Newsletter
December 2023
Dr. Rosemary Ku, Chief Medical Officer, UnitedAg
How long have you been with UnitedAg?
6 years.
What has been your proudest innovation?
We’ve had a lot of wins at UnitedAg along the way but my proudest innovation isn’t necessarily a single program but rather an overarching goal of bringing the best emerging healthcare solutions to our membership. Healthcare startups and growth companies don’t always design for the needs of our agricultural population. Connecting with the Innovators in EHIR and educating them about our members early on ensures they aren’t forgotten on the product roadmap. Some Innovators might not be the best fit for us out of the gate but as they grow with populations like ours in mind, they can become great partners for us in the future.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
I’ve had the great pleasure of learning about the agricultural industry at UnitedAg. Our unique culture profoundly shapes the way our members relate to their own health and the healthcare system. I learned that the reasons behind disparities are more complex than I had imagined and I couldn’t go in with assumptions. I needed to observe, ask, and listen with greater acuity than I ever have before.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Everyone says they want to innovate but the process of true innovation doesn’t always feel good. When you are trying to turn over the status quo, it’s inevitable there will be ruffled feathers, resistance to change, failures along the way, and unintended consequences. This is just part of the process and should be embraced. Innovation that’s too easy is probably not innovative.
October 2023
Brodie Dychinco, Health & Wellness Benefits, Amazon
How long have you been with Amazon?
Answer: 3.5 years.
What has been your proudest innovation?
Innovations that are most needed in healthcare are connecting the dots for employees and their families and breaking down the unnecessary barriers between point solutions. It's important to recognize that it's not just about the medical care itself, but how it impacts all aspects of life, work, family, and more. One example is Amazon’s support for those battling cancer. I’m extremely proud of how we connected the dots for our workforce by having a single team support both medical needs (e.g. expert medical opinions and care navigation) and work needs (e.g. time away, leaves of absence, return to work), so the employee can spend more of their time on the path to recovery rather than sorting out all the paperwork and administrative details. The Amazon Cancer Advocacy, Resources, Education, and Support (CARES) program provides high-touch, one-to-one support for employees—including hourly employees—and employee family members who have been diagnosed with cancer. Amazon partners with AccessHope as a center of excellence to: (1) provide employees and their families access to the latest in cancer knowledge; (2) provide airfare, lodging, and ground transportation for the employee or family member (and a loved one): and (3) enable virtual care when travel is not an option. Amazon has also signed the Working with Cancer pledge to signify a continued commitment to providing a supportive workplace culture for employees with cancer. That includes providing leading health care benefits and a dedication to fostering compassion in managers and leaders across the company. A supportive work culture is just one way Amazon employees feel supported amid cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. See article for more details.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
It is critical, in my opinion, that you tie your planning to measurable outcomes instead of just focusing on the delivery of a product. When you do the former, as circumstances change or your product isn’t performing, then you can make adjustments as you continue to aim for the clear outcome. If you do the latter, if your product isn’t performing, then you are stuck with no destination to guide what you do next.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
My number one piece of advice is to build mechanisms to listen to the voice of your customer and work backwards from there. If you only focus on what’s new and interesting, you lose sight of the actual problems you need to solve. Every piece of feedback you get from your customer is a gift; you can’t go wrong by addressing pain points that your employees care about.
August 2023
Denise King, Global Benefits & Payroll, Medtronic
How long have you been with Medtronic?
19 years
What has been your proudest innovation?
Can I have 2???? Our global family care leave program (we implemented in more than 70 countries and it was rewarding to be able to provide employees with paid time off so that they can focus on what matters most when they need to – family) and the implementation of Included Health (it was really exciting to be an early adopter because that gave us the opportunity to shape the solution and most importantly know that the voice of our LGBTQ+ population was reflected in the final product).
What has been your biggest learning experience?
FLIPT Rx was my biggest learning…the financial position of point solutions can change rapidly and our due diligence and implementation process is long. By the time we were implementing 12+ months had passed since we did our due diligence. We need a process to continually monitor the financial position of point solutions.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Innovate! Don’t be afraid to try new things because the same old thing clearly isn’t working!!!
July 2023
Jennifer Weinstein, VP Benefits, Albertsons Companies
How long have you been with Albertsons?
I have been with Albertsons for 2.5 years.
What has been your proudest innovation?
At Albertsons Companies, it’s been the way we reengineered how a member experiences health to create a seamless, customer-focused journey for associates eligible for Company provided benefits. We have three goals: (1) We want to make it simple for a member to know what help is available and how to access it. (2) We want to ensure every touchpoint aligns seamlessly – the experience should not be siloed, and (3) To establish partnerships with Albertsons Companies vendors so we integrate as one team. Prior to the reengineering, we standardized many of our benefit programs. I often refer to our journey as “the house.” We built the foundation and framework of the house first (standardized), and now we get to decorate the house, creating an amazing member experience through our benefits strategy.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
That I chose the right career – and the right career chose me. I’m humbled every day to have a role where I get to help people at some of the most vulnerable and difficult times in their life. I get to create and shape programs that can support associates and their families at various stages in their life – in good times and bad. It’s an awesome responsibility and a rewarding experience.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Take a creative approach to addressing a problem. I start with one question: “If this problem wasn’t in benefits how would we solve it?” It’s easy to get boxed inside the benefits world. Starting outside the benefits space generates new ways of thinking. For example, Stuck with generating engagement in a new program? Instead of thinking about it through a benefits lens (e.g., increased communications), think about it like it was a product in a different industry (e.g., how would we increase new car sales). You’ll be surprised how many ideas can translate well into the benefits space – and spark creativity.
June 2023
Joshua Freund, Senior Benefits Manager, Genentech
How long have you been with Genentech?
I started at Genentech in January of 2021, so about 2 and 1/2 years
What has been your proudest innovation?
We (Genentech) are thinking about the future of healthcare from a patient-centric design perspective. How do AI, quality, scale and health equity interact to deliver the best healthcare outcomes to our employee population? My work today is to build the right infrastructure to support this effort and so far that build is what I'm most passionate and proud about.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Good work takes time, and a lot of thought.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
The large investments being made in healthcare technology over the last few years have been a great contributor to healthcare innovation, but it makes it far more important for us to carefully and thoughtfully vet solutions, sometimes we only have one chance to get it right.
May 2023
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Borislava Marcheva, VP, Marketplace Intelligence J.P. Morgan Chase
How long have you been with JPMC/Morgan Health?
I joined in September 2021, so coming up to two years soon.
What has been your proudest innovation?
We work in unison with the JPMC Benefits team, so sharing an innovation that is a product of our joined efforts: the launch of our advanced primary care pilot in Columbus, OH, stands out for me the most. We launched the pilot in Aug 2022 with the goal of increasing patient engagement by providing personalized navigation experiences and whole-person care and managing the cost trend by taking risk on cost and outcomes. Second, I am very proud of JPMC’s work to reduce the stigma around mental health. Senior leaders in our organization have shared personal struggles they have had, which is incredibly powerful and inspiring.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Innovation takes time and patience as one needs to evaluate from all sides the downstream impact (both in terms of cost, outcomes, and member satisfaction) of proposed novel solutions. Also, building relationships with internal and external stakeholders cannot be underscored enough…
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Always expect innovation projects to take longer and entail surprises (mostly the kind that you don’t want). Keep an open mind when selecting what to innovate in. If you’ve never done something before because the market was immature or you believe your organization is not ready, reconsider because the market landscape and vendor traction changes rapidly, and your analysis may produce vastly different outcomes just in two or three years.
March 2023
Emily Brockett, Senior Manager, Health & Welfare, Hearst
How long have you been with Hearst?
It will be 2 years in July.
What has been your proudest innovation?
I came onto the Hearst team in July 2021, after a lot of team changes (mainly retirements), the benefits portfolio was undergoing a lot of change around DEI and overall modernization. I was so excited for this opportunity, coming onto an energized team and coming out of Covid (kind of). We have piloted several programs that I have pitched with great success (and hopefully rolling them out broadly very soon!) and have an ever-growing laundry list of goals on the horizon. Our leadership within the Benefits team is so open to my ideas, so I am currently digging into data, utilization, and making sure what we have in place really works for our population as it stands today, and identifying if there are any gaps or opportunities to improve our employees lives as we get back to our new “normal”, which is key in terms of innovation. I keep a close pulse on our populations needs, via data, local HR’s and the overall vendor landscape, which is what sets the groundwork for being a great innovator, in my opinion. Not a direct answer, but we are constantly evolving.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Honestly, too many to list! In my prior roles, I was on the carrier side, and then more recently in consulting, so being on the client side is a daily learning experience, and more specifically in my role around managing our vendors and assisting in our overall strategy. I would definitely say that the vendor landscape is constantly (and quickly) evolving so much in what is the new “it” program, or what companies are focusing on, which is also why I am so thankful for EHIR. But, it’s so interesting how a vendor or program may not be the right fit one year, but with a small demographic change, uptick in spend, or a new employee survey will reveal a new need. I also do not hesitate in pushing vendors to really work for you. I am never reluctant to ask for anything to be “custom” for Hearst. Coming from that side in a past life, I know that “no” is usually not going to be the answer. While I understand it may be difficult or a heavy lift for the vendor, but if it provides our employees with a stellar experience, it’s all worth it.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
It sounds simple, but keep an open mind! Just because a vendor wasn’t the right fit at one time, doesn’t mean it never will be, so keep your network open and make positive connections. I like to meet with vendors and explain up front with them if this is just an exploratory call to get to know them to set expectations appropriately. They appreciate the honesty and will be that much more excited if I reach out later when we are in need and ready to progress the conversations. Always take your employees requests and survey results seriously, because where there is one person in need, there are likely a lot more that haven’t spoken up. Speaking of - speak up! Your team will never know your best ideas if you don’t share them.
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April 2023
Arlene Gaitan, Vericast
How long have you been with Vericast?
I have been with Vericast for 15 years
What has been your proudest innovation?
In a previous position with an automotive manufacturer, I was part of a team to set up benefits and programs at a new manufacturing plant. One of the projects was the company’s first stand-alone health center (for occupational and non-occupational care) that would offer medical, dental, pharmacy and would serve team members and their families, including pediatrics. Not only were we tasked with sourcing a partner for managing the center, but in its design and construction as well.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
That sometimes you need to become an expert or at least familiar with things outside your wheelhouse (construction, for example!). I learned the true meaning of “value engineering”.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Always be willing to try new things, even if you think it is beyond your experience and expertise. Always be open-minded, and willing to learn as much as you can.
What is your horse’s name?
Leandro – he is a 9 year old Andalusian/Dutch warmblood cross!
February 2023
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Shawna Oliver, Manulife Corporation, Assistant Vice President, Head of Global Benefits and Wellness
How long have you been with Manulife?
I have been with Manulife for 7 years.
What has been your proudest innovation?
We began a journey a few years ago asking ourselves if our benefits are working the way we intend them to. We spend so much time making sure we have great networks, formularies, access to care; however little time is spent on what happens once our programs are in place and our colleagues, and their families try to utilize the system. There are inequities in the system. People are treated differently because of their race, identity or where they leave. And people are reluctant to even engage because providers don’t hear them. We’ve been on a journey to fix this, and the progress we are making here is extraordinarily rewarding.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
My biggest learning discovery is the concept of data quilting. In a lot of the new initiatives we are pursuing, lack of data is just as important as data itself. The traditional approach of getting leadership buy-in doesn’t work. The new way requires a different story of weaving together many items – from data that exists, doesn’t exist, statistics, corporate values, etc. It’s an entirely new way of thinking and the outcomes are more impactful.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Innovation to me isn’t offering a new solution. Innovation is taking a core belief or philosophy and ensuring that resonates throughout your program. When that is missing, that is when you innovate and find the solutions to help bring your vision to fruition. Be bold. Stand up for all of your employees and their authentic selves. Make your benefits work as you intend them to.
January 2023
Eric Martinek, Director, US Healthcare Benefits, Abbott Laboratories
How long have you been with Abbott?
I joined Abbott in March 2022 as Director, US Benefits. In my capacity, I lead the US health and welfare strategy and execution of benefits for ~35,000 employees and ~10,000 retirees for a global healthcare company.
What has been your proudest innovation?
My proudest innovation to date occurred at a former medical device manufacturing company. As the benefit leader, I was presented with some complex problems in the largest US production facility – high ER utilization, high LOA incidences, high specialist utilization and higher absenteeism. Through my partnership with local and corporate leaders, we identified the need, created the business case and procured funding for an onsite medical clinic. The clinic triaged workplace injuries but mostly treated acute illness. During COVID-19, the clinic became the main clinical support system for drive-up COVID-testing, illness reporting and return-to-work validation. Post-COVID, the clinic took on the role of onsite biometric (wellness) screenings. The primary clinician became the primary care provider for many employees to improve point of care treatment and referrals. This was a win-win for the Plant, company and its employees.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
My biggest learning experience involved the actions of understanding the value of stakeholder management and change management. The beginning of every project demands knowledge, requirements and all the key stakeholders. Without this, a project is destined for challenge, or worse yet, failure. On a few occasions, I made assumptions on engaging leaders or change agents late in the project. This back-fired with additional time needed to educate and explain the value of the benefit change. Building the time in on the front end of a project and proactively engaging the key stakeholders will almost always produce a better result and implemented service. In addition, the change management (e.g., communications, marketing rollout plan, etc.) to educate and create the behavior change HAS TO be part of the overall strategy. Stakeholders, identifying barriers to change or conflicts and hand-picked advocates for change are essential to effective and impactful rollout.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
I have two pieces of advice: Never stop learning and innovation isn’t just the fancy new electric car or apple watch, it’s everyday innovation or improvement in a process. Learning is an unwavering responsibility we have in the healthcare space. It has no end date and a good learner should always look to add knowledge. As for innovation, unless you are a genius or inventor, innovation in the healthcare space is piecing together well-constructed ideas to fill a new void. Virtual healthcare, onsite clinics, wellness programs, risk stratification, etc. are concepts and services that have been done for a long time. Put them together in a cohesive manner to inform members in real time to influence health management and you’ve got something. Better yet, review the infrastructure, design and incentives surrounding that experience to members and you may see measurable positive impact over time.
December 2022
Serena Robinson, Hyatt Hotels, Director of Benefits
How long have you been with Hyatt?
27 years! Started off as a Front Desk Agent at a hotel. Spent the first 5 years in Operations. Moved into HR at our New Orleans hotel for 4 years, before transferring to Corporate Benefits after Hurricane Katrina severely damaged our hotel.
What has been your proudest innovation?
Not an innovation, but I am very enthusiastic about truly personalized healthcare. We added Coriell Life Sciences medication safety program in January. I truly believe managing your health and treatment based on your genes will be the norm in the near future.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
LOL, that not all individuals are comfortable sharing their genetic make-up, even if it’s for their own knowledge and completely confidential. We’re working on it.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
We know the US healthcare industry and process is challenging and inefficient. While we laugh at the notion of a “magic bullet”, it’s important to keep trying to find a way to truly make a difference and improve the quality of health and the lives of those we care about.
November 2022
Sandy Zornek, AVP Global Benefits, Nasdaq
How long have you been with Nasdaq?
Joined Nasdaq in July 2021
What has been your proudest innovation?
I consider myself a “COVID hire” and was blessed with a team of hard working, passionate folks around the globe. They had done so much earlier in the pandemic to ensure that the employees of Nasdaq had access to information, COVID testing and, in some cases, vaccinations. The team had done a phenomenal job of responding to the needs of the business while also supporting the ever changing needs of our employees. When I joined, I saw an opportunity to re-focus the team on planning for the future. As benefit pros (regardless of where you work) we’d all spent so much time the first year + of the pandemic responding and reacting. Despite the lingering pandemic and while dealing with new challenges from the war in Ukraine, we shifted our energy to become more future focused. This definitely required some time to pause and reflect but it has allowed us to evaluate and assess where we are and what changes are needed for the future of Nasdaq to support our talent strategy, employer brand initiatives and overall business objectives.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
My past leadership roles were generally regional, country specific or a random collection of countries. While I was always part of global teams and participated in think tanks for big global projects, I was there representing specific countries. My role at Nasdaq is truly global first. I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of defining what makes sense for Nasdaq employees, regardless of where in the world they sit, and working to define our non-negotiables around the globe.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
One size does not fit all when it comes to healthcare innovation. Know your data before being drawn into the general trends or new, innovative solutions. Each employer’s demographics are different. If you start with your data you will know where to focus your energy, resources and dollars.
October 2022
Monica Jones, Sr. Manager, US Benefits - HPE
How long have you been with HPE?
I have been with HPE for 2 years and have 20+ years of experience in Benefits leadership roles with various Fortune 500 companies including Nokia and AT&T. My responsibility includes oversight of HPE U.S. benefit programs, program strategy and program vendor management. Healthcare benefits are a large part of my role but I also have responsibility for US wellness, Time Off and Disability, as well as a variety of other programs.
What has been your proudest innovation?
My proudest innovation during my 2 years with HPE is the introduction of the Bind (Surest) medical plan option which was launched January 2022. The Bind (Surest) option was implemented to offer an innovative plan for team members who want to have more transparency and upfront visibility to their healthcare costs. In addition to the team member transparency and visibility, we also wanted to implement a plan that would have a lower financial impact to the HPE medical plan spend. Based on the plan’s performance for the first half of 2022, we are seeing positive outcomes from a claims standpoint, as well as very positive feedback from HPE plan participants. The 2022 enrollment goal for Bind (Surest) was 10% which we essentially reached, and we anticipate increased enrollment for 2023.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
The biggest learning experience for me has been the realization that communicating change of an unfamiliar concept is difficult but can be made easier by approaching the communication process through various channels. When it comes to implementing a plan change, like Bind (Surest), we found that written materials alone were not sufficient which is why we also conducted live Bind (Surest) sessions and engaged the Bind (Surest) team to provide team members with clarity on how the plan works and could benefit them.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
My advice is to be bold about potential innovations and don’t allow the fear of failure to keep you from trying something new and not widely accepted. Certainly, not all new innovations yield positive results, but you will never know the outcome of an implementation until you make that fearless move. As part of the HPE belief system, “We Believe in Bold Moves”, and we’re not afraid to Fail Fast, Learn and Improve.
September 2022
Kim Duck, VP, Global Benefits, News Corp
How long have you been with News Corp?
I've been with Dow Jones & News Corp for 21 years and all on the Benefits Team. We were an in-sourced benefits team at the time and I started as an entry level Benefits Analyst processing medical enrollment forms, our fitness reimbursements and retiree payments for healthcare. I made it a point to ask questions and learn about each function within our team.
What has been your proudest innovation?
Our benefits website: www.mynewscorpbenefits.com. We knew we needed an external site and didn't want it to look like every other traditional HR/benefits site. I found the design team (Isadora Digital Agency) and Marco really allowed me to share my vision for benefits--which in turn shaped the site. Benefits aren't stagnant, they ebb and flow as your life changes. You'll see no hard edges on the site and hopefully feel the movement. Benefits are bold and vibrant, hence the color palate. The site also strives to be "non-jargony" so if you want to know about programs for your baby--just type in baby. Learning about your benefits should be simple and easy, but also engaging.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Data. You have to know how the data of your organization works because at the heart it drives all your benefit. It's key if you are outsourcing, transitioning to a new HRIS or just functioning through your normal day to day. If you don't know your data and how it works, you've placed a huge barrier in front of your potential success. You can't deliver good customer service if you can't figure out the root of the problem.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Be open and ask questions. Don't sit back and watch the conversation go by. Be present, be vocal and insert yourself and your thoughts into the discussion.
June 2022
Mary Jakubowski, Head of Benefits, US Strategy for BASF Corporation
How long have you been with BASF?
I have been with BASF for 16 years; In 2005 I joined BASF in the Accounting Group where I covered technical accounting, mergers & acquisitions, and financial reporting. The last 11 years I have been in various HR roles responsible for HR Controlling, Workforce Analytics and HR Reporting & Technology. I am just celebrating my 1-year anniversary in Benefits on June 1, 2022!
What has been your proudest innovation?
Creating a data driven mindset in HR. I put forward a business case to develop data driven capability and change the way HR does it work and implemented a top workforce analytics technology. It changed the conversation and enabled how HR shows up at the table. HR Business Partners were now able to drive talent strategies with data.
I am excited to bring a data driven mindset to my new role in Benefits to continue to enhance our strategy for the Health, Retirement and Wellbeing of our employees and their families.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
The scope and complexity of benefits has been a big learning experience! Thus far, I see the opportunities to utilize data to establish a holistic picture for Benefits to ensure the benefits offer is compelling and aligned with the company strategy and business objectives.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
We need to drive benefits innovation particularly around wellbeing and digitalization with the goal of delivering world-class employee experiences while containing costs and improving employee choices and behaviors.
May 2022
Dana Erdfarb, Executive Director of HR | Morgan Stanley
How long have you been with Morgan Stanley?
6.5 years. I came from Willis Towers Watson (a Towers Perrin original!) where I did benefits consulting for a number of years. Working “in-house” is really different but I’ve come to love it.
What has been your proudest innovation?
Being a champion for family benefits since I started in this role - we’ve been leading the way in financial services around broadening fertility coverage, providing comprehensive family building benefits, equalizing and extending parental leave and recently rolling out a new caregiver leave. And we’ve got more to come in this space over the next year.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
The level of effort required to socialize change and onboard new solutions. There are many many stakeholders in a large organization such as Morgan Stanley; bringing stakeholders into your planning process and including them in decision making along the way is absolutely crucial to success.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Change takes time. Introduce ideas early – even if they are not for imminent implementation. The more that you share your thinking and get people on board, the more likely it is there will be interest and support when it come times to move forward.
March 2022
How long have you been with MGM?
4 months
What has been your proudest innovation?
It’s hard to pick one or two for that matter but most recently, using technology (QR codes to conduct Open Enrollment way before the pandemic when QR codes were not popular) introduced electronic Open Enrollment (moving away from paper elections) and raised awareness around HSAs by conducting training sessions as well as creating educational videos for remote employees and their dependents in both Spanish and English. Also increased employee participation and engagement by using benefits to raise awareness around employee value proposition, by creating "personas" to educate the HR community on how to introduce benefits and perks as a way to speak intelligently about the benefits offered.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Don’t follow the “trends” or what other industries are doing, stay true to who you are and introduce solutions that are relevant to your employees and what is right for your culture, values and position in your respective industry.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Make healthcare innovation part of your Company’s culture. Collaboration across the enterprise - make wellbeing an essential part of the business strategy, entrenching it in every corner of the enterprise.
Jessie Claros | MGM
February 2022
Julee Weller | Intel
How long have you been with Intel?
Come May 2022, it will be 26 years!
What has been your proudest innovation?
Innovation is at the core of what we do at Intel, and this extends to benefits. We are continually looking for new ways to enhance the value of our benefits for our employees. Some investments are big and some small. One I am proud of is a small investment we recently made to improve re-entry of our new parents as they return to work. Our new parent reintegration program includes a re-entry period where employees work part-time at full salary, and a new moms small group coaching program which provides them a safe place to share experiences, learnings and receive guidance (we are extending this program to new dads soon). The success of this program has been overwhelming and heartwarming when you hear comments like, “I found my work-life balance. This makes me very happy, I loved to hear from other mom’s advice and struggles. We grew together!” This makes it all worth it.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
The value of empathy – as we design new benefits or enhance existing ones, I have found that if we put ourselves into the shoes of our employee, we design a better benefit that is more highly valued by employees.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Simplify, simplify, simplify….we are experts at creating complex benefits but what employees really value are benefits that are easy to use, work, and care about their individual needs.
December 2021
Suzanne Dezember Usaj | The Wonderful Company | Sr. Director, Total Rewards
How long have you been at The Wonderful Company?
Since October 2020
What has been your proudest innovation?
Building a unique and groundbreaking health plan that specifically compliments and respond to integrated primary care services that we’ve built to address underserved communities.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
With only a year on the job, a lot of my focus has been on establishing who our employees are and what our culture is telling me is important to our plans. I’m driven by data and not assumptions, so the need or expectations to see change immediately can pull focus away from long-term meaningful progress. Balancing that against the day-to-day demands is always a challenge when starting with a new plan.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Think first about how to do right by your employees and all that could encompass including the best way to achieve those goals. Never just follow what the herd is doing.
January 2022
Shelley Sinclair | Ernst & Young
How long have you been with Ernst & Young?
10 years
What has been your proudest innovation?
2nd MD. They provide wonderful high-touch service to our staff and partners during what are often difficult situations. We were fortunate to be able to expand eligibility, about a year after launch, to parents and parents-in-law. That was a huge win with our people.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
I joined EY from a financial services firm that had a much different (think older) population. It took me a while to become accustomed to thinking in terms of a particularly young staff with very different needs as well as different ways of engaging them.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Be open to new ideas and don’t totally dismiss an innovator that is not an immediate fit. As your company’s needs change and innovators evolve, you may find common ground in the future.
November 2021
Shilpa Guthikonda | Sleep Number | Benefits Lead
How long have you been at Sleep Number?
1.5 years
What has been your proudest innovation?
It’s hard to pick one! While some are foundational, I’m really proud of the equity improvements we have made. Since I started we have introduced MLK day, Voting pay, Vaccine pay, Improved parental leave that provides more paid time to birth moms AND adoptive parents, Bereavement leave now covers miscarriage, partners and partners families, Domestic Partner coverage for our health plans, Fertility benefits that allow same sex couples to have coverage and most recently a Team Member Giving Fund.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Engagement is key. We can offer the most innovative, cutting edge, inclusive benefits but if our teams and their families don’t know about them, they don’t have value. We need to communicate 7 times 7 ways which includes some old school approaches like home mailings and leader huddles. The approach can’t be all fancy digital solutions.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Simplicity is key. Our industry has thrived on over complication which negatively impacts the very people we are trying to serve. We have to meet team members where they are at, not where we want them to be.
October 2021
Jeanie Hutchinson - Director – Benefits | The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
How long have you been at Goodyear?
6 years
What has been your proudest innovation?
Over a year and a half ago, we were tasked with centralizing leave management. We have been successful in implementing for approximately 18K associates at GY and we are currently working on the remainder of the population (which include 2 of our largest manufacturing plants).
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Centralizing leave management has been my biggest learning experience, it has required collaboration at the local level and also with our senior leaders. As attendance management affects our ability to manufacture tires, it requires us to also interact with the business to come up with solutions that benefit the company and associate experience.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Continue to review solutions thoroughly that make sense for your business and socialize the ideas with key stakeholders often. Repetition and alignment is key.
September 2021
Casandra Carsey - Director, US Benefits Design | P&G
How long have you been at P&G?
22 years
What has been your proudest innovation?
More than one innovation, it is an approach to benefits that recognizes the importance of supporting the unique and diverse needs of our employees. A few years ago we pivoted our infertility benefit to a fertility benefit, allowing more employees to get support as they build a family. Recently, we rolled out a caregiving benefit that helps employee caregivers get support for anyone they are providing care to, recognizing that who an employee considers family, or the type of care they are providing, is as diverse as our employee population. This makes me proud to be a benefits professional.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
I have had so many different experiences as an HR professional. I’ve had opportunities to work on acquisitions and divestitures, international benefits, in recruiting and labor relations. Each one has provided unique learning experiences that carry through to my work today.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
When you hang a beautiful piece of art over a crack in the wall, the crack is still there and it may get worse. Make sure foundational benefits are delivering as intended. Don’t innovate to hide the cracks.
August 2021
Tim F Kowalski MD, CPE, FCCP | Chief Medical Officer | Progressive Insurance
How long have you been at Progressive?
I have been at Progressive for around twenty-five years in a variety of capacities. I started as a consultant to optimize the use of on-site medical clinics. I then evolved into a medical director role where I worked with a variety of Progressive people to add valuable fitness & wellness programs. I then became the Chief Medical Officer where I contribute to the worlds of occupational health, leave of absence, the clinical aspects of health plan design & strategy, and duties as assigned.
What has been your proudest innovation?
My proudest innovation has been integrating into the business the importance of clinical subject matter expertise for decisions that affect the health & wellness of the Progressive people
What has been your biggest learning experience?
My biggest learning over the years is the importance of being influential.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
The advice that I would provide is to try and balance true clinical science with business need & culture when making decisions regarding the health & wellness of the employee population. I have always strived to add value. Value to me is defined as providing a service that the employee values, that is of proven value determined by clinical science, and that has an objective return for the corporation.
July 2021
Deidre Serum | Best Buy | Director of Employee Benefits
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 1 member, Deidre Serum, Director of Employee Benefits at Best Buy to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
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How long have you been at Best Buy?
Almost 12 years
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What has been your proudest innovation at Best Buy?
Designing and implementing a robust caregiver strategy that included, but wasn’t limited to, development of a caregiver guide made available to all employees, piloting BBY emerging technology and services in the caregiver space and implementing most recently, Wellthy.
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What has been your biggest learning experience?
I will admit professionally that prior to a couple of years ago, my knowledge about mental health was confined to what we offer within our EAP. Since then, we identified mental health as part of our well-being strategy and decided to focus on a 3-pillar approach: 1) reduce stigma, 2) provide education and training and 3) minimize barriers to care. I have learned so much since we have embarked upon this journey. First, EHIR has afforded me the opportunity to learn about mental health through all of the innovators. In addition, I have learned so much from our employees. By focusing on reducing stigma, it has created an opportunity for many employees to come forward to share their stories. I applaud their courage and have learned so much from them.
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What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Be the voice to help shape innovation – do this by providing innovators with feedback (most of them listen! and actually incorporate your feedback!) and take a chance knowing not all innovators may work out in the long run. Go into it knowing you have to try multiple vendors to find one that sticks for your organization.
June 2021
Sherri Samuels-Fuerst, RN, CEBS, PHR, SHRM-CP | VP – Total Rewards
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 4 member, Sherri Samuels-Fuerst, RN, CEBS, PHR, SHRM-CP, VP – Total Rewards, Sargento to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
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How long have you been at Sargento?
25+ years; Started as an Occupational Health Nurse and transitioned into HR a couple of years later. Eventually landed in Compensation & Benefits in 2005.
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What has been your proudest innovation at Sargento?
Implemented an on-site Health & Wellness Center in 2006 with a part-time NP & PT; Now at all 3 manufacturing locations, with NP’s, PT’s, Phlebotomists, Personal Trainers, a Dietitian, Health Coach, Work Life Mentor and adding a Care Coordinator (LPN) in June of this year.
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What has been your biggest learning experience?
There is always an opportunity to lead with both your head and your heart. In my experience, using a balanced approach usually results in the best long-term outcomes for all involved.
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What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Three things:
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Healthcare is complicated. Make sure you understand what you’re solving for, why and how the intended impact will improve the outcomes. Start small – Pilot, when possible; Evaluate, include testimonials. If viable, Implement on a broad scale and continually Evaluate and Revise, to stay relevant and optimize results.
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To maximize participant engagement – communicate, communicate, communicate; short & simple in a language they can understand. (Skip the Benefits Jargon!)
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Most importantly never take a “failure” personally. If at first you don’t succeed, try again &/or learn from it and let it go!
May 2021
Sara Koda
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 3 member, Sara Koda, Total Rewards Senior Manager, Benefits, PepsiCo, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at Pepsi?
8 years total split between Compensation and Benefits
What has been your proudest innovation at Pepsi?
Implementing a new data warehouse, Certilytics!
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Coming from the Compensation side, US Benefits is COMPLEX! Nothing truly is as it seems on the surface
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Lean on your peers internally and externally - we're all trying to impact lives in a positive way and have similar goals. We're all here to help each other :)
April 2021
John Stenerson
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 3 member, John Stenerson, Deputy Executive Officer, Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC), to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at SISC?
Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC) is a coalition of public schools joined together to reduce costs and spread risk over a large population. I’ve been with SISC since 1988. Since then, we’ve grown from a small regional pool to a statewide program of over 400 school districts with an annual budget of $2.7 Billion. One out of every 1,000 Americans is now covered by a SISC medical plan.
I am responsible for all aspects of the program including implementing initiatives that promote access to high quality and appropriate health care, keeping health benefits affordable and maintaining fiscal stability.
What has been your proudest innovation at SISC?
In 2013, after years of frustration with the PBM industry, we decided leave our large PBM and go with a smaller PBM that offered full transparency. Having this level of transparency provided us with the insight and freedom we needed to work with our consultant to develop a custom formulary. Our formulary eliminates waste and generates significant savings without sacrificing clinically-effective care.
In 2014 we decreased our net pharmacy cost PMPM, from $87.31 to $75.67. And, since that initial reduction, we’ve maintained nearly flat pharmacy costs over the past six years despite the release of many new high-cost medications.
As a result of our success, our pharmacy benefit program received national attention in 2020. (see attached/below)
https://www.sipconline.net/files/Weeding_Out_Waste_by_Bruce_Shutan.pdf
https://www.nashp.org/how-waste-free-formularies-create-savings-on-prescription-drugs/
What has been your biggest learning experience?
The healthcare industry constantly finds new ways to exploit weaknesses in the system. Government talks about change, but rarely acts. It’s up to the purchasers of healthcare to do something.The healthcare system strives to maintain the status quo. It’s easy to stay with what you have and not make changes. Even if the savings seems relatively small, when a new program stands out as being more honest and transparent, then you need to have the will to make a change.Purchasers have to stay vigilant and diligent about promoting value and attacking the waste in the system.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Work with partners who are free from conflicts of interest. Find consultants who do not receive any revenue from vendors or providers.Don’t let preconceived notions about member disruption get in the way of the pursuit of value.Continually evaluate ways to keep the cost of health benefits affordable without impacting access to high quality and safe care. No single program is a total solution, but incremental changes add up over time and help limit the need to move to plans with higher deductibles and copays.
March 2021
Lubcha Paclikova
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 2 member, Lubcha Paclikova, Total Rewards, Mars, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at Mars?
I joined Mars back in 2017 and I lead Total Rewards strategy for Mars Veterinary Health, a global division with 68,000 employees across 21 countries. We operate a network of veterinary practices and veterinary diagnostics labs. Being the global leader in our space, our mission is to improve and transform the veterinary profession to create a better world for our pets.
What has been your proudest innovation at Mars?
There have been so many! If I need to quote only a few major ones, I am extremely proud of our total rewards investment roadmap that we designed for all of our associates and that we have and will be implementing over a five-year timeframe, essentially creating the leading proposition in our industry. Our roadmap has been built on a multitude of perspectives: we learned from innovative companies across all industries and most importantly we listened to our employees through a detailed conjoint analysis that uncovered our employee total reward preferences and trade offs.
On a tactical level, last year we ran very effective virtual benefit enrollment processes that improved our overall employee experience. This year, we are looking at multiple pilots in mental health and fertility spaces. As an interesting fact about us (and the industry at large), more than 80% of our workforce is female. market.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Creating a total rewards strategy and a significant investment roadmap in a global people-centric services business requires a laser focus on understanding our employee context and preferences and a very tight management of multiple stakeholders from business unit leadership teams, communication function to field people leaders to be able to drive the strategy home.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Start your strategy/innovation work with determining where you want your organization to be, rather than following your market space. At Mars Veterinary Health, we ask ourselves every day “are we where WE want to be?” and “do our benefits answer current and future needs of our workforce demographics” rather than are we in line with our competitive
February 2021
Joe Toniolo
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 2 member, Joe Toniolo, Sr. Director, Health & Welfare Befefits, US Foods, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
What has been your proudest innovation at US Foods?
I have tried a number of traditional wellness type programs about 8-10 years ago. You know, the ones that have a health coach that calls you and want to talk about your health, weight, sleep, etc. At US Foods, our associates just don’t engage in those types of programs. But when we started rolling out our point solutions, we had lots of engagement. It told me our folks were craving (trying to tie it into a food thing) for something different. One of the video testimonials brought me to tears hearing how the program changed his life and his family’s life.
This is why I come to work every day!
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Being introduced to these healthcare innovators has forced me to think differently on how to deliver benefits and solutions. You have to adapt, otherwise your solutions become irrelevant and outdated. I learned that you can’t just focus on the ROI. There's another part of the equation that can’t be measured. Providing an ecosysytem of no cost innovation solutions demonstrates that the company truly cares for their associates and their family. I have received more emails and phone calls the past few years from our associates expressing how thankful and proud to work for US Foods.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
As benefits professionals, it is our responsibility to provide life-changing solutions that can improve associates’ and their family’s health. We have to be ready when and where our participants are ready to engage.
The following are a few suggestions:
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Embrace innovation – there are lots of revolutionary options out there…heck, that’s why we are part of the EHIR family
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Decide what it means for a successful program. Go slow and start with pilots if that makes sense.
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Leverage a “shock the system” approach to associate communications. Don’t be afraid to try new and innovative ways to drive associate awareness about the offering so that they will take notice. This past year my team had fun recording a series of short podcasts called Benefit Bites (get it?) focusing on 1 benefit or one solution so it is easier to learn and not be overwhelmed with trying to drink from the benefits firehose. We actually had over 4,500 views.
January 2021
Becky Lewis
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 4 member, Becky Lewis, Senior Director of Employee Benefits for NextEra, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at PNC?
I have been with NextEra for 16 years; 10 years in various operations and business roles, 5 years in compensation, and the past 1.5 years in benefits.
What has been your proudest innovation at PNC?
We have been dealing with COVID-19 for the majority of my tenure in the benefits department, and I’m very proud of my team’s response to COVID-19. We’ve had to innovate continuously, from creating and modifying policies to standing up and leading our testing, and now working to provide vaccines to our employees. It’s certainly not what I thought I would be working on when I joined the team, but I’m really proud of our ability to continue to support our company and employees with our normal benefits and strategy work while also responding to the pandemic.
We also moved to a new network and TPA at the beginning of 2020 and I’m proud of all the work we have done to implement that change and the work we are doing to provide more cost and quality transparency to our employees.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
The scope and complexity of benefits has been a big learning experience. Benefits can be very confusing and overwhelming for employees to navigate and one of my goals is to make benefits easier for employees so they can maximize their benefits and we can increase their satisfaction.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Stay connected with your members to gain feedback and insights. We are holding more focus groups and sending surveys to get feedback from employees on new benefits we are vetting. We are often surprised that employees value benefits and features differently than we expect, which is helping us determine which benefits to implement and how best to implement them. Pairing employee feedback with our de-identified data allows us to focus on the highest value solutions and increase utilization of our strategic healthcare programs.
December 2020
Luke Prettol
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 4 member, Luke Prettol, Health & Welfare Benefits Manager for ChampionX, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at PNC?
2.5 years – Apergy was a spin-off, and I joined at spin leading benefits with a directive to improve lives, not simply check a box.
What has been your proudest innovation at PNC?
This year we made the full pivot from old-school wellness to a holistic well-being program with a major emphasis on mental health that was very timely with COVID-19. Embedded within the well-being ecosystem are solutions such as Wellthy that surprise and delight our employees. The combination of doing a core component better while incorporating new ways of supporting our employees is what gets me excited!
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Being a spin-off, our executive team had only seen benefits as a cost. As I helped them understand benefits as an integral part of our culture, it was incredible to see the shift – the formerly gruff division president became the big softie in the room. It’s a good lesson in how reframing the situation can make all the difference!
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
One piece I’d say is to look at how the innovation within your company can signal what healthcare innovations to consider and how to market it. For example, we have a product called Spotlight that provides real-time transparency and optimization for oil and gas pipelines. I worked with the Spotlight product team as we launched Castlight, and because they are passionate about the concepts of transparency and optimization, it became part of a business initiative not just an “HR thing”.
November 2020
Liz Harrington
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 3 member, Liz Harrington, VP, Health and Wellness Strategy Manager for PNC, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at PNC?
About 9 years
What has been your proudest innovation at PNC?
Our recent launch of Castlight for well-being and care guidance. It was the first mobile solution we pushed to employees and it offered so many ways to automatically track rewards for participating in other benefits. Overall the reaction from our employees has been so positive about the ease/enjoyment of Castlight and our participation has benefitted as well.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
How to navigate all of the risk requirements we must comply with as a financial institution, when bringing on new solutions - that and how much of my job is spent marketing/communicating/”selling” our benefits to employees.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Look at what’s happening in the consumer markets, not just what other employers are doing. Employees expect the same level of ease and intrigue from us that they experience when interacting with direct to consumer products/services.
October 2020
Leslie Pilliod
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 1 member, Leslie Pilliod, Sr Director Health & Wellbeing Benefits for Target, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at Target?
I have been at Target for 15 years. I started at Target in a finance role, but moved over to total rewards in 2009 and have really enjoyed this blend of HR and finance.
What has been your proudest innovation at Target?
I am extremely proud of the work Target has done in the mental health space. We have made huge improvements in addressing the stigma around mental health in the workplace. Our efforts have included campaigns around reducing the stigma (I’m fine campaign), investing in our EAP to make it more user friendly and supportive of our employees entire household, and investing in new ways to reach our employees through sleep and anxiety programs. We knew it was working when we had employees raise their hands to become mental health allies. These are individuals from around the company who want to be a resource to their peers and help connect them to resources. We still have work to do, but we are seeing real progress across the enterprise.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Developing a benefits strategy is a blend of art and science. We spent a lot of time in 2019 taking a fresh look at our total rewards strategy. How could we ensure that we were developing a roadmap that would continue to attract and retain talent and differentiate Target as an employer? The biggest learning in that work was the importance of capturing the employee’s voice. We needed to understand what was meaningful and most impactful to them in order to make our strategy work. That couldn’t be done in an HQ conference room, we needed to find ways to get right to the population that we are trying to design solutions for. Benefits have a huge impact on an employee’s overall well-being both at and outside of work, so they need to have a voice in the decisions that we are making.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
Test and learn. Healthcare innovations are exciting, but it’s difficult to take risks in this space. By creating pilot or test groups it gives you a chance to try to a new approach, without putting your P&L at risk. We have found a lot of success by piloting with new innovators and rolling out slowly. It gives us time to test a solution or vendor, and also allows us to test news ways to reaching our employee audience.
** My other advice, is to leverage your EHIR peers, of course! There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t learn something new from the fellow EHIR employers, it is so beneficial to have this community of smart, creative and innovative experts just a phone call or email away!
September 2020
Benjamin Swig
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 4 member, Benjamin Swig, Innovation & Strategy Senior Advisor for Acadian, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at Acadian?
November 2019
What has been your proudest innovation at Acadian?
So far:
a. Developing a Employee Benefits website accessible to all members and not only employees. The website provides information to the members on Medical, Virtual Care, Mental Health, Pharmacy, Vision, Dental and Wellness.
b. Contracting with an Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) directly for providing centers of excellence care to members and receiving 340B pricing on medications, a reduction from our current PBM.
c. Our TPA has dedicated Case Management Nurses and a Dietician to our member population. We now have monthly case management rounds to discuss cases and identify solutions to barriers together and quarterly financial meetings to review performance and financial outcomes.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
I read through different company Summary of Benefits (SOB) and analyze their plan designs and cost containment strategies (member steerage and gating). If any of the EHIR members would be willing to share their SOBs I would appreciate the chance to review them.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
I am very new to the space of employee benefits. I approach all innovation by gaining Access to as much relevant data as I can.
Gain access to your population's de-identified health data and analyze it. Conduct a SWOT analysis for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Know what options you have in plan design, contracting, vendors who can assist with cost containment strategy. Model different solutions to help build your business case.
August 2020
Nathan Counts
Every newsletter, we connect with a member who is moving the needle when it comes to innovation in health care. This month we sat down with Cohort 3 member, Nathan Counts, Assistant VP of Global Benefits for AT&T, to learn a little more about them and the work they are doing.
How long have you been at AT&T?
8 years – started ominously on a Friday the 13th (January 2012)
What has been your proudest innovation at AT&T?
We’ve had some pretty financially transformative contracts for prescription drugs & in the Medicare retiree space, but think the proudest innovations have come regarding coverage of high-cost, low incident benefits which insurance seems meant for but often aren’t covered due to costs (fertility, gender confirmation, applied behavioral analysis). Getting those approved for our employees and their families may seem obvious today, but were hard fought battles over the years.
What has been your biggest learning experience?
Starting my career as a consulting actuary everything was pretty black & white, dollars & cents and reinforced the hard “IQ” skills of subject matter expertise but coming over to AT&T was a great opportunity to see the rest of the story: stakeholdering, implementation/contract complexities, communications with participants and senior leaders and those soft “EQ” skills in addition to trying to grow to be a leader beyond just the domain knowledge of US retiree healthcare. It’s been a really rewarding journey.
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
No time like the present to jump in – what an exciting time to be in healthcare as investment in innovation grows, participants' need for help has never been higher, and innovation is expanding across the globe. Find an area that’s important to you and your employees and start a dialogue, we’re all figuring it out organically anyway (minus all the help from EHIR 😊 ).
July 2020
Mollie O'Brien
How long have you been at Nasdaq?
Since September 2019
What has been your proudest innovation at Nasdaq?
Creating Nasdaq Strong – our integrated Wellbeing initiative
What has been your biggest learning experience at Nasdaq?
Each job and culture has a fun challenge. At Nasdaq, it is thinking in a holistic way while I work at lightning speed!
What advice would you give your peers in the benefits space when it comes to healthcare innovation?
The most fun I have had is when I’ve gone after culture change rather than program implementation. There have been some projects – financial and physical wellbeing come to mind - where we asked, “how can we change behavior and make this fun and meaningful over the next couple years?” Those were the projects that were most impactful and successful.
Please share any highlights about the work you’ve done with EHIR & CMOD during the last few months.
What has been most valuable? We partnered with Brock and Jennifer Riff on mental wellbeing workshops for our people. Around Nasdaq, people talk about the “Oxygen Workshops” – which have been great!
Bringing 20 years of experience, Mollie is the VP of Global Rewards at Nasdaq.