Agenda

Welcome remarks and the SOFE Membership Annual Meeting. Documents for the Annual Meeting will be located on the App prior to the meeting. 

Bill O'Connell, SOFE President
Jane Nelson, Deputy Commissioner of the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

The Commissioner and Chief Financial Regulator panel discussion will involve a group of insurance commissioners and senior financial regulators in discussing topics of importance in insurance regulation and financial surveillance. Panelists will provide an overview of key initiatives, as well as their perspectives on a number of emerging issues. Participants will be asked to submit questions for the panel, so please come prepared to participate.

Bruce Jenson | NAIC
Commissioner Nathan Hodek | Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Commissioner Sharon Clark | Kentucky Department of Insurance
Amy Garcia | Texas Department of Insurance
Sean O'Donnel | DC Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking
Eli Snowbarger | Oklahoma Insurance Department

The Magical World of Regulation!
Where the Fairway Comes to Life
Following the opening sessions

Join us for a social evening at Eagles Edge Golf, located just steps from the Omni Orlando. This event will feature a dinner reception, interactive golf simulators, and open networking in a relaxed, high-energy setting. Whether you're playing a round or connecting with fellow attendees, it’s the perfect way to unwind and enjoy the evening.

As workloads increase and regulatory expectations evolve, reducing examination cycle time without sacrificing quality has become a priority for both regulators and exam teams. This panel will share practical strategies, tips, and best practices for streamlining planning, coordination, communication, and testing. Participants will hear perspectives from regulators and practitioners on how to improve efficiency, enhance collaboration, reduce company burden, and maintain strong examination outcomes.

Kelsey Barlow, Clarissa Crisp| Baker Tilly

Join us for an overview & QA on the TeamMate Product(s) including new features and functions and how they can impact your day-to-day work as a Regulator. We will show different tips and tools to help you gain efficiency and introduce you to newly developed functionality.

Steven Williams | Wolters Kluwer, TeamMate

Join this panel of experts for an end-to-end look at insurer insolvency, from early warning signs to liquidation, including unique perspectives from a Chief Financial Regulator, Special Deputy Receiver and Guaranty Association Administrators. Panelists will discuss the challenges of an insolvency and highlight the importance of effective solvency regulation, not only in reducing the risk of insolvency but the importance of partnership throughout the receivership and liquidation process.

Tadd Wegner | Nebraska Chief Financial Regulator
Jacob Stuckey | Illinois Special Deputy Receiver
Pamela Olsen | Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association
Amanda Barbera | Indiana Insurance Guaranty Association
Moderator: Lindsay Crawford | NOLHGA

Join us for an interactive session exploring the distinctive features of life and annuity contracts. We'll dive into the complexities of products such as universal life, flexible premium annuities, and indexed annuities, examining the unique characteristics, benefits, and challenges they present. This presentation will highlight product-specific risks, emerging trends, and regulatory considerations, equipping attendees with practical insights to navigate this evolving landscape with confidence.

Solomon Frazier, Scott Kalna, Bryan Fuller, Rick Buchwald | Examination Resources, LLC

In this session, NAIC staff will lead regulators through a case study of a fictional P&C insurance company with material exposure to NatCat risks and a complex reinsurance program. The financial examination of the company is about to start. Regulators will review the CAT reinsurance information already filed with regulators and then will interview senior management to discuss the company's NatCat exposure and will conduct a walk-through of the CAT reinsurance program. This session well combines with the session ''Using NAIC tools to Exam Catastrophe Risk'' and uses the same case study but focuses on the CAT reinsurance piece.

Eli Russo, Sherry Flippo | NAIC

This session will provide insight into the approach to concluding on the effectiveness of the ITGC environment, the impact of recurring information technology (IT) issues, the consequences of failing to remediate IT issues, and how to respond to an ineffective ITGC environment, limiting its impact on examination efficiency.

Russ Sommers, Dennis Schaefer, Jessie Adamson | Baker Tilly

Complex regulatory and financial challenges in VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) environments often require more than technical expertise - they demand strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills. There is a misperception that technology problems must necessarily have technology solutions. The panelists will tackle this ''technology fallacy'' and wicked problems in business with the mantra ''technology when you need it: people when you don't. This panel discussion explores how soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, adaptability, and emotional intelligence can transform difficult situations into opportunities for effective resolution.

Investments are a significant part of the risk profile of every insurer. Market volatility continues to be high. This session will provide a timely update on the current state of the capital and financial markets and emerging risks that regulators need to consider on examinations.

Ed Toy, Laura Clark, Crystal Brown | Risk & Regulatory Consulting, LLC

This session will cover the accreditation program and focus on what to expect and how to prepare if one of your analysis or exam files was selected, both from a contractor perspective and a state regulator perspective. Also discuss the department oversight role and what is expected from an accreditation standpoint in that capacity.

Sara Franson | NAIC

Current Artificial Intelligence and Generative Artificial Intelligence applications in Cybersecurity, focusing on AI in both the offensive and defensive uses.

Jerry Wynne | Blue Cross Blue Shield North Dakota

You test governance, you do not take it at face value. Learn how to prove effectiveness using minutes, CGAD, interviews, and challenge tracking. See what good looks like and how to document it for Exhibit M.

Taylor Phillips, B. Scott Bailey, Jr. | Carr, Riggs & Ingram

Discover how ORSA can transform financial examinations from compliance checks into strategic risk assessments. This session shows regulators how to extract meaningful insights from ORSA reports, evaluate enterprise risk management effectiveness, and integrate findings into risk-focused exam planning and prioritization.

Kelsey Barlow, Jessie Adamson | Baker Tilly

Overview of efforts by the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) to measure and monitor Macroprudential risks. Introduction into the Global Insurance Market Report (GIMAR), which is a report issued by the IAIS annually describing their efforts to track and describe systemic risk.

Anthony Quandt | Nebraska Department of Insurance

Members of the IT Examination Working Group will discuss recent cybersecurity updates to the IT Exam process as well as the status of an ongoing longer-term project in this area.

Joint presentation of an examiner with Investment Experience and actuarial talking about the coordination of risk topics for a financial examination.

Diana Goodman | The INS Companies

The insurance regulatory community is a small, relationship-centered profession where credibility, trust, and client service drive long-term success. Yet professionals often navigate their roles without clear development frameworks or guidance on how to grow with intention. This session explores how to take ownership of your career, anticipate client needs, elevate your professional brand, and bring more purpose, energy, and confidence to your work. Through practical tools and strategies in self-leadership, communication, client partnership, and career advancement, attendees will gain actionable insights to elevate their impact. Whether working in a state department or a consulting firm, you'll leave with proven techniques to build trust, expand influence, and shape a career trajectory that is both meaningful and sustainable.

Stephanie Ohnmacht | Examination Resources, LLC

Leslie Mizerak | Get Courageous LLC

This session would be the first of a 2-part series focusing on prospective risk identification and common assessment and testing principals. We would discuss actual risks identified, how they were tested, and what the resulting assessment looked like.

Barry Armstrong, Joanne Smith | Noble Consulting Services, Inc.

In this session, we'll explore the timelines, series of events, and methods used in current real-world cyber incidents to learn about today's tactics and threats. Come prepared to learn ''cocktail party'' facts that are simultaneously obvious and shocking as we delve into the anatomy of an attack.

Bryan Gibson | i2x Solutions

In this interactive session, we'll tear the band-aid off five defining 2026 business ethics challenges. We'll explore what works, and what is outdated and should be tossed overboard once and for all. Come prepared to join in the debate, offer business ethics opinions and share proven solutions.

John J. Hall | Hall Consulting, Inc.

Vertical integration by PBMs and other participants within the drug supply chain continues to be an overarching risk for state and federal regulators' attention. During this session, we will do a deeper dive into the most recent actions by PBMs to expand their operations beyond traditional pharmacy benefit services and the impact these changes have on conducting PBM examinations.

Craig Moore, Susan Carroll | Examination Resources, LLC

A conversation with an experienced Life & Health Guaranty Association Administrator who will share the guaranty association perspective on insurer insolvency, including the importance of coordination among regulators, receivers, and guaranty associations, and lessons learned from recent insolvencies.

Pamela Olsen |MN, NE, and NM Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Associations

Lindsay Crawford | NOLHGA

This session will focus on Tips for documentation of work in TM+ with a focus on project structure, best practices for making your work easy to review, as well as demonstrating underutilized TM+ tools, report-writing capabilities, and settings.

Stefan Obereichholz-Bangert, Barry Armstrong, Julie Smith | Noble Consulting Services, Inc.

The NAIC has developed many new tools to assess a company's financial solvency. A look at some of these tools and how they can be applied to your examination approach to achieve efficiencies?

 Brendan Gordon, Richard Foster, Mary Rodack | The INS Companies

Insurers' continued expansion into less transparent, more complex, illiquid investments warrants heightened attention of their governance structure. This session will focus on the risk-focused approaches to the issues and concerns.

Ed Toy, Laura Clark, Phil Talerico | Risk & Regulatory Consulting, LLC

Natural Catastrophe ("CAT") risk is a leading cause of insolvencies. The new CAT section of the NAIC RBC filing includes baseline insured losses for different perils, climate condition insured losses, reporting on the aggregation or occurrence methodology selection, and a new catastrophe reinsurance interrogatory. This data can guide the exam procedures and interview questions. Additionally, new analytics have been added to I-Site that utilize this data. All this information can help examiners save time by focusing on the perils that pose the most risk. This session will explain the tools and walk through a case study of an insurer with a material exposure to natural catastrophe risk. The case study will include specific testing of CAT risk in the matrix for a more effective and efficient outcome to examining CAT risk.

Sherry Flippo, Eli Russo| NAIC
Amy Malm | Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

Regulators must document and understand insurers' AI systems and models' decision-making processes. During this session, we will cover the following topics:- AI Governance - AI Life Cycles- AI Models- AI Data Collection- AI Data Classification and Confidentiality- AI Auditing Techniques- AI-Specific Controls.

Earnest Collins | Regulatory Compliance & Examinations Consultants LLC

This session will discuss recent risk transfer options companies are utilizing, the positive and negative aspects of these options, and key potential issues to watch for. These include side cars, captive insurers, CAT bonds, ILS, parametric reinsurance, etc.; and this session will touch on SSAP considerations. We will also discuss various means of evaluating reinsurance programs, including how capital modeling and catastrophe modeling can be used to evaluate program adequacy.

Sara Schumacher, Christine Browning, Alex Quasnitschka| Risk & Regulatory Consulting, LLC

Join technology experts from Wolters Kluwer and the NAIC for a live demonstration of the newest TM+ features, showcased through a regulatory exam template. Become an expert at creating an efficient TM+ dashboard to simplify and organize your daily workflow. Learn to create reports that eliminate the use of Handbook Exhibits K, V, and DD, saving you time and reducing redundancies. Explore enhanced capabilities for managing and retrieving Document Requests and gain advanced knowledge of upcoming features still under development. This session will feature ample Q&A time, ensuring your specific questions and challenges are addressed. You'll absorb actionable techniques to maximize TM+ efficiency and strengthen your exam and analysis skills.

Rachelle Gowins | Examination Resources, LLC

Steven Williams | Wolters Kluwer

James Portuguez | NAIC

Ethics are of central importance to the regulatory profession. This session explores the neurobiology and psychology associated with science, emotion, and ethical decision-making. Tone at the top, the ethical DNA, and ethical decision-making under pressure will also be explored. Instead of analyzing how the mind should function, this session examines how the mind really works when individuals encounter challenging situations in which no "optimal choice" exists.

Annette Knief, Richard Foster | The INS Companies

More insurers are using outside AI vendors instead of building their own. This creates new risks for examiners, including concentration risk, hidden bias, and weak oversight. With examiners seeing these tools for the first time, we explain what third-party AI is and discuss the new "AI SOC" reports.

David Gordon | MaxQualData

During this session, examiners will learn about the recent updates to the Financial Condition Examiners Handbook.

Elise Klebba, Travis Lenz | NAIC

Learn how the NAIC Model Audit Rule can be a powerful tool in risk-focused financial examinations. This session provides practical strategies for leveraging MAR requirements to evaluate internal controls, governance, and auditor independence, turning compliance data into actionable insights for solvency oversight. The session will also include an example of the use of Baker Tilly's MAR assessment tool.

John Romano, Clarissa Crisp | Baker Tilly

Insurers chase yield using structures that add opacity. Learn how to examine private credit, structured securities, and funds under SSAP 26R and 43R, and how to recognize yield that hides risk.

Joseph May, Scott Bailey | Carr, Riggs & Ingram

This session explores the ethical, legal, and technological challenges of data privacy in a world driven by big data. It examines tensions between data minimization and monetization, the limits of informed consent amid consent fatigue, and the risks of secondary data use. The session also highlights privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), including homomorphic encryption, secure multi-party computation, and zero-knowledge proofs, discussing their applications and limitations in real-world and commercial settings.

Puru Shrestha | The INS Companies

This session provides an overview of key statutory accounting principle updates and current hot topics.

Robin Marcotte | NAIC

Interim exams are becoming more and more important to the insurance regulatory surveillance cycle as they enable insurance departments to take a deep dive into an inherently risky area without having to wait for the next full scope examination. This session will provide a brief overview of interim exams to enhance and deepen your understanding as to the value of performing interim examination work and how it can be integrated into a full-scope examination. The primary focus of this session will be to provide helpful guidance on how to incorporate and utilize the work performed during an interim examination to efficiently and effectively reduce the amount of work performed during the full-scope examination.

Alea Talbert-Pence, Chris Rushford, Vivien Fan | Risk & Regulatory Consulting, LLC

This session would be the first of a 2-part series focusing on prospective risk identification and common assessment and testing principles. We would discuss actual risks identified, how they were tested, and what the resulting assessment looked like.

Barry Armstrong, Joanne Smith | Noble Consulting Services, Inc.

This session will focus on conducting AI audits in compliance with the NAIC requirements. It draws on the NAIC Model Bulletin: Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Insurers (December 2023) and evolving NAIC AI Systems Evaluation Tool (July 2025), centering on real-world audit tactics.

Russ Sommers, Dennis Schaefer | Baker Tilly

This course will focus on how to recognize Artificial Intelligence and how to react when presented with Artificial Intelligence scams. It will take A look at automation in the workforce: data (integration), decision (logic), and movement (robotics). AI's next big wave is buried in the decades-old, but new hot term ''automation''. In this session, we take a look at what automation really is and how its latest rise is being driven by innovation in AI. We also examine the implications these automations have on organizations and their workforce.

Jerry Wynne | Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

Bryan Gibson | i2x Solutions

This session will discuss recent enhancements to financial analysis solvency tools and resources, including the Financial Analysis Handbook. The session will discuss how recent changes to annual statement investment schedules impact analysis tools and how the new data can be utilized in solvency analysis. The session will also preview work in progress to develop new analysis guidance and improvements to tools for the upcoming year.

Jane Koenigsman | NAIC

Artificial Intelligence in the examination process has largely been focused on the impact on insurers, but it can be the magic wand we use to add efficiencies and effectiveness to our examination process if regulators can address the pitfalls, including confidentiality, legal, and regulatory issues. We will discuss areas in which the use of AI may provide exam teams better, more comprehensive analysis of an insurer and how AI could be utilized in various areas of the examination process, particularly in Phase 1. Areas with potential use of AI that will be discussed are:1. Exhibit N: Analysis of Reinsurance Contracts 2. Interviews 3. Planning Memo 4. Reinsurance Summary 5. Benchmark analysis 6. External Environment 7. Minutes Review 8. Litigation and legal issues 9. External Audit Function 10. Internal Audit Function 11. Financial Analysis Function 

Kelly Willison | The INS Companies

This panel discussion examines the role the examiner plays in early detection or unavoidable wind-down. In this session, learn about the vital role examiners and their exams play in the receivership process. Hear about the receivership lifecycle, technology considerations, and how collaboration creates efficiencies for insured and claimants. 

Bryan Gibson | i2x Solutions

Jenny Jeffers | Jennan

This session will discuss strategies that drive efficiencies in leveraging analyst ORSA work during an examination and describe proven solutions on working around various challenges involved with utilizing ORSA confidential material in an examination.

Laurence Voiculescu | The INS Companies

Provide an enchanting discussion around corporate governance as the guiding wand, ensuring that organizations operate with integrity, accountability, and transparency. Much like a well-crafted potion, actuarial governance blends diverse ingredients, ethical leadership, guiding principles, and robust oversight to create harmony in a complex insurance universe. As we journey through this world, we will uncover how these ''magical'' frameworks transform uncertainty into order in an effort to protect the interests of all who dwell under the insurance kingdom.

Matt Milford, Rebecca Freitag, Mark Alberts, Melissa Griener | Noble Consulting Services, Inc.

This session will walk examiners through the TeamMate+ (TM+) features and workflows that support efficient, risk-focused examination documentation. The session will demonstrate how to leverage information already documented within TM+ to organize and streamline the completion of Exhibit DD, Exhibit AA, Exhibit K, and Exhibit V.

Kathleen (Kat) Wilson, Eric Free, Josh Johnson | Risk & Regulatory Consulting, LLC

The insurance sector is undergoing rapid transformation driven by artificial intelligence and the growing influence of private equity investors. This workshop examines how AI is reshaping pricing models, risk assessments, and compliance, while exploring the regulatory challenges and opportunities presented by private equity ownership. Participants will gain insights into emerging risks, evolving compliance requirements, and strategies for effective oversight in a changing landscape.

Cory Campbell | GRC Metrix

Every examiner has a unique interview style - formal or casual, conversational or structured, spontaneous or closely guided by Exhibit Y. But what happens when your approach clashes with the personality of the interviewee? This interactive session will equip even the most experienced EICs with new strategies to adapt and thrive in challenging interview situations. You'll learn how to recognize and respond to five common types of difficult interviewees, techniques for setting clear boundaries, and practical tools to boost your confidence and keep interviews productive. By the end of this session, you will gain actionable skills to strengthen your interviewing presence, build trust, and ensure effective outcomes no matter who's on the other side of the conversation.

Joanne Campanelli, Stephanie Ohnmacht, Scott Kalna, Rick Buchwald | Examination Resources, LLC

This session equips financial analysts with practical approaches to applying the NAIC Risk Surveillance Framework and Financial Analysis Handbook. Learn how to evaluate insurer solvency, identify emerging risks, and integrate financial analysis into proactive regulatory oversight.

Kelsey Barlow, Jessie Adamson | Baker Tilly

A practical deep dive into private credit. We will examine the relationship between CLOs and private credit as well as how private credit differs from other forms of credit. In addition, we will consider the role CLOs and private credit have in insurance investment portfolios, and how these have evolved from traditional private placements. The discussion will provide an introduction to how CLOs are formed and how the ''work.'' We will also discuss rating agency methodologies and how CLOs achieve investment grade ratings, as well as the differences between ''public'' and ''private letter'' ratings. Finally, we will review the inherent risks of CLO investing and how incentives effect those risks, as well as special considerations for affiliated CLOs and related party transactions. The session will conclude with an examination of how private credit factors into the calculation of RBC and the related risks that may not be contemplated in the current RBC formulation. 

Eric Del Monaco | Noble Consulting Services, Inc.

This session will examine the endemic Skilled IT and Cyber Security Talent Shortages and how those shortages are now impacting businesses on a day-to-day basis.

Jerry Wynne | Blue Cross Blue Shield North Dakota

Session will discuss common warning signs that health insurance claim reserves may be understated or unstable, even when reported results appear favorable. The presentation will focus on indicators financial examiners can identify during an exam to help the examination actuary focus their review, such as, unexplained changes in claim lag patterns, IBNR decreasing despite enrollment growth, inconsistent assumptions across pricing, reserving and forecasting, and insufficient sensitivity testing. Attendees will learn why these red flags matter and how to ask the right questions to assess reserve adequacy and actuarial governance.

Peggy Hermann | The INS Companies

This session will provide guidance for non-lead state analysts on how to effectively incorporate lead state GPSs and exam SRMs into their IPSs, especially in critical areas such as ERM and corporate governance.

Dan Morris, Pat Gosselin, Bill Michael| Risk & Regulatory Consulting, LLC

This session will discuss the similarities and differences between a Market Regulation and a Financial Examination. When states conduct joint examinations or financial examinations with market regulation components, several areas of coordination could result in efficiencies during the examination process. Dual purpose testing in the areas of claims and premiums or underwriting, sharing of information received during the corporate governance review, review of the complaint and grievance process, and other operations areas can be coordinated to created potential efficiencies and avoid duplication of efforts. We will discuss examples in each of these areas during our discussion.

Rick Nelson, Shelby Lambert | Noble Consulting Services, Inc.

Identity theft red flags are vital early-warning indicators for safeguarding insurers, policyholders, and regulators against fraudulent activity. This session examines how monitoring suspicious patterns in claims, applications, and customer interactions can prevent financial and reputational harm. We will explore the evolving role of AI-driven analytics in strengthening red flag detection, improving compliance with regulatory requirements, and building more resilient fraud prevention strategies across the insurance industry.

Steven Sigler, Dan Gordon, Bob Simyan | Examination Resources, LLC

This immersive, two‑day interactive session is designed for IT examiners who want candid, technical, high‑value discussions grounded in real‑world experience not slide decks or scripted agendas.

Led by two seasoned technology executives this session is built entirely around the challenges and priorities of the attendees in the room.  The experience begins with participant‑driven topic solicitation. These inputs are categorized, reviewed with the group, and collectively prioritized. From there, the discussion unfolds organically, allowing each topic to be explored to a depth that satisfies those who raised it and delivering value to the broader audience.

This format encourages open dialogue, peer exchange, and multi-faceted perspectives sharing meals and refreshments. Day one focuses on establishing momentum and addressing the highest‑priority themes; day two resumes with breakfast and completes the remaining discussions, ensuring closure and collective takeaway.

This is not a conference session, it is a collaborative forum for both experienced and new IT Specialists to pressure‑test ideas, learn from peers, and leave with practical insights they can immediately apply.

Jerry Wynne | BCBSND
Bryan Gibson | i2x Solutions

This immersive, two‑day interactive session is designed for IT examiners who want candid, technical, high‑value discussions grounded in real‑world experience not slide decks or scripted agendas.

Led by two seasoned technology executives this session is built entirely around the challenges and priorities of the attendees in the room.  The experience begins with participant‑driven topic solicitation. These inputs are categorized, reviewed with the group, and collectively prioritized. From there, the discussion unfolds organically, allowing each topic to be explored to a depth that satisfies those who raised it and delivering value to the broader audience.

This format encourages open dialogue, peer exchange, and multi-faceted perspectives sharing meals and refreshments. Day one focuses on establishing momentum and addressing the highest‑priority themes; day two resumes with breakfast and completes the remaining discussions, ensuring closure and collective takeaway.

This is not a conference session, it is a collaborative forum for both experienced and new IT Specialists to pressure‑test ideas, learn from peers, and leave with practical insights they can immediately apply.

Jerry Wynne | BCBSND
Byran Gibson | i2x Solutions