2026 WP&BC Phoenix Spring Conference Schedule
8:15 – 9:00 AM
Registration and Breakfast
Main Ballroom
9:00 – 10:00 AM
General Session – How America Saves and Retires
Jeff Clark, Head of Defined Contribution and Research, Vanguard
Kelly Hahn, Head of Retirement Research, Vanguard
Main Ballroom
10:00 – 10:10 AM
Break
10:10 – 11:00 AM
Breakout Session #1
Main Ballroom
The New Fiduciary Frontier: Cybersecurity and Retirement Plan Risk
Michael Berry, Senior Consultant, Retirement Learning Center by October Three
Joseph Hake, Defined Contribution & Retirement, Columbia Threadneedle Investments
President's Room
The Other New Fiduciary Frontier: Identifying Hidden Fees in Self-Insured Healthcare Plans
Chris Karam, CIMA®, Chief Investment Officer, Finspire
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11:00 – 11:15 AM
Break
11:15 AM – 12:45 PM
Lunch General Session – Washington Update
Lisa Gomez, Former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits Security, U.S. Department of Labor
Main Ballroom
12:45 – 1:00 PM
Break
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1:00 – 1:50 PM
Breakout Session #2
Ballroom #1
Smarter, Faster, Better? AI and the Future of Benefits
Sara Van Houten, Partner, Snell & Wilmer
Allison Bans, Counsel, Snell & Wilmer
Ballroom #2
ESOPs: Benefits, Structures, Ideal Candidates, and Common Pitfalls
John Marino, Director, CSG Partners
President's Room
Plan Sponsor and Participant Behavior – What Does the Data Tell Us?
Katelyn Boone, Vice President, Intermediary Investment Client Group, Fidelity Investments
Owen Kiernan, Senior Regional Consultant – Defined Contribution, MFS Investment Management
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1:50 – 2:00 PM
Break
2:00 – 2:50 PM
Breakout Session #3
Ballroom #1
AI in Investing
BlackRock (Speaker TBD)
Ballroom #2
Timing is Everything: Inflation, Retirement, and Social Security
Sean Fullerton, CFA, Senior Investment Strategist, Allspring Global Investments
President's Room
Managed Accounts – Are They Delivering on Their Promise?
Blair Filuk, Director, Custom Sales Solutions Team, Empower
David Holmes, Head of Retirement Distribution, Morningstar Investment Management LLC
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3:00 – 4:00 PM
General Session – Stop Playing Mind Games: Help Improve Participant Outcomes with Behavioral Insights
Jonathan Young, PPC®, Senior Vice President, Senior National Accounts Manager, Capital Group | American Funds
Main Ballroom
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Networking & Happy Hour
President's Room