About this episode

Lisa Hawker and Kerry Finnegan discuss the evolving role of benefits brokers and plan sponsors amidst increased fiduciary duties and the impact of AI on training.

During the 2026 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum in May, the outgoing chair of The Council of Employee Benefits Executives (CEBE), Lisa Hawker, sat down with Kerry Finnegan, former senior partner at Mercer and also a past CEBE board chair, now a senior advisor at Oliver Wyman. CEBE is the executive committee that guides The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers government affairs team in benefits-related advocacy and policy decisions. The two discussed a range of topics, including the changing role of the benefits broker and the plan sponsor in an environment of increased fiduciary duty, talent and training in the AI era, and advice for new CEBE Chair Ken Olson, vice president of EB growth at BroadStreet Partners.

People in this episode

Guests: Lisa Hawker, Kerry Finnegan

Topics covered

• employee benefits
• fiduciary duty
• benefits broker
• AI in training
• CEBE leadership

Keywords

• employee benefits
• fiduciary duty
• benefits broker
• AI training
• CEBE

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Council of Employee Benefits Executives, Mercer, Oliver Wyman, BroadStreet Partners

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