LIMRA announced Monday that former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James B. Comey will deliver the keynote speech at the 2018 LIMRA Annual Conference, which will be held Oct. 28-30, 2018, in New York City.
Comey has been highly visible in the past week with an all-out media blitz following the release of his controversial new book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership.” In it, Comey details many never-before-told experiences from his time as FBI Director, and in particular his tumultuous four months under the Trump Administration before the President fired him in May 2017.
“Throughout his decorated career, James Comey has exhibited attributes that would make his knowledge useful on any platform,” said Robert A. Kerzner, president and CEO, LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global. “His leadership qualities, in particular, have been recognized by some of the highest level officials in the United States. We are thrilled to have him as our keynote speaker.”
Appointed by President Barack Obama, Comey led the FBI from 2013 to 2017. During his tenure, he oversaw the federal response to several mass shootings, including at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, which was the deadliest shooting in American history. He is also known for his work on border control. Comey became a household name during the 2016 presidential campaign due to his heavily scrutinized handling of the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server, and after Trump was elected, for his handling of the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s interactions with Russian actors during the campaign.
A native of New York, Comey previously was a federal prosecutor in both his home state and Virginia. He also served as the U.S. deputy attorney general for the George W. Bush administration.
The LIMRA Annual Conference is one of the largest gatherings of senior executives representing diverse sectors of the financial services industry. Members and partners come together to share strategic industry insights and participate in high-level networking. The Annual Conference agenda is designed to offer attendees insights into the latest industry trends.
LIMRA’s premier conference will be exceptionally special as it will be the final one for CEO Robert Kerzner, who will retire at the end of 2018 after 14 years with the company.
“The LIMRA Annual Conference has always been special to me,” said Kerzner. “It has never failed to provide an exclusive opportunity for members of the financial services industry to come together and share insights on our business and hear from nationally recognized authorities.”
For more information and to register online, please visit: 2018 LIMRA Annual Conference.
On how to successfully delete all your emails from pissed off clients…..
I guess they were forced to go with the backup plan:
Frank Avruch, Bozo the Clown, dead at 89 – CNN
LOL – I needed that laugh today!
Marketing stuff…
Perhaps they should also ask him to teach ethics classes as well. I have to take my in class credits this year…
Is this a joke or what?… because he sure has become one very quickly!:skeptical:
I was taking my Ethics class in one of the Chicago suburbs a few years ago, and we were told that we couldn't be late. If you weren't checked in and in the classroom by starting time that you wouldn't be let in and you wouldn't get a refund.
45 minutes after the start time, the instructor comes in. I told her that she wasn't on time, so she shouldn't be allowed in the classroom(but of course I didn't want to have to come back again). She shortened the 3 hours down to 2 hours and 15 minutes. But where is the Ethics in that. She didn't have to abide by the same rules that the agents did. :nah:
Think about that for a moment… you took your ethics class in Chicago… :shocked:
You couldn't make this stuff up!
You're right. That's about like saying that Chicago's a safe place. :twitchy:
Sounds like a good way to lose more members, or deter future members from joining.
:goofy:
In one way, it seems like a very odd pick. On the other hand, LIMRA is trying to boost attendance, and having a controversial speaker is one way to get people interested, or at least get them talking. But imo, that type of conversation is counterproductive.
Despite what some people think of him, he had a very long and decorated career in law enforcement. Someone with his investigative experience most certainly has something to say about ethical dealings in today's world.
Anyone who thinks a man like him as nothing to contribute is blinded by their personal political bias. And not thinking as a true professional who is capable of logic and reason.
Justice doesnt care who it pisses off. And when both sides are angry at the investigator, it usually means they are actually doing their job.
What really does not make sense is their other pick for speaker. Basically she knows a lot about "branding" and creating a "multi-channel brand".
Thats great for insurance carriers I guess. Useless for agents.
LIMRA has proven time and time again that they could care less about attracting field agents to their conference.
They have great stats and industry info. But I fear they are becoming shills for the carriers and could care less about us agents.
You're being sarcatic……………aren't you? :huh:
Not at all. I would not have picked him if I was heading up the conference. But if you actually look at his career (NY prosecutor, DOJ prosecutor, Private Sector Consulting, Academic positions, and the FBI), on paper he is very well qualified to speak about ethics in business.
There are some on the extreme right who will hate him forever because he spoke against Trump. There are some on the extreme left who will hate him forever because he issued the statement about Hilary's emails.
He acted without allegiance to any political party… political extremists hate people like that.
But that is not a logical or rational reason to judge his ethics or qualifications to be a keynote speaker.
As you said, “on Paper” he may be qualified but his recent actions show his lack of integrity. By saying “on paper” is to ignore reality. By the time this conference begins he may be charged with a felony. Even now the DOJ is considering a referral for prosecution. The selection of this person is reflective of the values of LIMRA. What a terrible example LIMRA is to all the new agents seeking to being ethical career in Financial Services.
Whatever he did right in the past, is tarnished by the way his career ended…same with McCabe. He's a liar and he thinks he's above the law. Hardly a good choice to talk about ethics.
That's pretty much how I feel as well.
SC, you are right…politics aside, someone like him with the career he's had could well be a keynote speaker with alot of potential value to add. Just, (IMHO) not him, for all he's been involved in over the past few years.
Many people (on both sides) see the way Comey's career ended as a tarnishment on someone else.
Like I said, I would not have chosen him. I would not have chosen the other speaker either.
However, the man has been through multiple situations involving ethics, situations that left him caught in the middle of two major forces trying to influence his decision. No matter what he decided, one half would be upset and cry foul.
Those very situations are why someone like him would be uniquely suited to speak about ethics and the decision making surrounding it. And would likely make his insight fairly interesting to hear…. especially considering the recent events that have occurred.
He was put in one hell of an ethical conundrum, anyone who goes through that experience is going to have very unique insight into decision making and ethics, regardless of the outcome.
Maybe you would hate what he has to say on the subject. Maybe not. But an open mind is capable of gaining insight and applying that to grow their business. A closed mind will never grow.
Again, I would not have chosen him. But for people to bash him as a pick to talk about ethics, seems like nothing but personal political bias.
Instead of focusing on politics, why not focus on the professional aspect of it? Would that not be more productive personally as a business owner?
Like doing the job he was hired for but instead turned his head….
Not to belabor a point that needs little discussion to begin with,
But in essence, your are speaking of a man who has admittedly leaked information that is now being investigated as classified… and to add further damage to insult, he is the the face and was the head of one of the most (at the time) respected enforcement and investigative agencies our country has to offer…
And this you believe is a well qualified person to speak on ethics to people who if they had done just half of what he is accused of would be in jail right about now… this is why we take classes every 2 years that are in a real senses a waste of time and money…
Politics aside… LIMRA's choice was a poor one. :skeptical:
Yeah, now that he has spoken against the admin its being investigated. But I digress…
Some of the most insightful comments about crime come from prisoners and former prisoners. You can learn a lot from those who have done wrong. (or allegedly have done wrong)
I normally agree with most of your posts, but I think you're way off base on this one. :yes:
You cant fix ethics without knowing why people acted unethically in the first place. No matter the side you see him on the ethical scale. His opinion, his actions, and his career have a story to tell and lessons to teach… at least to teach an unbiased mind.
What ……Colin Kaepernick was not available…..its not like he has anything else to do………
They got him just in time…..soon he will need prison release, or at least a note from a parole officer.
In October is the 2018 Annual Conference. That's some time between now and then. What relevance does he have life insurance? Seriously.
Maybe he be will be allowed to present virtually. All the attendees can applaud and present a standing ovation from his prison cell.
That's why I took my last ethics class in Chicago… :spinny:
Well, it seems LIMRA has a sense of humor after all. Why not an ego-maniacal ex-FBI director. That hasn’t happened before, has it?
LIMRA will pay a price for this choice. This is a really dumb move on their part and reveals something about the politics of the leadership. This cannot be a good for the organization.
I'm guessing this booking was in response to a challenge to the conference chair that he or she couldn't find a speaker that would anger EVERY attendee?
Seriously? There are far better choices. Might want to have a Plan B….just in case.
Why wouldn't an organization like this seek to bring unity to a field where politics might effect how you live your life, but have nothing to do the way the undertaker gets you in the box or sprinkles you in the can… he does it the same way for both sides of the isle.
And what sort of message do you send the agent base… so I guess next we will be willing to hear Hilary Clinton's address on cyber security measures on protecting e-mail traffic while processing applications…
Use some common sense… so sad that it's not so common anymore. :no:
The comments on this thread are more indicative of everyone's political beliefs than Comey's ethics or the ability to speak about ethics.
And sometimes that is what makes a great speaker. Anyone can tell you what you want to hear, it takes real backbone to give a different opinion.
Really……I have no political beliefs and think he failed to do his job……
Like calling a friend and asking them to leak a story to the press.
Comey Says He Was Behind Leak of FBI Memos to The New York Times
Nice sense of ethics.
Just watch the fall out from this choice. Some people live in a world devoid of reality.
Was anyone on here planning to go and if so how does this choice affect your plans.
Well, for a 100-year old Marketing and Research Association… they certainly are getting agents to TALK about them. "Bad press is good press?"
But as Scagnt83 said – they certainly don't seem to care about attracting field agents to their conference. I believe the majority of agents are Conservative/Republican/Libertarians (certainly not all, but a solid majority). If there was a speaker to REPEL their end consumer, that's certainly a good pick.
Why does LIMRA exist again?
If he had conducted himself as an agent in the same way he has recently conducted himself as head of the FBI… would you really ask him his political views or just tell him he's a creep and needs to get his act together?
What, not allowing himself to be pushed around and violate his integrity and the law by his new boss? Pretty upstanding to me.
I don't think he should have resorted to personal attacks in his book, I haven't read it but I understand there were some cheap shots in it, but I know of nothing he did illegal or wrong while Director of the FBI.
I understand he has been accused of leaking information, I also understand it there wasn't an attempt to classify it until after it had been leaked.
Again, this is more a reflection of everyone's political views rather than his integrity or ethics. It is the same people who constantly tell us that Hillary is a crook and Trump is a saint.
The government has a long history of trying to classify information after the fact to protect its image and hide dirty laundry, and that both parties are equally guilty here.
LIMRA
LIMRA, a worldwide research, learning and development organization, is the trusted source of industry knowledge for over 850 financial services firms. LIMRA provides its members with the latest insight and analysis on retirement, insurance and distribution, helping them develop effective business strategies that positively impact the bottom line.
I guess Comey can talk about retirement.
Hillary is a CROOK. If there's any justice, she'll soon be wearing striped pant suits.
LOCK HER UP!! LOCK HER UP!!! :policeman:
Thank you for proving my point.
You're welcome. Just like Comey, she feels she's above the law.
That's ok, Trump needs someone to keep him company.
If you want to realize just how much you are getting played by everyone. Look at pictures of past Presidents and read about their relationships. Its basically a not so secret club at this point. They have all become good friends and enjoy spending time with each other. Yet they campaigned about how evil and wrong their predecessor was.
Politicians pandering to their base and people keep eating it up and believing it when the politicians don't even believe it.
I'd like to see Hillary and Comey share a cell. Bill probably wouldn't mind it either. :twitchy:
Will add that in addition to all the comments here, we've received 15+ direct responses to today's newsletter unanimously expressing outrage about this with many saying it would keep them from attending (whether or not they were considering or could attend in the first place). Thinking that sharing all this feedback could be productive I did make LIMRA aware of this thread.
You quoted the wrong person. I did not write what you quoted for this to be a response to.
There is a function on the forum that allows you to automatically quote posts. It will keep you from getting confused and making the same mistake again.
Just because something is classified doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be made public. The government said all kinds of bad stuff would come from what Snowdon leaked. It hasn’t yet but the gubmt continues to go after him. Comey will have some interesting points even though some if not most will be self-serving.
I’d like some classes on how to money laundering. I already know how not to launder. Mamma also taught how not to lie cheat and steal. You either have integrity or you don’t. It’s one of the most important characteristics. A competent thief is dangerous.
Coming next year, George Soros. Because it will generate buzz.
Does that mean that we have to "keep it clean"? :twitchy:
Any organization stupid enough to have Comey as a keynote speaker is doomed to decline in my humble opinion. This choice makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Think about the country that got him as head of the FBI.
I'll bet the Russians manipulated him into that position. :yes:
If we could just find the e-mails to prove it? :biggrin:
Your sucking me back in… stop! You gotta stop!;)
Quite right – my apologies. Not sure how that happened.
I went back and fixed it.
I think we can assume those don't exist. Many thanks to Hillary and her marketing campaign for BleachBit.
Is that like with a cloth or a rag?
This is for those not keeping up Hillary's explanation of what wiping a server meant:
No surprise, she's married to this guy:
They really are perfectly matched.
This is obviously a play to get some attention for their conference or whatever you want to call it.. ..
however you guys in this thread sound like a bunch of little children … stop crying.. Stop focusing on politics and go out and enjoy life!!
Ignoring politics will lead to a life that can no longer be enjoyed.
cause you know all this focus on politics have made politics even better than it used to be…
The ones who speak the loudest are rarely the majority. I've spoken to multiple agents who identify as "conservative" and have zero issues with him as speaker. (they have more issue with having no insurance related speakers)
Based on the majority of comments on this thread, I doubt that LIMRA cares. Professional organizations want agents who act professional. They dont want political extremists who could care less about the actual subject at hand.
The 2 biggest naysayers on this thread are not even life agents and wouldnt attend a LIMRA conference if you paid them.
The subject at had is integrity… and it is truly something we all struggle against each day that we meet our public… regardless of political branding.
If being an extremist includes demanding that a professional institution that would represent me and my industry be considerate of whom they may ask to take a platform that would represent the selfsame integrity that is demanded of me… then I am he.
Pity party for Hawk stuck with an industry organization the he doesn't agree with. How could they pick a speaker without consulting him?
Wasn't Colin Powell in W's admin?
Look up Colin Powell email scandal. Apparently Hillary wasn't the 1st. I can't post a link from my phone.
Ducking personal attacks… who might you think would be a good speaker?
Not that I am not up for the "dust up"… just don't want the name… and believe that you live by example.
And that is your opinion. No facts, just opinion.
The facts, are that regardless of outcome, Comey has been placed in many different ethical conundrums in his professional career. In the academic world, that is called a case study. And it is something people are capable of learning from… if they are open to learning. You can learn from people you dont like, or whos actions you dont agree with.
You are angered by personal political opinions, and not open to viewing it in an objective manner that could be productive for your business.
You are acting and speaking out because of political grudges… the same people who hate Comey now, lauded his ethics back in Oct 2016. Turns out he actually does what he thinks is right… the horror! IMO, that is exactly what an agent should do in the field, ignore the bias and do what you think is the right thing at that time.
Hmm… very interesting…
Was wondering who you might suggest as a speaker?
Crooked Hillary. She'll be glad to get out of her cell for a few hours. :yes:
I happen to think that "government" goes after people that expose it's wrong doings. If I witness a crime say a robbery and report it, I'm likely to receive accolades or perhaps even a reward. Report the same crime on the government and expect to spend all of your assets defending yourself in court. All you need to do to confirm is look up what happens to whistle blowers. Snowden is still holed up in Russia, others have received jail sentences all for reporting on the government.
Comey has one view point that isn't flattering to the current thieves in the WH.
Since neither keynote speaker is from the insurance or financial industry. I would choose someone from our industry. I feel that an industry conference should actually have someone from that industry as a speaker.
But I do not discount the value that speakers from other industries can provide. Even ones who I may not agree with or personally like. Sometimes our thoughts and values being challenged can create the most profound realizations.
Reckon the people who hired Comey for LIMRA are the same people who hired Michelle Wolf for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Just saying it looks like the same logic in both choices and I would not be shocked at similar results.
Comey will not be making any earth shattering news at LIMRA. He'll be there to sell his book.
On a semi-related note, NAILBA just announced that former college football coach Lou Holtz will be the opening keynote for NAILBA 37 Nov. 1 in Orlando. From the announcement:
During the Opening General Session, which will be supported by a generous sponsorship from Symetra, Holtz will deliver, "Game Plan for Success," a message that transcends athletics. It resonates—even to those who aren't sports-minded. The focus is on people and the values that make relationships (and organizations) excel…
…NAILBA 2018 Chairman Jeffrey Mooers praised Holtz's career saying, "Our membership and our industry are facing great challenges now, and Lou Holtz's experience with turning challenges into opportunities for success will bring exactly the energy we need to the refreshed NAILBA Annual Meeting."
Dan LaBert, NAILBA CEO, concurs. "Lou's message reaches the very heart of what makes independent brokerage so essential to the life insurance space: relationships and values. We're delighted he will be joining us to help our community focus on our new Annual Meeting."
Holtz is a very inspiring, motivating speaker well worth hearing.
I was listening to a local sports talk show today, and one of the hosts owns a P&C agency. I don't know if it's true, but he said that Rod Blagojevich is responsible for us to have to do the ethics class to renew our insurance license. :twitchy:
I guess that would be in the same class as Comey talking about ethics. :rolleyes:
Yeah… in a
Yeah, our ethics classes will be held in Joliet, in the school with many doors but no windows. Our school uniform will be an orange jump suit, and our mascot will be the "Illinois Jail Birds". :v_SPIN:
…And it will contribute to making us honest as many of former governors!:fibs:
Gotta love politicians… they always think they can solve any issue with more of your money… or sending your butt off for more education. :skeptical: