Kristi Barens
A Legend in Nonqualified Planning and Life Insurance, with $1B Cases
From her natural leadership skills, to the passion she displays in everything she undertakes, Kristi is a powerful force in the executive benefits industry.
Respected by her peers and her clients as a life insurance and disability insurance specialist, Kristi has published several articles on executive benefits and insurance and serves as a seminar speaker at industry events. Her love for, and facility with, numbers started at an early age and led her to earn a BS in Mathematical Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Before founding Mullin Barens Sanford Financial in 2013, Kristi spent more than 25 years at MullinTBG and Mullin Consulting. With many years of consulting experience in the design and funding of executive benefit programs, Kristi has worked with hundreds of public and private corporations on their customized benefit and insurance plans for key employees. Kristi has been a director of M Financial since March of 2021 and serves on two M Financial Board Committees. She served on the inaugural Board of Directors of Finseca, which supports financial professionals who provide retirement security to individuals, families, and businesses. She served as Chair of the Finseca COLI/BOLI working group for several years and continues to be a member of that group. Under Kristi’s leadership, MBS is certified as a women-owned business and is recognized by the Supplier Clearinghouse.
In her personal life, Kristi sets a strong philanthropic example. She serves on the Women’s Health Advisory Board at UCLA, and is President of the M Center of Excellence Board and formerly served as Vice Chair on the Board of the Lutheran High School of Orange County. Kristi’s giving nature also earned her the Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Women Making a Difference Award.” She was also nominated for Executive of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. Beyond everything she does for her clients and her community, Kristi’s proudest accomplishments are her adult son and daughter, both of whom share Kristi’s passion in the retirement field.
CA Insurance License # 0754897, AR Insurance License # 1327071
Kristi Barens's Sessions
- May 20
- 1:30 pm
- - 2:20 pm
- Check Mobile App for Locations
- Breakout Session
- Cutting Edge Strategies
Note: In order to foster high-quality conversations, this session is by invitation only. Fill out the form linked here to request your spot.
The best sales ideas don’t live in slide decks – they come from meaningful conversations with people actually doing the work. This session begins with active members of Forum 400 sharing several high-impact strategies, as well as positioning statements they use to differentiate in a crowded marketplace. The session then shifts to a collaborative format where you may ask questions, share stories, or even tap into proven problem-solving solutions from these top tier professionals. You will walk away with strategies you can use immediately, as well as make connections with some of the best in the business who welcome continued conversation long after the session comes to a close.
The Forum 400 is a life insurance think-tank that brings together elite life insurance producers who openly share practical strategies and fresh ideas to positively impact client outcomes. The members are fiercely independent, and their content is not controlled by carriers or compliance departments. The key ingredents are raw and authentic exchange of ideas. Forum 400 remains laser-focused on helping life insurance producers at the top of their field get better and serve their clients, while maintaining the highest ethical standards and integrity.
- May 20
- 4:05 pm
- - 4:25 pm
- Liberty Ballroom
- Main Stage Event
- Cutting Edge Strategies
In this talk, Kristi shares the blueprint she has earned the hard way: how to attract the mentorship that moves the needle, develop the technical mastery that sets you apart, and build relationships that lead to the cases that define a career. We all will walk away with a clear plan and the confidence to execute it — straight from someone who has lived every step of it. This is yet another rare look inside the secret sauce — straight from someone who added every ingredient.
