Best Practices For Implementing AI in Employee Benefits
August 20 2026 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Attendee Drawing: Michael Kors Handbag – Sponsored by Johnson & Dugan
Description
There is lots of hype around the promise of AI to create greater productivity and employee engagement for employee benefit and retirement programs. Are you feeling overwhelmed but interested to take the first step? Join us for a session that will highlight key takeaway’s from the 2026 San Francisco Western Pension & Benefit Council’s AI Summit and discuss AI implementation case-studies improving work-flows and participant engagement in Employee Benefit and Retirement programs.
Key Takeaways:
- How AI is being implemented by Employee Benefits and Total Rewards Service Providers
- Compliance and Risk Controls measures when using AI – how to balance efficiencies with data security and creating unintentional litigation risks
- Assessing Return on Investment when using AI
Learning Objectives:
- Understand AI landscape and how it is being integrated by service providers and companies for their benefit and retirement plans.
- Consider internal governance structures and how to apply oversight and risk controls when technology has outpaced the current ERISA regulatory structure.
- Review how to internally assess and determine who and how AI can be applied to maximize its effectiveness
- Understand AI vocabulary and terms so that you are in control of any AI implementation or integration by your service partners.
Speakers:
Virginia Krieger Sutton, QKA, QPFC
Vice President, Retirement Plan Practice, Johnson & Dugan Insurance Services Corporation
Grace Gaddi
Global Benefits Leader; Consultant
About WP&BC
Founded in 1954, the Western Pension & Benefits Council (WP&BC) was established to support the education of pension and retirement professionals. Its scope has since expanded to encompass the full spectrum of employee benefits, including health and welfare programs.
Sponsored by:
Location
Virtual - Zoom
Program Cost
SHRM Member: $ Free
SHRM Non-Member: $ Free
Program Speakers
Virginia Krieger Sutton, QKA, QPFC – VP Retirement Plans Practice, Johnson & Dugan
Specializing in 401(k) defined contribution plans as a fee-based 3(21) investment advisor representative and consultant, Virginia has helped clients regarding all phases of their qualified retirement programs since 1996. Areas of expertise include plan design, investment selection and review, compliance, data file feeds and systems alignment, vendor assessment, plan conversions, employee education, mergers and acquisitions, and 401(k) issues with globally mobile workforces, private equity ownership and controlled groups. Virginia is the Vice President of Johnson & Dugan’s Retirement Plan Practice. She is an investment advisor representative with, and investment advisory services offered through Global Retirement Partners, LLC., an SEC registered investment advisor. She holds ASPPA’s Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) and NAPA’s Qualified Plan Financial Consultant (QPFC) designation. Virginia graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economic history.
Grace Gaddi, Global Benefits Leader; Consultant
Grace Gaddi is a global benefits leader with 25+ years of experience designing and scaling employee benefits programs at Salesforce, Zoom, Advent/SS&C, and Shutterfly. She has managed budgets exceeding $450 million, delivered $35M+ in cost savings, and led benefits integration across large, complex acquisitions. At Zoom, she built one of the industry’s first AI-powered benefits tools, giving her firsthand experience balancing AI efficiency gains with compliance and risk controls in benefits.