America's Benefit Specialist June 2023

hensive, competitive, and cost-effective benefit programs. He has extensive experience on both the carrier and brokerage sides of the business and is highly regarded for his ability to develop and nurture strong, long-term relationships with his clients and partners. Prior to joining Alliant, Verdi was area vice president for a global insurance brokerage, risk-management and consulting firm. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Dowling College in Oakdale, New York. Gerry Armbruster has joined Alliant Insurance Services as vice president within its Employee Benefits Group. Based in Nashville, Armbruster will focus on supporting organizations throughout the Southeast by designing and deploying com prehensive employee benefits solutions for a range of diverse clients. For more than two decades, Armbruster has estab lished a track record of success that includes maintaining and improving client relationships and building client satisfaction through open communication and results. Prior to joining Alliant, Armbruster was assistant vice president, benefits at a leading healthcare organization that serves patients, clinicians, communities and partner organizations across the healthcare continuum. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. aequum LLC, acting on behalf of 400 self-insured health plans and their participants, has named Brandon Heusey its nation al director of sales. Heusey will lead new business initiatives and expand opportunities to introduce aequum’s member advocacy services that support self-funded partners, clients and their plan members. Prior to joining aequum, Heusey served the mid-Atlantic re gion in various capacities for several organizations with a focus on self-funded reference-based pricing programs, employee benefit new client acquisition, and new business ACO health plan sales for a large national carrier. Heusey is a graduate of Temple University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in busi ness administration with a major in entrepreneurship studies. Benefit Advisors Network recently announced its updated Board of Directors: Sheri Alexander : Alexander has decades of experience in the employee benefits world. Before retiring in 2022, she served as chief strategy officer and president of employee benefits for Gregory & Appel Insurance in Indianapolis. Prior to join ing Gregory & Appel in 2005, she spent 15 years with Marsh & McLennan/Mercer and nearly 10 years with Gardner & White. She has served on the Advisory Councils of Anthem, Boston Mutual and United Healthcare. David Fischer : Fischer is the chief revenue officer at Greg ory and Appel Insurance, where he leads the organization’s sales development, revenue sustainability, and go-to-market strategies. Fusing a high-energy sales, business development, change management, and operations background with a lifelong work ethic and leadership built within the US Marine Corps, he has ignited multimillion-dollar growth across a

range of industries and settings, including startups, Fortune 500, and PE/VC-backed ventures. Mark Fisher : As company founder, president and CEO of Ad vanced Benefits, Fisher manages client relationships, oversees business operations, and is a chief visionary for the company. Peter Marathas : Marathas is the chief legal officer of Alera Group Inc. Marathas was one of the individuals who found ed that company and has overseen its significant growth over the last six years. He and his team have closed over 175 acquisitions in the insurance, financial services and consulting services arena since 2017. In addition to his role at Alera Group, Marathas has acted as BAN’s legal advisor since its inception in the early 2000s. Thomas Murphy : Murphy leads a team of industry specialists to provide custom benefits solutions for business owners, CFOs, and HR directors. In addition to his CEO role at Sonus Benefits, Murphy serves as one of three partners at MSMF, a wealth-management firm and a Registered Representative offering securities through Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. He sits on numerous professional and charitable boards and routinely speaks to professional associations and employer groups on topics that relate to employee benefits and health care reform. Murphy is past president of the St. Louis Associa tion of Health Underwriters and a past officer of the Missouri Association of Health Underwriters. Barry Richter : Richter joined Hausmann Group Insurance in 2010 and was named president in 2014. The agency has been named on the lists of 10 Best Workplaces in Insurance (2015), 50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back (2016) and Best Small Workplaces (2016, 2017 and 2018) by Fortune. Prior to joining the Hausmann Group, Richter gained insurance industry experience as a commercial agent after concluding a long ca reer playing professional hockey. He also sits on the American Family Children’s Hospital’s advisory board. “We are grateful to our board for their continued guidance and look forward to their valuable contributions as BAN moves into its next chapter,” says Perry Braun, president and CEO of BAN. “They each bring a diverse set of skills and expertise and can provide meaningful counsel.” COMPANY NEWS Triton Benefits & HR Solutions announced the opening of its new office in Hoboken, New Jersey. The office, which is in ad dition to Triton’s other offices in New York, Los Angeles, South Jersey, Texas and Philadelphia, will provide expanded support for clients in the tri-state area. The 1,000-square-foot office will add six or seven new employees to the Triton team. Alliant Insurance Services has been named to Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity for the second con secutive year. This honor places Alliant among the top 500 Continued on page 30

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