Brent Tregaskes is the Founder/Principal of Optimal Benefits Professionals, a Phoenix based employee benefits and human resources advisory firm. Prior to founding his firm, Brent worked primarily at Fortune 500 insurance carriers, brokers and pharmaceutical companies. He has two decades of experience working as a strategic advisor with employers of all sizes, varying from small businesses to employers with 5000+ employees. His experience includes transitioning fully-insured employers to self-funded benefit plans, leveraging HR and benefits administration technologies, tailoring wellness/health rewards programs and advising employers to achieve improved employee recruitment and retention results through effective total rewards and culture strategies. Over the course of his career, he scrutinized the intricacies (and inefficiencies) of the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries. One aspect he found most disturbing were the obvious conflicts of interest that exist within these industries, especially the component that he knew could be changed; the traditional employee benefits broker model. Realizing that his passion would be best suited to consult and advocate directly with employers, Brent seized the opportunity and started his firm in early 2016. His team thrives by growing a business focused on bringing effective solutions to employers/employees, whom have become frustrated after years of double-digit renewal increases, through an ethical and transparent approach. Brent's motto when founding Optimal Benefits Professionals (OBP) was, and will continue to be, "Challenging the status quo of traditional employee benefits brokers". His firm’s business model emphasizes integrity in all they do, to include quality work, hands on customer service, and honorable decisions through authentic relationships. Brent is a proud husband and father of two amazing children. He loves dogs, participating in his kids’ school and extracurricular activities, traveling and mountain biking. Brent is dedicated to being on the leading edge of current business and Human Resource challenges. He is a proud Board member of SHRM of Greater Phoenix, speaks at various HR and benefits related Conferences and gives back to the community through various charitable organizations.