Summit Agenda
May 14, 2026
7:30 a.m. Registration, Exhibitor Trade Show and Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
8:45 a.m. Keynote: 2026 State of the Industry: Navigating Uncertainty as Industry Assumptions Unravel
Presenter: KD Weitzel, Executive Partner | Advisory Board
9:45 a.m. NEEBC’s 2026 Annual General Meeting
10:20 a.m. Break | Networking | Trade Show
10:35 a.m. Breakout Session 1:
The AI Wild West: Bringing Governance to Benefits
Panelists:
Jennifer Aylwin, Director of Benefits | Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Mike Brennan, Partner | Mercer
Doug Raffle,AVP Applied AI & Analytics | The Hartford
Moderator: Shannon Lane, Regional Director, Consultants Relations | Alight
AI: Turning Health Plan Chaos into Actionable Cost Insights
Panelists:
Lorna Borenstein, Founder and CEO | Grokker
Greg Salgueiro, MS, RD, LDN, Director Wellbeing | Boston Children’s Hospital
Gallagher
Moderator:
Dave Kerrigan, Founder and CEO | BenefitPitch
11:10 a.m. Transition between Sessions
11:15 a.m. Breakout Session 2:
Navigating the Political Noise in Employee Benefits
Panelists:
Stacy Barrow, Partner | Barrow Lent, LLC
Chris Byrd, SVP, Strategy and Government Relations | WEX
Kristin Lewis, Executive Vice President and Chief Public and Community Affairs Officer | Point32Health
Moderator: Mira Estaphanous, Senior Vice President – Employee Benefits Consultant, USI
Gene and Cellular Therapies: The Cost of Changing Lives
Panelists:
Rebecca Miksad, Chief Medical Officer | Color Health
Ryan Murphy, Vice President of Health Solutions | Sun Life
Moderator: Dr. Jennifer Levin Carter, MD, MPH, MBA, Founder and CEO | Medzown
12:00 p.m. Lunch | Scholarship Presentation | Networking | Trade Show
1:00 p.m. Keynote: Next Gen Technology for Member Engagement
Tracey Crowell, Vice President, Head of Global Benefits, Wellbeing & Mobility | Iron Mountain
Chris Huelsman, Vice President, Commercial Product & Experience | Aetna
Moderator: Lucy MacCallum, Area President, New England | Gallagher
1:45 p.m. Transition between Sessions
1:50 p.m. Breakout Session 3:
Invisible Second Shift: Mental Health on Caregiver Island
Panelists:
Evan Falchuk, CEO | Family First
Jennifer Sabatini Fraone, Strategic Advisor | Jennifer Sabatini Fraone Consulting, LLC
Moderator:
Cortney Holder, Director of Business Solutions | Workplace Options
Personal Cybersecurity: Protecting and Empowering Today’s Employees
Featured Speaker: Casey Cullinan Schepers, Head of Norton Lifelock Benefit Solutions | Norton Lifelock
2:35 p.m. Break | Networking | Trade Show
2:50 p.m. Keynote: Lost in Translation: Exploring Communication That Drives Engagement
Panelists:
Anastasia Bergmann, Chief People Officer | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island
Chad Cotter, Chief People Officer | Vinfen
Stephan Dolling, AVP Global Benefits & Well-being | Merck
Susan Sgroi, Executive Vice President, Human Resources & Information Technology | Eversource
Moderator:
Angel Seufert, Chief People Officer | Empyrean
4 p.m. Social Reception