Richard Shaffer Email & Phone Number

Responsible for sales and sales strategy for the Worksite division Optavise inside CNO Financial Group.

Columbia, South Carolina

Responsible for corporate planning for Colonial Life and Unum Group's Voluntary Benefits business, a $2.6 billion division. Leader of an organization with 260+ employees. Executive in charge of acquisition and distribution strategy, including agent recruiting, onboarding, and effectiveness; all specialty practices at Colonial Life (broker, large employer, dental, public sector); enrollment strategy and operations for Colonial Life and Unum (including enrollment communications, fulfillment, new capability testing and development, enrollment firm partner strategy and management); enrollment technology (proprietary and partner platforms and partner strategy and management); client management and client retention teams.

Led a cross-brand Enrollment Center for both Unum and Colonial Life to drive higher attendance at enrollment events, higher product participation and longer persistency. Responsible for setting worker engagement strategy and leading enrollment capability development. Oversaw incubation lab and clearinghouse for new winning benefits education and engagement methods.

Greater Chicago Area

Developed go-to-market strategies for large employer Group and Voluntary Benefits practice in response to a rapidly changing benefits and technology environment.

Greater Chicago Area

Responsible for new client acquisition, renewal, upselling, retention in the large employer segment (2000+ employees) with leading Chicago-based brokers.

Chattanooga, Tennessee Area

Started and managed a 20+ person account management team assigned to marketing, consulting and servicing our largest customers from within our disability benefits operation. Managed a team of long term disability benefits specialists assigned complex caseloads.

Founded a wine import and marketing company introducing leading small family Israeli wineries into the US wine market. Sold the business to a New York-based team in 2012.

M.S., Family Therapy

B.S., Psychology