Digital Insurance

Adam brings over two decades of health insurance industry experience to Digital Insurance. Under his leadership, the organization has become the nation's fastest-growing employee benefits agency.

Previously, Bruckman served for three years as Digital's chief operating officer, overseeing agency operations including account management, individual and small group sales, and the company's technology platform.

Before joining Digital Insurance, Bruckman was regional sales director for ChannelPoint's Southwest region, working with leading insurers and healthcare distributors to deliver e-commerce solutions and strategies to compete in the digital marketplace.

Bruckman also served as sales director for Prudential HealthCare in Dallas, where he was responsible for the sales and distribution of group health and ancillary products. In addition, he held sales and sales management positions with United HealthCare in Dallas and Travelers Insurance in Hartford, Connecticut.

He graduated with honors from Tufts University with a bachelor's degree in economics.

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Mike Sullivan, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, utilizes more than 25 years of leadership experience in the insurance and distribution space to manage sales and marketing for Digital Insurance. He is also responsible for strategy development in response to emerging opportunities relating to healthcare reform. Since 2000, Sullivan has helped position Digital as the largest and most innovative brokerage solution for small- and medium-sized employers across the United States.

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. Briefly before joining Digital, Sullivan worked with a Colorado Springs-based VC-funded technology infrastructure company.

After receiving a bachelor's degree in history from Amherst College, he earned a master's degree in business administration from George Mason University, which included international course work at Oxford University in England. He serves on the advisory board of Freedom Bank of Virginia.

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Chuck Ristau, Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for Digital's financial, risk management, information technology, legal and regulatory functions. He is also a key contributor to Digital's merger and acquisition activities in the areas of strategy, deal structuring and contracts negotiation. His background includes a broad range of financial and capital funding experience, as well as strong development expertise.

Prior to joining Digital, Ristau served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for WorldCrest Group Inc. where he created its initial financial infrastructure and managed finance functions, including accounting and reporting, financial forecasting, treasury, risk management and financial systems. He also was a key member of the senior management team responsible for setting overall strategy, monitoring operating results, and developing opportunities for mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances.

Ristau also served as controller with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., as senior vice president and chief financial officer with Telesis Medical Management Inc., as executive vice president of finance with Merit Behavioral Care Corp., and as a manager of special acquisition services with Deloitte & Touche LLP.

He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Dayton and is a certified public accountant. Ristau is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants.

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Annette Bechtold, Senior Vice President - Operations and Strategic Development, brings some 30 years of insurance industry experience to Digital Insurance. She is responsible for managing all operational aspects pertaining to writing, managing and servicing of benefits for the company's customers. Bechtold collaborates with partners, carriers, vendors and internal departments to focus on planning, workflows, product development and process improvement.

Bechtold accumulated her deep expertise while serving in sales and operations management positions with the Member Insurance Agency in Georgia and Illinois, as well as John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance in Illinois.

A graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Bechtold earned a bachelor of science degree in finance, specializing in insurance and risk management. She is a certified insurance counselor licensed in life, health, property and casualty. In addition, Bechtold is a member of the real estate fraternity, Rho Epsilon Pi.

Having earned several Illinois state awards for voice, dance and theater, Bechtold shares her talent as a member of her church's contemporary band and works to bring English and Spanish communities together through music.

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Since 2004, Brett Rosen has been an integral part of Digital's sales and marketing leadership team, responsible for managing and cultivating relationships with potential acquisition candidates and strategic partners.

Rosen works closely with agency principals and benefits leaders to help clarify their strategic employee benefits direction and understand how Digital's capabilities may well play a role in their firm's strategic evolution.

Conversations and engagement with hundreds of agency leaders across the country put Rosen at the forefront of understanding how agencies are dealing with the changing environment and uncertainties facing the industry.

Prior to joining Digital, Rosen spent 15 years in various sales and management roles with Unum, Hartford and Cigna. He began his career as a staff consultant with Accenture after graduating from Bucknell University in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

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Adam Pannell is responsible for managing and cultivating relationships with potential acquisition candidates and strategic partners in the western portion of the United States. He works closely with leading independent employee benefits agency owners across the country to clarify each firm's capabilities, resources needed to thrive in a changing marketplace and interest in contributing to the growth of an innovative organization.

Prior to joining the firm, Pannell spent 20 years in sales and management roles with Health Dialog, WebMD's Health Services Group and Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Early in his career, he was a top producing group sales representative for The Standard Insurance Company and Liberty Mutual.

Pannell has a bachelor's degree in business administration with a dual concentration in finance and insurance from California State University in Sacramento, as well as a master's degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He also earned his CEBS designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Elizabeth Chrane, Senior Vice President - Marketing, manages marketing, communications and business development activities for Digital Insurance. This award-winning, innovative executive supports the company with her expertise in business-to-business and business-to-consumer communications.

Prior to joining the Digital team, Chrane had 15 years of experience in the financial services and healthcare industries. Based on her leadership roles at Opteum Financial Services, HomeBanc Mortgage and TLC Laser Eye Centers, she was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as "Up and Comers: 40 Under 40" and received the American Marketing Association's Maverick Marketer of the Year award.

After receiving a bachelor's degree in business from Wake Forest University, Chrane completed an Emory University Goizueta Business School executive certification program focused on marketing strategies and analysis. She is on the board of advisors for the Atlanta Metro Chamber of Commerce and a member of the American Marketing Association. Chrane has served as a Junior Achievement Fellow Program coach and a Buckhead YMCA team leader, as well as participated in leadership programs with Generative Consulting and the Buckhead Business Association.

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Julie Cape is senior vice president of client services at Digital Insurance, the nation's leading employee benefits agency specializing in insurance for small businesses and mid-sized companies.

Cape has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. Prior to joining Digital in 2007 as director of sales, she worked for a professional employer organization (PEO) and a payroll/benefits agency.

Cape is known for her keen focus on clients, positive influence and her team-player and collaborative disposition - always the first to jump in and get something done.

She graduated from Indiana University with a major in criminal justice and planned on going to law school. But after getting a taste of employee benefits during her first job out of college, Cape knew benefits was her true love and never went back to school.

Cape is licensed to sell life, accident, health and long-term care insurance.

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Bob is responsible for managing Digital's entire spectrum of information technology (IT). He is a widely accomplished senior IT professional with extensive, commercially-focused experience in the design and implementation of leading-edge technology solutions for a diverse portfolio of more than 40 premier global businesses. With specialized knowledge in ERP software implementation, private-label eCommerce website development for high-visibility manufacturing and finance companies, and the invention of many unique, innovative solutions (2 US Patents).

He's brought a wealth of experience to Digital, previously serving as vice president of e-business at a North American publicly traded car auction company. He has also held a variety of management positions at a leading communications, media and automotive services company, including director of research and development, director of internet software development and director of software development.

To ensure Digital's continued growth and leadership role in a changing marketplace, Schoen continues to accelerate the pace of Digital's ongoing focus on technology, including expansion of its core customer relationship management platform and the creation of new client-facing applications.

Schoen received his bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of West Georgia.

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Steve Pede, Vice President - Client Relations, serves as Digital Insurance's strategic liaison between partners and the company's operations team. Best known for his ability to solve challenges, he coordinates and implements strategic growth plans with partners.

He is a 30-year veteran of the insurance industry who previously worked as assistant vice president of sales for Tufts Health Plan and sales director for The Travelers.

Pede has a bachelor's degree from Gannon University and a master's degree from University of Toronto. He also earned a certified employee benefit specialist designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

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Eric Jones, Vice President of Business Development, manages the corporate team responsible for outreach to brokers and agencies interested in partnering with Digital Insurance.

Before joining Digital, Jones held various leadership positions and worked as vice president and co-branch manager for PMC Lending/Eagle Nationwide, where he successfully restructured and resurrected a large, struggling call center. Previously, he's held executive positions in Atlanta with Home Capital Inc. and BBVA USA/Homeowners Loan Corp.

Jones received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Roanoke College and is a member of Global Insurance Professionals, Insurance Professionals, Contact Center Group, Worldwide Contact Center Professionals and the Health Executive Network.

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John Short is vice president of human resources at Atlanta-based Digital Insurance, the nation's leading employee benefits agency specializing in insurance for small businesses and mid-sized companies.

Short holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Kennesaw State University, where he was on the dean's list and served as sports editor of the university publication. Upon graduation, he served as director of communications for the Atlanta Bar Association and sports and news editor for the Cherokee Tribune.

Short, who has been with Digital Insurance for 10 years, is responsible for all management functions of the company's personnel, which includes a workforce of close to 200 employees located throughout the U.S. Specific duties include staff recruitment, retention, compensation, training, performance management, coaching, policy recommendations, team building, salary, benefits - and more.

A certified Professional in Human Resources, Short is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management and the American Society for Training & Development.

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