While most consumers have likely felt the impact of higher rates and inflation in their everyday lives, they may also be facing the impacts in some unexpected places. Join us for a virtual panel of industry experts discussing how this new market reality is impacting the investing and insurance landscapes.

Director, Investment and Variable Product Distribution Individual Life Insurance
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Joe Pedersen is director, Investment and Variable Product Distribution, in Prudential’s Individual Life Insurance business. In this role, he is an advocate and champion for Prudential’s variable life insurance products and their investment options. Pedersen works with Prudential’s internal and external sales forces across all distribution channels to convey the value proposition, position the product and integrate the investment story. He also collaborates with Marketing, Sales Training, Product Management and Global Communications. In addition, he works with the asset management firms who have portfolios within Prudential’s variable product lineup to leverage their resources and thought leadership.

Principal, Portfolio Strategist
PGIM Fixed Income
Clark Biggers, CFA, is a Portfolio Strategist and Principal in PGIM Fixed Income’s Client Advisory Group, responsible for providing detailed insight into the investment and risk management process and current positioning of PGIM Fixed Income managed portfolios. Before joining the Firm in 2013, Mr. Biggers was an Investment Specialist at FFTW, and the Head of PIMCO Product Management at Allianz Global Investors Distributors. Earlier, Mr. Biggers worked as a Senior Investment Advisor at PGBC, and Lead Investment Analyst at Lockheed Martin Investment Management Company. Mr. Biggers earned an MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a BS in Finance from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.

Senior Vice President, Senior Institutional Portfolio Manager
Franklin Income Investors
Joshua Greco is a senior institutional portfolio manager for Franklin Income Investors. In this role, his key responsibilities include partnering with distribution to represent the team’s portfolios and investment perspectives.
Previously, Mr. Greco was the head of institutional portfolio management for Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions focused primarily on multi-asset model portfolio construction and positioning.
Prior to Franklin Templeton, Mr. Greco was head of client portfolio management for QS Investors, which combined with Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Solutions in 2020 to create Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions.
Before joining QS Investors, Mr. Greco was a Vice President and Equity Product Specialist at Legg Mason & Co, LLC, responsible for the competitive positioning of all equity strategies across their multi-affiliate platform and was previously with Goldman Sachs working in the Investment Management Division as a Marketing Strategist.
Mr. Greco has a BS in Finance from Manhattan College and an MBA from the University of Connecticut.

Vice President, Product Management
Prudential
John Ponte is currently a VP in Product Development for Prudential’s Individual Life Insurance business.
In this role, his primary responsibilities are to manage the lineup of core market UL products (including traditional UL, Index UL, Variable UL and new Indexed Variable UL) and to develop strategies that contribute to the success of the overall product portfolioand Individual Life’s overall goals.
John has over 17 years of insurance experience in various Life Insurance product development and strategy roles. Prior to joining Prudential, John started his career with The Hartford in market research and competitive intelligence roles. He then moved into product management and development positions where he helped develop Hartford’s first Indexed UL products. More recently, he was the product
champion that lead the strategy to create a new type of life insurance product that incorporated key elements form Prudential’s successful FlexGuard annuity product. Individual Life plans to launch the new Indexed VUL product, FlexGuard Life in the 4Q of 2022 and expects to be one of the first companies with such a product in the life insurance market.
John graduated from Dartmouth College in 2005 where he majored in Economics.