Caldwell NJ —
Dear Colleagues:
As we wrap up this year and look ahead to an exciting 2026, I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks for your continued support of the SIFM and wish you and your family a joyful and healthy holiday season!
Reflecting on the past year, I’m proud to say that together we made 2025 a success. Members and guests joined us for 11 events throughout the year and helped to strengthen the bonds of our community. See the sidebar for highlights of the 2025 Year in Review.
Looking ahead, planning for 2026 is well underway with several new initiatives and events. The Strategy Committee, now the Growth & Governance Council, is focused on governance, membership, attendance and corporate outreach. The Council is seeking 6-8 volunteers for each of its pillars and will host a virtual meeting in January. Details on this initiative are attached; please reach out to me directly if you are interested in participating.
Highlights of upcoming events:
The Women of SIFM Committee is planning a series on Executive Presence to help both women and men develop the skills needed to inspire confidence, respect, and lead with authenticity and impact. The goal is to connect skills in leadership, communications, public speaking, appearance and behavior with attendees’ leadership aspirations. Watch for details coming in January.
Springtime will bring a joint event with the Women of SIFM and the Young Professionals; hosted by Baker Tilly in Philadelphia. It will feature rising leaders sharing strategies for climbing the management ladder and providing practical tips for success. Stay tuned for details coming in February.
Our new Associate Membership for professionals under 30 with fewer than five years in the industry provides opportunities to connect with peers across companies and functions. Annual dues are discounted to only $100 and quarterly conferences are also discounted to $100 (excluding The Annual Conference). If you or a colleague are interested, please reach out to me.
Finally, I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for your continued participation this year. Through this, we exceeded our conference attendance goals and featured outstanding speakers on topics vital to our evolving industry. I encourage you to share your ideas for future speakers and topics that you believe will shape our industry.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the President’s Advisory Council, I wish you a happy holiday season and much success in 2026!
Warm regards,
Yelena La Forgia
President, SIFM
SVP, Chief Financial Officer, Aspen Insurance and Aspen US
About SIFM
SIFM is an exclusive network of insurance financial professionals from global insurance, reinsurance companies, public accounting firms and their servicing organizations. Membership grants exclusive access to our network of industry peers, resources and expert knowledge.
For more information contact: Diane Mensinger (973 303 6297) or visit SIFM.org.