Emily
Chang
Bestselling Author, Journalist, and Tech Industry Expert
Emily Chang
Bestselling Author, Journalist, and Tech Industry Expert
Emily Chang is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, and one of Bloomberg’s leading voices on technology, business, and culture. As host and executive producer of "The Circuit with Emily Chang" and "Posthuman," she travels the world to meet the founders, innovators, and cultural icons shaping the future—and to explore what it means to be human in an age of extraordinary technological change. Over her career, Chang has interviewed some of the biggest names in business and beyond, from Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman to Reese Witherspoon, Stephen Curry, and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.
For more than a decade, Chang anchored Bloomberg Technology, the network’s flagship daily program on innovation and the global tech industry. Her 2018 bestseller "Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley" exposed gender inequality in the tech world and became a rallying cry for inclusion in one of the most powerful sectors on earth. A strong advocate for women in the workforce, Chang has risen to prominence in a male-dominated field and shines a journalistic light on issues such as diversity, inclusivity, and the future of work. She also appeared as herself in several cameos on HBO’s hit show "Silicon Valley."
Beyond the Headlines: An Insider’s Perspective on Tech’s Next Big Thing
1:00 pm - 1:50 pm, Tuesday, Nov 17, 2026
Decades ago, when we imagined a world fueled by technology, visions of flying cars, jetpacks, and five-course meals ready in seconds at the push of a button captured our imagination. We are not quite there yet, but with the advent of smart devices, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and cryptocurrency, the irreversible impact technology has had on society cannot be ignored. The world’s relationship with technology is vastly different from what it was just 10 years ago—and entirely distinct from life 50 years ago. Where will we be 10, 20, or 30 years from now?
In this dynamic talk, veteran tech reporter Emily Chang, who now interviews tech’s biggest changemakers weekly on "Studio 1.0," will explore emerging technology trends and help audiences get ahead of the curve on the changes shaping business and culture worldwide.
Learning Objectives:
-
Identify the major emerging technology trends shaping business, culture, and society over the next decade and beyond.
-
Assess how advancements such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, smart devices, and cryptocurrency are transforming the way people live and work.
-
Evaluate the potential long-term implications of rapid technological change so they can better anticipate future opportunities, challenges, and disruptions.
Corey
Ciocchetti
Associate Professor of Business Ethics and Legal Studies, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver
Corey Ciocchetti
JD
Associate Professor of Business Ethics and Legal Studies, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver
Corey Ciocchetti is an associate professor of business ethics and legal studies in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He clerked for the Honorable John Kane in the U.S. District Court for Colorado and founded and operated a small business that provided sports programs to cities and parks and recreation districts before joining the University of Denver. Ciocchetti has received numerous teaching and scholarly awards, including the Charles Hewitt Master Teacher Award from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, the Outstanding Professor of the Year Award from the University of Denver Alumni Association, the Scholarship of Teaching Award from the Daniels College of Business, and the Scholarship of Discovery Award from the Daniels College of Business. In 2010, he received the Holmes-Cardozo Award for the top conference paper and was named Distinguished Junior Faculty Member by the Academy of Legal Studies in Business. His articles have appeared in leading journals in his field and have been downloaded more than 27,000 times. Ciocchetti has earned the highest student teaching evaluations in the Daniels College of Business 11 times since 2004, and over the past seven years, his teaching evaluations have averaged 5.9 out of 6.0.
Professionalism and Your Iron Ring
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm, Monday, Nov 16, 2026
The legend of the Iron Ring originates in Canada. In 1907, the Quebec Bridge collapsed because of engineering failures, placing the profession under intense scrutiny. These were trusted professionals, and nearly 100 people died because of poor design and planning. In response, a group of engineers sought to memorialize the importance of character, diligence, and professionalism. According to the story, they forged rough rings from iron salvaged from the collapsed bridge. These simple rings were worn on the pinky finger of an engineer’s working hand, separate from wedding bands, as a constant reminder of professional responsibility.
The ring symbolized a simple but profound idea: I have an important job, and I must do it well every time or society suffers. In many places today, engineers continue to receive their rings during a ceremony that includes an oath written by Rudyard Kipling. The final line declares: “As an Engineer, I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give the utmost.”
Corey Ciocchetti’s insightful and inspirational keynote begins where that oath ends. He explores critical questions, including:
What does it mean to be a professional?
How does society expect professionals to act, speak, and think in their work?
How can we use our skills and knowledge, without reservation, for the public good?
What serves as our own iron ring, reminding us of our obligations to ourselves, our loved ones, our colleagues, and our communities?
In the end, audiences are encouraged to create their own version of an iron ring in the form of a personal creed—a set of deeply held beliefs and commitments. This creed can include promises to spouses, children, loved ones, colleagues, neighbors, and communities. It is an opportunity to make meaningful commitments and keep them, even when circumstances are difficult. That, Ciocchetti argues, is what true professionals do—and what society needs most.
Learning Objectives:
-
Examine the principles of professionalism, accountability, and ethical leadership through the lens of the Iron Ring tradition and its enduring relevance across industries and professions.
-
Evaluate personal and professional responsibilities to key stakeholders—including clients, colleagues, family members, and communities—and identify ways to align actions with those commitments.
-
Develop a personal creed or set of guiding principles that serves as a practical framework for decision-making, integrity, and service during both routine and challenging circumstances.
Carl
Richards
Creator of the "Sketch Guy" Column, The New York Times
Carl Richards
Creator of the "Sketch Guy" Column, The New York Times
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.
Ilias
Benjelloun
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Strategy Team, Macquarie Asset Management
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
9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Nov 16, 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.
Sara
Dorosti
Director, Wealth Strategist, Merrill Lynch
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.
When Liquidity Changes Everything: Estate Planning and Family Enterprise Strategy
2:10 pm - 3:10 pm, Monday, Nov 16, 2026
Focusing on family enterprise planning and pre-IPO strategy, this presentation is designed for advisors working with founders whose illiquid shares may suddenly become generational wealth. It highlights key estate planning and tax strategies while exploring the hidden dynamics and common pitfalls that can derail family enterprises. Emphasizing that technical planning alone cannot resolve issues of trust, fairness, identity, and communication, this session offers practical tools to strengthen advisory relationships and help families preserve both wealth and family relationships across generations.
Learning Objectives:
-
Identify what advisors should do before an IPO turns paper wealth into family complexity.
-
Identify why family enterprises fail despite great plans—and how to spot the traps early.
-
Identify the tools to move beyond documents and become a trusted guide for generational wealth.
Chris
Leslie
Executive Chairman, Real Assets Americas; Senior Managing Director, Green Investments, Macquarie Asset Management
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
9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Nov 16, 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.
Mathew
Libordi
Director, CVC Funding, LLC
Mathew Libordi
CIMA®
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
9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Nov 16, 2026Infrastructure 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.
Ed
McQuarrie
Professor Emeritus, Santa Clara University
Ed McQuarrie
Professor Emeritus, Santa Clara University
Edward F. McQuarrie is professor emeritus in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. He received a PhD in social psychology from the University of Cincinnati in 1985.
McQuarrie has published in three broad areas: consumer response to advertising, with a focus on rhetoric and narrative; qualitative research techniques and market research for technology products; and emerging online consumer behaviors. He is the author of four books: "Customer Visits: Building a Better Market Focus," "The Market Research Toolbox: A Concise Guide for Beginners," "The New Consumer Online: A Sociology of Taste, Audience, and Publics," and "Visual Branding: Rhetorical and Historical Analyses."
His papers have appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Advertising, Marketing Theory, and other publications. McQuarrie previously served as faculty director for assessment at the Leavey School, where he was responsible for assessing learning outcomes and evaluating teaching. He also served as associate dean for graduate studies, overseeing the MBA and Executive MBA programs.
The 4% Rule Was Never Failproof: On the Folly of Fixed Rate Withdrawals
2:00 pm - 2:50 pm, Tuesday, Nov 17, 2026
Three decades after William Bengen introduced the 4% rule, many investors and advisors continue to view it as a safe withdrawal strategy. However, Bengen’s historical analysis had limitations, and subsequent research has shown that the 4% rule was never failproof. This session examines why no fixed withdrawal rate from a risky portfolio can ever be considered completely safe and explores newer, more flexible alternatives.
-
Learning Objectives:
-
Learn about the twin risks retirees face when spending down their savings: depleting assets too early or underspending and ultimately becoming the richest person in the graveyard.
-
Understand why asset-to-spending ratios, such as 25 times annual spending, remain a useful planning tool for advisors counseling newly retired clients, even as the 4% rule has become less relevant.
-
How to replace problematic fixed withdrawals with suitable variable plans.
Benjamin
Taylor
Managing Director, Macquarie Asset Management
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
9:30 am - 10:20 am, Monday, Nov 16, 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
York
Managing Partner, York Howell
David 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 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 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 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.
The Business of Family
9:20 am - 10:10 am, Monday, Nov 16, 2026
There are more than 5 million family businesses in the United States. As a general rule, family businesses outperform nonfamily businesses, are more values-driven, and tend to retain employees during difficult economic times. That said, family businesses also face unique and complex challenges. This presentation will focus on how advisors can help family businesses successfully navigate the challenges that arise at the intersection of business and family. It will also explore the six types of family businesses and the practical yet critical steps families can take to sustain a successful multigenerational business into the future.
Learning Objectives:
-
Understand the unique strengths and vulnerabilities of family businesses.
Participants will be able to explain why family businesses outperform non-family firms in culture, long-term returns, and employee retention, while also identifying the key risks (i.e., succession failures, lack of preparation, and family-dynamics risks) that jeopardize multigenerational continuity. -
Distinguish the six types of family businesses and the four types of successors. Participants will learn to classify family enterprises into the six operating patterns and recognize how successor mindsets (consumers, dreamers, owners, and stewards) drive either continuity or decline, enabling advisors to guide families toward stewardship-focused leadership models
-
Apply a practical framework for stewarded succession and governance.
Participants will understand and be able to implement the five steps toward a stewarded succession (including balancing rights/responsibilities, embedding meaning, documenting rulebooks, cultivating culture, and shifting from a focus on assets to people) to help families navigate the intersection of business and family across generations.
Reserve Your Seat
Join 400+ attendees from all business channels. Experience is the only advisor conference that truly reflects the advice profession it serves. Attendees represent every advisory channel including wirehouses, independent advisors, RIA, and executives that support the industry.
