NAFA Annuity Distribution Summit Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Erica Orange is executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Future Hunters, one of the world’s leading futurist consulting firms. She evaluates emerging social, technological, economic, political, demographic and environmental trends – and identifies the strategic implications (the “So what?”) of those trends for several of the most influential Fortune 500 companies, trade associations and public sector clients. Erica’s ability to identify patterns, think critically and analytically, and translate that into actionable strategies is what has made her an invaluable asset to clients.
The keynote speaker presentation is proudly sponsored by:
Featured Speakers
David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach innovation, collaboration, and productivity. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator who has worked with global leaders from organizations across all industries, David shares captivating stories and practical takeaways that show audiences how to do their best work ever. He is the bestselling author of four books about business and leadership, and his TED Talk “Why You Should Know How Much Your Co-Workers Get Paid” has been viewed more than 2 million times.
Andy Busch was the first chief market intelligence officer (CMIO) for the U.S. government at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As CMIO, he was charged with improving and enhancing the government’s understanding of the markets. Andy provided briefings to White House, House and Senate staffers on a wide range of issues including extreme market volatility, China’s influence on the global commodity markets and the impact of Fintech and virtual currencies on market dynamics.
Speakers
Laurence Black is the founder of The Index Standard, a provider of ratings, insights and forecasts, and an index advisor to Robert J. Shiller, Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University. Previously, he was a managing director and head of quantitative indices and Strategies at Barclays where he oversaw the development of the Barclays index family. In addition to designing some of the first smart beta/factor indices, Laurence spearheaded Barclays’ index partnerships with Professors Robert Shiller and Nouriel Roubini, as well as Novus Partners.
Phillip Brzenk is head of multi-asset indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). His team is responsible for the product management of multi-asset and option indices, which cover a variety of outcome-oriented index solutions including managed volatility, retirement, dynamic allocation, inflation hedging, sustainability, and absolute return. Prior to his current role, Phillip was a Senior Director in the Strategy Indices team, where he was responsible for product coverage of alternate beta strategies, including factor-based indices, dividends, and volatility, as well as quantitative, thematic, and asset-allocation strategies.
Jay Charles leads Luma’s annuity business as director of annuity products. He joined Luma in August of 2020 from Prudential Financial, where he led teams focused on developing and commercializing new strategic solutions for Prudential Annuities, including helping launch the carrier’s annuities on multiple fintech platforms. Previously, Jay served as vice president, commercial banking strategy at JP Morgan Chase & Co., where he managed projects focused on developing commercial banking growth strategies and improving operational efficiency and effectiveness, and as an associate for McKinsey & Co.
Chuck DiVencenzo joined NAFA in 2019 as its president and CEO, overseeing the association’s efforts to promote and expand the utilization of fixed and fixed index annuity products through independent distribution. His work on advocacy at the state and federal levels, thought leadership, consumer education efforts and commitment to industry best practices have aided product acceptance and industry growth. Previously, he held positions with Allianz Life and The Hartford, as well as Edward Jones, M&T Bank and National Benefits Group, developing relationships across the industry that help propel his vision for the association forward.
Alfred Eskandar is co-founder, president and COO of Salt Financial. He is responsible for driving the vision, business strategy and day-to-day operations of the firm. Alfred has more than 20 years of experience in financial technology and has been recognized multiple times as one of the most influential and innovative trading technology executives by Institutional Investor Magazine. He serves as an advisor to multiple emerging tech firms, a frequent industry speaker and a popular press contributor. Alfred holds a BBA in Finance and Economics from Baruch College.
Alan Grissom currently serves as an industry consultant for Grissom Enterprises after 15 years with S&P Dow Jones Indices, most recently as head of business, North America. He has a track record of repeatedly building 10 figure+ businesses in the financial services industry and a keen understanding of the financial services’ complete ecosystem, from retail investor to and through to the product/asset management. With knowledge in strategy, sales/marketing, operations, asset management, retirement planning, investment advisory and estate planning, he is a true asset for the businesses he serves.
Doug Massey is the executive vice president of sales for Insurance Technologies. Doug helps define and manage product and go-to-market strategies for Insurance Technologies. Doug is a 30-year veteran of the insurance and financial services technology space, helping streamline and automate the marketing and sales of insurance products. He has helped develop three successful startups, InsurQuote, Blue Frog Solutions, and CapitalRock, and worked with firms across the industry to automate the sale and processing of annuities and life insurance. Doug participated in defining the IRI standards and helped design and bring to market annuity and life order entry solutions.
Robert “Bobby” Powell, vice president of wealth management sales, joined iPipeline in 2017 following the acquisition of Laser App software. He spent 15 years with Laser App as the vice president of sales and marketing. In his current role with iPipeline, Bobby leads the wealth management and Insurance distribution sales teams. The focus of these two teams is to support the wealth management and insurance distributors with the tools needed to succeed.