Category Archives: Business

Press Releases from the Business World. Announcements, Product releases, Appointments.

Chalice Wealth Partners Adds JP Guilbault to Board of Directors


JP Guilbault

JP is a visionary growth leader with tremendous experience and passion for small business and technology. We believe his strong experience in M&A and scaling companies that serve SMBs and member-based organizations will be extremely valuable as Chalice continues to grow.

Chalice Wealth Partners, the parent company of Chalice Financial Network™, an online member-based digital marketplace for independent, small and midsized businesses, today announced the addition of Jean-Paul (JP) Guilbault to its board of directors.

Guilbault is a proven technology and business visionary, board member and community leader with more than 25 years of commercial, operational and strategic management experience. He’s worked for global brands that include Dun and Bradstreet, Intuit and Constant Contact, and has extensive private equity and M&A experience. He has held a range of functional and executive positions and served as chief executive officer of YourMembership and Community Brands, which provided cloud and fintech solutions built to serve member-based organizations.

“Since launching the Chalice Financial Network about a year ago, we’ve seen tremendous growth,” said Keith Gregg, founder and CEO of Chalice. “JP is a visionary growth leader with tremendous experience and passion for small business and technology. We believe his strong experience in M&A and scaling companies that serve SMBs and member-based organizations will be extremely valuable as Chalice continues to grow.”

Guilbault said, “Keith’s vision and passion for helping SMBs is unmatched when it comes to entrepreneurs. Small and midsized organizations power our economy, and Chalice is providing a refreshing set of solutions to enhance their success. I look forward to working with Keith and the team as they scale the business and serve members.”

About Chalice Wealth Partners and Chalice Financial Network™

Chalice Wealth Partners is the parent company of Chalice Financial Network™ and Succession Link, both exclusive member-benefit organizations dedicated to empowering today’s small to mid-sized advisor. More than 51,000 members find solutions to their business challenges daily. Through the digital marketplace—Chalice Advisor Exchange™— the network provides access to best-in-class wealth management products and services in pursuit of the economies of scale and operational efficiencies advisors want and need to succeed. The community also provides unique peer-to-peer networking and collaboration opportunities creating a forum for sharing ideas and best practices to help strengthen members collectively. For more information, visit http://www.chalicefn.com and http://www.successionlink.com.

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Why Are Car Insurance Quotes So Important?


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“Getting quotes online will help you find the best coverage options available in your area. Just by spending several minutes online, comparing prices and you can save hundreds of dollars” said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has released a new blog post that explains the importance of obtaining and comparing online car insurance quotes.

For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/how-important-are-online-car-insurance-quotes/

Car insurance quotes have become a necessity. They provide valuable estimates and allow the customer to select a policy that meets his financial expectations. Now, customers can get multiple quotes online, by simply accessing http://compare-autoinsurance.org.

Nobody can deny the importance of price estimates. Without the proper knowledge, we would be tempted to buy the first policy we find. There are several reasons for which car insurance quotes are really important:


  • They provide accurate estimates. Contrary to many people’s beliefs, online car insurance quotes can be really accurate. The tricks is to fill in a form that has multiple questions for each relevant category: demographic and social factors, driving experience and record, car make and model and coverage options. In order to get accurate quotes, a client must provide accurate and honest info.
  • They are easy to obtain. Online quotes can be obtained from any place of the world, as long as the client has a good internet connection and a compatible device. In this way, a client can skip numerous meetings with agents and face numerous weather and traffic adversities. Online quotes are not dependent on a shop’s schedule and clients can get them at any hour of day or night,
  • They are free. Online quotes are usually offered for free by insurance companies that want to provide full transparency on their prices. Using an insurance agent involves paying him, if not directly, then indirectly, from an obtained policy. Companies pass the agent’s salary cost to their clients.
  • They can be easily customized. The submit form used to obtain quotes has numerous customization options. This allows the client to modify some coverage parameters, like increasing or decreasing coverage amount or deductibles and get a policy suitable for his budget.


Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.

For more information, please visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org

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Age of Empires IV Art Director Joins Pixelmatic


Pixelmatic is proud to announce the hiring of our new Director of Art, Wayne Wong-Chong, from Relic Entertainment. Wayne joins Pixelmatic’s existing ex-Relic design team of Jason Lee and Damon Gauthier, bringing fresh ideas and decades of AAA experience at some of Canada’s top game studios.

Wayne makes the leap to Pixelmatic after having spent nearly 12 years as a Technical Artist and Technical Art Director at Relic Entertainment. He worked as a Principal Technical Artist on both the Company of Heroes and Dawn of War franchises, before leading technical art direction on the highly anticipated upcoming blockbuster, Age of Empires IV.

Wayne’s journey into game art actually started in the AutoCAD labs of the Vancouver Lower Mainland, where he studied CAD architecture. Following his passion for gaming and feature films, he soon decided to switch from architecture to 3D animation, graduating from the famed Vancouver Film School. After cutting his teeth working on numerous 3D animated TV series, Wayne took on more art supervision roles in TV and film, before finally entering the game industry in 2005 as a Technical Artist on FIFA at EA Sports. Enticed by his love for Homeworld, Wayne took the opportunity to join Relic when it came along, and went on to spend a very productive decade there.

Having had shipped multiple AAA titles at Relic, why was Wayne attracted to an up-and-coming studio such as Pixelmatic? In his own words, Wayne claims that, “games are evolving and need to evolve to effectively compete for players’ precious spare time. Longevity and success of large games need the support of tech carefully planned into the game design. The core creative team on Infinite Fleet, led by Jason Lee and Damon Gauthier, understand this and it’s our number one focus to create a game where the marriage between game design and tech is meaningful, not to mention achievable.”

Pixelmatic, being the nimble and innovative studio that it is, is well positioned to be adaptive and address the changing landscape of games. It is exactly this willingness to be flexible and embrace innovation that has attracted a talent like Wayne who brings with him his unique art vision as well as his immense pedigree.

On his vision for Infinite Fleet, Wayne said, “Pixelmatic and myself, we love both fictional and non-fictional science. We also love anime. My vision for Infinite Fleet is to create a colorful nostalgic universe where players can engage in over the top anime-esk battles, or friends can simply explore beautiful vistas together while they forge their fleets. Infinite Fleet will have a deep lore rooted in the goals and challenges that the human race are faced with today. We want the world we are creating to spark conversation about technology and what the future holds for us as a species. I’ll be referencing and imbuing the franchise with shapes, colors, and motion familiar to anime fans, and I’m excited to share this vision in the coming months with Infinite Fleet’s growing community.”

Besides the new ideas Wayne is bringing to Infinite Fleet, he is also excited about existing innovations that the Pixelmatic team is already implementing. “The cryptographic game money of Infinite Fleet, INF, is cutting edge and is designed to power player agency both in and out of session by being portable and easily fungible with other cryptocurrencies. We are also exploring machine learning, leveraging HDRP in Unity, and experimenting with Houdini FX. The art team is taking full advantage of all the latest techniques in Substance Painter/Designer, harnessing the power of Blender 2.8, and much more. It’s an exciting time at Pixelmatic.”

The entire Pixelmatic team is excited to officially have Wayne Wong-Chong onboard, and we look forward to accomplishing great things with Infinite Fleet.

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How To Get Lower Car Insurance Rates


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“There are multiple ways for you to save money on car insurance. A competent, trusty insurance agent can help you find some of those money-saving ways”, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that presents several tips for drivers that want to pay lower car insurance rates.

For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/tips-on-lowering-car-insurance-costs/

Car insurance is getting more expensive with each year that passes. In order to keep the car insurance costs under control, or even lower them, drivers can follow the next tips:


  • Increase their deductibles. Drivers can lower their premiums by agreeing to pay more money out of their pocket if they have to make a claim. Policyholders should be careful to have sufficient money available when a claim is made.
  • Policyholders can drive less. One important factor that insurance companies take into account when they determine an insurance premium is how much the car is driven. Drivers that have lower annual mileage, will pay less on their insurance policy.
  • Consider dropping full coverage. Buying collision and comprehensive coverage for newer vehicles it’s recommended. However, when a car hits a certain age, keeping these two coverages might prove unnecessary. The value of a vehicle is constantly decreasing with each year that passes. Usually, when a car is 10 years or older, its market value has sufficiently decreased to make full coverage useless.
  • Bundle policies. Drivers can qualify for significant discounts if they combine homeowner insurance with car insurance at the same insurance company.
  • Consider usage-based insurance. Drivers should consider allowing a small telematics device to be installed in their vehicles. If a driver has good driving habits, he will be rewarded with consistent discounts.
  • Keep a good credit score. In many states, insurance companies are allowed to take the driver’s credit score into consideration when they determine their insurance rates. Insurance companies claim they found a correlation between a driver’s credit score and his number of claims. Drivers that have good credit scores are considered to make a small number of claims, and so they are rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Check discounts. Policyholders should ask their insurance agents if they are eligible for additional discounts, like good driver discount, no-claim discount, loyalty discount, and many other types of discounts.
  • Consider insurance costs before purchasing a car. It is recommended to get online car insurance quotes before buying a car. Insurance must not be an afterthought. Also, keep in mind that rates vary widely between insurance providers.
  • Pay the entire coverage in advance Choosing to pay for the whole coverage in advance will help the company avoid monthly installment fees. The policyholder will receive cheaper premiums since those costs are no longer added.

For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.

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Welcome to the Finals of the National Financial Plan Competition


I salute the university professors who support the competition and look forward to yet another year of networking with the promising financial professionals of the future…IARFC Trustee Chair and CEO, H. Stephen Bailey, MRFC®.

For 2020, the following students will be gearing up for their live presentation to IARFC Trustees and US Chapter Board Directors:


  • Abigail Adams and Zachary Wakamatsu, Utah Valley University – Associate Professor Dr. Luke Dean
  • Allison Biddix and Michael Austin, Western Carolina University – Dr. Patrick Payne
  • Jackie Battles, University of North Texas – Adjunct Professor Dave Ragan

“Our students really rose to the challenge provided by the IARFC’s National Financial Plan Competition,” observed Dr. Patrick Payne of Western Carolina University. “It expanded their horizons and encouraged them to dive deep into the planning process. We are very proud of them and their hard work on this competition!”

The National Financial Plan Competition is organized through the IARFC for undergraduate students in a curriculum related to Financial Services and supported in part by IARFC members and corporate backers such as 2020 sponsors Money Concepts Capital Corp. and Envestnet MoneyGuide.

This competition gives students an exercise in real-world practices – that of analyzing a client’s situation and critically thinking a course of action. In many cases, professors have used this exercise as part of their curriculum. Participants were given a fictional case study of a family and an overview of their financial picture. From that data, teams were asked to produce a financial plan with recommendations for current and future action.

“I am extremely proud that our competition prepares students for their financial services career. Developing a financial plan is at the core of what we do. By participating in the event, the teams gain valuable experience in how that process works. I salute the university professors who support the competition and look forward to yet another year of networking with the promising financial professionals of the future.” IARFC Trustee Chair and CEO, H. Stephen Bailey, MRFC®.

The competition will be judged this year by the IARFC Trustees and the US Chapter Board of Directors. Both Boards will convene in Cincinnati, OH for their annual meeting where the actual live presentation finals will take place on Thursday, April 23. For information on the IARFC National Financial Plan Competition and how to become a Corporate Sponsor or an Individual Donor, visit https://www.iarfc.org/events/nfpc.

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Life & Pensions Insurers Mired in Legacy IT Must Put Customer Experience First, Break Free by Leveraging BPaaS—Everest Group


Everest Group

Everest Group

An insurer’s best path forward is to partner with BPaaS providers to free themselves from the burden of legacy without capital-intensive investments. Service providers can fill the gap and help establish the business case for adopting modernization efforts.

Although 60% of insurers believe improving customer experience (CX) would have the highest impact on their competitive positioning, many don’t pursue progressive CX strategies because they are shackled by legacy IT infrastructure. According to Everest Group, the solution to this dilemma is clear: To enable core modernization and subsequent digital transformation, life and pensions (L&P) insurers should establish strategic business process as a service (BPaaS) partnerships with third-party IT and business process service providers.

“L&P insurers know that to remain competitive they need to evolve to customer demands, especially to the demands of the millennial segment, but they are stymied by legacy infrastructure that restricts their ability to innovate and modernize,” said Skand Bhargava, practice director, Business Process Services, at Everest Group.

“It’s no wonder insurers are slow to modernize: revamping infrastructure is expensive, time consuming for overstretched internal resources, disruptive to business continuity, and sometimes a stretch for in-house talent. Plus, unfortunately, many decision makers place undo consideration on sunk costs,” explained Bhargava. “An insurer’s best path forward is to partner with BPaaS providers to free themselves from the burden of legacy without capital-intensive investments. Service providers can fill the gap and help establish the business case for adopting modernization efforts.”

Many leading insurers are beginning to see the advantages of the BPaaS approach. The L&P insurance sourcing market in 2018 reached US$2.6 billion, with 44% represented by BPaaS engagements. The compound annual growth rate of the L&P insurance BPaaS market from 2015 to 2018 was 12-14%.

These findings are discussed in more detail in “Life and Pensions (L&P) Insurance BPO Annual Report 2020: Escape Legacy and Embrace Digital through BPaaS.” This report deep dives into the looming need for modernizing legacy architectures in the Life and Pensions (L&P) insurance industry and its relevance for the industry’s overall digital transformation. Further, it puts forward the case for BPaaS in L&P insurance and how digitalization can make a significant impact through platform modernization efforts.

In the report, Everest Group cites numerous examples of L&P insurers who successfully tapped third-party partners for core modernization initiatives in the past few years:

  • DXC partnered with Metlife to take over the administration of seven million closed block policies onto its platform and streamline customer service (2016).
  • TCS partnered with M&G Prudential to migrate 5.8 million policies from insurer’s multiple legacy systems and consolidate those on its BaNCS platform (2018).
  • TCS partnered with Transamerica to convert insurer’s policies from legacy platforms to its proprietary platform to help accelerate digitalization of policy administration (2018).
  • DXC partnered with Brighthouse Financial to support the transition of the latter’s 1.3 million in-force policies from multiple legacy systems onto a more consolidated IT infrastructure (2018).
  • Atos extended its previous partnership with Aegon to migrate and administer the insurer’s 1.4 million closed block policies on a modern platform. While Atos does not own a policy administration platform, it partnered with Sapiens for the latter’s technology (2018).
  • Infosys partnered with Pan-American Life Insurance Group to provide administration services for the insurer’s new Indexed Universal Life product on its VPAS platform (2019).
  • SE2 partnered with Nassau Financial Group to convert and administer policies on its digital platform (2019).

Everest Group also stresses that BPaaS forms a foundation for future scaling of digital transformation efforts. “The ultimate goal of BPaaS investments should be to create a connected digital ecosystem on top of a modern, unified platform architecture in order to drive stakeholder experience,” said Bhargava. “By leveraging BPaaS to shift away from legacy systems and siloed units of operation, insurers can take build a platform that enables them to implement the digital technologies that are going to be critical to drive the next level of impact.”

***Download the complimentary report abstract.***

About Everest Group

Everest Group is a consulting and research firm focused on strategic IT, business services, engineering services, and sourcing. We are trusted advisors to senior executives of leading enterprises, providers, and investors. Our firm helps clients improve operational and financial performance through a hands-on process that supports them in making well-informed decisions that deliver high-impact results and achieve sustained value. Our insight and guidance empowers clients to improve organizational efficiency, effectiveness, agility and responsiveness. What sets Everest Group apart is the integration of deep sourcing knowledge, problem-solving skills and original research. Details and in-depth content are available at http://www.everestgrp.com.

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Community Health Charities Welcomes Judge John Stanoch to National Board of Directors


“Judge Stanoch’s extensive experience in business and civic service make him an invaluable asset to our board.”

Community Health Charities announced today that Hennepin County District Court Judge (retired) John M. Stanoch joined the CHC national board of directors, adding his significant expertise to an impressive roster of top executives in health and social impact.

“Judge Stanoch’s extensive experience in business and civic service make him an invaluable asset to our board,” said Thomas G. Bognanno, CHC president and CEO. “His incredibly diverse skillset will help us continue to expand our impact, building stronger, healthier communities.”

Judge Stanoch currently serves as Chair of the Medica Foundation Board of Directors as well as Vice Chair for the Medica Board of Directors. His previous roles include President of Qwest Communications in Minnesota and North Dakota, Minnesota’s Chief Deputy Attorney General, and Hennepin County District Court Judge. He also has held executive leadership positions in the civic sector, serving as President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Upper Midwest, Interim President of the Science Museum of Minnesota, and Interim CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Judge Stanoch received a B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a J.D. from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He has been active in a wide range of community and professional organizations in the Twin Cities and currently serves on the boards of AchieveMpls, the strategic nonprofit partner of the Minneapolis Public Schools, the Board of Visitors of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Letters and Science, and the Minnesota Council of Churches Foundation.

At the last board meeting, Judge Stanoch was elected to the CHC national board of directors by unanimous vote and will assume his official duties at the next board meeting hosted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in March 2020.

About Community Health Charities

Community Health Charities has been raising awareness and resources and empowering people to take action to improve health and wellbeing for over 60 years. We support education, treatment, and prevention for those with health challenges; bring organizations together to improve community health; provide individuals with opportunities to get involved; and increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations. Visit https://healthcharities.org or @healthcharities.

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Miami Healthcare Marketing Experts Tackle Price Transparency


Until recently, efforts to give consumers more information about how much their medical services and prescriptions cost have failed to gain traction.

South Florida leading healthcare experts will convene this coming Thursday and Friday, February 13th and 14th for the Annual Healthcare Summit: Consumerism In Healthcare, hosted by the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association (SFHHA). At the event, Miami Ad Agency principal Daniel Weinbach will join a panel of fellow executives to discuss the topic of healthcare price transparency, which has earned widespread attention following the Trump Administration’s announcement in late 2019 calling for greater price transparency. In addition to Mr. Weinbach, who heads a healthcare marketing firm, the panel will include Matt Muhart from Memorial Healthcare System and Paul DeMuro, PhD, a healthcare attorney with the firm Nelson Mullins. Richard Klass, a healthcare strategist and former executive at Jackson Health System, will moderate the discussion, which is scheduled at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday at the Signature Grand in Davie, Fla.

Increased consumer cost burden for healthcare services in the form of higher premiums, higher deductibles, higher copayments, and greater cost-sharing have catalyzed interest in more transparency regarding healthcare prices. However, until recently, efforts to give consumers more information about how much their medical services and prescriptions cost have failed to gain traction. For their part, hospitals and health insurance companies have sought to keep their fee arrangements secret.

During the SFHHA panel discussion, participants will address key questions, such as, what do patients want with regard to healthcare price information? Have providers effectively used price and price transparency to attract patients? What healthcare services are most price-sensitive? And how does price fit into providers’ value propositions?

“Today, consumers – even those with ‘good’ insurance – pay an ever-increasing portion of their healthcare costs,” says Mr. Weinbach. “So you would think that patients would shop around for the best deal when it comes to accessing care. However, healthcare is different than buying a washing machine, and the way we select healthcare providers typically has little to do with price.”

Mr. Weinbach, who leads a healthcare advertising agency, has written extensively on the topic of healthcare price transparency. In fact, along with Mr. Klass and healthcare entrepreneur Justin Irizarry, he co-wrote a report on healthcare price transparency: “Healthcare Pricing Strategies In A World Of Price Transparency: What You Need To Win.” The healthcare public relations and healthcare marketing strategy experts also presented on the subject in 2017 at the annual meeting of the Society of Healthcare Strategy and Market Development.

The session is eligible for continuing education credits awarded by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). For information about registration, call (954) 964-1660.

About The Weinbach Group

The Weinbach Group, now in its fourth decade of business, consistently ranks among South Florida’s top advertising, public relations, and marketing firms. The agency serves clients in a range of industries, and has a reputation as one of the nation’s most experienced healthcare marketing firms. Notable clients have included The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Jackson Health System.

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Edify Names J.P. Dundas Vice President, Channel Sales


Edify Labs (edify.cx), the software company that’s redefining the way businesses manage customer engagement and cross-team collaboration, today named J.P. Dundas its new Vice President of Channel Sales. Dundas brings more than 15 years of experience building direct and indirect channels to this role where he will work with partners to expand Edify’s reach in the market.

“At Edify, we wholeheartedly believe we’re fixing customer experience one customer at a time and we are thrilled to have J.P. focus on furthering that mission through channel relationships,” said Cameron Weeks, Edify co-founder and CEO. “J.P. has the track record, the relationships, and the go-getter attitude that make him an ideal addition to our growing team.”

“I believe in the unified, omnichannel platform Edify has built – there’s nothing else like it in the market today,” said Dundas. “The opportunity to grow our partner relationships, which in turn will grow the depth and breadth of companies able to deliver the customer experience they’ve been dreaming of, is quite a compelling proposition.”

Prior to joining Edify, Dundas was most recently Director of North America Channel Sales at Fuze. Last year, Channel Partners and Channel Futures, a division of Informa Tech, named Dundas one of the premier leaders in the indirect IT and telecom channel with its Top Gun 51 award.

About Edify Labs, Inc.

Edify connects businesses with customers and employees with each other. The company’s Business Communications as a Service (BCaaS) platform, Huddle, is the only one uniting unified communications (UC), contact center (CC) and communications platform (API) functionality in a single, cloud-native software solution that lets users move seamlessly among channels within one conversation. Edify removes all the risk of using its cloud-based platform with five free users forever, global availability, real-time redundancy, usage-based pricing, and a 100% SLA uptime guarantee. Learn more at edify.cx.

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NFP to Host Fourth Quarter 2019 Earnings Call on Feb. 14, 2020


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NFP will host a live conference call to discuss the year-end results on Feb. 14, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. ET.

NFP, a leading insurance broker and consultant that provides employee benefits, property and casualty, retirement, and individual private client solutions, will post its year-end 2019 earnings results the evening of Feb. 13, 2020, to a password-protected website hosted by http://www.intralinks.com. In addition, NFP will host a live conference call to discuss the year-end results on Feb. 14, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Interested parties can request access to NFP earnings results and the conference call by contacting NFP at ir@nfp.com or 212.301.1088.

About NFP

NFP is a leading insurance broker and consultant providing specialized property and casualty, corporate benefits, retirement and individual solutions through its licensed subsidiaries and affiliates. NFP enables client success through the expertise of over 5,600 global employees, investments in innovative technologies, and enduring relationships with highly rated insurers, vendors, and financial institutions. NFP is the 5th largest benefits broker by global revenue, 6th largest US-based privately owned broker, and 8th best place to work in insurance (Business Insurance); 10th largest property and casualty agency (Insurance Journal); and 13th largest global insurance broker (Best’s Review).

Visit NFP.com to discover how NFP empowers clients to meet their goals.

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