2018 Conference Speakers
Catherine Flax
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Financial Planning Profession
Catherine is the CEO of Pefin and leads business and growth strategy for the organization. Before Pefin, she had a distinguished, multi-decade career on Wall Street, as the Managing Director and Head of Commodity Derivatives, Americas at BNP Paribas and as Chief Marketing Officer of J.P. Morgan.
Catherine has been a leader in the FinTech space, serving on the boards of many organizations, including Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), and Digital Asset Holdings, a market leading blockchain company. She also advised Pefin for two years in matters of Marketing, Regulation, Business Development and International Growth.
Catherine has won numerous accolades, including ‘Most Influential Woman in European Investment Banking’ in 2012 and being one of the ‘100 Most Influential Women in European Financial Markets in 2010 and 2011.
A long-time champion of diversity, she has also served on the J.P. Morgan Investment Banking Inclusive Leadership Council as well as on the J.P. Morgan Chase Diversity Council. Service to the community has always been a priority for Catherine, and she has worked with a number of significant non-profit organizations, such as being on the board of Part of the Solution (POTS) in the Bronx, New York, and being on the Wall Street Advisory council for the Texas A&M business school. Her contributions led her to being inducted into the Academy of Women Leaders by the YWCA.
Catherine has bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from Texas A&M University, and a master’s degree in Economics from Brown University.
Alan Moore
Financial Planning: It’s Not Just for Boomers Anymore
Alan Moore, MS, CFP® is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, a support network for advisors looking to serve next generation clients. He is also the CEO of AdvicePay, the first and only compliant payment processor for financial advisors.
He is passionate about helping financial planners start and grow their own fee-only firms to serve Gen X & Gen Y clients largely ignored by traditional firms. Alan has been recognized by Investment News as a top “40 Under 40″ in financial planning, by Wealth Management as one of a “The 10 to Watch in 2015″, and was the first recipient of the NAPFA Young Professional award in 2015.
Alan frequently speaks on topics related to technology, marketing, and business coaching, and has been quoted in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and The New York Times.
He is also the host of XYPN Radio, one of the largest podcasts for
independent financial advisors. He currently lives in Bozeman, MT so that he can hit the slopes on powder days.
Michael Guillemette
The Impact of Rising Longevity on our Society and Economy
Michael Guillemette, Ph.D., CFP® is an assistant professor in the department of personal financial planning at Texas Tech University. He earned a B.B.A. in risk management & insurance and a B.S. in education from the University of Georgia. Michael earned graduate degrees in personal financial planning from Texas Tech University.
His publications, which focus on household risk and insurance, have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Bloomberg.
Michael was a co-recipient of research awards from the American Council of Consumer Interests and the CFP® Board. He currently serves as a CFP® Board Ambassador.
Matt Sommer
Does Gender Influence the Selection of a Financial Advisor
Matt Sommer is Vice President, Retirement Strategy Group at Janus Henderson Investors. In this role, he leads the Defined Contribution and Wealth Advisor Services Team. His expertise covers a number of areas including regulatory and legislative trends, practitioner best practices, and financial and retirement planning strategies for high-net-worth clients.
Prior to joining Janus in 2010, Mr. Sommer spent 17 years at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and its predecessors, including senior management roles as director of financial planning at Citi Global Wealth Management.
Mr. Sommer received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Rhode Island and an MBA, with a concentration in finance, from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University. He is a Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®) and currently serves on the CPWA examination task force and is an adjunct professor at the College for Financial Planning of the CFP® and CRPS® programs. He is also a Ph.D. candidate at Kansas State. Mr. Sommer holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Analyst designations. He has 25 years of financial industry experience.
Andrew Rettenmaier
Health Care Spending During Retirement
Andrew Rettenmaier is the Executive Associate Director of the Private Enterprise Research Center at Texas A&M University. Much of his research has focused on Social Security and Medicare. He is the coauthor of two books on Medicare and a co-editor of another book on Medicare reform.
