Michelle Sullivan is a dynamic leader and the Senior Vice President and Partner with USI Insurance Services in the Atlanta Employee Benefits Practice. With over two decades of experience in employee benefits planning, Michelle is well regarded for her expertise in designing, negotiating, implementing, and ongoing servicing of employee benefits programs. Her career is marked by resilience, leadership, and a strong commitment to fostering growth.
Early Career and the Dawn of Leadership
After graduation, Michelle envisioned a career in advertising and actively pursued roles as a creative writer and publicist. During an interview with the CEO of a large advertising firm, he suggested that she should consider a position in sales instead. He mentioned that he would send her to meet with the CEO of his firm’s largest client, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina. Although Michelle never imagined working in the insurance industry, she agreed to meet because she desperately needed a job.
BCBS offered her a sales position at a salary significantly higher than what she was considering in advertising. After completing her sales training, Michelle was hooked. She loved every aspect of her job, including the creativity involved in presenting various plan design options, evaluating funding arrangements serving clients, etc. After earning the title of “Sales Representative of the Year” in her first year in the insurance industry. Michelle began pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Actuarial Science at night. This furthered her technical proficiency in underwriting claims projections and understanding the impact of plan change decrements. Upon her gradutation, Michelle’s career accelerated after she was promoted to Regional Vice President over a 5-state region. Regional Vice President overseeing a 5-state region for a major commercial insurer.
The Defining Moment in Michelle’s Career Path
As healthcare costs continued to rise and more resources were needed to stay competitive, Michelle’s employer merged with one of the largest insurers in the country. This shift led to her days filled with integration meetings and discussions about which positions would be eliminated once the integration was complete.
Michelle’s focus shifted predominantly to internal operations and cost reduction efforts. Fortunately, after a year dedicated to the merger, her favorite Atlanta-based consulting firm approached her about a position as one of their benefits consultants. Michelle recognized that this was the right next step for her career. She is passionate about working directly with clients and becoming an extension of their Human Resources team. She has remained with this firm (though it has gone through several acquisitions) for 20 years.
Remarkable Transformation in Leadership Style: Over 20 Years
Today, Michelle has embraced a more collaborative approach to leadership, supported by an immensely talented team. She leads a diverse group of professionals, including attorneys, pharmacists, underwriters, analysts, actuaries, senior account executives, communication experts, technology specialists, and population health experts, all of whom share her commitment to client care. The team frequently meets to discuss plan performance opportunities faced by clients or insurers. Michelle places great trust in her team, which fosters job satisfaction for everyone involved. This shift in her leadership style marks a significant change from the early years of her career when she tried to manage more tasks on her own.
Notable Challenges in Designing Effective Programs
One of the biggest challenges Michelle and her team face today is balancing the affordability of costs while providing an attractive Employee Benefits Program. Additionally, healthcare costs have skyrocketed, with a recent benchmarking study showing that the national average for an organization’s healthcare spending is $14,750 per full-time employee per year. Another key challenge is ensuring employees and their families become more engaged with the various new consumer based navigation tools available to help them find the highest quality of care at the most appropriate cost when seeking medical services.
Balancing Cost Containment while Providing Competitive Benefits
Being cost-conscious and providing market-competitive benefits is not mutually exclusive! Michelle is proud to be a partner at USI Insurance Services, a privately held company that continues to invest in technology and proprietary programs for the benefit of all clients, including both conventionally insured and self-insured individuals. The organization has developed several proprietary medical and prescription drug programs designed to reduce claims without negatively impacting the benefit plan or the customer experience. Michelle’s goal is to leverage strategic solutions to optimize benefits, control costs, and support the overall well-being of insureds.
Negotiating the best Outcomes for Clients
Achieving the best outcomes for the clients while maintaining solid vendor partnerships is a delicate balance. Michelle prefers to negotiate based on factual information, utilizing client data, USI national trends, and market data rather than relying on emotion. She admits that her actuarial degree is beneficial when communicating with insurance company underwriters. Michelle values her career partnerships and works diligently to nurture them.
The Significance of Mentorship helping to Empower Women Leadership
Michelle is a strong advocate for women helping women, believing that all women can help their peers learn and grow in their careers. She is proud to be a founding member of USI’s Women’s Leadership Forum, established in 2021. Initially, this group consisted of four successful female consultants who met to collaborate and share ideas. The forum has since expanded to include 14 successful female consultants from across the country. Each year, they host a three-day annual conference featuring a packed agenda with various speakers and topics. At the meeting, each member is required to bring new ideas, solutions, or presentations to share. The participants have found these gatherings so effective that they concluded they learn more during their annual meeting than at all the other conferences they attend throughout the year.
Latest Trends Shaping the Employee Benefits Landscape
Several significant trends are currently influencing the employee benefits landscape. Despite major advancements, overall health in the US continues to decline. Rising costs, along with new treatments such as gene therapies, biosimilars, and GLP-1s have led to increased pharmacy spending. Additionally, new legislation and legal battles concerning healthcare compliance and prescription oversight are emerging. There is also a growing demand for mental health support. Furthermore, a “one size fits all” approach does not suffice; and there is an increasing demand for customized benefits. An aging workforce that is unprepared for retirement is contributing to a gradual increase in employer healthcare costs.
Meeting Gen Z and Millennial Employees’ Expectations
Each generation has unique needs based on their life stage, making it challenging for employers to offer comprehensive benefit plans. The team at USI Insurance recognizes that companies that fail to adapt to evolving employee needs risk losing talented team members to more progressive competitors. Michelle emphasizes that providing affordable healthcare supported by clear communication is crucial for the success of a comprehensive benefit program. Her focus includes telemedicine, specialized RX savings programs, behavioral health services, and integrating USI’s Core health strategy to address intergenerational needs. USI offers a variety of plan designs and different contribution models to accept and update employees as they progress through various life stages. They also provide Medicare transition advocacy services for insureds turning age 65.
Road Ahead
Looking ahead, Michelle aims to maintain the highest level of integrity, always following through on her commitments and serving as the best advocate for her clients in every situation. Her goal is to be the most effective consultant for each client, to be an invaluable partner to USI Insurance, and to foster meaningful relationships with all vendors.