The Women in Retirement Conference (WiRC) is the only conference of its kind, with conference content built by women for women advisors and TPAs in the industry. WiRC brings together women advisors and TPA business owners and leaders in the retirement plan service industry. The education focuses on five key areas: leadership, sales & marketing, practice management, advocacy and professional development & growth.
WiRC
CONFERENCE
January 11-13, 2023
About
Registration:
Early Bird Event Price
(valid until 12/16/2022)
(valid until 12/16/2022)
Regular Event Price
(valid until 1/10/23)
(valid until 1/10/23)
Onsite Event Price
(valid after 1/10/23)
(valid after 1/10/23)
Eligible attendees: Women Advisors and TPA Business Leaders
WiRC also welcomes: Women who are leaders (and aspiring leaders) and in client (plan sponsor) facing roles, including: Actuaries; ERISA Attorneys, Broker-Dealers / RIA Home Office, Plan Sponsors / HR Professionals, Plan Compliance / Consultants / Administrators. All registrations are subject to approval.
By registering for this event, you agree to abide by our Event Policies.
Agenda
Preliminary schedule as of January 2023. Times and topics subject to change. Stay tuned for the full agenda!
Keynote Speakers
Sophia Hyde – Release Your Favorite Self
Sophia Hyde is a master certified life coach, transformational speaker, and community builder.
She has chosen to dedicate her life to helping individuals release their favorite selves into the world. After experiencing first-hand what it was like to struggle with the gap between the life she was living and an inner voice craving something more, she powered through transformation.
What took her 10 years to create, she now guides others through in a fraction of the time.
She was once a stressed out entrepreneur who felt guilt for not being able to make the half hour she needed to get ready each morning more productive. Today she is a wife, a mom of two children, and owns a thriving business but is able to live in peace, rest and multiple hours of self-care most days.
Her book, Release Your Favorite Self: One Woman’s Journey to Inner Freedom and the Tools to Help You Liberate Yourself Too, releases January 2023.
Fotini Iconomopoulos – Say Less, Get More: Unconventional Negotiation Techniques to Get What You Want
Nicknamed “the negotiator” as a child, Fotini has been honing her skills her entire life.
For the last decade, she’s been empowering Fortune 500 executives and their teams to achieve their objectives through her expertise in negotiation, communication, and persuasion. She guides companies through high-stakes scenarios and creates tailored intensive negotiation workshops for clients across the globe in all industries who want to develop their teams.
When she’s not strategizing with clients, Fotini is a frequent guest on CBC & CTV Television and an instructor of MBA Negotiations at the Schulich School of Business. She also offers her experience to non-profit initiatives including an empowerment programs for young girls, an attempt to close the gender gap before it starts.
She’s been recognized with the Network of Executive Women’s national Inclusion award as well as the Greek America Foundation’s Top 40 under 40 award for her achievements and philanthropic work.
Rosemary Laack – Situational Leadership®
Situational Leadership® is the most successful and widely adopted leadership training model available. Its simplicity and practicality enable leaders to engage in effective performance conversations that build trust, increase productivity and drive behavior change.
Situational Leadership® provides a framework that teaches leaders how to create the highest probability of success when it comes to influencing the behavior of others. Situational Leaders are uniquely skilled to demonstrate four core competencies: diagnose, adapt, communicate, and advance.
As a Certified Trainer with The Center for Leadership Studies, Rosemary Laack is a three-time award winning leader and speaker who uses her energetic trademark approach to train all over the U.S. Her passion and talent for understanding the unique challenges business professionals face today is the crux of her tremendous appeal and success. This ability has formed the core value of her sessions on Situational Leadership®.
Kelsey Mayo – Finding Your Mark – SECURE your Place In Advocacy
School is (back) in session with Kelsey Mayo.
Join us for this session that will put your practice at the head of the class with this lesson in advocacy, legislation, law, compliance, and implementation. When it comes to taking legislation from initial proposal to the final “text” – the process can really look like a game of “would you rather”. And then, once a bill is a new law, what happens next? How do you ensure that your voice matters – especially when it comes to compliance and implementation? How does the ARA Government Affairs team work to make sure your voice is heard with regulatory agencies who have oversight?
Marquette Payton, CRPS®, CDFA® – Modern Prospecting
Marquette Payton, CRPS®, CDFA® is a Retirement Director on the Defined Contribution and Wealth Advisor Services Team at Janus Henderson Investors. In this role, she helps connect financial professionals and the investors with whom they work to financial goals through tailored solutions, insights and knowledge, whether within retirement plans or with individuals preparing for retirement.
As a minority female, Ms. Payton is passionate about creating women-specific and diversity and inclusion financial education which she delivers to financial professional and investor audiences nationally. Prior to joining Janus Henderson in 2011, she worked as a manager at American Century Investments, where she led and coached a team that focused on consultative solutions to meet the financial goals of retail clients. Marquette received a bachelor of science degree in microbiology with a minor in chemistry from New Mexico State University, where she was recognized as a Crimson Scholar.
She holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 26 securities licenses as well as the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) and Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM (CRPS®) designations. She has 22 years of financial industry experience.
Deena M. Rini, MBA, C(k)P® – Practical Ways to Foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Your Workplace
Deena Rini is Vice President and Practice Leader of the Retirement Plan Division at Oswald Financial, Inc. She has over fifteen years of industry experience, previously serving in multiple roles on Oswald’s retirement plan team.
Deena is dedicated to managing Oswald’s retirement plan division’s service and support capabilities include strategic leadership of the team’s operations, compliance, administration, and marketing.
Deena is a founding member of Oswald’s Women’s Leadership Council and a former Co-Chair. She is deeply committed to the development, advancement, and empowerment of women in the workforce serving as an active council member, mentor, speaker, and blog writer.
Deena holds her FINRA Series 6, 63, and 65 licenses. She also holds her C(k)P designation and her MBA.
In addition, Deena exemplifies Oswald’s mission of “Commitment to Community,” serving as a board member for Holy Name High School in addition to serving as past member of John Carroll University’s MBA Advisory Board. She is an active volunteer for Junior Achievement as a Blitz Day Teacher. She is a graduate of the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Bridge Builders program.
Deena is the recipient of the 2020 Oswald Star Achiever Integrity Award.
Wednesday, January 11
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Badge Pick-up
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
New Attendee Orientation
Are you new to WiRC and interested in maximizing your experience? If so, this orientation is the perfect opportunity to connect with other first-time attendees and grow your network. It will help you hit the ground running when sessions begin!
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Happy Hour
Cap off the first day of WiRC with a fantastic happy hour before dinner! Connect with colleagues and enjoy a bit of lighthearted banter before diving into the conference sessions.
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Dinner
9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
After Party
If you’re looking to continue the party, feel free to join other attendees at the Wigwam Bar. Please note that this is an informal event and attendees are responsible for their own expenses.
Thursday, January 12
6:00 a.m.
Sunrise Run/Walk
If you’re looking to meet up with other conference attendees for a morning run/walk around the property, please meet in the hotel lobby at 6:00am.
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast in the Sponsor Lounge
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Session 1: Situational Leadership®
Situational Leadership® is the most successful and widely adopted leadership training model available. Its simplicity and practicality enable leaders to engage in effective performance conversations that build trust, increase productivity and drive behavior change.
Situational Leadership® provides a framework that teaches leaders how to create the highest probability of success when it comes to influencing the behavior of others. Situational Leaders are uniquely skilled to demonstrate four core competencies: diagnose, adapt, communicate, and advance.
As a Certified Trainer with The Center for Leadership Studies, Rosemary Laack is a three-time award winning leader and speaker who uses her energetic trademark approach to train all over the U.S. Her passion and talent for understanding the unique challenges business professionals face today is the crux of her tremendous appeal and success. This ability has formed the core value of her sessions on Situational Leadership®.
Rosemary Laack, Certified Trainer, The Center for Leadership Studies
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Beverage Break in the Sponsor Lounge
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Session 2: Release Your Favorite Self (Part 1)
Our world is shifting to one that is increasingly more customized. As leaders, if we want to guide our teams well and serve our client’s best interests, we have to lean into this customized approach. Helping those we lead define their favorite selves will reveal to us how to help them achieve their goals and maximize results.
However, we cannot teach what we do not know. The first step to guiding others through this process is to do the work for ourselves. For far too long, we have been focused on messages centered around “success” or “living our best life.” The connotations of how society defines these words often does not align with what each individual wants.
We look for answers “out there” to guide our lives, as if there is an expert who can tell us what we need to know. The reality is, we do already know. Who we truly are, what we really want, and the plan we need to follow to get there are already inside each of us. Those answers are sitting underneath layers upon layers of messages we have received over a lifetime.
The beauty of clarifying your favorite self is there is only one connotation of the word favorite, that you determine it.
Sophia Hyde is a trained master coach who specializes in helping people liberate themselves from the life they believe they “should” be living into the one they genuinely desire.
During our first hour together, Sophia will help us define our favorite selves. Then she will lead us through an assessment to discover what may be the root cause holding us back from releasing it.
Sophia Hyde, Life Coach – Author- Speaker, sophiahyde.com
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Session 3: Release Your Favorite Self (Part 2)
Following up from part 1, we will reconvene to dive deep into thought management. The fast track to bridging the gap between our current lives and our favorite lives is to master managing our minds. The tools she will be teaching us in this session will be ones we can take back to our teams and our families to transform the way we connect with one another.
Sophia Hyde, Life Coach – Author- Speaker, sophiahyde.com
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Beverage Break in the Sponsor Lounge
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Session 4: Modern Prospecting
The future is calling – and it’s not using a rotary phone. In this session we will explore how dusting off the fundamentals can lead to uncovering a unlimited supply of new and creative ways to engage with investors to drive satisfaction and growth.
Takeaways:
- Shift your mindset – it’s not lack of skill or knowledge that’s holding you back.
- Narrow your focus on a Unique Business Tranche – this doesn’t mean giving up your non niche clients.
- Create a written client persona – it’s the key to unlocking unlimited ideas to shape your business.
Marquette Payton, CRPS®, CDFA®, Retirement Director, Defined Contribution and Wealth Advisor Services, Janus Henderson Investors, janushenderson.com
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Beverage Break in the Sponsor Lounge
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Session 5: Practical Ways to Foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Your Workplace
When team members feel appreciated and welcome, they are more engaged and productive, contributing to greater innovation and workplace safety. Are you wondering how to curate this kind of diverse workforce and inclusive environment? Join us for a candid panel discussion about:
- How leadership can effectively address biases,
- Identifying and overcoming common DEIB challenges, and
- Sharing real life examples being used in our industry to further DEIB initiatives in a variety of business environments, including mentoring programs, practice management workshops, and networking opportunities
Kirsten Curry, APM, CEO & Attorney, Leading Retirement Solutions
Deena M. Rini, MBA, C(k)P®, Vice President, Practice Leader of Retirement Plan Services, Oswald Financial
Leah Sylvester, CPC, QKA®, QPA, Partner, Director – Retirement Plan Services, Shepherd Financial
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Ladies Night Out
Enjoy your shot at becoming Master Bartenders and Southwestern Chefs as you learn to mix your favorite Margarita (mocktails also available) and homemade Salsa! Teams will create salsa name, margarita, logo and table presentation. Following the activity, attendees will enjoy a Southwestern inspired buffet dinner!
Friday, January 13
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast in the Sponsor Lounge
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Session 6: Finding Your Mark – SECURE Your Place In Advocacy
Join us for this interactive advocacy session that will help you understand how your voice can be heard, and why your expertise, experience and insights bring value to the process. Learn what happens once a bill becomes law, and how you can be part of the collective process. Advocacy is powerful and an important catalyst for changes we want to see, and there are opportunities for everyone to be engaged in the process.
Join Kelsey Mayo and a special guest (to be announced) and learn how to take your advocacy to the next level. They will provide the latest updates on SECURE 2.0 (or “unpack” it if it’s passed!), and share opportunities available to you through the ARA Government Affairs team that simplifies the process in developing your skills to help you TAKE ACTION. Each of us can find our mark in advocacy with issues that are important to us and our industry. Learn how to get connected with regulatory agencies and representatives that need to hear from you. Your voice matters – and together we can make a difference.
Kelsey H. Mayo, Director of Regulatory Affairs, American Retirement Association, Partner, Poyner Spruill LLP
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Beverage Break in the Sponsor Lounge
10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Session 7: Say Less Get More: Unconventional Negotiation
Techniques to Get What You Want
Negotiation is a skill that can bring significant value for everyone, yet women are far less likely to engage in the practice. With good reason. Studies and anecdotes galore tell us that women are often penalized for negotiating. In 2001, only 7% of women negotiated their first salary compared to 57% of men. Labeled aggressive instead of assertive or attracting the dreaded b-word, they fear the process for fear of retaliation. Are women terrible negotiators? No. In fact, the opposite is true. Their superior trust and empathy skills make them ideal negotiators. Often, they just need to work on their confidence and employ some subtle communication tricks to get what they want — without that dreaded label. Listen to Fotini tell you her negotiation war stories and how she overcame gender and age discrimination to go on to be the expert that Fortune 500 executives seek out for their high stakes scenarios. You’ll leave with the motivation and confidence and the knowledge to tackle your next negotiation with ease.
Fotini Iconomopoulos, award-winning negotiation consultant, author of Say Less, Get More: Negotiation Techniques to Get What You Want, fotiniicon.com
11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Conference Location
The Wigwam
300 E Wigwam Blvd.
Litchfield Park, AZ 85340
Room Rate: $249/night single or double
The WiRC discounted room block is now closed. Rooms are available at the hotel’s rates starting at $420/night.
Reserve a Room directly with the hotel
Book your hotel room
Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel
9495 W. Coyotes Blvd.
Glendale, AZ 85305
Room rate: $301/night
From Wigwam: 7.4 miles, 14-minute drive
Book Your Hotel Room
Hampton Inn and Suites Phoenix-Goodyear
2000 N Litchfield Rd
Goodyear, AZ 85395
Room Rate: $164/night
From Wigwam: 2.5 miles, 6-minute drive
Book Your Hotel Room
2023 WiRC Committee
Committee Co-Chairs
Kirsten Curry, APM, CEO & Attorney, Leading Retirement Solutions
Leah Sylvester, CPC, QPA, QKA, Partner, Director – Retirement Plan Services, Shepherd Financial
Conference Committee
Michelle Engle, CRPC, Financial Advisor, Suncoast Wealth Solutions
Michelle G. Murphy, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA, Senior Manager, Blue Benefits Consulting, Inc.
Apryl M. Pope, CFP®, CPFA, Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, Retirement Plan Partners, LLP
Kathleen J. Tompkins, EA, MSPA, MAAA, Principal, Shore Tompkins Actuarial Resources
Gabrielle Turner, CPSP™, Director of Human Resources, Caroo
ASPPA LC Liaison
Amanda Iverson, APM, COO, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
NAPA LC Liaison
Renee Scherzer, CPFA™, Principal, 401k Resources
Event Policies
ASPPA, American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries, and NAPA, National Association of Plan Advisors, are a part of the American Retirement Association (ARA), the umbrella organization for five affiliate organizations: ASPPA, ASEA, NAPA, NTSA and PSCA. The following event policies apply to the 2023 WiRC Conference:
Registration Refund Policy
Requests for refunds should be submitted to accountsreceivable@usaretirement.org by December 31, 2022. A refund of the conference fee, minus a $100 processing fee, will be given for cancellations received by that date. No refunds will be granted for requests received after this date. Please note that refunds will not be given for no-shows.
Substitution Policy
Substitution of registrations is permitted prior to the conference. Only one substitution is permitted per original registrant. The individual submitting the substitution request is responsible for updating any contact information. Requests for substitutions should be submitted to accountsreceivable@usaretirement.org by December 31, 2022. No substitutions will be accepted after this date.
Badges
Attendees who register in advance may pick up their badge and onsite materials at the Registration Desk during conference hours. If you do not check in at the Registration Desk to pick up your badge, you will be deemed a no-show and continuing education credit will not be issued. Attendees are not permitted to pick up other attendees’ badges/materials.
Covid Waiver & Safety Protocols
By participating in this conference and any associated events, you acknowledge and understand the highly contagious nature of Coronavirus/COVID-19, and that current medical knowledge of the virus, including its transmissibility and risk remains uncertain, particularly in light of evolving variants of the virus. There is not a cure for the virus, and those with certain medical conditions may be at high risk for contracting the virus and/or experiencing significant and life-threatening complications.
You understand and acknowledge that neither the American Retirement Association (ARA) nor the event venues are able to provide a guarantee against transmission of the virus, infection and/or illness and that they are not responsible for any potential exposure to COVID-19 and injuries related thereto or other infectious disease which you may experience in connection with the conference. As such, you assume all risks related to COVID-19, even if arising from the negligence or fault of ARA and you release and hold harmless the ARA, its officers, employees, agents, representatives, affiliates, legal successors, and all persons acting pursuant to its authority from any and all liability for damages for exposure to and/or infection with COVID-19 in connection with or on account of your participation in the conference.
If you test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of the event or have COVID-19 related symptoms, including if the conditions emerge while you are at the event, you will not attend the conference. If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should follow the current CDC guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html. In addition, ARA may immediately remove or prohibit you from in-person activities at the conference if you exhibit symptoms associated with COVID-19, or if you fail to comply with any safety procedures stipulated by ARA or the event venue. Please refer to our event policies for additional information about safety protocols and the covid waiver.
Event Performance
If the event is canceled, ASPPA/NAPA will refund your registration fee. ASPPA and NAPA are not responsible for individual airfare, hotel or any other travel expenses that may be incurred.
Consent to Use of Photographic Images
Your registration and attendance at, or participation in, the event and other affiliated activities constitutes an agreement by the registrant to grant ASPPA permission to use photos taken of you at the event for news, promotion and similar purposes.
Unauthorized Solicitations
Solicitation of business by anyone other than ASPPA exhibitors and sponsors is strictly prohibited. Please report any violations to the registration desk.
Program Content
The views and opinions expressed by speakers or others who have provided materials to and for this conference are not necessarily those of ASPPA or ARA or its affiliate organizations. ASPPA, ARA, and its affiliate organizations assume no responsibility for, nor endorse, any of the comments, recommendations or materials that are provided.
Event Code of Conduct
The American Retirement Association, the umbrella organization for the individual membership organizations: ASPPA, ASEA, NAPA, NTSA and PSCA (collectively the “ARA”), is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all participants at ARA events. All participants, including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, service providers and ARA staff members, and all others are expected to abide by this Events Code of Conduct. This policy applies to all ARA events (in-person and virtual), including all meetings and conferences, as well as events sponsored by organizations other than ARA but held in conjunction with ARA events. Read the full Event Code of Conduct.
Antitrust Policy
The American Retirement Association, the umbrella organization for five affiliate organizations, ASPPA, ASEA, NAPA, NTSA and PSCA (collectively the “ARA”), assigns the highest priority to full compliance with both the letter and the spirit of antitrust laws and it is vital that any ARA meetings be conducted in a manner consistent with this policy. Read the full Antitrust Policy.
