Event Schedule
Registration & Continental Breakfast
Pre-Conference Interactive Workshop: Service Contracts 101 – An A-Z Primer to Understanding & Successfully Navigating the Complexities of Extended Warranties & Service Contracts
Whether you are new to the industry or a seasoned professional, this interactive workshop offers a
foundational understanding of the industry and the supporting businesses that keep it running. This
workshop will cover the main concepts of service contracts and extended warranties, key terms and
definitions, fundamental principles that guide us, critical legal and compliance regulations, and
real-world case studies with best practice solutions. Vehicle, Home, Consumer Goods and other Special
Markets! Send Your Whole Team! See registration page for special team discounts!
This exclusive hands-on workshop will walk you through:
This exclusive hands-on workshop will walk you through:
- Service contract business scope and model, product development + pricing and getting to market
- A clear vision of various roles and responsibilities for service contracts sales, claims and administration of “warranties”
- Identify pain points and actions to overcome them
- Understand the intricate network of players in the industry and the integral role each plays – from Underwriters, OEMs, and TPAs to Obligors and everything in between
- Identify workflow processes in your company across all departments and individuals involved in developing and executing a successful service contract program. Who does what? How can you work most effectively as part of this cross-functional team?
- Product development including: product economics, compliance, terms and conditions, servicing models with the focus on business scalability
- Product distribution including: channels, sales and marketing options, and pricing models
- Options to address the migration from point-of-sale transactions to digital
- Applications for artificial intelligence (“AI”) to drive efficiencies (sales, claims, reporting/analytics)
- Partnering with innovative third parties to maintain cutting-edge legal, compliance and customer service excellence
- Gain insights on solution providers and how to effectively choose and manage these partners
- Find out about key challenges and opportunities to grow, bundle and expand market share in all industries: consumer goods, auto, home, appliance, electronics and other special markets
- Learn the basics of reinsurance and other profit participation programs
- Understand the key terms, roles of the parties and structures of reinsurance programs
Join this exclusive interactive workshop where industry leaders present top of mind opportunities and challenges in an intimate program format. This new conference feature is your best opportunity to get questions answered on the spot, share winning solutions, lessons learned and challenges. Go home armed with information critical to your success.
Cross-Industry Workshop Leaders:
Angie Breedlove,
Executive Director,
Women of Warranty
Ted Danner,
Senior Director, Automotive Warranty & Service Contract (WSC) AI Solutions & Sales
Circuitry.ai
Guy Koenig,
President,
Gulf States Financial Services, Inc. (GSFSGroup)
Jim Mostofi,
Chief Executive Officer,
Rely Home
Lunch on Your Own
Registration
Chairperson’s Welcome & Introduction
Chairperson: Aaron Lunt, Shareholder,Meenan, P.A
Panel Discussion: Integrating OEM Factory Warranty with Extended Warranty & Service Contracts
This panel will explore the benefits and pitfalls of bridging factory warranties with extended service contracts. Discussions will include collaboration within OEMs, as well as between OEMs and third-party administrators (TPAs). Panelists will discuss how such partnerships can enhance brand loyalty, improve customer experiences, and create seamless warranty ecosystems. The session aims to uncover strategies for aligning product performance insights with warranty offerings to optimize customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Moderator:
David Froning,
Portfolio Manager of IOT Solutions,
SAS
Panelists:
Donald Berry,
VP, Insurance – International Operations,
GM Financial
Lari Stone,
Product Manager, Meta Warranty Plus,
Meta
Angie Breedlove
Executive Director
Women of Warranty
Christina Darnell
VP, Marketing
Assurant
Applications for AI: A Cross-Industry Exploration from Product Design, Call Center, Marketing & Sales to Loss Control and Claims
PART I: Harnessing the Data Revolution: Foundations for Warranty Management Success
- Understanding the value of Warranty data
- Improving the Bottom Line through Warranty Data Analysis
- Enhancing Customer Satisfaction through Warranty Data Analysis
- Challenges in Utilizing Warranty Data
- Unlocking the Potential of Warranty Data
Rubina Lakhani,
Chief Data Officer,
VectorSolv
Troy Heideman,
Principal Business Development Executive, Industrial Internet of Things,
SAS
Networking Refreshment Break sponsored by:
Warranty Awards 2025 News
Roz Applebaum,
Vice President, Warranty Innovations Conferences,
Strategic Solutions Network
Roz Applebaum,
Vice President, Warranty Innovations Conferences,
Strategic Solutions Network
PART II: From Insights to Action: Revolutionizing Maintenance, Claims, and Risk
- Discover how predictive analytics are transforming maintenance operations and reducing unplanned downtime.
- Investigate AI’s role in streamlining claims processes, from loss assessment to fraud detection.
- Understand how risk management and loss control are evolving through advanced AI applications.
Ted Danner,
Senior Director, Automotive Warranty & Service Contract (WSC) AI Solutions & Sales
Circuitry.ai
David Froning,
Portfolio Manager of IOT Solutions,
SAS
Jeremy Kuchenbecker,
Vice President - Enterprise Digital Strategy,
APCO Holdings
Case Study: Applying AI to Optimize Productivity, Profitability, and Efficiency of Warranty/Service Contracts
- Increase automation and boost productivity: Augment claims processors with AI-powered decision intelligence.
- Claim decisioning: Improve the quality, consistency, and velocity of decisions by people at all levels.
- Provide precise answers and guidance: Utilize all your sources of knowledge and data— internal and external, structured and unstructured.
- Increase efficiency: Significantly boost support centers for claims, payments, customer service and training with AI-powered advisors handling the majority of requests without manual intervention.
- Provide predictive alerts/insights: Detect and quickly correct emerging out-of-line claims and dealer conditions and pricing and product issues.
Ashok Kartham,
CEO,
Circuitry.ai
Matthew Jackson,
Manager of Product and Pricing, A/I Project Team Lead,
Hendrick Autoguard & NationsGuard
Reception Hosted by:
TRACK 1: Vehicle Industry Insights & Solutions
Networking Continental Breakfast
Chairperson’s Welcome & Introduction
Chairperson: Ted Danner, Senior Director, Automotive Warranty & Service Contract (WSC) AI Solutions & Sales, Circuitry.ai
Developing a Customer VSC Platform Within Your Brand
Gregory Myers,
Executive Managing Director,
Brown & Brown
Donald Berry,
VP, Insurance – International Operations,
GM Financial
Panel Discussion: From Crisis to Commitment --- How Resilient Partnerships Build Lifetime Customer Value
Join us to find out how resilient, service-focused partnerships drive customer lifetime value in today’s complex landscape. Through a commitment to adaptable, real-time support, Excela Protect’s President, Rebecca Fields-Arden, and her dealer partners will reveal how companies can establish lasting value by meeting clients’ needs - even amid disruptions. They’ll share real-world examples, including a recent industry-wide cyber-attack, showcasing how their partnership maintained seamless service and support, ensuring uninterrupted access to essential F&I products.Moderator:
Rebecca Fields-Arden,
President,
Excela Protect
Panelists:
Adam Cherin
Variable Operations Director
Hudson Automotive Group
Tyler Wolfe
Regional Finance Director
Hudson Automotive Group
Industry-Specific News Flash: Vehicle
Eric Arnum,
Publisher,
Warranty Week
Networking Refreshment Break
Case Study: Harnessing AI to Achieve an ROI in Automotive Claims Handling
Join us to find out how resilient, service-focused partnerships drive customer lifetime value in today’s complex landscape. Through a commitment to adaptable, real-time support, Excella Protect’s President, Rebecca Fields-Arden, and her dealer partners will reveal how companies can establish lasting value by meeting clients’ needs - even amid disruptions. They’ll share real-world examples, including a recent industry-wide cyber-attack, showcasing how their partnership maintained seamless service and support, ensuring uninterrupted access to essential F&I products.Aleem Lakhani,
CEO,
VectorSolv Inc.
Legislative and Regulatory Developments Impacting Vehicle Service Contracts and Protection Product Warranties
This session will focus on recent legislative changes and trends at both the state and federal level. Topics include recent state amendments to service contract statutes, auto finance issues, and FTC rulemaking. Trends covered include junk fees, voluntary protection product refunds, and unfair sales practices. The session will also highlight recent litigation impacting the service contract industry and pending challenges to the FTC proposed rules.Travis Moore,
General Counsel,
Service Contract Industry Council (SCIC)
Telephone Consumer Protection Act - Recent Developments and Reversals
Brian Casey and Brian Hays of Troutman Pepper Locke will discuss the TCPA and Do Not Call risks and best practices after the FCC’s robocall 1:1 consent rules were vacate by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.- Brief overview of the TCPA and DNC Rules
- Current status of consent rules for marketing calls
- State telemarketing laws that go beyond the TCPA
- Best practices for compliance going forward
Brian Hays,
Partner,
Troutman Pepper Locke LLP
Brian Casey,
Partner,
Troutman Pepper Locke LLP
Rethinking Our Claims Journey: Keys to Success to Lower Costs
- The Power of Napkin Math: Quickly determine where to start
- Leveraging Your Unicorns: A mix of business acumen & analytical proficiency is priceless
- Tips for Piloting Ideas: Ways you can start small, but meaningful
- Measuring Results: Set yourself up for long term success by quantifying results both short and long term
Kirsten Elsworth
Senior Director
Ally Insurance
Networking Lunch sponsored by:
Industry-Specific Roundtable Discussion Groups
Join one of these small group, highly interactive discussions to get your questions answered on the spot, generate innovative ideas and hear from your industry colleagues. The intimate setting is conducive for sharing “off podium” ideas, innovations and challenges.
A. Roundtable Discussion Group: Home & Appliance
- How “best-in-class” OEM’s design their in-warranty coverage/service
- Latest trends in delivering in-home services
- Emerging technologies in service delivery to consumers
- Benchmarking your warranty program
Group Leader:
Dan Tafel
Chief Development Officer
Ironwood Warranty Group
B.Roundtable Discussion Group: Mobile/Electronics
- Theft and Loss Coverage for CE
- Affect on Customer Satisfaction
- Affect on ESC Attach Rate
- Overall Pros and Cons of offering
- Timing of ESC Offers
- Research shows that customers are more likely to purchase ESC's when it is offered before they decide to buy a product
- How can we raise awareness of ESC programs to earlier in the product purchase process
- Global Considerations for Extended Warranties
- Program design to add value in light of statutory warranties
- Subscription Complete Protection Plans (i.e. My Best Buy Total; Amazon/Asurion Complete
Protection)
- Are any OEMs doing this?
- Pros & Cons
Group Leader:
Lari Stone,
Product Manager, Meta Warranty Plus,
Meta
C. Roundtable Discussion Group: Vehicle
- Selling PPM & VSC on the Service Drive - What's it take?
- Loss Control Strategies and Tactics
- Unlock Customer Retention to Service
- Innovative Marketing Strategies to Improve Retention and Sales
- Current market and trends for retro and reinsurance program.
Group Leader:
Ty Halcomb,
Voluntary Protection Products Technology Manager,
Toyota Financial Services
D. Roundtable Discussion Group: Diagnostics-based Underwriting and EV VSCs
- What is the state of EV advanced diagnostics data?
- Which manufacturers support advanced diagnostics? Which do not?
- How can you acquire diagnostic data?
Group Leader:
Joe Pak,
CEO and Co-Founder,
Amber
Delivering World-Class Customer Experience Through Remote Vehicle Monitoring & Diagnostics Coupled with Total Cost of Ownership Management
We desire to meet customers where they are and create solutions that align our economics with the betterment of our customers’ business. Through solutions like remote vehicle monitoring & diagnostics coupled with total cost of ownership management, we aim to reduce aftermarket leakage while ensuring John Deere offers a deep customer experience across the lifecycle.Kolby Rath,
Global Extended Warranty Business Manager,
Deere & Company
Why a Successful EV VSC Program Should Look Like an Autonomous Vehicle Program
- Successful EV VSC programs will look like autonomous vehicle fleet programs like Waymo and Cruise.
- First, they will leverage advanced diagnostics data from the EV battery and vehicle systems and machine learning to assess and monitor battery and vehicle system health. This is particularly important during underwriting and renewals.
- Second, sales and support need to be digital-first and seamless. The EV buyer is an early and discerning adopter of technology.
- Third, they need to have a dedicated EV specialist service network (in-house and partnered) to control costs and customer experience.
Joe Pak,
CEO and Co-Founder,
Amber
Reinsurance and Other Profit Participation Programs for Dealer – Benefits to Profitability, Sales and Retention
Guy Koenig,
President,
Gulf States Financial Services, Inc. (GSFSGroup)
Close of Conference
TRACK 2: Consumer Goods, Home & Smart Products Innovations
Networking Continental Breakfast
Chairperson’s Welcome & Introduction
Chairperson: Shawna Rooney, Sr. Director, Services and Warranty, Best Buy
Exclusive Study: Redesigning Home Warranty for a Sustainable Future
Aleem Lakhani,
CEO,
VectorSolv Inc.
Industry-Specific News Flash: Mobile/Electronics
Eric Arnum,
Publisher,
Warranty Week
Customer Insights on Extended Warranty Value Proposition
For those seeking extended warranty benefit optimization- Membership customers – What benefits or combo of included extended warranty plan benefits/fees will make them more likely to renew/retain membership or purchase a plan extension on their product?
- Non-Members - What benefits or combo of extended warranty plan benefits/fees will make them more likely to purchase plan for specific categories (TV’s, Laptop, etc.)?
Insights will include testing current warranty plan offerings as well as potential new benefits using a Discrete choice study. Specifically, this research will:
- Identify optimal mix of benefits and service fees.
- Quantify degree to how changes in benefits impact the appeal of the warranty plans and/or membership renewal.
Shawna Rooney,
Sr. Director, Services and Warranty
Best Buy
Networking Refreshment Break
Home Warranty Trends and Innovations -- New Product, Distribution, Service & Technology
In this presentation we will discuss Macro Home Warranty Trends and innovation in New Product, Distribution, Service and Technology.- Direct to Consumer, Real Estate and Affinity Markets;
- Innovative New Products;
- Burgeoning Distribution Channels;
- Service Capacity, Costs and Alternatives; and
- AI, Service Automation, Customer Service Technology.
Jim Mostofi,
Chief Executive Officer,
Rely Home
Industry-Specific News Flash: Home & Appliance
Eric Arnum,
Publisher,
Warranty Week
Panel Discussion: Developing and Maintaining a National Service Network
Moderator:
Dan Tafel,
Chief Development Officer,
Ironwood Warranty Group
Panelists:
Mark Phillips,
AVP Field Service,
AIG
Laurence Tutt
Chief Operating Officer
ProtectAll
Dale Reeder
Senior Vice President Business Development And Sales
National Service Alliance (NSA)
Networking Lunch sponsored by:
Industry-Specific Roundtable Discussion Groups
Join one of these small group, highly interactive discussions to get your questions answered on the spot, generate innovative ideas and hear from your industry colleagues. The intimate setting is conducive for sharing “off podium” ideas, innovations and challenges.
A. Roundtable Discussion Group: Home & Appliance
- How “best-in-class” OEM’s design their in-warranty coverage/service
- Latest trends in delivering in-home services
- Emerging technologies in service delivery to consumers
- Benchmarking your warranty program
Group Leader:
Dan Tafel
Chief Development Officer
Ironwood Warranty Group
B.Roundtable Discussion Group: Mobile/Electronics
- Theft and Loss Coverage for CE
- Affect on Customer Satisfaction
- Affect on ESC Attach Rate
- Overall Pros and Cons of offering
- Timing of ESC Offers
- Research shows that customers are more likely to purchase ESC's when it is offered before they decide to buy a product
- How can we raise awareness of ESC programs to earlier in the product purchase process
- Global Considerations for Extended Warranties
- Program design to add value in light of statutory warranties
- Subscription Complete Protection Plans (i.e. My Best Buy Total; Amazon/Asurion Complete
Protection)
- Are any OEMs doing this?
- Pros & Cons
Group Leader:
Lari Stone,
Product Manager, Meta Warranty Plus,
Meta
C. Roundtable Discussion Group: Vehicle
- Selling PPM & VSC on the Service Drive - What's it take?
- Loss Control Strategies and Tactics
- Unlock Customer Retention to Service
- Innovative Marketing Strategies to Improve Retention and Sales
- Current market and trends for retro and reinsurance program.
Group Leader:
Ty Halcomb,
Voluntary Protection Products Technology Manager,
Toyota Financial Services
D. Roundtable Discussion Group: Diagnostics-based Underwriting and EV VSCs
- What is the state of EV advanced diagnostics data?
- Which manufacturers support advanced diagnostics? Which do not?
- How can you acquire diagnostic data?
Group Leader:
Joe Pak,
CEO and Co-Founder,
Amber
Legislative and Regulatory Developments Impacting Home and Consumer Goods Service Contracts
This session will focus on recent legislative changes and trends at both the state and federal level. Topics include recent state amendments to service contract statutes, automatic renewal legislation, and FTC rulemaking. Trends covered include junk fees, emergency services for home warranties, and legal impacts on product innovation. The session will also highlight recent litigation impacting the service contract industry and pending challenges to the FTC proposed rules.
Travis Moore,
General Counsel,
Service Contract Industry Council (SCIC)