OUR CONSULTING TEAM

Leslie A. Schneider
Leslie is the Managing Partner at VCG. She has more than 25 years of management and consulting experience. She works with organizations of all sizes to develop competitive HR strategies that advance business goals. Leslie consults in the following areas:

• HR strategy
• Health care reform
• Employee benefits
• Benefits compliance
• Wellness
• Mergers and acquisitions

During her 25 years in consulting, Leslie has managed full-spectrum practices for multi-national consulting firms. She has been quoted in numerous publications, including CFO Magazine and U.S. News and World Report, and has testified as a key Congressional witness on cafeteria benefits for federal employees.

Leslie graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia and also holds a Master of Business Administration in Actuarial Science from the University of Michigan. She has served on the advisory councils for Cigna and Aetna, is currently on the Board of Advisors for TourDeFit.com®, and also serves as an advisor to Iverson Genetics.

Cindy K. Harrison
Cindy has nearly 20 years of consulting experience in health and welfare benefits. She works with employers of all sizes and specializes in account management, plan implementation, and project management. She consults in the following areas:

• Health and welfare plan design
• Benefit plan marketing and strategy
• Benefit plan implementation
• Vender management
• Employee communications
• Benefits administration
• Benefits compliance

Prior to joining VCG, Cindy worked for a prominent insurance brokerage firm and a leading provider of employee benefits communication and enrollment services.

Cindy graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. She is a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) and a Professional in Human Resources (PHR).

Kathi McMullan
Kathi has more than 25 years of experience developing and executing HR and communication strategies to advance strategic business priorities. She consults in the following areas:

• HR strategy and execution
• HR transformation
• Strategic workforce planning
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Organizational effectiveness
• Workforce development
• Performance management
• Career development
• Executive and employee communications
• Employment branding

Prior to joining VCG, Kathi worked for both mid-sized and Fortune 100 companies, where she held leadership positions in talent management, communications, and operations. Kathi also has international experience, having led the Management & Organizational Development function for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region of a global telecommunications company.

Kathi graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Learning & Organizational Change from Northwestern University. She recently completed a two-year term as Director of Professional Development for the SHRM Georgia State Council.

Eric J. Okerblad
Eric has more than 25 years of experience developing and executing health care strategies for organizations of various sizes – from mid-market to multi-national companies. Eric consults in the following areas:

• Employee benefits design and pricing
• Health care/ancillary benefits strategy
• Benefits compliance
• Health care reform
• Benefits policies and procedures

During his career, Eric has advised commercial, educational, and health care employers in the employee benefits arena. He has extensive experience helping organizations design benefits that meet their recruitment, employee retention, and financial goals. Eric has done considerable work in the areas of funding alternatives, multiple benefit plan/network designs, consumer-driven health plans, and ancillary plans.

Prior to joining VCG, Eric was an officer with a leading multi-national benefit consulting firm, and he served as Executive Director for a prominent non-profit organization. Eric received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and Biology from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.

Debbie M. Owens
Debbie manages the Medical Child Support Order Administration team at VCG. She has 28 years of experience in the accounting and data analysis fields and more than 10 years of experience in employee benefits, including the administration of Medical Child Support Orders/National Medical Support Notices.. She consults in the areas of:

• Benefits compliance audits and testing
• Administration of Medical Child Support Orders and National Medical Support Notices
• Administration of Domestic Relations Orders
• Retirement and health and welfare analyses
• On-site retirement and severance administration

Prior to joining VCG, Debbie worked for Fortune 500 companies in the accounting/finance areas. She has experience in accounts receivable, accounts payable, credit, titling, commission calculations and reporting, and consolidation. Debbie holds an associate degree in computer science from Phillips College in Atlanta.

Cindy L. Rhodes
Cindy has more than 20 years of experience in employee benefits. Over the course of her career, she has provided a wide range of benefit consulting services to companies of various sizes and has also worked on the employer side, where she has had responsibility for managing benefits as part of the Human Resources team. Cindy consults in the areas of:

• Health and welfare plan design
• Benefit plan marketing and renewal
• Plan implementation
• Vender management
• Cafeteria plan compliance
• Benefits administration
• Wellness

Before she became a consultant, Cindy administered benefits for a mid-sized non-profit organization and a national restaurant group. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northern Illinois University, is a member of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS), and served on the Board of the Georgia Chapter of the ISCEBS for several years.

Kevin J. Semanick
Kevin is a health and welfare benefits actuarial analyst that specializes in transforming data into actionable knowledge. He consults in the following areas:

• Budgeting and forecasting benefit costs
• Benefit cost reporting and trend analysis
• Benefit plan marketing and renewal
• Benefits compliance
• Wellness

Prior to joining VCG, Kevin was an Actuarial Analyst for an insurance risk company. He also served in several wellness roles, including Track & Field Coach at both Rhodes College and Emory University and operator of his own personal training and fitness business.

Kevin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Statistics and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from The College of New Jersey. He has passed several actuarial exams.