
2023 MDRT Annual Meeting
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Global Services special session lineup
As a Global Services member, you have access to exclusive presentations at the 2023 MDRT Annual Meeting. These sessions have been planned specifically to inspire you, while providing actionable takeaways you can implement with your team. Attending the Annual Meeting will also help fulfill one of the criteria for the prestigious MDRT Culture of Excellence awards.
How to convert advisors to MDRT
Monday, June 26, 2023
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Chris Stark, FICF, CLTC, moderates as agency leader Robert Abbate, LUTCF, CSA, shares his successful process for converting advisors to MDRT qualifiers. In this session, you’ll learn:
How to create an MDRT culture with your team
A process for tracking production that guarantees success
How to incorporate ethics into team management
Robert Abbate, of Henrico, Virginia, USA, began his career as an agent in 2005. In 2016, he started his own agency and has guided many of his advisors to MDRT qualification. The Abbate Agency currently has seven office locations, 27 agents/investment advisor representatives and 16 full-time administrators. Abbate has been a member of MDRT for 16 years and is also a member of MDRT Global Services.
Chris Stark, of Hurst, Texas, USA, is a general agent for Knights of Columbus, serving northwest Texas. He has been in financial services for almost a decade, was a former MDRT member prior to accepting a leadership role and is a founding member of MDRT Global Services.
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Leveraging LinkedIn to recruit
Monday, June 26, 2023
3 PM – 4 PM
First impressions happen online. To attract new recruits and continually advance, you need a fully optimized LinkedIn profile and engagement strategy. Jasper shares how to create a powerhouse profile that will set your agency apart from the competition. She also shares the biggest networking mistakes to avoid, shifting you from average to all-star when recruiting new advisors.
Debra Jasper, Ph.D., is a faculty fellow at The Ohio State University, where she teaches graduate courses in managing a hybrid world. As an international speaker, Jasper has delivered keynotes and master classes on how to engage virtually with clients and colleagues. She has also been named by Ernst & Young as one of the top women entrepreneurs in North America.
AttendWomen in leadership: What female leaders bring to financial services
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Women in leadership: What female leaders bring to financial services
Join powerhouses Kaka Lam and Shalyn Lee as they share how they balance motherhood with recruiting, training and leading new advisors. Moderator Nadia Wijatno, CLU, ChFC, guides Lam and Lee through an insightful discussion on the opportunities and challenges for women in this male-dominated industry.
Kaka Lam, of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, joined the insurance industry in 2015, with her belief in helping others. It made her realize that insurance is a very powerful instrument when used correctly, which allows families to have peace of mind in pursuing their own goals. Lam works with her husband Jon Ng to recruit and train advisors.
Shalyn Lee, of Singapore, is a financial services director, a working mother and a professional in financial services since 2006. She leads multiple million-dollar agencies and advocates for doing the right things right. She has the best of both worlds — a beautiful family and an amazing career.
Nadia Wijatno, of Singapore, has been in the financial services profession since 2008. She is a strong believer in having systems and the right habits to create consistent results. She also believes in lifelong learning and paying it forward, and currently mentors a group of about 10 mentees.
Lam, Lee and Wijatno are all MDRT members.
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Crack the code: How assessments can help you recruit, build and lead a high-performing team
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
3 PM – 4 PM
Recruiting the right talent is one of the most important — and often most difficult — factors in building a high-performing team. Kari Gillenwater shares best practices for navigating common roadblocks for collaboration and how understanding your team’s instinctive strengths can prevent burnout, increase productivity and reduce turnover.
Gillenwater is the founder and CEO of a successful financial services and insurance consulting firm. For more than 17 years, she has helped business owners and advisors find right-fit talent and improve personal productivity and team performance. Known for her extensive work with running advisor study groups, Gillenwater empowers her clients as they make the transition from salesperson to business owner.
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