2025 Holiday Conference
The Society of Insurance Financial Management
- Grant Thornton Advisors LLC, 757 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017
- December 3, 2025
- 6 Speakers
Modernizing Insurance: From Manual Tasks to Strategic Efficiency
In today’s rapidly evolving insurance landscape, strategic efficiency is no longer optional — it’s essential. By streamlining operations and optimizing resource allocation, organizations can unlock new revenue opportunities while maintaining tight control over costs.
This conference will explore how the industry is shifting from manual, time-consuming tasks to intelligent, automated workflows.
Venue: Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Location: 757 Third Ave, New York, NY 10017
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Program Managers:
Joe Hayes, Managing Director, Centri Business Consulting
Doug Borell, Senior Manager, Centri Business Consulting
Alyssa Cotillo, Manager, Grant Thornton Advisors
In-Person Registration
December Conference Registration
Cost: $280; Includes Lunch and conference with 5 CPE presentations, followed by the Annual Holiday Networking Reception
Webinar Registration
Holiday Conference Webinar Registration
Cost: $130
Special Guest Pricing
$100; *When registered by a current member. Guest Discount is valid for first time attendees only. BRING A GUEST! You know how valuable the SIFM Conferences are to your professional development. Now, you can bring non-SIFM-member colleagues to our Quarterly Conferences for only $100! Learn moreContact Diane Mensinger to implement these offers. DMensinger@SIFM.org or 973.303.6297. Plus, new members can take advantage of our special membership offer – become a member now and your membership will extend until January 2027.
Speakers
Tori Jancovic
Garrett Buckless
Chrissie Saponjian
| Time | Event | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 12:15 – 1:00 pm | Registration, Lunch | |
| 1:00 – 1:15 pm | Welcome | SIFM President Yelena La Forgia, SVP, CFO, Aspen Insurance & Aspen US |
| 1:15 – 2:05 pm | The Dynamics of Gen AI Adoption | Frank Schmid, Chief Technology Officer, General Reinsurance Corp |
| 2:05 – 2:55 pm | From Manual to Modern: Automating Core Finance Processes |
Tori Jancovic, Partner, Accounting Operations and Transformation Practice, Centri Business Consulting LLC Garrett Buckless, Managing Director, Accounting Operations & Transformation Practice, Centri Business Consulting LLC |
| 2:55 – 3:10 pm | SIFM Scholarship Presentations | Presented by SIFM President Yelena La Forgia |
| 3:10 – 3:30 pm | Refreshment Break | |
| 3:30 – 4:20 pm | Reinsurance & Capital Structuring in the Life & Annuity Market |
Moderator: Matthew Tierney, Partner, Head of Global Insurance Practice, Grant Thornton Panelists: Chrissie Saponjian, Accounting Area Lead – Equitable; CFO – Equitable Financial Bermuda Re, Ltd Brian Lo, SVP, Head of US Financial Solutions, SCOR |
| 4:20 – 5:10 pm | Insurance Acquisitions and Divestitures: Market Trends, Technical Challenges, and Financial Reporting Implications |
Christopher Irwin, Partner, Deals & Accounting Advisory, PwC Austin McKee, Director, Deals & Accounting Advisory, PwC |
| 5:10 – 6:00 pm | Personal Tax Planning for 2025 and 2026 | Mark Menard, Partner, Private Wealth Services, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC |
| 6:00 – 8:00 pm | Holiday Networking Reception |
CPE Credits
By attending all the sessions, an attendee can earn: Accounting: 2 credits; Finance: 1 credit; Information Technology: 1 credit; and Taxes: 1 credit.
Who should attend?
Accounting, tax and finance professionals in the insurance and reinsurance sectors. All attendees are expected to be working in those sectors and have the relevant background.
Learning Objectives
Conference and webinar attendees will be able to:
- Deep understanding of key judgments, common challenges, and best practices for ensuring accurate and compliant accounting treatment across the acquisition and divestiture processes
- Evaluate the issues surrounding automating core financial processes
- Determine the dynamics of AI adoption on organizations and their workforce
- Identify the opportunities and implications of the changes in the tax code following the adoption of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
- Identify the impacts of reinsurance and capital structure on the life and annuity markets
Prerequisites: Attendees should have 5 – 10 years of insurance industry experience in accounting, financial reporting, and practice
Advanced Preparation: None
Program Level: Intermediate
Delivery Method: Group Live
Refunds and Cancellations: Refund requests must be received 24 hours prior to the webinar. For more information regarding refund, concerns and/or program cancellation policies, please contact Diane Mensinger at DMensinger@SIFM.org.
SIFM is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE Credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.
Event Location
Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
757 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Tel: 973.303.6297
Email: Diane.SIFM@verizon.net