PENJERDEL Employee Benefits & Compensation Association (PEBA)

It's All About Communication: Delivering Difficult Messages
Earn 2.5 HRCI Credits

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Registration & Continental Breakfast 8:30 am - 9:00 am
Program 9:00 am - 11:30 am

Sue Fazo, Towers Perrin
John Arko, Lincoln Financial Group
Romi Garvey, Vanguard

Today's economy is forcing businesses to tighten belts and make tough choices in employee benefits and retirement plans. HR managers are often left with the task of delivering bad news while simultaneously trying to keep employee morale high. Communicating bad news is a daunting but very important task. If you're one of the people on the front line, this program is for you! Our program will feature a Communication Expert, Susan Fazo from Towers Perrin, who can share best practices and ideas on how to craft the right communications message for your firm, fitting the economic times and culture of your company as we gear up for open enrollment. John Arko, AVP of Retirement Benefits for Lincoln Financial Group, will discuss how communications impacted Lincoln's roll out of retirement plan changes in the past year.

Romi Garvey, Department Head for Vanguard's Institutional Participant Education Division, will be discussing trends Vanguard sees in participant education, using client examples, heading into open enrollment season.

Join us for an interactive program that will be sure to help you improve your employee communications!

Sue Fazo is a principal in Towers Perrin’s Philadelphia Consulting Office and leads the East Region and Canada Change Implementation teams. Sue brings more than 25 years of communications and change management experience to her consulting role. She has helped organizations develop and implement strategic change and communications plans including total rewards, web strategies, M&A, downsizing, retirement choice, healthcare consumerism and employee and HR branding.

Sue joined Towers Perrin in 1998 from Intracorp, the CIGNA company national managed care services firm, where she was responsible for marketing and communications.

Sue has a B.A. in communications from the University of Connecticut. She has received numerous awards for her work including two IABC Gold Quill Awards for a healthcare consumerism campaign and a retirement change plan, several IABC Epic Awards for excellence in communications, a Philadelphia Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Pepperpot Award and a national communications award from the United Way of America.

John Arko is the head of retirement programs at Lincoln Financial Group, managing the strategy, design, delivery, and administration of retirement income solutions for the employees and associates of Lincoln Financial. These include defined contribution plans, defined benefit plans, and deferred compensation arrangements. Prior to joining Lincoln Financial Group in 2008, John was with CIGNA where he was Plan Administrator / Director Benefits Strategy for its wealth accumulation programs. And before joining CIGNA, he spent over 10 years with Towers Perrin, providing actuarial services to a number of large national and international clients focusing on pension and retiree health care valuations.

John received a bachelor's degree in Mathematics & Statistics from Miami University in Oxford, OH. He has earned the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation and serves on the Board of Directors of PEBA, Employee Benefits and Compensation Association.

Romi brings thirteen years strategy and marketing experience in financial services to her role leading Communication Consulting in Institutional Retirement Plan Services at Vanguard. The department consults directly with plan sponsors to develop data-driven communications strategies. Program Managers develop innovative, multi-channel communications programs. Meetings Group presenters deliver live and electronic meetings directly to participants. The department focuses on developing education materials and strategies to guide participants on a clear path toward retirement security.

Prior to joining Vanguard, Romi worked for one of the world’s largest commercial and consumer banks. There, she directed pricing, promotions, new product introductions, and M&A marketing efforts in five states. She also led a state market, with responsibility for client loyalty, operations, and savings/investments, checking, credit card, consumer real estate, multicultural, and small business growth. Her prior experience with participants’ competing financial demands now contributes to a relevant, smart, and accessible Vanguard Participant Experience.

Romi holds a B.S. from University of Maryland College Park in Marketing, and an M.B.A. in Strategic Management from The Wharton School.

Fees:
$60 PEBA, ABC and NAAAHR Members
$95 Nonmembers
$30 Members in Transition

Those wishing 2.5 HRCI (PHR, SPHR and GPHR) credits, add $5.00.
Payment must be received prior to admission.

Cancellations:
Cancellations must be received by July 10 to receive a refund.