Al Carlson, Cebs, Pmp, Csfs Email & Phone Number

Minnesota, United States

Helping teams, clients, and stakeholders with the tools, processes, and ideas that yield positive change with major health and wealth decisions.Especially known for being:1. Reliable and trusted problem solver who facilitates positive change* Respected achiever who passionately works individually and within his team to get things done* Organized planner who effectively leverages teams to pull it all together* Knowledgeable leader who helps audiences with well-organized data, informed insights, and wise direction2. Engaged and respectful team player who thoughtfully drives consensus and timely decision making* Responsive facilitator whose meetings are well planned and summarized* Positive mentor who helps teammates get through their tough times* Respectful timekeeper who adapts to changes as needed to stay on plan3. Honest communicator who earns trust of peers and clients, which leads to business results* Thoughtful contributor who enjoys brainstorming and strategic planning* Detailed writer who creates materials which make easier the complex* Open-minded listener who is willing to ask hard questions such as "why"

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Plymouth, Mn

Accomplishments:• $700,000 large group book with 5 self-insured and 2 multi-state cases, size 100-1000 employees• Orchestrated the work of 7 separate teams and responsible for overall client experienceSummary:In my role as a Benefit Executive, I managed the overall client experience at NFP. I played a key role in developing strategic plans for clients, negotiating with vendors and interpreting and communicating client regulatory obligations. I also worked with my clients to ensure employees understand the value of their benefit package through well designed education. I am a dedicated advocate for my clients, ensuring that day-to-day and long term issues are handled efficiently and effectively.

Alexandria, Mn

Accomplishments:• 2.5-year project, $30 million in premium, pooling over 20 public employers into one health plan• Facilitated 3-5 regional task force meetings quarterly, and managed project across 7 departmentsSummary: I helped a Medicaid-only health insurance company develop an innovative commercial health insurance product and benefits offering for a new pool of multiple large public employers. Essentially, that involved helping many people have many discussions about many moving parts of a difficult subject, with goals of unity and progress. Fun stuff!This involved: * Coordinating the development of PrimeWest Health's commercial health insurance product offering* Utilizing health insurance and employee benefits industry insights to yield unique and competitive plan design and premium/contribution structures for strategic planning teams* Project management that involves effective and timely communication with unions, county commissioners, group administrators, insurance committees, regional stakeholder groups, brokers, vendors, third party administrators, and various internal teams* Preparing and conducting numerous presentations to help audiences make better sense out of complicated health and benefits subjects* Reviewing and summarizing a variety of vendor proposals for consideration by key stakeholders* Serving fellow teammates, direct reports, and upper management by asking, listening, training, and coaching

Accomplishments:• Lead team of 7 across MN, ND, WI to commission revenue of $1.2 million• Facilitated process improvement team, yielding in-house COBRA and client benefits portal serviceSummary:Led employee benefits sales and retention efforts for Greater Minnesota and North Dakota, managed five agency personnel, and led agency benefits team of seven in separate locations across Minnesota and Wisconsin.• Selected to participate in executive leadership academy and initiated an agency-wide process improvement team, which resulted in centralized support of a more uniform service to out-state agents across Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.• In face of stagnant growth and new challenges due to health reform, lobbied management for radical change in past two years, successfully yielding the hire of a large group specialist and the partnering with Digital Insurance for service on all accounts large and small.

Accomplishments:• Benefits Producer and Account Executive, expanding network throughout Greater Minnesota• Organic book growth from $70,000 to $700,000, earning 6 sales and service awardsSummary:Managed benefits sales and retention work including analytics and compliance, as well as cross-selling other services offered by the enterprise.• Developed tools to streamline the sales and service process, ultimately adopted agency-wide, including a sophisticated small and large group renewal Excel workbook, numerous communications and white-papers on Word, technical presentations on PowerPoint, and group-specific benefits site development. • Created and delivered many presentations, including PPACA, defined contribution, consumer-driven health plans, and HSA's, presenting in various formats including seminars and webinars.• Achieved or exceeded overall new business and retention expectations every year, resulting in personal book growth from $100,000 to $700,000 over career. • Received numerous “Best of Bremer” sales awards and bonuses the majority of years in career, and achieved Key Agent status with carriers such as Blue Cross and Guardian.• Achieved over 50% customer participation in HSA’s, well beyond industry norms, using a passionate yet informative approach that successfully challenged the status quo and helped bend the cost curve. • Convinced many groups to change agent of record to us in return for enhanced value or service.• Guided many employers to successfully revamp every element of their package, yielding over $100k in savings in some cases, while helping with enrollment and communications to ensure that employee satisfaction was maintained.

MN Life is a leading life insurance company in MN, with whom I contracted through the Northstar Resource Group general agency for 2 ½ years, to sell annuities and life insurance products to individuals and groups, initially in St. Paul area, and eventually Alexandria. Received advanced life case training on a frequent basis.Served in Ken Richard's office in Roseville, MN 1992-1993, then in 1993 established strategic partnership with local agency and branch office for MN Life in Alexandria.Series 7 and 63

Ameriprise (formerly known as IDS) is a leading financial planning services company, which provided me my first year experience away from public accounting, providing extensive sales training valuable for any financial product sale. Voted "most likely to succeed" by fellow IDS trainees (more than 20 from across the U.S.)Served in St. Paul South divisionSeries 7 and 63

Served in Minneapolis Audit division after 2 internships (one with Deloitte Haskins & Sells, the other with Touche Ross)Travelled to various parts of U.S. to work on financial and compliance audits for very large entities