Susanne Antonucci—Production Manager

Susanne started her career in the advertising industry, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing & Communications from New York University. By the time she came on board as our Production Manager in April 2002, she had over 15 years in print production, including time in the communications practice of AON, and at Bozell Eskew (a division of the Sawyer Miller Group), where she was their print production manager.

Why Susanne Loves This Business—“I love printing and the end product—ink on paper—is always exciting. I love to be totally immersed in a project. That’s why you’ll always see me on press to ensure a high-quality end product. In addition, I’m constantly in touch with my vendors to be sure I get the best product—and I’ve been known to beat them up from time to time on price.”

Allison Brown—Associate Consultant

Allison joined our practice in 2006 and is responsible for designing, editing and managing employee communications projects for clients. Previously, Allison provided sales and human resources support at a major health insurance carrier where she developed her knowledge of employee benefits. Her responsibilities included working with underwriters to obtain quotes, communicating rates and plan benefits to brokers and group implementation. She has also provided desktop publishing services to a variety of clients for more than 10 years. Allison holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Ohio University and is licensed by the Arizona Department of Insurance as a Health/Life Producer.

Why Allison Loves This Business—“I love the variety that my day-to-day work provides, as well as the opportunity to be creative. Not only am I doing what I love, but I am also surrounded by top-notch professionals who make the projects challenging and fun. Working with clients and seeing their satisfaction with the end result is very rewarding.”

Randolph Carter—Vice President, Senior Consultant

In addition to being a Vice President of The Segal Company, Randy also has the distinction of being the very first employee of Marjorie Gross & Company (MGC), a communications consulting firm acquired by Segal in 2001. Before making the leap into that entrepreneurial environment more than 20 years ago, he was a communications consultant at Buck Consultants and Foster Higgins, for a total of 25-plus years in this business. Randy is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Why Randy Loves This Business—“First, there are the clients: one project is with a Fortune 50 corporation, another with a construction trades multiemployer trust fund, and another with a federal agency that serves employees from park rangers to Supreme Court justices. Then, there are the colleagues: I talk strategy with the VPs, compliance with attorneys, plan design with administrators, soundtrack with video editors. They don’t get to live in each other’s worlds, but I do. And in each of these worlds, it’s my job to ‘get it.’ I have to listen to everyone on the team and come up with the messages that make everyone say, ‘That’s what I was talking about!’ And every time they do, I know I’m in the right business.”

Dorothy Charles—Layout/Desktop Publishing Associate

Dottie joined MGC in 1999 as Office Manager. While her background is in travel and administration, our creative atmosphere is evidently catching. Dottie expressed a desire to learn the design and production end of our business. And, through formal and on-the-job-training, she has moved into a new role with layout and desktop publishing responsibilities.

Why Dorothy Loves This Business—“I’m self-motivated, ambitious and love learning new skills. Seeing the quality of our work and the way the people here work as a team made me want to play a bigger role in the creative and professional side of our practice. Not every company lets you go for it, so I really appreciate the opportunities and support I get from everyone here.”

Elena Charleston—Consultant

Elena “rejoined” Segal in 2006 as a communicator in our practice—after a previous 11-year stint as a health benefits analyst. During her hiatus from Segal, she served as manager of both Proposal Business and Member Communications at First Health, and worked as a freelance writer, producing commercial ads and communications for contracted clients. Elena holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/ Communications from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Why Elena Loves This Business—“Give me a position where I can write meaningful communications and you have one happy camper. Communications consulting allows me to simplify the complexities of managed care for individuals who may not otherwise understand their benefits or their role as well-informed health care consumers. Just flip through any plan document and it’s easy to understand why anyone could be confused. I get to write SPDs, newsletters and articles, and plan announcements for the layperson—those who, like my mother, can easily get lost in the sea of benefits jargon.
I think that I help people—and that means something to me.”

Laura Cochran—Consultant

Laura joined Segal in 1999. She is responsible for writing, editing and producing electronic and print employee communications, conducting focus groups and strategy sessions, preparing communications assessments and presentations and managing projects for clients in Washington, D.C., Boston, Hartford, Atlanta and Phoenix. Prior to her work at Segal, Laura worked in graphics and communications at another consulting firm. Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Mason University.

Why Laura Loves This Business—“Communications consulting is the sensible way to be creative. It’s a perfect outlet for your inner-starving artist while tapping the logical part of your brain at the same time. My daily activities can jump from problem-solving, brainstorming and interpreting legalese, to building relationships and picking out pretty colors to produce visually pleasing communications. Keeps the job from ever being dull, and keeps me in touch with my creative side.”

Claire Crawford—Senior Consultant

Claire brings more than 25 years of communications experience in corporate and consulting environments to the practice. Previously, she was a director and regional communications practice leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the managing director of global communications for Alexander & Alexander’s HR/benefits consulting subsidiary. Claire’s experience covers all areas of corporate communications, as well as HR, benefits and change communications strategy development and implementation. She has won prestigious industry awards from IABC, Business Insurance, APEX and The Communicator Awards for her work with clients.

Why Claire Loves This Business—“It’s the creativity, the teamwork, and the diversity of people and organizations you encounter along the way. There’s nothing more exciting than meeting a client, getting to know their needs and culture, and then creating a communications approach that truly makes a difference throughout the organization. I have always loved creating something from scratch, taking an idea, building a plan and seeing it through to completion. That’s the rush for me—and in consulting, there’s always something new to learn—client, culture, challenge, issue—and something new to create, while working with a gifted team.”

Tupper Hillard—Vice President

Tupper joined Segal in 2001 as a Vice President with responsibility for development, design, and implementation of communications strategies and initiatives for Segal clients around the country. Prior to joining Segal, he served as communications practice leader and also as global communications leader for corporate restructuring and change (M&A) for Hewitt Associates. Tupper is a graduate of West Point and holds a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Why Tupper Loves This Business—“Helping people to better understand complex situations, whether it’s about their healthcare, a merger, or some other significant change, makes this business so rewarding. It’s more important than ever to keep employees both informed and educated—and when we help an organization reach its people and communicate clearly what's going on, I think we've added a great deal to everyone's ability to be engaged and productive. When we can get organizations to listen to their employees’ needs, then we have added to their ability to deliver on what they promise as employers.”

Erin Hodges—Consultant

Erin joined Marjorie Gross & Company (MGC), a communications consulting firm acquired by Segal in 2001, in February 2004—after an internship with Segal’s National Sales and Marketing Practice beginning in October 2002. She graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University in 2004 with a B.S. in Psychology. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Sigma Nu, Psi Chi and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Societies.

Why Erin Loves This Business—“I love that I learn something new every day. With each experience comes the opportunity to gain more knowledge. It’s very fulfilling to know we are not only helping individuals but we are also helping entire entities run more smoothly.”

Andrew Kaplan—Senior Consultant

Andrew joined us in September 2002 as a Senior Consultant. He has over 15 years in the Employee Benefit and Human Resources communications consulting field, including tenures at Ketchum Communications, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Hewitt Associates. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and an MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of New Haven.

Why Andrew Loves This Business—“It’s the mind-meld thing that’s a blast—getting to explore my clients’ communications issues from the inside out, getting inside their heads and the heads of their employees and really understanding what’s going on in their world. I also love being involved in all aspects of the creative process. When clients call on my expertise, I get to be the strategist, do the work and manage the project from inception to client-pleasing completion—what I’d call the best of all worlds.”

Shenoor Kara—Personalized Communications Consultant

Shenoor joined Segal in 1997 with more than 19 years of experience in the employee benefits field. Before that, she was an actuary with a world-renowned accounting firm. Shenoor has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from McGill University.

Why Shenoor Loves This Business—“I love working with people and numbers. This allows me to do both. I get to work with the most amazing clients and feel good that I am providing a service that is so valuable. Planning for a comfortable retirement should be everyone’s goal and the fact that I can provide the tools for retirement planning to employees makes me happy.”

Marge Kray—Senior Consultant

Marge began her career in benefit communications more than 25 years ago and joined Segal in 1998, after working with three other international human resources and benefits consulting organizations. Over the years, she has added to her knowledge by taking on different roles, different projects and different clients. Marge has an MBA in Human Resource Management from DePaul University, an M.S. in Mathematics, a B.S. in Psychology and Mathematics from University of Illinois, and is a Fellow of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists.

Why Marge Loves This Business—“I love that this is a dynamic business. I love variety and the fact that human resources and benefits are always changing. It’s a constant challenge to develop communications programs that make a difference—change an attitude or behavior—in the crowded world of messages around us. It’s a great job to use my training in psychology and math at the same time. There’s an elegance to taking a complex idea and making it simple so it can reach people.”

Nenette Kress—Senior Vice President, National Practice Leader

Nenette leads the communications practice nationally. Prior to joining Segal in 2001, she was a partner and global practice leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers. She has over 25 years of experience in the creation and management of communications functions and in-house agencies in consulting firms and service and consumer products companies. In addition to her business experience, she was a by-lined, syndicated features writer for a major, national newspaper group. Her experience in both consulting and corporations has helped her develop a unique, customer-focused approach to communications services and client management. She received a BS in Marketing Management from Marymount College and is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

Why Nenette Loves This Business—"In the balanced scorecard of life—family, work, play and learning—it is wonderful when your work is your play, your colleagues are your extended family and your clients teach you something new every day. Every situation provides a unique opportunity to grow and test yourself. I am passionate about communications and I've found that if you have passion for what you do, you have fun and you are never bored or boring."

Hazel Kuffer—Graphic Designer

Hazel joined us in May 2002 after three years at ASA Communications and AON, where she was a benefit communications designer. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising Design from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, and specializes in developing top-to-bottom creative design, including branding, publications for both print and online media, and web-based communications.

Why Hazel Loves This Business—“Being a graphic designer gives me an opportunity to artistically express myself, to creatively meet challenges and arrive at visual solutions. Design reminds me of all that is right with the world.”

Lisa Lehr—Personalized Communications Consultant

Lisa joined Segal in 1999 as a Personalized Communications Consultant. Previously, she had more than 12 years of experience in human resources management and health and welfare plan design, compliance and administration. Her experience includes work in both the corporate and insurance provider sectors.

Why Lisa Loves This Business—"Where do I start? Two overriding reasons: First, I love the fact that I’ve had the opportunity to be on the other side of the fence and experience first-hand the challenges my clients face when it comes to communicating with their employees. Second, has to be the wide range of people I get to work with. There are so many people that play roles in our projects, from the SVP of HR, to the IT department, to the graphic designers and printers. Working with such a diverse group of people means you are always learning something new.”

Colleen joined Segal in 1999, with more than 15 years in the employee and human resources communications fields, working with a large international telecommunications firm, a local electric company, an international chemical company with plants in France that afforded her the chance to use her French-speaking skills, and an international pharmaceutical company—where her career began. Colleen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Delaware and a Publications Specialist certificate from George Washington University. She has won a number of IABC awards for benefits communications.

Why Colleen Loves This Business—“What do you do when you ‘want to help people’ in your career, you major in English, but you don't want to teach? For me, benefits communication was the perfect solution. The opportunities to "help" employees by turning legalese into clear language about how their benefits work has never been more gratifying, since benefits are becoming more complex. Oh, and I also manage to have a lot of fun working on a variety of projects and doing everything from writing and graphic design to listening to employees talk about what's important to them. I'm eager to see what the next challenges will be and how I can help. And, I'm still amazed that I'm being paid to write! How many people can say that?”

Joan McGrath—Administrative Staff

Joan has been an executive/administrative assistant with Segal since 1995. She performs a wide range of tasks relating to employee benefits, from reviewing and making edits on communications materials to organizing client and internal meetings. In addition, Joan is instrumental in coordinating the financials for several offices.

Why Joan Loves This Business—“As an administrative person, I have a wide range of responsibilities to keep me active. I love the variety and the fact that I help keep things on track. I like working in a field where I'm always learning something new and I get to help others to learn as well.”

Jessica Memoli—Associate Consultant

Jessica joined us in 2006, immediately after graduating from Lafayette College. No stranger to writing and communications, Jessica was an intern at three media organizations where she wrote press materials and advertorials. She was also a writing associate in Lafayette’s Writing Program; a researcher in the College’s Psychology program and a teaching assistant in its Psychology Lab. Jessica graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Psi Chi Honor Societies.

Why Jessica Loves This Business—“I enjoy tackling the challenges presented to me each day. I’m able to use both my writing skills and creativity to help turn complicated and often confusing information into something understandable and useful. Helping people make sense of their benefits enables them to make more informed life decisions. I find it very rewarding to be part of this process.”

Lydia, our Personalized Communications Practice Leader since 2000, first joined Segal in 1996 as a benefits consultant in the Pension Systems Practice, becoming its practice leader a year later in 1997. Before that, Lydia had more than 14 years of experience as a corporate benefits manager and benefits consultant. Among her prior employers are a large New Jersey-based bank and two large benefits consulting firms. Lydia has an AB in Economics from Princeton University and an MBA in Human Resources from Indiana University.

Why Lydia Loves This Business—

Glenn joined us in October 1999 as a Personalized Communications Consultant.
Prior to Segal, Glenn was a consultant for a global HR and benefits consulting firm, where he specialized in retirement and health and welfare plan valuation, design, compliance, administration and communications. Glenn has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Concordia University.

Why Glenn Loves This Business—It’s the unique challenges and opportunities involved in each project—not only does it keep the work interesting, but I also get a chance to problem-solve, be creative and learn from other team members.”

Mindy came on in May 2002 as a Senior Consultant. She has more than 10 years of experience in Employee Benefit and Human Resources communications consulting, four of which were as president of her own firm. She’s also managed human resources, communications and financial functions at CBS, HBO and the new media division of Winstar Communications. Mindy has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Tufts University, and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Columbia University.

Why Mindy Loves This Business—“I’m one of those people who tackles analytical tasks and creative projects with equal enthusiasm. Give me a good paint-by-numbers to make my day. I can satisfy my need to quantify by studying the numbers—and then paint over the lines in bursts of creative energy. Communications Consulting is kind of like paint-by-numbers. I get to be seriously strategic one day and immensely imaginative the next. And it’s especially satisfying on rainy days when there’s nothing good on TV anyway.”

Jen joined Segal in 2003, with more than 15 years of experience. Jen has designed and implemented employee communication strategies and programs, and assisted many organizations with Web-based communications. She is particularly strong in healthcare and retirement, total rewards and change management communications. Before Segal, Jen was regional communications practice leader for another consulting firm, and also was director of employee communications at an international telecommunications organization. She holds a B.A. in Economics with a minor in English from the University of California and is a member of IABC and SHRM.

Why Jennifer Loves This Business—“You can count on me to think like an employee (at any level, in all roles) when working to develop communications solutions. I love the challenge to keep things simple—both the content and its presentation—and love demonstrating to clients how to leverage the right media to deliver the right information to the right employee every time.”

Diane joined our practice in 2006, with 10 years of experience helping organizations develop and execute employee communications strategies. Previously, Diane worked in the corporate arena designing communications strategies for companies in the telecommunications and pharmaceutical industries. She has significant experience in launching open enrollment, compensation, and performance management programs for both global and U.S.-based corporations. She holds a Master’s Degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a Bachelor of Administration in Business from Caldwell College, and is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

Why Diane Loves This Business—“I like to solve puzzles—putting all the pieces together to see the big picture. Developing communication plans is like finishing a huge puzzle. I enjoy every aspect of the process from planning and development to delivering the final product. The most rewarding part is that I help employees better understand information that is important to their personal and professional lives.”

Denise Festa Teague—Personalized Communications Consultant

With a B.A. in Mathematics in hand, Denise joined Segal fresh out of Adelphi University more than 25 years ago and hasn’t looked back since. First starting as a member of Segal’s actuarial team, Denise has been a lead programmer and analyst for the Personalized Communications Practice for the past 15 years and is transitioning into the role of consultant. She is currently pursuing an MBA in Finance at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Why Denise Loves This Business—“For me, it all started out with a passion for problem-solving in a business environment, but it has turned out to be so much more. The ever-evolving changes in societal demographics and how they relate to pension and health systems are even more relevant now than they were 25 years ago. I feel very fortunate to be a part of a field that deals with critical issues that have not only national but global implications.”

Diane Upshaw—Administrative Staff

Diane has been with us since 1988, and in the administrative end of the Employee Benefit field for practically her entire adult life. She is instrumental to our success, and performs many tasks, from keeping us organized to making sure all our administrative functions, including word processing and billing, are running smoothly. Diane attended LaGuardia Community College.

Why Diane Loves This Business—“I love the fact that I’m very much needed as the administrative person to help run the department. I love speaking with clients on the phone and greeting them when they come to our office for meetings. My smiling face is one of the first things they see when they enter our office. Plus, I thrive on working in a fast-paced environment, and there’s never a dull moment. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”