Advisor Today Blog Contributors

Brian Ashe, CLU, LACP, has been a NAIFA member for 51 years and served as the President of the DuPage County Chapter. Since 1969, Brian has assisted clients with life, health, disability, annuity, and equity products in the insurance and investment business. His work concentrates on estate conservation, retirement planning, employee benefits, and business insurance strategies. Brian specializes in business continuity, transition, succession planning, executive benefits, and estate and legacy planning.

Brian is also a partner at The Business Strategies Group of Illinois, helping business owners implement strategies to protect, preserve and pursue more value from their business more tax-efficiently for 15 years. He served as the Executive Vice President at LIFE Foundation for 10 years, as a financial professional at AXA Advisors, LLC for 13 years, and was also the Chair at the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education.

Frank C. Bearden, PhD, is an Associate Faculty Member in the School of Business and the School of Advanced Studies, and the Dissertation Chair in the School of Advanced Studies at the University of Phoenix. Frank is an Adjunct Professor of Graduate Studies at the College for Financial Planning. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors from the University of North Texas, Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations from the American College, an MSM degree from the American College, and a Ph.D. degree from Our Lady of the Lake University. He is widely published in peer-reviewed and other professional publications and is the author of the book The Subtle Influence: Conflicts of Interest in Financial Planning.

Brian Haney, CLTC, CFS, CIS, CFBS, LACP, LUTCF, CAE, is the Founder and CEO of The Haney Company, an insurance agency with a mission committed to providing high-quality financial services to its clients. Brian and his father, Allen, combined their independent practices into a full-service multi-line business that offers personalized financial advice and guidance. Brian is also NAIFA’s 2018 Diversity Champion, an author, an association expert, and a financial advisor.

Elie Harriett, ChHC, has been a part of the insurance industry since 2003. In 2007, he co-founded Classic Insurance and Financial Services Co., a NAIFA 100% Agency specializing in health insurance for the Medicare-eligible. Elie has been a NAIFA member since 2004 and is a Trustee of NAIFA-OH.

Troy Korsgaden is a highly sought-after insurance and financial services consultant. He is the Principal of Korsgaden International, which specializes in global marketing, distribution, agency building, and technology strategies for many of the world’s largest insurance carriers and financial services companies.

As a consultant, speaker, and author of seven books, Korsgaden’s mission is to help the insurance industry and its representatives wake up to the radical transformation taking place in the industry and create the necessary tools and roadmaps to best navigate and build success in the rapidly changing insurance and financial services landscape.

A widely-respected expert in personal distribution and other methods, Korsgaden trains corporate insurance and financial services leaders on customer service, change management, and transformational work, among many other critical issues impacting insurance carriers and financial services companies.

As Founder and Chief Executive Officer at InsurTech Express, Ken Leibow brings more than 35 years of insurance industry experience, with an extensive background in insurance technology for distribution and back office systems. Prior to founding InsurTech Express, Leibow worked for Genworth Financial, Mutual of Omaha, and as Vice President of Operations at Diversified Underwriters Services, Inc.

As Chief Operating Officer of Integrated Insurance Technologies, Ken built the largest life insurance data exchange hub in the industry, processing over one million policies per year and $30 billion of annuities (now owned by Oracle, Inc.). Some of the key initiatives he implemented include innovation in quoting and illustration tools, CRMs, agency management systems, eApp platforms, and ePolicy Delivery.

Ken is a leader in industry technology standards, working with ACORD, LBTC, LIDMA, NAILBA, LIMRA, LOMA, and IRI. In 2019, Leibow was appointed to sit on the ACLI Innovation Committee. Ken is on the ACORD Life & Annuity Program Advisory Council, and in 2020 he won the ACORD Leadership Award and the ACORD Community 50th Anniversary Award. He is also a past winner of the NAILBA Chairman’s Award and NAILBA’s ID20 Award.

Dan Mangus started his first insurance agency at the age of 18. At 21, he became the President of his local Association of Life Underwriters, and at 26, he was the Area Chairman of the Life Underwriter Training Council.

Dan shares his industry insights and knowledge by teaching Medicare courses at universities and keynoting national insurance conferences and Medicare certification courses. Dan is also an Expert Contributor for the RICP designation program through the American College. In addition to regular columns and articles in industry trade magazines, is a published author of TalkingMEDICARE—a resource guide for advisors in the Medicare market.

Dan’s background provides him with a wealth of knowledge about insurance agency ownership, Medicare, sales, FMOs, and customer care.

Since 1988, John Norce has provided assistance to thousands of clients with their health insurance and Medicare needs.

In 2018, John founded Medicare Portal as a way to help people better understand and navigate their Medicare journey through education, enrollment assistance, and life-long support.

As a certified Continuing Education Instructor, John helps agents remain current on the ever-changing Medicare landscape.

Robert Quinlan, MBA, LUTCF, has been a life and health insurance agent/broker since 1986.  He is a regular contributor to The Fox Boomer at Fox Business Network and to the Times Herald Record newspaper on personal finance topics. He is writing a book entitled “Endangered: The Healthcare of Our Nation’s Baby Boomers.”

Bob has been a speaker at the New York Public Library’s Money Matters lecture series on retirement topics in 2012 and 2013.  He teaches insurance courses part-time for Kaplan Financial in New York City and has taught several courses in the Certified Financial Planner program at several local colleges.