Craig Kreutzer - Employee Benefits Advocate/Vp Brinson Benefits Email & Phone Number

Dallas, Tx, Us

What is Simpatico Benefits?Simpatico is defined as having shared attributes or interests. So, what exactly is Simpatico Benefits? It is a community of entrepreneurs working together to solve the issues with employee benefits. Employee benefits can be a challenge for many employers and their employees, especially in groups with less than 50 employees. Almost 90% of US businesses employ under 20 employees. Employee benefits have traditionally been significantly less robust and convoluted for employees at small businesses. Should the size of the business be the driving factor behind the benefits employees have access to as well as to their level of service?Simpatico Benefits will focus on providing a best-in-class solution for employee benefits, focusing on groups below 50 employees. From benefit selection to enrollment, to post-enrollment, our team will focus on advocacy, specifically within an area where advocacy is crucial yet not commonly available. One of our core beliefs is that small business entrepreneurs are frustrated with the lack of benefit solutions available to smaller groups. Perhaps they are an entrepreneur that left a large group to start their dream business, their dream life. We don’t understand why pursuing their dream should force them to forgo great employee benefits.

Responsible for working with brokers to develop comprehensive and effective enrollment solutions, based on the unique needs of their various groups. Understanding a one-size-fits-all approach is typically ineffective, we partner with the broker to identify and implement proven processes to provide a best in class enrollment for each group.BROKER RELATIONSHIPSWhile we work with companies to enroll their employees, we first partner with brokers providing our enrollment services to their groups. As licensed, trained and certified benefit counselors, our expertise is in enrolling employees. Acting as an advocate for both employee and employer, we adopt an agnostic view towards benefits, helping each employee make an educated and informed decision regarding their benefits. We believe that benefits can be confusing, but they don't need to be. We excel at reducing the noise, as a result simplifying benefits to make them easy to understand.PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION SOLUTIONSNot all companies are the same and not all brokers are the same. As such, we view each case on an individual basis. Our involvement in an enrollment ranges from one-on-one meetings to conducting group meetings, where we review the entire suite of benefits, enrolling all employees in their benefits. Our role is to assist brokers to effectively enroll each group, again acting as an advocate for both employee and employer. This often includes enrolling employees in all of their benefits, including medial, dental, vision, disability, life insurance and any additional benefits.

Columbia, Sc, Us

Responsible for helping businesses navigate the complex and continually changing health insurance landscape. As health insurance continues to see year-over-year increases, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find affordable solutions for employee benefits. My team works with each business to design and develop a comprehensive solution specific to their needs. We concentrate on leveraging and enhancing an employer's core benefits program, effectively communicating the entire benefits program and its value to their employees.We support and assist each business throughout the entire enrollment process, throughout the entire year. My team serves as subject matter experts, educating employees on their benefits. We work with employees so they understand their benefits, allowing them to make informed decisions as they select the benefits that meet their specific needs.

Senior operations officer reporting to the President/CEO. Responsible for a wide variety of duties, covering all aspects of the business, across multiple disciplines. Tasked with improving the day-to-day operations, resulting in improved financial performance of the portfolio.OPERATIONS• Directed all aspects of the day-to-day operations of three multi-million dollar Buy Here, Pay Here (BHPH) locations.• Streamlined sales process, eliminating redundant data entry, shortening cycle by nearly 20%.• Created proprietary tool to mitigate risk during origination and underwriting process, achieving a 7.0% YoY increase in retention rate, resulting in an annualized increase of income of more than $495K.• Created proprietary CRM tool, used to enhance sales process and customer experience.• Created multiple tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness across entire organization.• Delivered multi-faceted marketing programs, increasing YoY sales by 7.1%.REPORTING & BUSINESS ANALYTICS• Built custom daily, weekly and monthly reporting package.• Created multiple forecasting reports used to guide purchasing decisions.• Identified KPI’s, used to gauge portfolio performance.• Created sales and performance reports, used to guide underwriting process.• Produced multiple ad hoc reports, across entire organization.

Senior operations officer reporting to the COO. Key member of the executive team, participating in the design, development and implementation of the company's strategic vision. Responsible for a wide range of duties, tasked with supporting all operations-based initiatives, along with assuming leadership of Merchandising Department.OPERATIONS• Served as operations liaison with retail partners, ensuring the successful integration of the Flexi transaction.• Facilitated test with Fortune 5 retail partner, resulting in 62% increase in sales.• Designed and implemented monthly performance review process for store operations.• Created weekly ranking reports, for all levels of operations team.• Served as operations liaison with retail partners, ensuring the successful integration of the Flexi transaction.• Created custom process allowing operations team to generate monthly projections.REPORTING & BUSINESS ANALYTICS• Designed and executed compliance reports and processes to drive revenue growth of $3.2M for 2013, annualized at $5.9M for 2014.• Created suite of inventory reports focusing on profitability and inventory utilization.• Created and delivered multiple custom reports delivered to retail partners, validating success of programs.• Devised predictive modeling to determine viability of projects, cross channel and cross department.• Built extensive recurring and ad hoc reports, cross channel and cross departments.MERCHANDISING• Directed Merchandising department, overseeing all initiatives and programs.• Designed and developed custom inventory management system to establish and ensure optimal inventory levels.• Administered the design and execution of the expansion into the furniture category, resulting in a 2013 Q4 year-over-year sales increase of 64%.• Introduced pricing strategies & tools across all channels, ensuring pricing execution and compliance.• Created out-of-stock database to allow tracking of retail partners inventory levels.

Tasked with a wide range of duties, covering all aspects of operations. Served as a liaison between operations and various departments within the company, including Finance, IT, Marketing, Merchandising, Training and Human Resources. Leveraged my cross-functional skill set to effectively collaborate on various company projects.• Composed weekly communications with field, collaborating with department heads to serve as point of contact between the field and home office.• Served as operations liaison with Fortune 5 retail partner, ensuring successful integration of the Flexi transaction into more than 150 retail locations. • Authored sales training content, tasked with training employees at more than 150 locations on effectively selling the Flexi transaction.• Extensive use of predictive modeling and financial analysis across multiple disciplines, to influence the organization's operational plans, including pricing strategies, product category lines and various operational programs.• Authored operational SOP's, accelerating consistent execution.• Built multiple sales incentive programs.• Designed and implemented comprehensive store consolidation process, used during closing of 50+ locations. • Created custom 360 Competency Assessment program.• Built recognition program for quarterly Operations Summits, including establishing KPIs and ranking system.• Created and launched online lead tracking database.

Responsible for the creation, design, implementation and execution of the Flexi Home Furnishings (FHF) program. FHF is a collection of offerings specifically designed to provide apartment complexes differentiation opportunities in a competitive marketplaces. The FHF program provided residents exclusive access to furniture, electronics and appliances through affordable and convenient payments bundled with their monthly apartment payment. Program successfully launched at more than 45 apartment communities across the DFW and San Antonio metroplexes.• Responsible for all components of the FHF program, taking the program from concept to market.• Built program to annualized income of more than $1.5M.• Built extensive predictive modeling to establish pricing, sales bonus programs and partner commission structure to determine financial viability of program.• Identified and secured multi-family property management groups to participate within the FHF program.• Designed and facilitated comprehensive training programs for on-site personnel, tasked with offering program to residents.• Built custom online inventory ordering process used to track product from initial order through delivery to the resident's home.• Designed, developed and implemented all internal and external marketing materials and programs.• Authored all SOP's to ensure consistent execution.• Built reconciliation and billing processes to align with various partners requirements.• Created all internal and external reporting for program.• Directed the collections process, utilizing on-site and remote collections teams.

Served as operations lead in the successful integration of the Flexi transaction into a Fortune 100 retail partner. Responsibilities included predictive modeling, developing pricing strategies, messaging, training, visual merchandising, reporting and serving as operations liaison with local management teams. Overarching goal of providing Flexi with new opportunities to expand into new markets, leveraging new transactions.• Built extensive predictive modeling of the Flexi transaction, developing pricing strategies to ensure desired ROI and IRR within retail channel.• Authored effective messaging for selling Flexi transaction within retail environment.• Created pricing tools, comparing Flexi transaction with traditional financing.• Partnered with local teams to develop bundle pricing programs, based on available inventory.• Operations liaison tasked with strengthening relationship of Flexi across all levels of retail partner.• Authored operations SOP's, accelerating consistent execution.• Developed suite of reports, used by senior management.• Appointed lead of migration process to new POS software, including responsibility for extensive transactional modeling.

Tasked primarily with the restructuring of the Flexi Compras supply chain, improving efficiency resulting in lower carrying cost of inventory. Assumed management of six distribution centers, developing all processes for movement of inventory throughout the Flexi Compras system.• Full accountability for movement of product throughout the Flexi Compras system.• Developed all processes and SOP's, ensuring consistent execution across all six distribution centers.• Established processes to ensure chain of custody for product movement, resulting in annual inventory shrinkage of 0.01%.• Identified service repair partners for each DC, designing and deploying a service program across the entire company, resulting in a 31% reduction in the repair cycle.• Established in-house service repair department for computers and video game consoles.• Designed custom Inventory Management System, establishing SKU level replenishment points used to drive ordering.• Created reports to identify profitability at a SKU level, providing merchandising team guidance for future purchases.

Responsible for a very broad range of tasks, crossing many disciplines including inventory logistics, reporting, training, predictive modeling, budgeting, website development and merchandising. Broad job responsibilities based largely on being a core member of a startup company.• Full accountability for design, development and production of reports across all departments, working closely with stakeholders to understand their specific reporting needs.• Managed our POS software system.• Built and managed company websites.• Established and reported KPI's used to drive budgeting process.• Assisted finance department in preparing annual budgets.• Performed ad hoc tasks, as needed across multiple business disciplines.• Employed and embraced an entrepreneurial spirit required at a startup company.

Wichita, Kansas, Us

Design, develop and deploy custom Internet based applications within RTO Industry. The applications were primarily database driven, designed to integrate the efficiencies of Internet within the day-to-day operations of the client.• Co-founded the Internet Development department, expanding range of services offered by High Touch.• Led the sales team, ensuring successful expansion of product line and the department.• Leveraged RTO experience with knowledge of Internet technology to design suite of custom aplications.• Participated within the RTO Industry as a leading resource for Internet Development – worked extensively with TARA, APRO, ORDA, TRIB, CAL-APRO and RPDA.