Agenda 2026

8:30 am

Golf Tournament

Golf Tournament — Las Vegas National Golf Club

Tee off in style and kick off the week right. Enjoy great golf, beautiful weather, and unbeatable networking along the fairways of one of Las Vegas' most iconic courses.

2:00 – 5:15 pm

Association Meetings

State Association Business Meetings

2:00 – 2:45 pm Utah Captive Insurance Association · 2:50 – 3:35 pm Missouri Captive Insurance Association · 3:40 – 4:25 pm Oklahoma Captive Insurance Association · 4:30 – 5:15 pm Nevada Captive Insurance Council. Refer to the program map for the Board Room location.

Ongoing

Registration

Registration — 4th Floor, Belmont Ballroom, Chelsea

3:00 – 4:30 pm

Pre-Conference

Captives 101

A comprehensive overview of captive structures and benefits, regulatory considerations across domiciles, formation strategies and best practices, risk retention alternatives, and pricing and funding fundamentals. Ideal for business leaders considering a captive, new captive owners, and professionals new to the industry.

• Sonya Bergquist · Taylor-Walker Consulting
• Victor Gallardo · Helio Risk
• Alison Mullikin · Aon

6:00 – 7:30 pm

Networking

Opening Reception — Exhibit Hall

Join us for a lovely evening where you will meet friends, old and new, as we celebrate the opening of the conference.

7:30 – 5:00 pm

Exhibit Hall

Exhibit Booths Open

7:30 – 8:15 am

Exhibit Hall

Registration & Networking Breakfast

8:15 – 8:30 am

General Session

Welcome & Opening Remarks

• Renea Louie · CEO, Sotera Global Management
• Josh Miller · President, Nevada Captive Insurance Council

8:30 – 9:15 am

Keynote

Keynote Address

• Mark Habersack · Exec. Director/Risk Management, Resorts World Las Vegas

9:20 – 10:10 am

Breakout One

Artificial Intelligence Risk

The risk of AI emerging in construction, healthcare, and other industries, and how captives can support their parent companies in stabilizing risk and participating in solutions.

• Maria Ganson · CHRISTUS Health System
• Lynn Sessions · Baker & Hostetler
• Heather McClure · Helio Risk

9:20 – 10:10 am

Breakout Two

RRGs: Emerging Developments

A panel discussion on emerging developments for Risk Retention Groups.

• Joseph Deems · NRRA
• Lisa Poulin · Milliman
• Cassandra Hand Gallegos · CCMS & Associates
• Matt Holycross · Fleetshield Insurance Company, RRG

10:15 – 10:45 am

Break

Networking Break — Exhibit Hall

10:45 – 11:35 am

Breakout One

Amplify Women Session: Bridging the Gap

Understanding generational differences to foster collaboration and innovation in the captive insurance industry.

• Melissa Hollingsworth · LA Unified Schools
• Andrea Monterrotti · Milliman
• Lauren Thomas · CICA
• Grace Topete · Helio Risk

10:45 – 11:35 am

Breakout Two

831(b) Captive Updates

• Hale Stewart · Dickinson Wright
• Melissa Wiley · Kostelanetz LLP
• Sol Feinberg · SIGMA Actuarial Consulting

11:40 – 12:30 pm

Breakout One

From Structure to Substance

Moving beyond captive structure to the operational substance that regulators, auditors, and owners expect.

11:40 – 12:30 pm

Breakout Two

Captive Advocacy: Supporting the Industry through the Legislative Process

An overview of the legislative process, the role of industry stakeholders in shaping policy, and practical strategies for communicating with regulators and lawmakers.

• Kevin Doherty · Dickinson Wright
• Sandy Bigglestone · SRS
• Sean Tarwater · Kansas State Representative

12:30 – 1:15 pm

Featured General Session

Lunch & Insurance Commissioners Fireside Chat

Insurance commissioners from Nevada, Oklahoma, and Utah speak directly to participants in a fireside chat format. Moderated by Leon Rives, RH CPAs.

• Commissioner Ned Gaines · Nevada
• Commissioner Glen Mulready · Oklahoma
• Commissioner Jonathan Pike · Utah

1:15 – 2:05 pm

Featured General Session

Hot Topics

A forward-looking discussion on emerging trends, regulatory developments, and strategic challenges shaping the captive insurance industry.

• Leon Rives · RH CPAs
• Renea Louie · Sotera Global Management
• Heather McClure · Helio Risk
• Joseph Marcantel · Talisman Insurance Co.

2:10 – 3:00 pm

Breakout One

Best Practices for Captive Investments: Strategy and Innovation

Balancing risk, liquidity, and long-term performance — portfolio construction, governance, regulatory considerations, and emerging opportunities.

• Anjannette Fowler · PNC
• Jack Meskunas · Oppenheimer
• Madeline Jacobs · Jacobs & Coolidge
• Laura Phillips · Wilmington Trust

2:10 – 3:00 pm

Breakout Two

Lawyers, Guns, Drugs, and Money – Insuring Unusual Risks

Hard-to-place risks, how captives can build capacity, and the legal, banking, audit, and regulatory challenges unusual risk brings. Moderated by Grace Topete, Helio Risk.

• Matt Grimes · National Psychedelics Association Captive
• Martha Hayes · Larson
• Stephanie Liu · Utah Department of Insurance
• Kyle Sweet · CCW Safe / Helio Risk

2:30 – 3:20 pm

Special Session

Captive Managers' Caucus (Captive Managers Only) — Board Room

A closed, confidential forum for peer-to-peer exchange on regulatory developments, operational strategies, market trends, governance, and emerging risks.

3:05 – 3:55 pm

Breakout One

Municipality Risk Management

How municipalities identify, assess, and transfer risk through effective insurance and loss control strategies.

• Eryn Brasovan · Womble Bond Dickinson
• Joe Streck · Innovative Captive Strategies
• Jerry Faiella · MEBCORP

3:05 – 3:55 pm

Breakout Two

Captives as a Strategic Asset: Value Beyond Market Timing

2026 market conditions across multiple lines, structural drivers of hard vs. soft markets, and recognizing when market timing creates urgency vs. long-term value.

• Luke Renz · Captives.Insure
• Tim Svoboda · Conner Strong & Buckelew
• Heather Graziani · Accelerant
• Sam Raphael · Milliman

3:55 – 4:20 pm

Break

Break with Exhibitors

4:20 – 5:10 pm

General Session

Captive Tax Update

A 2026 update on recent developments in US and state tax law for captives, and how to spot tax issues in your captive program.

• Kristen Lawler · Crowe
• Allan Autry · Johnson Lambert
• Bailey Roese · Dentons
• Blake Kerr · ENDVR CPAs

7:00 – 9:00 pm

Evening Social Event

Topgolf Las Vegas

Keep the momentum going with an after-hours networking event at Topgolf. No golfing experience needed — just come ready to connect, have fun, and compete for bragging rights.

7:30 – 12:00 pm

Exhibit Hall

Exhibitor Booths Open

7:30 – 8:30 am

Exhibit Hall

Networking Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45 am

General Session

Opening Remarks

8:45 – 9:35 am

General Session

You Ought to Tell Your Regulator, But…

What insurance regulators expect from organizations in today's evolving risk and compliance landscape.

• Ben Whitehouse · Butler Snow
• Mark Wiedeman · Tennessee Dept. Commerce & Insurance
• Jonathan Habart · Marsh

9:40 – 10:30 am

General Session

Is This Insurance? And What If It Isn't?

The accounting, actuarial, and tax tests used to determine whether an arrangement is insurance — and the consequences when it isn't.

• Chaz Lavelle · Dentons
• Diana Hardy · RH CPAs

10:30 – 11:00 am

Exhibit Hall

Break with Exhibitors

11:00 – 12:00 pm

General Session

Regulator Roundup

Moderated by Heather McClure, Helio Risk.

• Victoria Fimea · Arizona
• Jeff Wilson · Iowa
• Sam Komo · Missouri
• Dakota Terry · Montana
• Michael Reynolds · Nevada
• Steve Kinion · Oklahoma
• Mark Wiedeman · Tennessee
• Travis Wegkamp · Utah

12:00 pm

Closing

Closing Remarks & Announcement of 2027 Dates