In|Vest West 2018 Direct

Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf also points to investments into the firm's independent channel as helping to retain advisors and curtail departures to other firms.

Rebekah Olson, CPA, is CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs.

JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon said that his bank can improve its procedures to guard against fraud.

Gregg O'Connor is a vice president at Stout. He has experience providing domestic and cross-border tax due diligence and tax structuring services to both private equity and strategic clients. He has extensive experience across a broad range of industries, including technology, media & telecommunications, healthcare, business & professional services, industrial, and consumer products. He advises private equity firms as well as public and private companies throughout the M&A transaction lifecycle. Prior to joining Stout, he was a manager in PriceWaterhouseCoopers' M&A Tax group. He also worked at KPMG in the M&A Tax group and Grant Thornton on the International Tax team.

A new study finds many Americans are risking their own retirement security and health to support family members — with Gen X workers most at risk.

Laura Cave is the Chief Brand Officer at Paytient, a healthcare technology company building flexible payment solutions to help people access and pay for care. Laura has played a pivotal role in shaping the narratives of innovative healthcare companies, including Oscar Health, K Health, and Ansel Health. At Paytient, she champions financial solutions that empower employees and health plan members to manage medical expenses without financial strain.

Tips and tricks on building a successful niche: This week, Andrew Barninger of Personal Wealth Advisory shares insights on financial planning for business owners looking for an exit.

Wilbur Jenkins is the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at WoodmenLife — an industry leader with more than $11 billion in assets — where he leads Core Operations, Human Resources, and Strategic Initiatives with a focus on driving digital transformation to enhance the customer experience. His career includes senior roles at Argo Group International Holdings and Hartford Financial Services Group. Jenkins is known for his ability to lead cross-functional teams across enterprise-wide functions to achieve strategic goals.

Gemma Ros is the chief technology officer at TheZebra.com, the company simplifying the insurance shopping experience. In this role, Gemma leads the engineering, DevOps, and data teams, driving innovation and operational excellence. She is an excellent source on technology innovation in the insurtech space, what it means to be an impactful and effective leader, her journey to the CTO role and more. 

Gemma is a senior technology executive and business strategist with more than 20 years of experience in financial services and product development. Gemma began her career as a developer at a bulge bracket investment bank, where she gained deep expertise in building robust, scalable, and low-latency trading and risk management systems in dynamic environments. After eight years on Wall Street, she co-founded a technology startup, then expanded her expertise to insurtech and private lending before joining TheZebra.com in 2022.

Throughout her career, Gemma has been recognized for delivering high-impact technology solutions, building and scaling high-performing teams, and attracting and retaining top engineering talent.

She holds a master's degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College. Outside of her professional experiences, Gemma enjoys spending time with her kids, reading, and adding to her ever-expanding Lego collection.

Brad LaPorte is chief marketing officer at Morphisec and a former Gartner analyst. He is a seasoned cybersecurity expert and former military officer specializing in cybersecurity and military intelligence for the U.S. military and allied forces.