/40 portfolio structure impacts overall performance compared to comparable index-based allocations.

• Evaluate the key factors that have contributed to underperformance in multi-asset active blends.

• Apply insights from performance comparisons to inform more effective portfolio construction decisions.

Tim Steffen, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CPWA®

Director of Advanced Planning, Private Wealth Management, Baird

"As director of advanced planning for Baird, Tim Steffen is responsible for researching, writing, and speaking on important planning issues that impact Baird’s clients. This includes topics related to retirement and estate planning, tax law, executive compensation, business ownership, legislative changes, and overall best practices.

Steffen originally joined Baird in 1999, serving in a variety of planning-oriented roles. He left Baird in 2019 to join the Advisor Education team at PIMCO before returning in 2021. Before 1999, Steffen worked in Arthur Andersen’s Private Client Services group in Milwaukee, where he specialized in tax and financial planning. His clients included corporate executives, business owners, and families.

Steffen earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois in 1991. He is a CPA/PFS, a CFP® professional, a CPWA® professional, and a member of the American and Wisconsin Institutes of CPAs, the Investments & Wealth Institute, and the Financial Planning Association.
Commentary from Steffen on a wide range of financial planning topics has been featured in national, regional, and trade media such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Kiplinger’s, U.S. News & World Report, Morningstar, CNBC.com, and InvestmentNews.

In addition, he speaks to numerous client and professional groups about tax and financial planning topics and has taught financial planning classes for the Investments & Wealth Institute and at the University of Wisconsin–Madison."

Understanding Social Security Retirement Benefits

10:40 am - 11:30 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

This session will provide an understanding of the basics of our Social Security system, including who is eligible for benefits, how they’re calculated, options for claiming benefits, tax rules around them and more.

We’ll then get into claiming strategies for both single individuals and married couples, along plenty of examples of how claiming dates will impact your actual benefit.  We’ll conclude by looking at the latest forecast for the future of the Social Security trust fund and some options for ensuring it’s long-term viability.

Learning Objectives

• Know what factors go into calculating a benefit.

• Understand the options a retiree has for when to claim benefits, and how those decisions affect how much they collect.

• Examine strategies for married couples, and how the decision of one spouse can affect the benefit paid to another.

• Understand the financial outlook for the trust fund, and variety of options available to provide short-term and long-term stability to the system.

Benjamin Taylor, CFA®

Managing Director,  Macquarie Asset Management

Benjamin Taylor is a managing director for Macquarie Asset Management and is responsible for fundraising, investor relationships, and product development for private credit throughout the Americas.

Before joining Macquarie, Taylor was a managing director at Audax Private Debt, where he led the company’s insurance solutions efforts and was responsible for fundraising on a global basis. Before that, he held similar roles at Pinnacle Trust Partners, Intermediate Capital Group, and Schroder Adveq.

He has more than 15 years of industry experience. Taylor earned a Bachelor of Business from the University of Newcastle and a Master of Commerce from the University of Sydney. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Inside Infrastructure: The Macquarie Edge—Megatrends, Macro Shifts, and Market Opportunities (1 CE)

9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

Infrastructure is being rebuilt at an unprecedented speed as digitalization, electrification, and decarbonization reshape global demand, while inflation, interest rate normalization, and geopolitical uncertainty continue to test markets.

This session examines the macroeconomic backdrop, the megatrends driving infrastructure investment, and how private capital supports the essential systems that enable growth. Panelists will share perspectives on navigating volatility, generating value through active stewardship, and investing in infrastructure designed to meet the demands of a faster-changing world.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the macroeconomic factors influencing infrastructure investment today, including interest rate normalization, inflation persistence, and geopolitical uncertainty.

• Explain how long term structural forces – digitalization, electrification, decarbonization, and shifting supply chains are driving sustained demand for infrastructure globally.

• Understand how experienced infrastructure investors seek to generate value across cycles through disciplined investment processes, active stewardship, and operational engagement.

Amelia Renkert-Thomas

Founder, Renkert Thomas Consulting

Amelia Renkert-Thomas is the founder of Renkert Thomas Consulting LLC, the author of “Engaged Ownership: A Guide for Owners of Family Businesses.” and professor of the practice at Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she teaches family business ownership and governance.

She chairs the Leadership and Transition Planning Domain of the UHNW Institute. Renkert-Thomas Consulting LLC works with family enterprise owners on issues related to strategy, ownership, and governance.

Renkert-Thomas brings to her work multidisciplinary training and extensive experience in governance design; business operations and strategy; estate and tax planning; and family systems and organizational development.

Pulling Back the Curtain: Talking About Wealth With Your Family

3:10 pm - 4:00 pm, Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

How do you help clients navigate conversations about wealth with their families? Do they avoid the subject, worry about creating entitlement, or question whether heirs will be responsible investors?

In this session, Amelia Renkert-Thomas will help you guide clients in opening and sustaining meaningful conversations about wealth with their families.

Learning Objectives

• Evaluate key considerations for initiating family wealth conversations, including appropriate timing, meeting structure, and stakeholder participation.

• Apply a framework for presenting a family’s “Wealthscape” to support clarity, alignment, and continuity in intergenerational wealth planning.

• Analyze common behavioral and family system dynamics—such as entitlement concerns, role conflicts, triangulation, and competing narratives—and implement strategies to support productive wealth transfer discussions.

David R. York, Esq., CPA

Managing Partner, York Howell

David R. York is an attorney, certified public accountant, and managing partner with the Salt Lake City law firm of York Howell. York practices law in estate planning, tax, business planning, and nonprofit entities. He is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a dean with the Purposeful Planning Institute.

York has been recognized by Chambers and Partners in the area of estate planning, a distinction awarded to approximately the top 2% of attorneys in the field. He has extensive experience designing and implementing advanced wealth-planning strategies for ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as working with charitable planning, purpose trusts, private trust companies, and advanced trust planning.

York has spoken to hundreds of public groups and professional organizations, including TED, Q Commons, Stanford University, the Purposeful Planning Institute, Million Dollar Round Table, and the Investments & Wealth Institute.
He is the author of The Gift of Lift: Harnessing the Power of Stewardship to Elevate the World and the children’s book Dudley’s Castle. He is also the co-author of Entrusted: Building a Legacy That Lasts and Riveted: 44 Values That Change the World. York has written for Trusts & Estates, Estate Planning Magazine, and Investments & Wealth Monitor.

In 2023, York co-founded Corenology™, a software-as-a-service technology company that provides qualitative tools and resources to help financial professionals identify and understand their clients’ unique values so they can connect purpose and planning.

Designing Generosity: Tools, Trends, and Tradeoffs in Modern Philanthropy (1 CE)

9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Apr 20, 2026

This presentation explores how charitable planning is evolving from a transactional exercise into an intentional act of design—shaped by human psychology, demographic change, and an expanding set of legal and planning tools. Rather than focusing solely on tax efficiency or institutional philanthropy, the session reframes generosity as something that must be architected to align with the donor’s values, family dynamics, and desired impact. Drawing on emerging trends in giving, modern alternatives to traditional charity, and a fresh look at both new and established tools, the presentation examines the tradeoffs inherent in today’s philanthropic decisions. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to help donors design giving strategies that are personally meaningful, structurally sound, and responsive to the realities of modern wealth, governance, and advisory practice.

Learning Objectives

• Reframe charitable giving around the donor, not just the donee.  Participants will explore how generosity affects donor well-being, identity, family dynamics, and meaning, and how charitable planning can be intentionally designed to benefit the giver while still advancing social impacts.

• Recognize how demographic shifts are reshaping charitable behavior and tools.  Participants will examine how generational, cultural, and life-stage differences are driving changes in how people give, what they support, and why traditional institutional philanthropy no longer fits all donors.

• Compare traditional, alternative, and hybrid structures for expressing generosity.  Participants will learn how and when to use charitable vehicles (CRTs, CLATs, life insurance), non-charitable alternatives (B corporations and purpose trusts), and quasi-charitable entities (501(c)(4)s), with an emphasis on real-world tradeoffs rather than theoretical optimization.

• Understand the advisor’s evolving role in designing modern generosity.  Participants will evaluate how charitable planning can deepen client relationships and differentiate advisory practices, while also introducing tensions around asset management, control, and long-term relevance.