Andy Bartel, who shares ideas about TPAs
and technology in his article, is the vice president of sales, group division, for TASC
(Total Administrative Services Corporation).
Andy is experienced in sales, marketing and
management at district, state, regional and
national levels and has personally recruited
hundreds of active TASC producers. An expert on FSAs,
HSAs and HRAs, Andy has conducted numerous continuing education sessions, broker sales training seminars and
client enrollment meetings.
Prior to his current position, Andy was a regional sales
director and sales manager with TASC. He has a bachelor of
arts degree in public relations and psychology from the
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Peter Everett, author of “Quieting COBRA
Fears,” is the founder of HealthConnect, an
online network for buyers and sellers of
health insurance and employee benefits
started in 2001. Under his leadership, the
company grew from five medical carriers
eight years ago to its current user base of
6,700 agents, 100+ medical carriers and numerous ancillary
and service providers. Prior to HealthConnect, Peter was a
principal in the technology investment banking group of JP
Morgan. During his 12-year career on Wall Street, Peter focused on technology companies that serviced the financial
services industries, including e-Insurance companies. From
this position, Peter was able to meet with and assess many
e-Insurance companies and had the opportunity to develop
a viewpoint on the industry and its potential. Peter graduated with BS and MBA degrees from Cornell University in
1987 and 1990, respectively.
Dave Petno, who makes some great points
in his “Go Postal First” article, is an employee benefits consultant with Accelerated
Benefits. He provides services to businesses
that seek to maintain the best for their employees while controlling their costs. Prior to
Accelerated Benefits, he was as the CEO of
Healthrays Alliance of Cleveland for five years and a vice
president for a health care company in Pennsylvania. He is
active in the North East Ohio AHU, where he serves on the
Legislative Committee as co-chair, and he is active in the
Society of Human Resources Professionals
Dave received his master’s in health services administration from Ohio State University, and his undergraduate degree in business administration from Calvin
College. He lives in Hudson, Ohio, with his three children and his wife, Laurel. You can read his blog, which focuses on maintaining the free-market health care system,
at www.davepetno.com/onfreedom.
Mike Sullivan, whose article discusses brokers embracing technology, is the executive
vice president and chief marketing officer at
Digital Insurance. There he utilizes more
than two decades of insurance experience to
manage sales, marketing and strategic distribution activities.
Sullivan began his career with MassMutual, where he
spent 13 years, most of them as regional vice president of
sales in the mid-Atlantic region. In 1997, he joined
NYLCare, and later Aetna, as vice president of east coast national account sales.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in history from Amherst
College, Sullivan earned a master’s degree in business administration from George Mason University, which included international course work at Oxford University in England.
Curt A. Wieden (“Learning a Limited
Lesson”) serves as vice president of strategy,
product and marketing for CIGNA
Voluntary in Phoenix, AZ. Wieden is responsible for leading all product development,
marketing and communication initiatives.
He joined CIGNA Voluntary in 1997, and
has previously served in management roles leading internet
technology, marketing and enrollment divisions.
Prior to joining CIGNA, Wieden owned a printing
business in Milwaukee that specialized in insurance
communications.
Wieden holds a master’s in mass communications
from the University of Florida, and a bachelor’s in journalism and minor in sociology from the University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Ed Zurek, whose innovative article is called
“GreEn Learning,” is the CEO of
InsuranceStudy.com. He began his career in
the financial services industry in 1967 with
Merrill Lynch in Chicago. In 1986, he founded Employee Benefits Group, a company
specializing in providing group insurance
programs to businesses. Zurek holds a business degree
from Northeastern Illinois University.
Zurek has served as president of the Illinois AHU. In
1990, he founded the chapter’s Legislative Council and
served as its chairperson until 1996, when he was chosen as
the six-state regional legislative liaison. He has been recognized for outstanding achievement by being the only person ever to be awarded with three consecutive
Distinguished Service Awards from that organization. He
has also been presented with 15 Golden Eagle awards,
which acknowledge outstanding leadership in the health
insurance industry. In 2000 and 2004, President Bush recruited him to serve as the chairman of the Illinois chapter
of the President’s Healthcare Task Force.
