Everyone is speculating about what 2026 will bring. After an incredibly active 2025, can the U.S. economy maintain its momentum, or will lingering economic uncertainty translate into the next recession? In this fast-paced, data-driven presentation, Dr. Anirban Basu will monitor the latest trends in employment, housing, commercial real estate, financial markets, and overall output to help finance leaders interpret what’s happening now, and what may be coming next.

Attendees will gain a clearer perspective on how macroeconomic shifts may impact AD member businesses, customers, and end markets, particularly as demand, pricing, and investment conditions evolve. Expect a high-energy delivery with a few surprises, practical insights, and even a few laughs as Dr. Basu characterizes the present and helps the group plan with greater confidence for the future.

Speaker: Dr. Anirban Basu, Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group

A proven crowd favorite at past AD events, Nick Pericle delivers hands-on, real-world demos that show AI in action. In this session, finance leaders will learn how to apply AI directly to everyday workstreams, especially within tools they already use, like Excel.

Through live demonstrations, Nick will show how AI can clean messy data, generate and troubleshoot formulas, automate repetitive tasks, and produce meaningful “what-if” scenarios, all in minutes. He’ll also introduce the concept of building a finance-specific knowledge base so that AI tools understand your business context and KPIs.

This session will reframe AI not as a futuristic add-on, but as a practical co-pilot that enables faster, better decision-making and unlocks more time for strategic analysis.

Speaker: Nick Pericle, AI Expert

This member-led roundtable offers finance leaders a practical forum to share how legal support is structured and managed within their organizations. The discussion will explore in-house vs. third-party counsel, cost and scalability considerations, and which legal functions are most commonly outsourced.

Attendees will exchange best practices, resources, and lessons learned with a focus on reducing legal spend, managing risk, and enhancing governance effectiveness.

Finance leaders will come together in this member-led roundtable to discuss how insurance programs are structured, financed, and evaluated. Topics will include coverage types, retention levels, use of captive alternatives (including EDIC), cyber risk exposure, and the evolving landscape of benefit plans.

The goal is to share practical strategies for managing rising costs, minimizing risk, and optimizing long-term insurance performance through peer-to-peer learning.

This roundtable will focus on current tax challenges impacting distributors—ranging from federal and state compliance to entity structure and multi-state operations.

Members will have the opportunity to compare notes on common exposures, audit preparation, and managing tax risk. The session will also explore how evolving legislation and distributor-specific tax concerns are reshaping finance team priorities.

Speaker: Derek Wheeler, Tax Attorney & Professor

This breakout session focuses on how AD’s Independent Distributor Ownership Center (IDOC) will support the unique needs of AD members who operate family-owned and multi-generational businesses. The AD IDOC is a multi-faceted initiative to provide AD members with well-organized and easily accessible on-line information outside experts and an inside network of fellow members willing to share their experience. This session will provide an introduction to the IDOC. Participants will also explore common challenges such as succession planning, next-generation leadership development, governance, and aligning family dynamics with long-term business strategy.