With the aging population growing so rapidly and birth rates declining, many industries could be up against labor shortages. As many employers face a coming wave of baby-boomer retirements, the resulting gaps in unique skills, experience, and institutional knowledge may be difficult to fill. Keeping mature workers engaged may help ensure that your company retains the employee knowledge necessary to compete.Going forward, successful workplaces will not only leverage the skills and institutional knowledge of mature workers, but also appeal to those whose talent they are looking to replace. And if younger workers are going to fill the shoes of those who will be transitioning out of the workforce, they’re going to rely on older generations to pass on their knowledge and expertise.

PenChecks COO Alexandra Gerritsen has been a hard charger her entire career, delivering exceptional performance for her employers. Her journey was full of eye-opening “Oh S@%$” moments that impacted her growth as a manager and leader. What started out as a metrics and performance-driven mindset evolved into one that builds relationships and team alignment to deliver outstanding business results.Sometimes hard-driving leaders may move fast to get results, but in the process, they can alienate the team and build resentment. She learned that if you take a step back and slow down just a little, you can still get the desired results without sacrificing speed.Ali will share her journey and highlight moments that provided key inflection points in her career so you can understand how they helped her become a better and more effective leader. There are a variety of approaches to growing your organization, driving change, and delivering results, many of which can yield success. But there is one approach that will deliver results while building a positive culture and greater engagement–even during difficult times.Sponsored by PenChecks.

In personal branding, we’re encouraged to be authentic and diverse but then criticized when we open up, making us wonder—what does the world really want from us? How can we express ourselves in a way that we’re comfortable with, that’s “real and true,” but not scare away our target audience? In what ways can we be vulnerable and strong? If creating content is tricky or has ever felt plastic, join this exploration on connecting all the parts of yourself in one cohesive message.Speaker Bio: Faith Teope, CEO, Leverage Retirement, Inc.Faith Teope is a multimedia journalist, children’s financial literacy author, and CEO of Leverage Retirement, a 40+ year-old TPA/RK firm. She is known for being the host of the weekly podcast, Pull to Refresh: Where 401k experts get curious. Teope is the editor of The Naked Professional LinkedIn Newsletter and a contributor to Safe in Harm’s Way as a financial abuse advocate. Her new show, SAVVY, explores the systemic gaps in financial literacy and is scheduled to air in the fall of 2023. Teope’s debut title, The Monster Job, hits bookshelves in April 2024.

Big Plan, Little Plan. What do they have in common, and what are their unique differences? What are the needs and resources of the plan sponsors of each? While it might be counterintuitive, even a “Mega Plan sponsor” who may seem like they command superior resources finds that they need the expertise of their service partners even more!This lively discussion with two Plan Sponsors representing a Large Plan and a Small Plan as we learn what unites us and how we can be of greater value in our partnership.Speakers: Malika Terry, Head of Total Rewards, Invitae Lisa Boss, Consulting Director, The HR Team

We discuss the Safer Act, which became a provision in SECURE 2.0 allowing penalty-free withdrawal from retirement plans for victims of domestic abuse. Given the breadth and scope of domestic violence, this educational session offers background information on the Safer Act and its importance. We look towards 2024 when the provision will go into effect so you can prepare yourself and your plans.Download the PowerPoint presentation to follow along.Speakers:Sally Schaeffer, Principal Consultant, Uncorked AdvocatesCatherine Beane, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Advocacy, YWCA USACaroline Frauman, Tax Counsel, U.S. House of RepresentativesSarah Gonzalez, Associate Director, Workplace & Economic Justice, Futures Without Violence

How Advocacy and Leadership can Increase Women’s Participation in the Financial Industry with Rock the Street WallstreetJoin Third Thursdays with Women in Retirement in a fireside conversation with Ashley Leftwich, Chief Operating Officer of Rock the Street, Wall Street.Rock The Street, Wall Street is a financial and investment literacy program designed to bring both gender and racial equity to the financial markets and spark the interest of high school girls into careers of finance.Key takeaways:The importance of in increasing Women’s representation and equity within the financial industry.Insights into building more equitable workplaces by exploring the challenges girls face and discussing the role of mentorship in driving change.Learn from RTSWS, how women with the tools and skills needed to lead and advocate for themselves and others, can work towards creating a more diverse financial industry.

In celebration of March’s International Women’s Day and the theme of #EmbraceEquity, help us “give equity an embrace” and join us to learn how ARA is encouraging women to Thrive in financial fields through education, mentoring, and professional development!Women continue to be underrepresented in financial services roles, above entry level, with women of color fairing even worse. Join us to learn what opportunities the ARA has available to embrace equity, support women working in the retirement industry, and to help close the retirement gap for underrepresented groups.        Hosted by: Third Thursday Committee Member Barbara Giesing, MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPSP™Owner/COO BAG HR Consulting