Category: Top Executives

Sam Halpern – Online Insurance Marketing Pioneer and Innovator

Sam has been marketing and selling insurance on the Internet since January of 1999, gaining national prominence as an expert in travel insurance, international benefits and war risk insurance before transitioning focus to the senior market in 2004. Transferring lessons learned from online travel insurance, Sam developed innovative, first generation web-based tools and services throughout the 2000s for producers in the senior market to access and distribute high quality/high volume leads from vendors, associations and carriers, then quote and sell Medicare Supplement insurance, leveraging proprietary SMS technology comprising secure email, single-sign-on authentication, and various electronic signature methods in order to integrate with the then burgeoning electronic applications adopted by the leading national carriers.

Sam helped develop the industry’s first electronic scope of appointment process, healthcare provider look up and Medicare Advantage network filter; Medicare Blue Button integration. These groundbreaking tools and services —  available exclusively via SMS’ proprietary lead management and sales platform Lead Advantage Pro — helps agents “leverage their time, make more money and put their business in a position of distinction.” With the explosive growth of mobile devices and increased expectation by agents and Medicare beneficiaries that they have 24/7 online access to services, on multiple operating systems and browsers, devices. On a daily basis Sam leverages his deep relationships with SMS colleagues, life/health insurance carriers, agencies as well as insure-tech and health-tech vendors, to create value for SMS and its distribution partners by identifying and exploiting the cutting edge APIs, data and services that will help SMS maintain and extend its sales and technology leadership position in the senior market as well its favored status among top producers and leading national insurers.

https://seniormarketsales.com/

Larry Adams – LongevityQuest, Inc. Predictive Analytics To Drive Down Healthcare Spend

Join us for a conversation with Larry Adams at LongevityQuest.  Their algorithmic biotech analysis (created in conjunction with Quest Diagnostics and MIT) encourages and empowers people to pursue a long, good life. They help organizations improve employee health and reduce costs by intelligently managing what has previously been unknowable. Their innovative myLQAnalysis® reports provide individuals with a patented ranking compared to personal goals and others, and a comprehensive analysis of risk factors that may be impacting wellness and longevity — all from the convenience and confidentiality of home. For more information you can visit www.MyLongevityQuest.com or email: info@mylongevityquest.com.

Andrew Wynn: Co-Founder of Ascend

In this episode we are excited to share a conversation with Silicon Valley virtuoso and Ascend co-founder, Andrew Wynn.  Take a few minutes to learn about this innovation which facilitates funds flow through the various stakeholders in insurance, all while prioritizing your customer’s experience.

Bio: Ascend is co-founded by insurtech entrepreneur Andrew Wynn (Co-CEO) who previously started home maintenance startup Sheltr, which was acquired by Hippo in 2020. During his time at Sheltr and Hippo, he saw how fast the insurance industry was modernizing, yet insurance sellers were still struggling with customer experiences due to outdated payment processes. Before Sheltr, Andrew was an early employee at Instacart, leading the company’s product and data integration team.

For more information, visit: www.useascend.com.

Grace Grant – Exec Dir of GIS: The Insurance Industry Talent Pipeline

Grace Grant is the Executive Director of the insurance industry’s premiere collegiate talent pipeline, Gamma Iota Sigma.  We are very pleased to share a few minutes of our conversation with Grace about how GIS brings the stakeholders of our industry together to serve those seeking talent and those seeking careers!  Grace joined Gamma Iota Sigma in 2013 and has served in multiple roles across the organization focusing on university engagement, chapter expansion, collaborative industry initiatives, and organizational operations. She is responsible for the strategic direction of Gamma Iota Sigma and manages all governance-related matters including the Board of Trustees and its committees.  She is an avid runner and sports fan, residing in Powell, OH with her husband and their five children.  If you would like to learn more about partnering with GIS, go to www.GammaIotaSigma.org.

Chris Gandy: Chicagoland NAIFA President and MDRT Financial Advisor

Take a few minutes to listen to a conversation with Chris Gandy.  Learn how Chris grew his business by helping his clients create custom financial strategies designed to help make their dream retirement lifestyle a reality.  In 1999, Chris started his own firm and, since then, has worked with business owners, physicians, professional athletes and key executives all over the country. Chris focuses on the areas of life insurance, disability income insurance, investments and tax-efficient strategies.

After playing basketball for the Fighting Illini at the University of Illinois, where he was co-captain and earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors, Chris played professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs.  After his time in the NBA, and before founding his own agency, Chris worked as a Northwestern Mutual Financial network representative. While there, he became a Million Dollar Round Table Member.   So take a few minutes to learn from the best!

www.midwestlegacygroupllc.com

Chris Ingram – Top Executive

Ask anyone about Chris Ingram, and the first thing they will say is he’s competitive. Very competitive. It will also be followed up by his other qualities of leadership, vision, and dedication. For clients at Jettison, a passion for making sure they win will always come first. He views every client through the lens of efficiency and potential—connecting small changes that lead to big results. But fair warning: get ready to work hard. The consummate coach, Chris will demand the most of you and won’t settle for anything less than your full potential. No matter what you set out to do with Chris, his relentless pursuit of success is infectious and will have you running smarter, smashing goals, and surpassing your competition. Chris started his career in sales where he quickly became the top producer amongst his peers. This experience was the catalyst for his passion for entrepreneurship. He moved next into the insurance and asset management industry where in a few short years, he grew his agency to over $2 million in annual sales. After his company’s successful sale and his exit as CEO, Chris co-founded Jettison to help companies run smarter, faster, and better than their competition. If he’s not working, then he’s probably watching the Nashville Predators with his family or working with Nations of Coaches, a nonprofit that teaches college athletes that quality character is better and more long-lasting than wins and losses.

http://www.Jettisoninc.com

Marvin Feldman – Top Executive

Marvin Feldman signed his first New York Life contract in 1966 while he was a senior at Ohio State University, and started his career as an Agent with New York Life in Columbus, OH. Immediately after graduating he transitioned into New York Life’s Management Program. In 1974 Marv returned to personal production in East Liverpool, Ohio as a partner in the Feldman Agency and President of Fremar Financial Group. He is currently the President of the Feldman Financial Group in Clearwater, Florida and President and CEO of the LIFE Foundation in Washington, DC. Marv was named to Insurance Newscast’s list of the 100 most powerful people in the insurance industry in North America, the LifeHealthPro list of the 24 most creative people in the insurance industry and is the recipient of the 2011 John Newton Russell award, the highest honor bestowed on an individual by the insurance industry. He contributes articles to many professional journals and has been featured in both magazines and books. He has also just published his own book, “Man on a Mission: How to Succeed, Serve, and Make a Difference in Your Financial Services Career.” He is happily married with two children and four grandchildren.

http://www.lifehappenspro.org

Jeff Hastings – Top Executive

Jeff Hastings knows all about the good intentions that pave the road to success. He has been in our shoes and experienced great triumphs and tribulation and has lived to tell the tale. As a small business owner, he developed one of the largest and most productive sales teams in the Farmers Insurance Groups of Companies. His team of over 60 insurance agents and 150 support staff generated an estimated $85 million in annualized premium. In one year his district generated $13 million in profit making him one of the most profitable district managers since the company’s inception in 1928. Often being recognized for his performance, the pinnacle of his insurance career came in 2005 when he received the CEO’s top award, District Manager of the Year. Jeff is a proud father of three children and is married to the love of his life, Kimberly Andersen Hastings. Jeff and his family reside in Cypress Texas.

http://www.contractcoach.com

Joseph Brady – Top Regulator

Protection of Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation. Joseph Brady is the Executive Director the NASAA (North American Securities Administrators Association). NASAA is the association of state, provincial, and territorial securities regulators in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. NASAA and its members are committed to protecting investors from fraud and abuse in securities transactions, and their activities focus on licensing, enforcement, and investor education. As Executive Director, Mr. Brady is responsible for oversight of it’s century-old mission of investor protection across North America. Mr. Brady’s responsibilities have included supporting it’s representative on the Financial Stability Oversight Counsel and various committees including the Broker/Dealer and Investment Adviser Section Committees and CRD/IARD Steering Committee. He has led several initiatives to implement provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act affecting the regulation of investment advisers. Prior to joining NASAA, Mr. Brady served as chief counsel to the Securities Division of the Mississippi Secretary of State. In this role he managed enforcement cases brought by the division and represented the Secretary of State in matters before state courts and administrative tribunals. Mr. Brady is admitted to the bars of Mississippi (inactive) and the District of Columbia and is a graduate of the Mississippi College School of Law and the University of Southern Mississippi.

North American Securities Administrators Association

Anne Melissa Dowling – Top Regulator

Anne Melissa Dowling, CFA, the Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI). Dowling brings nearly 30 years of insurance industry experience to the position. She spent 25 years in the private sector, and she has spent the last three-and-a-half years working in leadership positions for the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID).

Most recently, Dowling was the Acting Commissioner of the CID, and she joined the department as the Deputy Commissioner in 2011. Dowling led the day-to-day operations of all divisions of the agency. CID has jurisdiction over the largest life insurance industry in the United States, and the second-largest overall insurance industry in terms of total written premiums. In addition, Dowling also served as an active board member of Access Health CT, Connecticut’s state-based public health insurance exchange, chairing the Advisory Committee on Essential Health Plan Benefit and Qualifications.

Prior to her regulatory work, Dowling was a senior vice president at MassMutual where she built the institutional insurance business to more than $12 billion in annual revenue and created an award-winning Women’s Markets Initiative. She served as Chief Investment Officer at Connecticut Mutual and held positions in investments and treasury functions at Aetna and Travelers. She is and has been active in governance roles on numerous non-profit boards focusing on education and literacy as well as for-profit boards.

Dowling earned her bachelor’s degree from Amherst College, and holds an MBA in finance from the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University.