United Benefit Advisors Names Thomas Mangan CEO

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, July 20, 2012—United Benefit Advisors (UBA) announced today that it has appointed Thomas Mangan as Chief Executive Officer effective May 18, 2012. Mr. Mangan is a twenty year veteran in the employee benefits field, with vast experience in corporate leadership and an extensive background that spans sales, services and operations.

”We are excited about Thom joining us and believe he brings a bold vision and considerable experience to our organization that will ultimately add tremendous value for all employers working with UBA Member Firms, Jordan Shields, president of The SSM Group, of Novato, Calif., and UBA Board Chair.

“I’m delighted to be joining UBA at such a momentous time,” said Mangan. “We’re headed for some challenging and opportune times as a result of the historic ruling from the Supreme Court regarding healthcare reform legislation. There’s great promise and perhaps even greater change on the horizon, all of which could have very significant implications to employers across the country and to the insurance industry at large. Clearly, my immediate focus as UBA’s new CEO is to do everything I can to facilitate the efficiency and effectiveness with which our partnership of leading health insurance and employee benefits advisors deliver their knowledge, expertise and guidance to employers—especially to the midsize and smaller employers who often have the greatest need for this kind of assistance.”

Mangan said UBA’s Member Firms are well positioned to help employers with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) legislation in a variety of ways including:

• Understanding the implications, issues and challenges presented by the ruling.
• Helping to ensure that employers are in compliance with any new laws.
• And providing intelligence on the best practices and purchasing efficiencies that will help employers make the best possible decisions when evaluating their options and buying plans.

Mangan added that one of the key ways that UBA and its partners will be of greatest service to employers in dealing with new legislative requirements will be to continue providing the incredibly rich benchmarking data that is extracted from the organization’s annual Health Plan Survey. The Survey is conducted through the joint efforts of UBA’s 143 independent benefit advisory firms. For the 2011 Survey, UBA obtained plan data for 16,421 plans from 10,744 employers.

“The purpose of our Survey is to provide employers with comparative data regarding plan costs, employee contributions and plan designs—the crucial intelligence they need to benchmark their plans against those of their peers and similar organizations.” UBA’s Survey is unique, Mangan said, because of the depth of analysis it provides and because it focuses on reporting results that are especially applicable to midsize and small companies, which represent the overwhelming majority of the nation’s employers.

As for his long-term focus regarding UBA’s future, Mangan said it will be squarely on nurturing the qualities that the company and its Member Firms have always been known for: entrepreneurship, a dedication to providing creative solutions and delivering great value. “If I have a personal manifesto, it’s to make sure those qualities remain the backbone of this organization. Our clients have always looked to us for the best insights and guidance in the industry. Our partners and our leadership are proud of that fact, as they should be. I’m eager to be picking up that mantle and to do everything I can to take our alliance to the next level of success.”

Prior to joining UBA, Mangan served as the EB President of the New England Region of USI Insurance Services, President of the employee benefits division of HUB International, a leading global insurance brokerage; and President of Willis Life of Texas, where he also was South Central Employee Benefits Practice Leader.

Mangan was previously a Board Member of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, as well as Chairman of its Industry Affairs Committee. In addition, he has served on the National Broker Advisory Councils of Aetna, Cigna and United Healthcare.

Mangan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Westminster College and an MBA from Troy State University. He also is a graduate of the Insurance Executive Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and he has earned the designation of Certified Managed Care Executive (CMCE) from Northwestern University.

About United Benefit Advisors
One of the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organizations, United Benefit Advisors is a Member-owned alliance of more than 140 premier independent benefit advisory firms with more than 165 offices throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K. As trusted and knowledgeable advisors, UBA partners collaborate with more than 2,000 professionals to deliver expertise, thought leadership and best-in-class solutions that positively impact employers and make a real difference in the lives of their employees and families. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Members should visit UBA online at www.UBAbenefits.com [www.UBAbenefits.com].