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Group Benefits and Retirement Services
is a lively forum for group insurance and group retirement services professionals to meet, network and discuss strategic and tactical issues through interactive workshops, panel discussions and industry guest presenters.
Who Should Attend?
This Group Benefits program will be of interest to industry professionals involved in Group Administration and Operations, Group Account Representatives, Group Underwriters, Group Reinsurance, Business Analysts, Market Research, Product Management and Marketing, Economic Analysts, Customer and Client Services staff who work in the group benefits and group reinsurance business.
Networking Opportunities
In addition to providing formal information sessions to enhance your professional development, this educational section's meetings will allow you to meet and network with your fellow industry colleagues.
AGENDA
Morning Sessions
Group Underwriting Workshop - Group Case Studies
Working in teams, participants in this highly interactive workshopcan flex their group underwriting muscles, discover different points of view and negotiate and present their final underwriting decision. Each team will receive the same groups to underwrite and present their decisions during the session. This workshop will be of interest to group quote and renewal underwriterswith levels of experience. Case studies will be provided, however group underwriters are invited to submit interesting or unusual groups that they have encountered and would like to discuss in the workshop. We recommend that certain characteristics of the group be changed for confidentiality purposes.
Please submit your general questions or your own case study to Joyce Taylor, Manulife Financial, at
joyce_taylor@manulilfe.com, before May 15, 2010.
Group Issue and Administration Q & A Workshop
This workshop will offer opportunity for participants to discuss procedures, practices, and current challenges and solutions relating to this business function. In order for all participants to get the most value from the workshop, you are required to submit at least one question for discussion. Please forward your questions to Maureen Wheeler,
Maureen.wheeler@empire.ca
before May 15, 2010.
Group Retirement Services – Financial Literacy and Group Retirement Plans
Christopher Cartwright, VP, The Financial Education Institute of Canada
What does "financial literacy" really mean and what is its connection to the group retirement arrangements handled by life insurers? As industry "insiders", what do we need to know about how we communicate with non-financial people? What pitfalls do we need to guard against to avoid confusion and misunderstanding? Find out what a veteran communicator has to say. Come and discuss strategies to deal with the level of financial literacy existing in Canada today.
Afternoon - Cracker Barrel Sessions
What is a Cracker Barrel?
Several information sharing sessions will be held concurrently. These sessions are broken into three interest categories: General, Pension and Benefits. An industry expert will facilitate each 30-minute session. The expert will open with a 10-to-20 minute review of the topic and then devote the balance of the session to dealing with specific situations or questions solicited from those around the table.
After the session, participants rotate to another session of their choice to explore another topic. Before leaving, each participant will have participated in three sessions.
Drug Trends – Facilitated by Mary Johannesson, Director of Marketing and Marketing, ESI Canada
Our 2009 Drug Trend will review the various components of trend and will look at how these factors are expected to impact prescription drug costs in the future. In addition, we’ll evaluate which drugs and therapy classes drove drug expenditures in 2009. The latter part of the presentation will focus on trends specific to high cost and specialty claimants, including insight into the upcoming specialty drug pipeline. Finally, we will look at the prospect of follow-on-biologics and a forecast of drug trend for the future.
Group Insurance On the Go – Facilitated by Carole Bellm, Director, Group Underwriting, RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada
With Canadian companies becoming more global and baby boomers starting to retire, group underwriters are receiving new and challenging requests for coverage on employees residing outside Canada. When does an employee become an expatriate, how does a company deal with employees on leave of absence or sabbatical, how does it assess employees going to high risk countries for work purposes, how should it handle retiree coverage? This short presentation will address some of the interesting requests that are emerging, the growing importance of clear policy wording, and the type of questions group underwriters should be asking to uncover true risk. After the presentation, there will be a 15-minute Q&A session so that participants can ask questions and interact with their peers.
Best Laid Plans – Will Employers Change Their Philosophy Around Employee Benefits? – LIMRA Research presented by Brent Lemanski, Resident Director, LIMRA Canada
Join Brent as he reviews recent research completed by LIMRA that surveyed employers on their policies regarding employee benefits and analyzed companies’ current practices, future plans, and general opinions about workplace benefits.
Member Engagement – The Key to Capital Accumulation Plan Success – Facilitated by Stephen Kinnear, Account Manager, Manulife Financial
This discussion examines CAP roles/responsibilities, member behaviour/engagement, communication/education, and retirement income expectations.
Call Center – Facilitated by Sharon Oatway, CEO, Veraquest
There is a lot of attention being paid to “the customer experience” – that personal reaction your customers have when they come in contact with your organization. In today’s marketplace, that critical interaction can often happen in the contact centre. Over the last few years, Sharon and her team have reviewed over 100,000 customer interactions across a variety of industries. This session explores a fresh perspective on call / email monitoring and what it will take to win the hearts and loyalty of today’s consumer.
Pension Landscape in Canada, Facilitated by Ralph Castelli, Manager, Legislation and Plan Governance, Standard Life Canada
Canadians are saving less for retirement and many do not have access to an occupational pension plan. While our three- pillar system is effective in delivering basic social benefits and providing Canadians the opportunity for saving on their own, is it enough? Many experts don’t think so and our federal and provincial governments are interested in finding a solution. This discussion will highlight the issues, the proposals under consideration and where we stand as an industry and as a country in this important debate.
Social Media – Facilitated by Thomas Anger, Manager, Collaboration Service, Sun Life Financial
In this session, Thomas Anger will discuss the use and impact of emergent Web 2.0 and social software platforms and how they are being used within Sun Life Financial to deliver powerful results. He will provide an overview of the various capabilities being implemented and the successes and challenges Sun Life Financial has seen as a result.
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Do organizations really need to care about collaboration and social media?
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What capabilities has Sun Life Financial implemented internally?
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What challenges and opportunities has Sun Life Financial identified?
LOMA Canada GBRS Education Section Committee:
Executive:
Chairman – Kari Gough – Equitable Life, Waterloo, ON
Vice-Chair – Ralph Castelli – Standard Life, Montreal, QC
Past Chairman – Stephen Kinnear, Manulife Financial, Toronto, ON
Secretary – Carole Bellm, RGA, Toronto, ON
Members:
Caroline Blanchet – Desjardins Financial Security, Montreal, QC
Linda Carter – Manulife Financial, Montreal, QC
Suresh Moorthy – Desjardins Financial Security, Toronto, ON
Kathy Shaw – Sun Life Financial, Waterloo, ON
Joyce Taylor – Manulife Financial, Waterloo, ON
Ann Tilley – Swiss Re, Toronto, ON
Maureen Wheeler – Empire Life, Kingston, ON
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