UBA Announces 2015 “Ubbie” Award Winners
(PRWEB) June 16, 2015 -- United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nation’s leading independent employee benefits organization, has announced the winners of its annual “Ubbie” Awards (pronounced you-bee) for 2015. The award honors Partner Firms, Principals, agency staff, and Strategic Partners who have demonstrated significant achievements toward their involvement with UBA.
“The United Benefit Advisors’ Ubbie Awards celebrate people and organizations who exemplify the UBA spirit of ‘Shared Wisdom. Powerful Results.®’ and also recognizes innovation, quality of work, professionalism, and contributions to programs that enhance business practices for the greater good of the entire organization,” said UBA CEO Les McPhearson. “Award recipients must contribute to the development of resources and education necessary to help employers effectively manage their employee benefits and assist in the recruitment and retention of the best people. There is no higher recognition within the UBA organization!”
The Ubbie Award winners were announced at the 2015 UBA Spring Meeting & Expo at the Loews Chicago O’Hare hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, which had a fantastic attendance of more than 400 employee benefit and financial advisors and Strategic Partners. This annual event is an opportunity for UBA thought leaders to discuss the rapidly changing benefits industry and what is required of successful advisor firms looking to stay ahead of emerging trends. Please help UBA in congratulating the following Ubbie Award winners.
UBA PARTNER FIRM OF THE YEAR: The Benefit Company of Atlanta, Georgia
This Firm is a leader not only in its market, but also in UBA. It consistently promotes the benefits of their UBA relationship, adopts UBA products and services, and participates in UBA surveys to contribute to the greater good of the entire organization. When UBA Partners cast their votes for this Firm, they cited its positive impact, kind and caring leadership, eagerness to give back to the organization, and sincerity in improving the employee benefits market. With dynamic leadership at the helm, this agency exemplifies the high-caliber Firms represented throughout our organization. This Firm is consistently on the leading edge of the benefits industry, providing major contributions to the development of innovative solutions such as captives, PPACA modeling and population health management, to name a few. UBA is honored to count this agency as part of its organization and to present them with this prestigious award, as elected by their colleagues and peers.
UBA PARTNER FIRM PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR: Josie Martinez from EBS Capstone
This Principal’s Firm had an excellent year of growth and a great team while challenging the norm and pushing into uncharted areas in order to expand the Firm’s reach. The Principal actively participates in UBA, including meetings, committees and forum discussions, while clearly demonstrating the spirit of the UBA culture by routinely giving back to the UBA community and unconditionally sharing knowledge and resources with other Partner Firms. Our UBA Partner Firm Principal of the Year has been labeled “innovative” by her peers, and is definitely an invaluable resource for the UBA organization. This Principal was lauded by other Partners on multiple counts, among them her continuous contributions to legal and compliance issues, and often being the first to take the lead with critical issues that make us all better advisors. This Principal chairs UBA’s Legal and Compliance Committee, presents for the quarterly compliance calls, was part of the HIPAA panel at the 2014 UBA Fall Meeting & Expo, and has provided numerous materials to post on UBA’s Wisdom Network intranet.
UBA PARTNER FIRM STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR: Jonathon Hanna from Hanna Global Solutions
Even though the staff member is not a Principal, this person is an indispensable employee at a UBA Partner Firm who helps drive growth for both the agency and its employees. While sharing information with UBA peers, this person also leverages UBA's wisdom and resources to help clients better manage their benefits programs. The UBA Partner Firm Staff Member of the Year took a leadership role in developing and delivering an innovative product that is helping to differentiate UBA Partners from the competition. Through this person’s leadership and understanding of the power of collaboration, he has encouraged Partners to share success stories and case studies with their peers to grow their business, and acquire and retain clients. He continually has his ear to the ground to foresee issues and better serve the needs of UBA Partners and the clients they serve. The open forums and discussion groups he leads at UBA meetings have also helped to educate Partners on best practices, resulting in service to more than 9,000 lives in a single year.
UBA STRATEGIC PARTNER OF THE YEAR: Guardian
This Strategic Partner has established a unique UBA product or offering that has not only been successful in 2014, but exceeded the expectations of UBA Partners. They are eager to interact with UBA Firms, participate in UBA national and regional meetings, keep product information current, and genuinely appreciate the relationships they have with UBA. Besides working with UBA as an organization, they exhibit flexibility and a willingness to consider individual Partner needs by responding with opportunities, knowledge, resources, and solutions. Finally, yet perhaps more importantly, this Strategic Partner always gives priority to its relationship with UBA and, as a result, there is significant growth of UBA Partners’ books of business with them in 2014. The UBA Strategic Partner of the Year is one of UBA’s top Strategic Partners, with more than $24 million in Partner Firm production in 2014 alone. They have been instrumental in UBA’s ability to earn new business and retain existing business during the past two years while they continuously develop new products and markets. Partners cited their great commitment and participation with the entire UBA organization, and also noted that they are great to work with as well.
ABOUT United Benefit Advisors
United Benefit Advisors is the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. As trusted and knowledgeable advisors, UBA Partners collaborate with more than 2,000 fellow 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 Partners should visit UBA online at http://www.UBAbenefits.com.
© 2015 United Benefit Advisors. All related trademarks, logos and trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and other countries and may not be used without permission. All other names are property of their respective owners.
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Bill Olson, United Benefit Advisors, http://www.ubabenefits.com, +1 760-331-3547, [email protected]
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