CPBI Manitoba presents one day of education sessions featuring some of industry's most prominent benefits professionals.
Who Should Attend?
If you are an employer or benefit plan sponsor, plan administrator, consultant, group insurance provider, or human resource professional, these sessions will be of interest to you. Whether you have been working in the benefits field for some time, or if you are new to the industry, this is your opportunity to learn more about the fundamentals of employee benefits.
Topics and Presenters Include:
- Basics of Benefit Plans - Laura Lomow, Ellement Consulting
- Drug Plan Management - Barbara Martinez, Canada Life
- Disability Management and Mental Health - Sarah Dulong, The Cooperators Life Insurance Company
- EmergingBenefit Trends - David Tompkins, Manitoba Blue Cross
- Legal Review: Common Benefit Administration Pitfalls - J.J. Burnell and Madison Sutherland, MLT Aikins LLP
CE Credits will be issued following the session. A short quiz following each session is required in order to receive CE credits.
Speaker Bios and Topic Summaries can be found below:
Laura Lomow - Partner, Ellement Consulting Group
Laura is a Partner at Ellement Consulting Group and the President of the Benefits division at Ellement. Laura holds the CEBS designation and the ICD.D (Directors Education Program) designations. She has over 25 years in client relationship management, as well as expertise in specialized plan design, drug plan management and advocacy.
Laura served as the Regional Chair of The Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) Canada. she has also participated as a Director for numerous other Boards in Manitoba, including chairing a large foundation (The Women’s Endowment Fund of Manitoba), The Winnipeg Construction Association, Winnipeg Harvest, The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, St. Paul’s High School and Manitoba Cancer Care. Laura graduated from the Entrepreneurial Masters Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T. - Endicott Campus). Laura mentors young Canadian woman in business and facilitates strategic planning sessions for startups and small business.
Session Topic: The Basics of Employee Benefit Plans 8:15am-9:15am
This session will look at the basic benefits theory, plan design and plan funding arrangements for both private and public organizations.
Barbara Martinez, National Practice Leader, Drug Solutions - Canada Life
As the National Practice Leader, Drug Solutions in Canada Life’s Toronto Office, Barbara A. Martinez supports sales offices across Canada on prescription drug management initiatives. She plays a key role in supporting advisors and their clients, including designing and managing drug benefit plans with Canada Life Drug plan management programs.
Barbara joined Canada Life in 2012 after 10 years at Mercer, where she led the Canadian drug benefits consulting team. She’s a regular speaker at industry forums and a frequent commentator on employer drug programs. Her past experience also includes 13 years in the pharmaceutical industry, where she worked in sales and marketing as well as government and professional affairs.
Session Topic: Prescription Drug Plans in Canada 9:45am-10:45am
This webinar that will look at prescription drug plan spending and trends in 2019 as well as the impact of COVID-19 on drug plans in early 2020. We will also take a deep dive into Expensive Drugs for Rare Diseases (EDRDs) and discuss the upcoming changes in how drugs are priced in Canada by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB).
Sarah Dulong - Mental Health Claims Advisor, The Co-operators
Sarah Dulong is a Mental Health Claims Advisor at Co-operators and whether at work or in her personal life, showing kindness, caring, and helping others is something she is very passionate about. As the Mental Health Claims Advisor, Sarah leads mental health initiatives focused on creating the future, researches best practices for psychological claims protocol and seeks opportunities to respond to emerging unmet needs of members and clients. Sarah also works with disability case managers to provide insight, guidance, and oversight for the management of psychological disability claims and identifies and creates resources and training opportunities for the claims team. Finding innovative ways to help individuals who suffer to overcome systemic and environmental barriers and live their lives to the fullest is very important to Sarah.
Session Topic: Disability and Mental Health 11:15am-12:15pm
In her session, Sarah will share myths about mental illness, how mental illness impacts the workplace, emerging trends, barriers to recovery and information on innovative supports that are available to those who are suffering.
David Tompkins - Manager, Group Client Development - Manitoba Blue Cross
With over 30 years of sales, sales management and account management experience in group benefit and pension plans, David Tompkins has been with Manitoba Blue Cross since 2009 as Manager, Group Client Development. David is also the Past Chair of the National Sales and Marketing Committee of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans.
Prior to joining the Manitoba Blue Cross team, David was Group Sales Manager at London Life Insurance Company and Account Executive with Sun Life Financial. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia. He has also received a Group Benefits Associate, Retirement Plans Associate and Certified Employee Benefits Specialist from International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) and Dalhousie University; and a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist Fellowship from IFEBP and The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. David has been very active over the years with the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, serving as the chairperson of the Manitoba Council of CPBI and as a member of CPBI's National Board of Directors.
Session Topic: Emerging Trends in Employee Benefit Plans 1:15pm-2:15pm
During this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will discuss what’s emerging and relevant in the marketplace and possible considerations for group benefit plan design and plan member engagement
J.J. Burnell - Partner, MLT Aikins LLP
J.J. Burnell is a partner at MLT Aikins LLP and advises on and assists in a wide variety of matters involving pension and benefit plans, including winding-up or amendment of plans, plan creation and implementation, plan mergers, trust agreements and agreements for administrative services, surplus and distribution issues. J.J. is a Council Member of CPBI Manitoba serving as the representative on the CPBI-ICRA National Board, as well as a member of the CBA Pensions and Benefits Law Section’s Advocacy and Government Relations Committee & Communications Committee.
Madison Sutherland - Associate, MLT Aikins LLP
Madison is an associate at MLT Aikins LLP. In the area of pension and benefits law, Madison provides advice regarding plan administration, surplus and distribution issues, plan mergers, trust agreements and agreements for administrative services.
Session Topic: Common Benefit Administration Pitfalls 2:45pm-3:45pm
Plan administrators must comply with their legal obligations in administering their respective benefit plans. This session will examine legal cases where the courts have determined that plan administrators have failed in their duty to administer benefit plans and will discuss strategies to help you avoid these pitfalls.