Speakers
MDRT Speaks
Caroline Banks, FPFS
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Simple Concepts
Banks' career has been built on simple ideas she heard from the MDRT stage. These ideas are how she will help you deliver your client's future.
Caroline A. Banks, FPFS, is a 30-year MDRT member with 25 Top of the Table honors who served as MDRT President in 2015. The managing director of one of the first firms in the U.K. to be recognized with the prestigious Chartered Financial Planning designation, Banks specializes in holistic financial planning and is an affiliate of the worldwide Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
36 Seymour St, London, UK W1H7JF
Email: cbanksmdrt@gmail.com Phone: 2072587754
Kathleen Benjamin, CFP, CPA
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Finding Your Tribe
Discover how volunteering or connecting with other members via study groups will truly change your life.
Kathleen R. Benjamin, CFP, CPA, is a 15-year MDRT member with three Court of the Table and thee Top of the Table qualifications. The chief operating officer and advisor at BFG Financial Advisors, she possesses more than 25 years of corporate and financial planning experience and has a strong niche working with physicians and medical practices.
16 Greenmeadow Dr, Ste 201, Timonium, MD 21093
Email: kbenjamin@brotmanfinancial.com Phone: (410) 252-4555
Liru Chang, EA, MBA
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Building a Bridge to High-End Clients
Chang discusses how the more you give to others, the bigger the return.
Liru Chang, EA, MBA, is a 10-year MDRT member with one Court of the Table and eight Top of the Table qualifications. Chang is the cofounder of Elite Tax & Accounting, the vice president of Elite Wealth Group and a board director for Gracious Life Foundation. She has won numerous awards, including the prestigious International Finance and Insurance Platinum Award in Malaysia, Australia, Dubai and Korea. She hosts a wealth-building radio talk show and appears frequently on television in California.
4320 Stevens Creek Blvd Ste 282
San Jose, CA, 95129
Email: jenny.ewealth@gmail.com Phone: (408) 887-4318
Kyriakos Chatzistefanou, DMS, CMI
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Philotimo
There's a magical word that is the secret and at the same time the power of the Greek people. It cannot be translated nor does it appear in international dictionaries, but Chatzistefanou sheds some light on it in this session.
Kyriakos Chatzistefanou, DMS, CMI is a 12-year MDRT member from Thessaloniki, Greece, who began his career in MetLife in 1992. He has degree in junior accounting, a diploma in management from Kingston University and a diploma from Chartered Management Institute CMI. He is a life member of the Greek Circle of Successful Agents of MetLife and has been distinguished five times, being in the first place of the persistence of contracts in Greece, Europe, and Worldwide.
Soulini St 22 Thessaloniki, Greece GR56625
Email: kyriakos@chatzistefanou.gr Phone: +306977667600
Brad Elman, CLU, ChSNC
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Just Say No to No
Every time you are tempted to respond with a quick no, be slow to say no, and see how much more value you can deliver your clients.
Brad Elman, CLU, ChSNC, is a 27-year MDRT member with 16 Court of the Table qualifications and one Top of the Table honor. Elman writes regularly for industry trade journals and his practice was featured in Kiplinger magazine and Morningstar Advisor. Additionally, he has made numerous television appearances on the NBC Bay Area News as a consumer finance guest. Elman has served as an MDRT Divisional Vice President three times and chaired eight MDRT committees.
745 Distel Dr Los Altos, CA 94022
Email: brad@elmaninsurance.com Phone: (650) 209-5754
Lim Ren En, RFP
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Making Your Client Relationship “Foodielicious”
Lim Ren En shares a practical way to build stronger client relationships through the art of giving food.
Lim Ren En, RFP, is a 10-year MDRT member with two Court of the Table qualifications from Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. He is second vice president of the alumni board of College of De La Salle in Thessaloniki, Greece. MetLife awarded him the Morality Prize in 2007, and he joined the Gallery of Stars in 2012.”
Kl Gratitude Suite 30-04 Capsquare Tower 2 Jln Munshi Abdullah Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Email: limrenen@gmail.com Phone: 162386161
Rao K. Garuda, CLU, ChFC
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
We Sell By Asking Questions
Garuda shares important words that will help you engage with your clients.
Rao K. Garuda, CLU, ChFC, is a 36-year MDRT member with 25 Top of the Table qualifications who founded Associated Concepts Agency Inc. in 1977. He is a principal of New First Financial Resources, a member of the International Forum, and a current member and former director of the Forum 400. Most recently, he founded the Financial Services Network, which is an advanced financial training and mentoring program for financial advisors across the nation.
2 Summit Park Dr Ste 350 Independence, OH 44131-2553
Email: rgaruda@aca-incorp.com Phone: (216) 642-9211
Peter Graham
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Beyond Hope, Beyond Expectation
Graham shares why he lives by the motto of "Get up, dress up, show up and never give up."
Peter D. Graham is a 28-year MDRT member who has experienced many aspects of the insurance and financial planning industry in Australia over his 50-year career. He has been a general insurance broker, an insurance sales manager, a licensed securities dealer, a specialist in retirement and an educator of pre-and post-retirees. Prior to focusing on workshops and retirement conferences, Graham was a regular speaker in Australia and six other countries.
10 Phillips Street PO Box 903 Cabarita NSW, Australia 02137
Email: peter@redefiningretirement.com.au Phone: 412532782
Brandon Heckert, AAMS
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
No Boundaries
Heckert explains how implementing technology into your practice will increase your production.
Brandon Heckert, AAMS, is a two-year MDRT member from Nashville, Illinois, who started his career in finance at the age of 18. After graduating college, he began working full time at the Country Financial headquarters as a financial advice specialist, advising representatives on advanced financial planning strategies in areas of investing, retirement planning, education funding and insurance planning. A few years later, he became an advisor with FSM Wealth.
9627 Wall St Nashville, IL 62263
Email: brandon@financialsolutionsmidwest.com Phone: (618) 327-3267
Jason Hewlett
Main Platform
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Jason Hewlett delivers incredible talks that combine authenticity, humor, music and impersonations with practical business principles applicable for leadership, entrepreneurship and cultural impact. One of the youngest ever to be inducted into the prestigious Council of Peers Award for Excellence Speaker Hall of Fame, he has delivered frontline motivation and management presentations for some of the largest corporate events in the world.
CMI Speaker Management
259 MidPark Way SE, Ste 325, Calgary, Alberta, T2X1M2, Canada
Email: karen@cmispeakers.com Phone: (877) 307-7403
R.J. Kelly, RICP, MSFS
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Becoming the Mayor of Your Financial Town!
Kelly shares how your action for today is to think of a change you could make that would improve your job or your business.
R.J. Kelly, RICP, MSFS, is a 39-year MDRT member with two Court of the Table and three Top of the Table qualifications, and the founder and chief visionary officer of Wealth Legacy Group Inc. He is also cofounder and chair of The Center for Wealth and Legacy, a non-profit organization in San Diego. He is nationally recognized for his technical skills in estate planning, business succession, risk management, wealth appreciation, executive benefits and charitable tools.
4550 Kearny Villa Rd Ste 103 San Diego, CA 92123
Email: rj@wealthlegacygroup.com Phone: (858) 569-0633
Thomas F. Levasseur, CLU, CLTC
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Load Up The Slot Machine
Levasseur shares how the MDRT principle of volunteerism can shape your life, enhance your career and help you discover your leadership skills.
Thomas F. Levasseur, CLU, CLTC, is a 30-year MDRT member with nine Court of the Table and five Top of the Table qualifications. Before entering the life insurance business in 1986, Levasseur was a special education teacher and high school football. In 2001, he founded The Beacon Retirement Group, an independent firm specializing in retirement income and legacy planning. He has worked with individuals, families and closely held businesses in Maine and New Hampshire for more than 30 years.
8 Harvest Dr Dover, NH 03820-4959
Email: tom@thebeaconfg.com Phone: (603) 682-7747
Jedediah Harrison Levene, CFP, CLU
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Study Groups Made Simple
Levene advocates for taking time to chat with fellow MDRT members during breaks, share ideas and forming a study group.
Jedediah Harrison Levene, CFP, CLU, is a 10-year MDRT member with one Court of the Table qualification who has been in the financial services profession since 2004. He holds an MBA from Dalhousie University and a certificate in behavioral finance from Duke University. His practice focuses on goals-based financial planning for business owners and professionals.
118 Mississaga St W Orillia, Ontario, Canada L3V3W3
Email: jed.levene@rockwaterwealth.ca Phone: (705) 259-5334
Andrew William Maher
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Dance Your Way to the Top Maher shares how changing his tune changed his life for the better.
Andrew William Maher is a four-year MDRT member with one Court of the Table and two Top of the Table qualifications. Maher moved to financial services after finishing a career in which he combined playing professional basketball with teaching children in secondary school. This June marks the 25th anniversary of Maher’s financial services company, Maher Brownsword Ltd.
10 Guild St Stratford Upon Avon, UK CV37 6RE
Email: andy@no1ifa.com Phone: (01789) 268656
Gene L. Mahn, CLU, ChFC
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
FFREEDM: Finding the Need
Mahn informs you what his acronym means and how it's changed his clients' lives.
Gene L. Mahn, CLU, ChFC, is a 50-year MDRT member who served as MDRT President in 1998.
2801 Townsgate Rd Ste 320 Westlake village, CA 91361
Email: glmahn@financialguide.com Phone: (805) 497-9905
Adam McCann, CFP, DFP
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Mentored to Specialize
McCann talks about the journey all advisors are on to find our unique ability and ideal client type.
Adam McCann, CFP, DFP, is an 11-year MDRT member with two Court of the Table and seven Top of the Table qualifications. A director with Bartons Chartered Accountants and Wealth Advisors, McCann helps medical professionals and practices access deal with taxes, accounting, wealth management, risk protection and lending. McCann draws on his specialized insights to help Bartons’ professional and executive clients ensure long-term financial independence and security.
Po Box 2062 Morphettville, Adelaide SA Australia 05043
Email: adamm@bartons.com.au Phone: 882944744
Juli McNeely, CFP, CLU
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Finding Similarities to Differentiate
McNeely discusses how to find new and better ways of serving your clients by identifying and analyzing their pain points.
Juli McNeely, CFP, CLU, is a 12-year MDRT member with two Court of the Table qualifications who owns and operates McNeely Financial Services. She served as the first female president of NAIFA and is also a member of WIFS. In 2011, she received the NAIFA–Wisconsin A. Jack Nussbaum Distinguished Service Award and in 2013, she was named one of the "Top 20 Women You Need to Know" in insurance by LifeHealthPro. In 2015, she won the WIFS Woman of the Year award.
702 E Willow Drive Spencer, WI54479
Email: juli@mcneelyfinancial.com Phone: (715) 659-4255
Elaine Milne, Dip PFS
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
All Is Not Lost
Who are our mentors? Who do we aspire to be? What kind of a difference could we make? Milne shares how to find a mentor or someone who needs a mentor.
Elaine Milne, Dip PFS, is an 11-year MDRT member with four Court of the Table and two Top of the Table qualifications. She runs her business, which specializes in personal wealth management, from Dundee, Scotland. She is always happy to share her business and personal experiences with other advisors with a view to helping them with their own goals and helping others in return.
3 St Martin Crescent Sidlaw Fields, Dundee, UK
Email: elainemdrt@elainemilne.com Phone: 7801429444
Brad J. Myers
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Do You Control Your Day or Does Your Day Control You?
Myers details how to end the game of phone tag and give your client the best possible service.
Brad J. Myers is a 17-year MDRT member with seven Court of the Table qualifications and one Top of the Table honor. He is a Platinum Knight of the MDRT Foundation and a member of its Inner Circle Society. He is a co-owner and founder of Granite Canyon Wealth, a firm that specializes in retirement income planning and employee benefits. Myers has held numerous volunteer positions within MDRT and is currently serving as a Trustee for the MDRT Foundation.
9657 So. 700 East Sandy, UT 84070
Email: bmyers.dwm@gmail.com Phone: (01789) 268656
John F. Nichols, MSM, CLU
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Overcoming Adversity
Never underestimate the difference we can have on another human being. Whether we are the mentor or the mentee, we all make a difference.
John F. Nichols, MSM, CLU, is a 19-year MDRT member with two Court of the Table and 12 Top of the Table qualifications. He serves as president of Disability Resource Group Inc., a national insurance and consulting agency that he founded in 1999. He is a frequent speaker at an array of national and international meetings, including conferences for MDRT, NAIFA and more than 500 state and local programs.
2625 W Peterson Ave Chicago, IL 60659
Email: jfn@drgdi.com Phone: (773) 725-7820
Mitchell Wm. Ostrove, CLU, ChFC
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Doing Good For The Community
Repairing the world is what Ostrove lives for. He shares how to be truly dedicated to the cause.
Mitchell Wm. Ostrove, CLU, ChFC, is a 51-year MDRT member with one Court of the Table and 20 Top of the Table qualifications. His extensive involvement with MDRT includes roles on the Top of the Table board and several Annual Meeting committees. He was also President of the MDRT Foundation in 2003. He is the founder of the Westchester County Chapter of CLU & ChFC, and past president the Westchester Life Underwriters' Association. He is a member of The Forum 400 and the Society of Financial Professionals.
4 New King St Ste 101, White Plains, NY 10604-1202
Email: mitch@ostrovegroup.com Phone: (914) 428-4095
Charlie David Reading, APFS
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
From Advice to Planning
You need to stop focusing on financial advice and change your approach to financial planning.
Charlie David Reading, APFS, is a two-year MDRT member with two Top of the Table qualifications and the founder of Efficient Portfolio, one of the top financial planning practices in the U.K. Through their innovative marketing strategies, the firm has achieved 50 percent growth in five of the last six years. Reading is the author of “The Dream Retirement,” which he published in 2015.
Portfolian House 30 Melton Road Oakham Rutland, UK
Email: charlie@efficientportfolio.co.uk Phone: 1572 898060
Walton W. Rogers, CLU, ChFC
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
A Gift for a Gift: Referrals
Giving your clients something of value will make them want to add value to your relationship.
Walton W. Rogers, CLU, ChFC, is a 45-year MDRT member with three Court of the Table qualifications who served as MDRT President in 2009.
200 Westgate Cir Ste 400, Annapolis, MD 21401
Email: walton@wrogersandassociates.com Phone: (410) 224-2545
Gino Saggiomo, CFP
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Breaking the Mould
Lead your clients out of mediocrity to better outcomes with these tips to keep them accountable.
Gino Saggiomo, CFP, is a 12-year MDRT member with eight Court of the Table qualifications from Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Australia. By employing practical strategies to fully understand what behaviors are driving financial outcomes, Saggiomo has succeeded in helping everyone from mom-and-dad investors to company CEOs dictate terms to their own finances.
PO Box 450 Fortitude Valley QLD, Australia
Email: gino@rothgard.com.au Phone: 732314250
Michaela Scott, CFP, MSFS
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
If I Had Only Known
Scott discusses how you can prevent your clients from falling victim to the fastest growing white-collar crime in America.
Michaela Scott, CFP, MSFS, is a five-year MDRT member with two Court of the Table qualifications and strategic benefits consultant for Borislow Insurance. Her professional accolades highlight her mission to help clients identify and thoughtfully address their unique goals and most pressing concerns. She earned her master’s in financial services.
138 River Rd Ste 310, Andover, MA 01810
Email: mscott@borislow.com Phone: (01789) 268656
Kou Takaku
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
One More Try
Takaku encourages everyone to gather up their courage and approach someone to learn and earn, the one little secret to going beyond.
Kou Takaku is a 14-year MDRT member with five Court of the Table and two Top of the Table qualifications from Tokyo, Japan.
Prudential Life Ins Co Ltd, Prudential Tower 22F, 2-13-10 Nagatacho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japam 100 0014
Email: kou.takaku@prudential.co.jp Phone: (3) 55015134
Wu Shuk Ping Joyce
MDRT Speaks
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
A Cross to Close
Learn how to explain to your client what they need, what they have at the moment and what is the balance.
Wu Shuk Ping Joyce is an 11-year MDRT member with one Court of the Table qualification and one Top of the Table honor. She was given the Distinguished Salesperson Award by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority in 2015 and has achieved the Active Club since 2007.
15/F, AIA Kowloon Tower Suite 1513, 100 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Email: mdrt.joycewusp@gmail.com Phone: (8) 21653222