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Monday, April 22, 2019
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Registration and Credential Pickup
4:00 PM – 4:15 PM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Arlen Oransky, Executive Director, MMI Center for Distribution Excellence
Symposium Co-Chairs:
Karen Lutomski, Managing Director, Advisor Consultant, Private Wealth Advisory, Nuveen
Anne Steer, Head of Distribution, Congress Asset Management
4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Tales from the Trenches
Hear from some of the industry’s leading sales executives as members of the MMI Women in Distribution Advisory Board share their perspectives on the greatest opportunities and challenges they’ve faced in the advisory solutions industry. In a series of rapid-fire “Ted Talk”-style presentations, these inspiring women will share their personal career journeys—their proudest achievements and biggest challenges, surprises and lessons along the path, tips on attaining a healthy work-life balance, and what they wish they had known earlier in their careers.
Introduction by:
Karen Lutomski, Managing Director, Advisor Consultant, Private Wealth Advisory, Nuveen
Speakers:
Kim Carney, Divisional Sales Director, Invesco
Allison Couch Pratt, Executive Vice President, National Sales, Advisor Group
Katie Griffin, Internal Wholesaler, Eaton Vance
Karen Heath-Wade, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Client Strategy and Service, American Century Investments
Sue Thompson, Head of ETF Distribution, SSGA
5:15 PM – 5:30 PM
Special Remarks
Kunal Kapoor, CFA, Chief Executive Officer, Morningstar
Craig Pfeiffer, President & Chief Executive Officer, MMI
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Networking and Cocktail Reception
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Drive and Strive
In this candid discussion, hear what it takes to succeed as a woman in financial services. This session will share leadership lessons and practical advice on how women can define their own unique value proposition and take charge of their careers—and why it’s so important to give back and empower others.
Kristi Mitchem, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Global Asset Management
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Developing Your Personal Brand
In today’s world, it is not enough to simply be good at what you do. Every person, especially those in wealth management, needs to build relationships and trust with clients, maximize their personal brand, and be their best authentic self in order to “seal the deal.” How does that happen? Through “presence” and communicating effectively in all relationships. However, we are not born knowing how to have “presence,” nor how to speak effectively, nor how to communicate clearly. These are learned skills. Learn how to hone existing skills and develop new communications skills.
Liz Brunner, Chief Executive Officer, Brunner Communications
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Refreshment and Networking Break
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Real Deal
This session will be an informal, no-holds-barred conversation about how to win in distribution. Get ready for a frank discussion about the future of distribution and the specific challenges and opportunities for women in sales roles.
Moderator:
Melissa Roe, Sales Business Development Manager, Capital Group
Panelists:
Janet Nickel, Managing Director, Regional Sales Manager - Great Lakes Region, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Rachel Schnoll, Managing Director, Head of Product Strategy, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Alane Siem, Principal, Altius Learning
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM
Luncheon with Keynote Speaker
The Ultimate Elevator Pitch: Six-Word Memoirs
Can you tell your life story in six words? Called “a luminary in the story world,” Larry Smith is an expert on personal storytelling and its value in building connections with people. His Six-Word Memoirs project, first launched in 2006, has become a global phenomenon with a bestselling series of books, board game, and live event series. A highly sought-after public speaker, Larry will share his insights on nailing your personal elevator pitch with succinct, authentic messaging.
Larry Smith, Founder and Editor, SMITH Magazine
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Boardroom Presenting: Little-Known Strategies Designed for Winning High-Stakes Presentations
Presenting to a small group, especially in a boardroom setting, is unlike any other situation. It is part monologue, part dialogue, part presentation, and part improvisation. The dynamics are unique, and the stakes are high, so Invesco Consulting teamed up with word specialist and political consulting firm Maslansky + Partners to apply its unique instant dial-response technology to the language of the boardroom. Maslansky + Partners, well known for shifting public opinion with phrases like “Contract with America,” “death tax,” and “energy exploration,” tested boardroom language and strategies with over 100 focus group participants and in a 300-person survey. In this interactive workshop, attendees are shown preparation tactics, seating strategies, and presentation skills designed to help presenters win boardroom and other high stakes meetings.
Lisa Kueng, Executive Director, Invesco
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Preparing Yourself to Help Advisors Seize the ESG Opportunity
To equip you to better help your advisor clients take advantage of the ESG opportunity, Morningstar’s Trish Rothschild leads a panel discussion examining emerging themes in ESG investing and some of the persistent challenges that advisors face in having client conversations around this growing area.
Topics include:
- How research around climate, gender, and proxy voting is fueling product development
- Outdated assumptions related to ESG factor underperformance
- Understanding the language of sustainability
- ESG data sources and reliable modes of measurement
- Tools, data, and services that can fuel an advisor’s practice
Moderator:
Tricia Rothschild, Chief Product Officer, Morningstar
Panelists:
Guillaume Mascotto, Vice President, Head of ESG and Investment Stewardship, American Century Investments
Bonnie Saynay, Global Head of Responsible Investment, Invesco
Brett Wayman, Vice President, Impact Investing, Envestnet
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Refreshment and Networking Break
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
Inclusion & Diversity: The Right Thing for Clients, Corporations and Culture
Our final session will focus on how firms are evolving and incorporating D&I within their organization as well as with partners and clients.
Moderator:
Rachel Jacobs, Head of Intermediary Distribution, Macquarie Investment Management
Panelists:
Jen Auerbach, Director, Strategic Growth Markets, Merrill Lynch
Kathryn Sayko, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, Managing Director, PGIM
Dani Wright, RCC ™, Senior Vice President, Mid-Atlantic and Southern Regional Productivity Manager, Business Development Group, Wells Fargo Advisors
4:45 PM
Closing Remarks
Arlen Oransky, Executive Director, MMI Center for Distribution Excellence
