Top view of meeting for the business team, brainstorming on the new project. Laptop, potted plants, diary, coffee cups, glasses, charts and other supplies on brown wooden desk. Colleagues discussing ideas while drinking coffee in the office.
COMMITTEES

Where Members Work Together to Pursue and Achieve Shared Objectives

The Insured Retirement Institute’s committees and working groups guide the development and execution of strategies and tactics to advance the interests of IRI members and the insured retirement industry overall.

IRI member committees are active throughout the year through meetings, video and teleconferences, and emails. Each committee establishes its own schedule. IRI members can be active members of more than one committee.

Visit your IRI account to manage committee participation.

IRI Committees

Advocacy Steering Committee

The Advocacy Steering Committee is responsible for setting IRI's advocacy and compliance priorities and positions, and for overseeing IRI’s efforts with respect to the adoption and implementation of federal and state laws and rules on an ongoing basis. The Committee also provides input to IRI’s advocacy and compliance committees and working groups on the strategies and tactics employed to advance IRI’s policy positions and achieve IRI’s compliance objectives.

Meeting Schedule: Monthly calls, with extended two-hour calls every three months, including at least one in-person meeting every year

Criteria: Invitation only. All IRI Insurer, Distributor, Asset Manager, IMO, and Partner-tier Law Firm member companies are eligible to serve as voting members, and Counsel-tier Law Firm members are eligible to serve as non-voting members. Eligible companies may appoint one primary member and one alternate member, each of whom must be a senior-level legal, compliance, and/or government affairs professional who is authorized to speak on behalf of their organization with respect to legislative and regulatory matters at the federal and state levels.

IRI Staff Liaisons: Jason Berkowitz, Paul Richman

Compliance and Implementation Committee

The Compliance and Implementation Committee focuses on issues, challenges, and opportunities related to compliance with, and implementation of, state and federal rules and regulations. This Committee provides a forum for IRI members to work through complex requirements and to discuss best practices and experiences related to compliance and implementation. This Committee also discusses opportunities to enhance rules and regulations and provides feedback to other IRI committees to help guide current and future advocacy efforts.

Meeting Schedule: Monthly calls

Criteria: Open to all IRI member company representatives, but most appropriate for compliance and legal professionals.

IRI Staff Liaison: Rebecca Plowman

Consulting Financial Professional Committee

The Consulting Financial Professional Committee is a group of experienced financial advisors appointed with IRI member firms. Committee members participate in IRI events and meetings to provide a “boots on the ground” perspective on a wide range of retirement and annuity issues. Committee members also advise on research projects, and act as a test group to validate advisor research and surveys.

Meeting Schedule: Ad hoc

Criteria: Appointed with a member firm, invitation only.

IRI Staff Liaison: Frank O’Connor

DEI Steering Committee

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Steering Committee’s mission is to collaborate on the development and adoption of DEI best practices in our member organizations, such that we see significant adoption across our industry. Members of this Committee consist of DEI industry leaders who work in collaboration with our DEI Board Working Group ensuring we are surfacing best practices in lockstep with executive buy-in. Participation is limited to two representatives per member company.

Meeting Schedule: As needed

Criteria: Open to all IRI member company representatives, but most appropriate for DEI professionals.

IRI Staff Liaisons: Shani Armon, Christina Brady

Government Affairs Committee

The Government Affairs Committee provides a forum for IRI members to share information about policies, laws, and regulations produced by Congress, the White House, and federal agencies that may affect IRI membership. The Committee is charged with assessing critical issues; evaluating and monitoring legislation and regulatory or potential regulatory issues; and developing consensus policy positions to guide IRI’s advocacy efforts, including promulgating IRI’s annual Federal Retirement Security Blueprint. The Committee also assists IRI staff in building bipartisan relationships with lawmakers and administration officials to whom IRI advocates for the enactment and adoption of policy positions and proposals.

Meeting Schedule: Monthly calls

Criteria: Open to all IRI member company representatives, but most appropriate for Government Affairs professionals.

IRI Staff Liaisons: John Jennings, Paul Richman

Member Services Steering Committee

Members of the Member Services Steering Committee meet as needed to review current IRI initiatives and solicit guidance as well as provide feedback on membership experiences and areas where IRI can improve and grow. Participation on this Committee is limited to one representative per member company.

Meeting Schedule: Ad hoc

Criteria: All insurer, distributor, asset manager, IMO, solution provider, and law firm members are eligible to participate.  Representatives from these organizations must have at least one year of committee participation on any of the other IRI committees.

IRI Staff Liaisons: Shani ArmonAnna Hildreth

Operations and Technology Committee

The Operations and Technology Committee acts as a platform for member collaboration, participation, and industry leadership to drive the support of the retirement solutions industry with a focus on operational efficiencies through standardization and simplification of the product life cycle by leveraging technology, while responding to regulatory directives. Operations and Technology focuses on four main strategic pillars: 1. market penetration and engagement across the Broker-Dealer (BD), Independent (Insurance Marketing Organizations (IMOs)), and Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and Outside Insurance Desks (OIDs), and the solution providers; 2. Increasing awareness and adoption of existing digital solutions; 3. process and regulation; and 4. data enablement.

Meeting Schedule: Bi-monthly calls

Criteria: IRI Membership.

IRI Staff Liaison: Katherine Dease

Public Relations Committee

The Public Relations Committee improves and enhances the brand of insured retirement strategies through earned media in top-tier publications that reach multiple core audiences. The Committee works to ensure that IRI is a “first phone call resource” for the media and IRI members for both positive media and crisis management issues. Participants on this Committee are preferred to be in a communications role.

Meeting Schedule: Bi-monthly calls

Criteria: Open to all IRI member company representatives, but most appropriate for PR or Communications professionals.

IRI Staff Liaison: Dan Zielinski

Retirement Research Committee

The Retirement Research Committee informs and determines IRI research priorities, and serve in a planning, review, and editorial capacity regarding content. The Retirement Research Committee also collectively establishes meaningful discussion agendas for monthly committee calls and periodic in-person meetings to help Committee members learn from each other, and develop best practices for addressing industry issues and capitalizing on opportunities.

Meeting Schedule: Monthly calls and two in-person meetings per year (inclusive of one at the IRI Annual Conference)

Criteria: Open to all IRI member company representatives.

IRI Staff Liaison: Frank O’Connor

Retirement Plans and Tax Committee

The Retirement Plans and Tax Committee is responsible for all legislative and regulatory activity arising under or relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code, including, but not limited to, rulemaking by the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The Committee assists IRI in developing policy positions and advocacy strategies on priority issues including drafting comment letters and testimony.

Meeting Schedule: Monthly calls

Criteria: Open to all IRI member company representatives, but most appropriate for legal, compliance, and government affairs professionals focused on defined contribution plans and individual retirement accounts.

IRI Staff Liaison: Emily Micale

Securities Committee

The Securities Committee is responsible for all legislative and regulatory activity arising under, or relating to, federal or state securities law, including, but not limited to, rulemaking by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), and individual state securities agencies. The Committee assists IRI in developing policy positions and advocacy strategies on priority issues including drafting comment letters and testimony.

Meeting Schedule: Monthly calls

Criteria: Open to all IRI member company representatives, but most appropriate for legal, compliance, and government affairs professionals focused on manufacturing and distribution of securities products.

IRI Staff Liaison: Emily Micale

State Affairs Committee

The State Affairs Committee is responsible for state activity that would impact the sale of retirement income products proposed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Conference of Insurance Legislatures (NCOIL), North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), and state legislative and regulatory bodies. The Committee assists IRI in developing policy positions and advocacy strategies on priority issues including drafting comment letters and testimony.

Meeting Schedule: Monthly calls

Criteria: Open to all IRI member company representatives, but most appropriate for legal, compliance, and government affairs professionals focused on manufacturing and distribution of insurance products.

IRI Staff Liaison: Sarah Wood