Another step on the road to normalcy will take place this week with an in-person event in Austin, Texas.
The 2021 LeafHouse National Retirement Symposium will happen on Wednesday and Thursday centered on “Big Data. Big Tech. Big Ideas.”
Claiming it’s not a typical industry conference, organizers note the sessions are fast-paced, and the content is about how to evolve with coming changes.
Transamerica associate Michael Kutcher, twin brother of actor Ashton Kutcher, will deliver a highly anticipated keynote presentation on the challenges he’s faced and how he’s persevered. Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy before he entered Kindergarten, he’s defied the odds despite numerous and ongoing health problems—including heart failure at age 13.
“You can never replace in-person interaction,” said Todd Kading, President of LeafHouse Financial. “We are so excited to be live and in full effect in Austin in October. We’re very excited to have Michael Kutcher this year. A donation will be made to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and we’re also doing something a little different. Renowned visual artist Anthony Freda will paint pictures to capture the emotion of different sessions, and we’ll do a silent auction with the proceeds going to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation as well.”
Turning to more industry-specific sessions, American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff will be on hand to “level set where we are as an industry” with regulations, retirement plan coverage, and more.
Other session highlights include:
- A roundtable with Nicole Hinman (Cambridge Investment Research), Kasey Price (FuturePlan), and Alex Assaley (AFS 401k Retirement).
- A session with Franklin Templeton’s Yaqub Ahmed on personalization.
- A “Retireside chat” with high-profile industry experts Deb Rubin (Transamerica), Lisa Smith (Fidelity Workplace Investing), Jason Crane (Ascensus) and Joe Smolen (Empower Retirement).
- A session on Empathetic Listening with author, motivational speaker and consultant Eric Maddox.
- How data, tech, and visualization are catalysts for transformation with LeafHouse’s Dale Homburg and Kyle Smith.
- True Grit: Big Ideas Fueled By Perseverance with world-class adventurer Pete Ripmaster
Fun will happen on Thursday afternoon with “Truth or Chew,” featuring Joe Smolen, Senior Vice President, Core Markets at Empower Retirement, and Yaqub Ahmed, Head of U.S. Investment-Only Division, SVP at Franklin Templeton. A mystery guest will also participate and will be announced just before the session starts.
“Truth or Chew is modeled after a bit that The Late Show with James Corden calls ‘Spill Your Guts Fill Your Guts,’” LeafHouse Chief Marketing Officer Kassandra Hendrix explained. “What they do is to have James and special guests ask each other very difficult questions. They either must answer truthfully or eat an exotic, and sometimes unappetizing, piece of food. The same rule applies for our Truth or Chew.”
With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
