2025 Annual Conference

The Society of Insurance Financial Management

September 7-10, 2025

Conference Pricing:

All-inclusive early bird pricing again this year! Includes the 3-day conference, breakfasts, lunches, evening networking receptions, and special networking options on Tuesday afternoon.

Early Bird 1: $1,055 May 1 – June 30
Early Bird 2: $1,155 July 1 – July 31
Standard: $1,355 August 1 – September 10
Speakers Golf: $ 240 Includes greens fees, cart, and lunch

Venue:

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
1 Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

When registering, you will see an average nightly rate. This includes the room rate as well as mandatory resort and occupancy fees. While these fees have always been included in the final bill, a new FTC ruling now requires them to be displayed upfront before you agree to the price. Please note that taxes are not included in the average nightly rate. If you have any problem booking a room, please reach out to Diane Mensinger for assistance.

Complimentary benefits:

WI-FI in all sleeping rooms
Daily access to the Borgata Fitness Center
WI-FI in all meeting locations
Small meeting room (Apex B, across from conference room) for attendees on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
Early check-in on Sunday at 4 pm and late check-out daily at 12:30 pm

Future-Proofing Insurance: Embracing the New Operating Model

Highlights:

The SIFM’s Annual Conference is a premier event for insurance professionals that provides insights into emerging trends in the insurance industry. Over the course of two and a half days, registrants will have the opportunity to engage with experts, explore key developments and discuss pressing topics shaping the future of insurance.

Program Managers:

Martin Ferrer, Partner, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Christopher Alvino, Audit Managing Director, KPMG LLP
Yelena La Forgia, SVP, CFO, Aspen Insurance and Aspen U.S.
Alyssa Cotillo, Manager, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Francisco Romero, Senior Manager, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC

Featured Sessions:

The Keynote Session on Monday, September 8 will feature Naohiro Mouri, AIG’s former Chief Audit Executive. His presentation is entitled Revolutionizing Internal Audit: The AI-Driven Transformation. In this session, he will discuss how AI is changing the overall performance and operating model for internal audit. He will also touch upon how CFOs should be thinking of AI and the internal audit function.

Finance at the Helm: Executive Perspectives with moderator Yelena La Forgia, SVP, CFO, Aspen Insurance and Aspen U.S., SIFM President with insight from:

Jason Jacobs, Chief Accounting Officer, SageSure Insurance
Arleen Paladino, CFO, Crum & Forster
Robert Wolf, CFO, Finance Executive
John Yoon, Chief Accounting Officer, QBE North America

Hot Topics for Insurance Board Members with moderator Mathew Tierney, Partner, Grant Thronton Advisors, and featuring:

Matthew Adams, Non-executive Board Member, Fedelis Insurance Group
Michael Angelina, Board Member Haggerty Reinsurance Ltd; Board Member, RLI Corp; Board Member Coaction Global
John Swanick, Board Member Audit Chair, Mereo Insurance, and Board member and Operations Committee Chair, GBU Financial Life

The sessions will provide insights into the shifting insurance landscape, equipping attendees with the knowledge needed to navigate challenges and seize new opportunities. The conference is also an excellent networking opportunity, fostering connections among peers and industry leaders.

Sunday, September 7, 2025

Time	Event	Speaker	Location
6:00 – 7:00 pm	*Welcome Reception*		MGM Tower Prefunction Area

Monday, September 8, 2025

Time	Event	Speaker	Location
7:45 – 8:45 am	*Breakfast*		Borgata ABG Main Dining Room
8:00 – 8:45 am	*Registration*		MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
8:45 – 9:00 am	Welcome, SIFM President	Yelena La Forgia SVP, CFO, Aspen Insurance and Aspen U.S. SIFM President	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
9:00 – 9:50 am	Keynote Address Revolutionizing Internal Audit: The AI-Driven Transformation	Naohiro Mouri Chairman, Audit & Advisory Committee, United Nations Office for Project Services	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
9:50 – 10:40 am	Finance at the Helm: Executive Perspectives	Moderator: Yelena La Forgia, SVP, CFO, Aspen Insurance and Aspen U.S. SIFM President *Panelists:* Jason Jacobs, Chief Accounting Officer, SageSure Insurance Manager LLC Arleen Paladino, CFO, Crum & Forster Robert Wolf, CFO, Finance Executive John Yoon, Chief Accounting Officer, QBE North America	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
10:40 – 11:10 am	*Refreshment Break*		MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Prefunction Area
11:10 – 12:00 pm	How Modern MGAs Create & Maintain Relevance in a Crowded Market	Jamie Bouloux, CEO, Ryan Financial Lines & Celerity Risk	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
12:00 – 1:00 pm	*Lunch*		Borgata ABG Main Dining Room
1:15 – 2:00 pm	Regulatory Trends – Preparing for Your Next Examination	John Romano, Principal, Risk Advisory Practice, Baker Tilly Advisory Group LP Russell Sommers, Principal, Risk Advisory Practice, Baker Tilly Advisory Group LP	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
2:00 – 2:50 pm	Economic Update	Lydia Boussour, Senior Economist, Strategy and Transactions, EY-Parthenon, Ernst & Young LLP	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
2:50 – 3:05 pm	*Refreshment Break*		MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Prefunction Area
3:05 – 3:55 pm	Securing the New Operating Model: Cyber Risk Management for AI-Powered Automation & User Experiences	James Blackwell, Managing Director, BDO Digital USA Dennis Glendenning, Security Solutions Director, BDO USA	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
3:55 – 4:45 pm	Who Wins, Who Pays: Insurance Taxes in the Wake of the OBBBA	John Forni, Managing Director, Tax Services, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC Gary Berger, Senior Tax Manager Grant Thornton Advisors LLC Colin Wilhelm, Manager, Tax Legislative Affairs, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
6:00 – 8:00 pm	*President's Reception*		MGM Tower, 32nd Floor Overlook Room

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Time	Event	Speaker	Location
6:45 – 7:45 am	*Breakfast*		Borgata ABG Main Dining Room
7:30 – 8:00 am	*Registration*		MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
8:00 – 8:50 am	Keynote Address Navigating Risk in an Increasingly Complex World	Hank Watkins Executive Director, The Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance, and Actuarial Science at St. John's University	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
8:50 – 9:40 am	Insurance Regulatory Issues: Insights from a Commissioner	Michael Humphreys Commissioner, Pennsylvania Insurance Department	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
9:40 – 9:50 am	*Refreshment Break*		MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Prefunction Area
9:50 – 10:40 am	Finance Function Transformation - Lessons Learned; What Works vs What Doesn’t Work	Moderator: John Swanick, Senior Director Insurance Practice. Centri Business Consulting LLC *Panelists:* Garrett Buckless, Managing Director, Accounting Transformation Practice, Centri Business Consulting LLC Martin Ferrer, Insurance Advisory Principal, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC Francisco Romero, Senior Manager, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC Jurgen Schwabe, CFO, Global Finance Operations, Aspen Insurance	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
10:40 – 11:30 am	Illuminating the Future of Work with AI	Will Koester, Manager, Finance, Technology and Strategy, KPMG LLP Max Heintel, Manager, Finance, Technology and Strategy, KPMG LLP	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
12:00 – 5:00 pm	*Networking Events*	• Lunch for non-golfers • Spa Options at Borgata Spa • Golf Outing & Lunch at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club	Borgata ABG Main Dining Room
6:30 – 8:30 pm	*Mix & Mingle Reception*		MGM Tower, Main Floor Indoor Pool

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Time	Event	Speaker	Location
7:15 – 8:15 am	*Breakfast*		Borgata ABG Main Dining Room
8:00 – 8:30 am	*Registration*		MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
8:30 – 9:20 am	*Keynote Address* Hot Topics for Insurance Board Members	Moderator: Mathew Tierney, Partner, Grant Thornton LLC Panelists: Matthew Adams, Non-Executive Board, Fidelis Insurance Holdings Ltd; Board Member for Globe Life Inc, Mutual of America Financial Group and Concert Group Michael Angelina, Board Member, Hagerty Reinsurance Ltd; Board Member, RLI Corp; and Board Member Coaction Global John Swanick, Board Member Audit Chair, Mereo Insurance; and Board Member and Operations Committee Chair, GBU Financial Life	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
9:20 – 10:10 am	The Current M&A Environment	Moderator: Anthony Latini, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Panelists: Steven Davis, Partner, Stradley Ronn, Stevens & Young LLP Brian Kehoe, VP Insurance Investment Banking, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Dr. Alexis Muench, President & CEO, Mutual Capital Services Inc	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
10:10 – 10:20 am	*Refreshment Break*		MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Prefunction Area
10:20 – 11:10 am	Mid-Size Insurance Company Challenges	Peter Chuang, AVP & Assistant Treasurer, Greater New York Insurance Companies Doug Borell, Senior Manager, Centri Business Consulting Kyle Casey, Underwriting Team Leader, NY Metro Branch, Greater New York Insurance Companies Gary Schuldt, VP, Jencap Group LLC	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
11:10 – 12:00 pm	Enhancing Fraud Risk Detection and Customer Experience Using Complaints	Paul Avinger, Senior Manager, Forensic Advisory Services, Grant Thornton Advisors Demille Kelly, Forensics Senior Associate, Risk Advisory Services, Grant Thorton Advisors	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms
12:00 pm	*Conference Wrap-up*	End of Conference Drawing	MGM Tower, 2nd Floor Tides Conference Rooms

Speakers

Yelena La Forgia

SIFM President
SVP, Chief Financial Officer, Aspen Insurance and Aspen US