2026 PLANADVISER Advisers in Conversation

PLANADVISER 2026 Advisers in Conversation
- Thursday May 14, 2026
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Lunch

2:00 – 2:20 p.m.

Evolution of the Advisory Business
Industry leaders discuss retirement and advisory industry challenges and opportunities from the past 20 years.

Moderator
Edward Rueda, Editor, PLANADVISER

Panelists
Wendy Eldridge, Retirement Plan Adviser, Carnegie Investment Counsel
Megan Warzinski, Managing Director, Partner, Henderson Brothers Financial Partners

2:20 – 2:50 p.m.

Discussion: Closing the Coverage Gap
Join your peers in a discussion about micro/startup plans, MEPs/PEPs, state auto-IRA plans and the impact they have on your business and your clients.

Facilitators
Tom Krusic, Financial Consultant, intellicents
Patrick McCallister, Manager of Institutional Sales, Henderson Brothers Financial Partners

2:50 – 3:20 p.m.

Discussion: Recordkeeper Relationships
Break into smaller groups to talk about what advisers need from recordkeepers and how to select the right partners.

Facilitators
Jeff Belton, Financial Advisor, intellicents
Christine Sivak, Financial Advisor, Signature Estate & Investment Advisors

3:20 – 3:50 p.m.

Break

3:50 – 4:10 p.m.

The Evolving Retirement Plan Service Model
Industry leaders discuss how services have evolved over the past 20 years to include broader discussions of plan design, overall benefit offerings, and participant services and outcomes.

Moderator
Leah Sylvester, Executive Parter, President – Retirement Plans, Shepherd Financial

Panelists
Michael Ready, Partner & Retirement Plan Specialist, Summit Financial Group
Kelli Send, Co-Founder, SVP – Financial Wellness Services, Francis, LLC

4:10 – 4:40 p.m.

Discussion: Delivering Nonconflicted Retirement Planning Advice
Join your peers in a discussion about the retirement and wealth convergence and advances in participant education and advice.

Facilitators
Matthew Vandre, Director of Digital Service, Fiduciary Financial Planner, Francis, LLC

4:40 – 5:10 p.m.

Discussion: Retirement Income Solutions
Break into smaller groups to talk about the evolution of retirement income planning and the needs of and solutions available to plan sponsors and participants.

Facilitators
Barbara Delaney, Principal, SS/RBA – a member firm of Global Retirement Partners, LLC

5:15 – 6:00 p.m.

Quit to Finish: How to stop being a good pilgrim, so you can do the right things for the right reasons and get the best results

Speaker
Anne Lester

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Cocktail reception

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Dinner and 2026 PLANADVISER Industry Leader Awards