PipeCast - Official Podcast of iPipeline

As business continuity plans - and life in general - have been upended across the country and the world, we discuss some of the implications of the coronavirus on the life insurance industry with noted thought leaders Jena Kennedy and Scott Rhinehart from LexisNexis. A fascinating examination of what we're all facing - and how to potentially get through this in better shape than we entered.

In this episode, we welcome back Tom Scales, head of the life and annuity practice at Celent. Tom shares his thoughts on life insurance technology for the decade past, the current landscape, and the decade ahead. Tom has his finger on the pulse of the industry like few others, and is always a fascinating interview!

Jim Sorebo, SVP of Sales at Highland Capital Brokerage and well-known industry evangelist and advocate, joins us on an inspirational episode of the Pipecast. From his incredibly successful career to personal challenges and triumphs, Jim addresses what's happening in our industry head on with passion and solutions. What a great way to kick off a brand new season!

In this episode, we welcome Jeff Shaw, the Executive Director of the Life Insurers Council. Jeff has an extraordinary perspective on the current state of the life and annuity industry. Working with a core group of smaller insurers, Jeff is always seeking ways to help them improve their ability to achieve higher profitability, predictability, and scalability. Jeff touches on a wide range of topics, including the challenges around innovation, investment, and manufacturing. With the industry changing more rapidly than ever, what can companies large or small do in the short term to accommodate customers' evolving needs and spending habits?

We welcome Jena Kennedy, the Director of Vertical Market Strategy for Life Insurance at LexisNexis, for a broad and entertaining discussion on security and authentication in the life insurance industry today. What’s at stake for insurance companies, and what can they do to ensure the balance of usability and safety? How can consumers navigate the complexities surrounding the protection of their information? What can and should financial professionals do to help their customers and companies without preventing sales? All of these topics and more are on the table.

We welcome Gregg Poston, the Managing Director of Licensing and Field Technology at OneAmerica, for a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion on the life insurance industry today. Gregg’s deep knowledge and understanding of the market, the economic environment, and the successes and challenges of running a life insurance practice in 2019 make for an entertaining look into the industry we love.

Our latest Pipecast takes a look at the current state of the industry from the perspective of two leaders of Life and Annuity Masters – Tim Whitmore (CMO and CFO) and Tom Vick (Director of Annuities). The two discuss their backgrounds, how the industry has evolved over that time, the key areas where success is most apparent, and areas for improvement. It’s an interesting and deep look at the world of insurance and annuity distribution in 2019.

At iPipeline's 2019 Connections conference, we spoke with a series of industry thought leaders and difference makers. From insurance innovation to sales, running businesses to motivating people, our Pipecast participants run the spectrum of talent and impact. In order of appearance: Elliott Wallace, VP & GM of Life Insurance, Lexis Nexis Linda Ding, Director of Strategic Marketing, Laserfiche Morley Ivers, President, Workplace By OS33 Chris Ewing, President and CEO, One Inc. Kevin Baer, Founder, Baer Coaching Cameron Greenlaw, COO, LifeBuilders

Leticia Santiago, Director of Operations at Life and Annuity Masters and Toni Golden, President and CEO of The Toni Group, join host Rich Grisham to discuss their involvement in WEFI (Women Empowering Financial Independence). This group’s goal, simply put, is to reach out to individuals to let them know who they are and that resources are available to help them be successful. They support and educate both newly licensed and seasoned veterans, focusing on empowerment and education. It’s a wonderful story and we’re delighted to bring it to you directly from the people that are making it happen!

Tom Scales - Head of Americas Life, Annuity, and Health for Celent - joins host Rich Grisham to take a look at the big trends of the life insurance industry as we look back at 2018 and forward to 2019. From technology to product, distribution to end consumers, Mr. Scales has his finger on the pulse of our industry like few others.

This episode of the Pipecast features Bill Levinson, the Managing Partner of Levinson & Associates. He and host Rich Grisham discuss a wide array of topics about the life insurance industry, including the changes in products and technology over the past two decades, his approach to recruiting and keeping top talent, the interesting choices consumers have in purchasing insurance these days, and much more.

This episode of the Pipecast features Chip Van Dusen, one of the most influential figures in the life insurance distribution space. As President and CEO of Diversified Brokerage Services, a highly successful industry leader, Mr. Van Dusen has personally seen and participated in the transformation of our marketplace. Join him and host Rich Grisham as they survey the current landscape from a people, technology, legal, and recruiting standpoint.

This episode of the Pipecast features Steve Sanders, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Columbus Life Insurance Company. Steve discusses the evolution of the insurance industry from his perspective over the past two decades, touching on how his organization manages its most important goals in an ever-changing landscape. From recruiting to training, marketing and service, Mr. Sanders’ tales of successes and challenges are relevant to all of us in the life insurance industry today.

This episode of the PipeCast features Jennifer Richards, Head of Life/Disability Insurance New Business & Underwriting for MassMutual. She shares fascinating insights about the nuances of underwriting in 2018, how technology and human intelligence intersect, the importance of a positive work environment, and much more in a wide-ranging discussion.

This episode of the Pipecast features Jeff Shaw, the Executive Director of the Life Insurers Council. Jeff dives deeply into the strategies and nuances of small life insurance companies and thriving in a competitive market, competing for business and awareness from larger, more ‘traditional’ organizations. It’s a fascinating look at how the combination of strong leadership, technology, and focus can drive significant growth and success for companies of all sizes.

This episode is the first ever Pipecast Live! Recorded on location at iPipeline's Connections 2018 conference, host Rich Grisham sits down with several industry thought leaders to discuss what's happening in the insurance and financial services industry. It's a fascinating series of conversations, featuring:   Tom Scales, Head of Life and Annuity Practice, Celent Rachel Sachs, VP of Life Operations, Advisors Excel Sam Halpern, Director of Internet Marketing, Senior Market Sales Kevin Baer, Founder of Baer Coaching  Aaron Guidotti, CEO, Grendel

This episode of the Pipecast features John Hyde, the President and CEO of CapitalRock, discussing the impacts of regulation on the financial services industry and the software that professionals use to sell and distribute products. It’s an especially pertinent discussion, looking at the uncertainties of pending rulings and how consumers and advisors must navigate the ever-changing landscape.

This episode of the Pipecast features John Jevin, the Senior Director of Application Development at Aetna. John joins us to discuss the ever-changing landscape of the senior insurance market, including why it is so attractive to so many stakeholders, the role of technology in that market, and barriers that organizations must overcome in order to succeed. Whether you’re involved in the senior insurance market as a technology provider or insurance carrier - or simply have family members entering the space as end consumers – this discussion is of heightened importance entering the new year.

This episode of the PipeCast features Jennifer Fitzgerald, the CEO and co-founder of PolicyGenius. In a fascinating and wide-ranging interview, she discusses what prompted her to become an early leader in the world of InsureTech, the most important aspects of PolicyGenius as an organization, the opportunities and challenges that await in the life insurance industry, and much more. A must-listen for everyone interested in insurance, technology, and leadership!

This episode of the PipeCast features Greg Zahn, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Distribution for Highland Capital Brokerage discussing everything about modern life insurance distribution. From technology to data gathering, creating innovative ways to reach new customers, maintaining a world-class distribution system, and consistently meeting and exceeding results, Greg is in the middle of it all. He joins us today to explain what this all looks like right now – and where it’s heading in the future.

This episode of the PipeCast features Margo Tank, a partner at Buckley Sandler, a leading lawyer whose practice focuses on the intersection of financial services, technology, and government enforcement. She also significantly contributed to the creation of ESIGN, the act that in many ways has led directly to the explosion of digital signatures across the world. She joins us today to discuss some of the most important landmark legal cases in the field of electronic signatures, which are of importance to not only the insurance and finance industry but to all of us as consumers.

This episode of the PipeCast features Al Bett, the AVP of Business Transformation at John Hancock Financial Services. As you would imagine, business transformation means a lot of things in the life insurance world, and we cover a lot of those items in depth. What does transformation look like for a large financial services company? What are the priorities, and how are those decisions made? What is the impact of technology, and the people that use that technology? A fascinating look at the inner workings of an organization looking to grow, modernize, and maintain all at the same time.