Over 25 years in Sales Leadership Larry is an expert on Sales & Marketing in the Medicare field. He has worked for both large state wide plans as well as smaller local plans. He takes pride in helping others reach their goals and enjoys working in an industry that assists people access healthcare. Larry is married with 3 daughters who have all received their bachelor’s degrees. Larry is a UCLA graduate who loves college athletics and eating.
Tim’s health care career began at CVS Health where he worked in various marketing and product development roles including five years supporting SilverScript Insurance Company’s Medicare Part D plans. In 2011, Tim joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and was responsible for the overall product development and management of Government Programs, including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Medicare Part D. In addition to his in-depth knowledge of Medicare, Tim has experience with launching new plans and products, service area expansion, plan and network contraction, market assessment and overall business development.
Tim joined Deft Research in 2016 as Vice President of Client Services and brings industry knowledge and firsthand experiences to the company.
Stefanie Cao’s career success is driven by motivating the teams she leads to work with their heart and head. Her unique, high-energy approach to sales started when she was recruited in 2008 to work for CareOregon, the largest Medicaid provider in the state of Oregon. Stefanie took it upon herself to specialize in the dual-eligible market becoming the top producer for the Medicare line of business. In 2011, she was promoted to Medicare Sales Manager to lead all CareOregon Advantage marketing efforts including: product strategy, community outreach and advertising efforts for the company. Additionally, Stefanie manages and supervises all employed, captive and independent producers teaching them sell within the dual eligible market by building strategic relationships and to become educators first, sales people second. Under Stefanie’s leadership, her grassroots approach has doubled membership in CareOregon Advantage making it the largest Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan in the state.
Committed to professional development, Stefanie has been nominated twice for the Portland Metropolitan Senior Network Marketing Professional of the Year. She was a long-standing board member of the Portland Chapter of Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) and has served as the 2014 Portland Chapter President. Stefanie was nominated in 2014 for the Portland Business Journal Women of Influence Orchid Award.
To reach Stefanie directly, connect on LinkedIn or contact her directly at caos@careoregon.org.
Brian’s goal is to provide clients with solutions that stress flexibility, optimize clinical and financial decision-making through analytics, automation, integration, and simplification of processes. Brian has over 25 years of healthcare expertise in sales, solution design, product management and client services. Brian helped dozens of the nation’s leading health plans design and implement care management solutions that engage more members, improve member health, reduce administrative and medical costs, and deliver program transparency. Brian has presented at numerous conferences and led webinars on provider engagement, technology-driven care management tools, and predictive modeling. As a native of Colorado, Brian is an outdoor lover and rabid Denver Broncos fan who enjoys playing and spending time with his family in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Meridith Elliott Powell Author, Business Growth Expert
Voted one of the Top 15 Business Growth Experts to watch by Currency Fair, Meridith Elliott Powell is an award-winning author, keynote speaker and business strategist. With a background in corporate sales and leadership, her career expands over several industries including banking, healthcare and finance. Meridith worked her way up from an entry-level position to earn her seat at the C-Suite table. She is Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by less than twelve percent of professional speakers, and a member of the prestigious Forbes Coaching Council.
She has a cutting-edge message, rooted in real-life examples and real-world knowledge. She is the author of four books, including Winning In The Trust & Value Economy (a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards) and her latest Own It: Redefining Responsibility – Stories of Power, Freedom & Purpose about how to build cultures that inspire ownership at every level to create profits at every turn.
Meridith writes, speaks and is passionate about helping her clients understand everything they need to know about how to make this economy start working for them.
Bill Graham Senior Vice President, Medicare Business
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
William J. Graham is Senior Vice President, Medicare Business at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a leading not-for-profit health services company that serves as a guide to better health for its members in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and beyond. Bill leads Harvard Pilgrim’s Medicare line of business, including its Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement offerings. He has profit and loss accountability for the business segment and direct responsibility for strategy, business development, product, sales, the Medicare Advantage Star program and Medicare Advantage operations. For many years, Bill led Harvard Pilgrim's public affairs function, including its state and federal advocacy efforts and its strategic response to and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the MetroWest Health Foundation, an independent health philanthropy dedicated to building resilient, healthy and equitable communities in the MetroWest area of Massachusetts. Bill is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Boston University School of Law.
Naomi Irvin is a California native who relocated to North Carolina in 2006. She earned her undergraduate degree (BSBA with a Management concentration) from East Carolina University (ECU), graduating Magna Cum Laude. Subsequently, she completed her MBA (with a Marketing Certificate) at ECU on full academic scholarship.
With over a decade of health insurance experience, Naomi currently leads a team of Compliance Consultants within the Sales, Marketing and Communications division of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.
At home, Naomi has 3 children (an ECU Sophomore, a high school senior, and a second grader) and two dogs. In her free time she enjoys reading and collecting books.
As the manager of Medicare and Individual Sales and Operations, Christopher Javor is responsible for driving business sales, generating revenue and demonstrating customer service excellence at HAP.
Christopher has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. In his previous role as Medicare sales representative at HAP, he achieved record sales, trained HAP sales representatives and excelled at building solid relationships with HAP’s agents, employees and members.
Prior to joining HAP in 2008, he held sales positions at Quinnova Pharmaceuticals, Liberty Mutual, Yellow Book USA and Clinix Health Services. During his time as a territory manager at Quinnova Pharmaceuticals in Dallas, Christopher was responsible for expanding the organization’s reach to a new territory, launching several new products and building and maintaining strong relationships with physicians and employees. As a sales representative at Liberty Mutual in Highlands Ranch, Colo., he was instrumental in identifying growth strategies that helped increase the organization’s annual revenue.
Christopher holds a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo.
William Jay Justice Director of Marketing and Sales
Vantage Health Plan
Billy Justice has over 20 years of experience as the Director of Marketing for Vantage Health Plan, a Louisiana Health Maintenance Organization (HMO).
In June of 1996, Billy wrote the very first fully-insured Vantage policy which is now marketed throughout Louisiana. Billy was also instrumental in the development of the key products and outstanding customer service that have set Vantage apart from the industry standard. Vantage is helping lead the reform of healthcare in Louisiana by proving that coordinated care works through its Medical Home Model.
Billy is actively involved with the Louisiana Association of Health Plans and Louisiana Health Underwriters, and serves as a board member for the Boy Scouts of Louisiana, Ouachita Council on Aging, Workforce Investment Board, and the NOVA Advisory Council.
Jameson has over 18 years’ experience in Sales, and over 14 years working with insurance carriers in Medicare, Medicaid, and Individual Health insurance. While finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management, Jameson began his Medicare career as a sales rep for PacifiCare Health Systems prior to their acquisition by United Healthcare, where he quickly found a passion for serving seniors in the health insurance world. He advanced quickly in the industry with many opportunities for cross departmental collaboration. He has been primarily focused on sales leadership, but has been heavily involved in Compliance, Marketing, Product Development, Strategy, and Training.
Jameson is currently leading Strategic Development and Acquisition at AgencyRM, a regional FMO. He is focused on changing the FMO world to be more in partnership with carriers and agents to achieve greater results for all stakeholders while remaining focused on “taking care of Grandma”. Prior to joining AgencyRM, Jameson has served in a variety of leadership roles at regional and national Medicare carriers in Oregon, Washington, and Texas.
Jameson is married and has two children, and now lives in San Antonio, Texas.
Vic Merolla is a native of San Francisco, CA. He attended Santa Clara University and has a degree in Business Management and Administration.
Vic started his insurance career in the mid-70s spending over 30 years in the Commercial Property-Liability arena - principally in Workers Compensation. A number of those years were with national TPAs who specialized in Self- Insurance claims administration. His clients were among many Fortune 500 and 100 companies nationwide. Vic was a guest speaker at many regional and national conferences.
For the past 12 years, Vic has been involved with Medicare sales and management. He has worked as a Sales Director and Production Mgr. for UHC in WA. & CA., Health Net in N.CA., and is entering his 3rd AEP with Providence Medicare as the Producer Mgr. for WA. He works with both FMO, GAs’ along with independent and captive Agents.
Vic now lives in Olympia, WA where he spends his free time working with USF&W at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and is a Volunteer and member of the Board of Directors of Wolf Haven International in Tenino, WA.
Sherri Miller has been in the insurance industry since 2002, and has over 10 years of experience advising agents and consumers in the Senior market. Her expertise includes Medicare Supplements and PDP plans, and her passion – Medicare Advantage. Sherri has worked with several national carriers in multiple states, including her home state of Illinois. Her doctrine is that education directly leads to sales, and she frequently is requested to share her knowledge and passion at multiple speaking engagements throughout the state.
Andrew Napierala Sales Manager, Medicare & Individual Products, Consumer Markets
BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York
Andrew Napierala joined BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York in 2015 and serves as Sales Manager for Medicare and Individual Products on the Consumer Markets team. His chief responsibilities include leadership of the outside sales team, the development of FMO/Broker distribution channels, and the ongoing operations of three “Medicare Center” retail locations. Additionally, Andrew is responsible for planning and logistics in preparation for the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period each fall and he contributes to cross-functional teams related to marketing, product development, training, talent acquisition, and member services.
Since assuming the role, three years ago, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York’s Medicare membership has grown by over 60% while the company’s “Age-in” conversion ratio has improved by 150% over the same period.
Andrew has considerable experience in consumer sales, having spent the majority of his career in the financial services industry, including sales and management roles with HSBC, MassMutual, and Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.
Andrew is a board member with several non-profit organizations across Upstate New York and is a current participant in Western New York’s premier leadership development program, Leadership Buffalo’s Class Experience. He currently resides in Williamsville, NY with his wife, Brittany, and daughters Nora and Nina.
Jeff Nathe has over 25 years experience in the Medicare Advantage industry, having worked in a direct sales capacity for companies such as PacifiCare and Health Net. In 2006, he joined Mercy Care Advantage as Sales Manager for their recently launched D-SNP plan. Since then, he was tasked with overseeing an outbound call center and, most recently, a Member Education and Outreach program.
Despite a highly competitive and mature market, Mercy Care Advantage has seen incremental and organic growth by only using employed agents and minimal marketing. Additionally, Mercy Care Advantage was recently awarded the state-wide contract for the DDD program, with a start date of January 1, 2020.
Jeff is a native of Arizona and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a degree in Global Business. He is most proud of his two daughters but admits to enjoying an "empty nest"!
Steve Selinksy Vice President of Business Development
HAP
Steve Selinsky is Vice President of Business Development with Health Alliance Plan. In his role, Steve is responsible for all group, individual, and Medicare new business sales, consumer marketing and community outreach. Steve has been in the insurance industry for more than 25 years. Prior to joining HAP in 2013, he held sales leadership positions with national health insurers and third-party administrators. As an active member of several professional organizations, Steve is well known within the health insurance industry. In July of 2017, Steve received the Harold R. Gordon Memorial Award, from the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU). The award is NAHU’s highest honor and recognized him as the Health Insurance Person of the Year. He has served as president of the National Association of Health Underwriters from 2010-2011. He has also chaired the board of the NAHU Education Foundation and the Health Underwriters Political Action Committee (HUPAC). Steve is a board member and past president of the Metro Detroit Association of Health Underwriters, and is a graduate of Leadership Oakland and Leadership Detroit. He is also a board member of the Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation, whose mission is to preserve the dignity and enhance the quality of life of seniors in Michigan. Steve has also served on the boards of the Oakland Literacy Council and the Village School for autistic children.
Selinsky received his bachelor's degree from Albion College. He and his wife, Kerry, live in Farmington Hills, Mich., with their two children.
Judie Victor has been in the insurance industry in a sales role for over 25 years. She started her career analyzing data in a regional sales office and fairly quickly got excited about joining the employed sales force at United Health Plan at the young age of 24. Within her first month, she started exceeding goal and continued to be a strong performer winning awards and recognition over her 13 years with the company. From there, Judie jumped into the property and casualty insurance industry to work for National General Insurance where she was a Territory Sales Manager. She grew the broker footprint from 53 agents to over 550 and was able to introduce a new company and product to brokers which helped to exponentially increase sales in Southern California.
Judie’s most recent position has been with SCAN Health Plan where she has been a Sales Manager for the past 7 years. She has really enjoyed working for a not-for-profit whose mission is to keep seniors healthy and independent. SCAN Health Plan just celebrated their 200,000-member milestone. Judie manages 9 employed sales reps, and is accountable for production of telesales and the broker channel in her Southern California region. Judie has been awarded Manager of the year several times as well has attended Producer’s Club events where feedback is given to top executives at the company.
Judie has a BS degree from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo in Business Marketing as well as an MBA from San Diego State University in Management. Judie loves to plan trips, spend time with her family. Judie has a true passion for sales, health care, and the insurance industry and looks forward to sharing information as well as learning best practices at the RISE conference.
