Lockton's Charlotte Operation Adds Experience, Expertise to Better Serve Clients

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockton's Charlotte office has hired five new Associates, adding a wealth of property casualty insurance experience and employee benefits expertise to the insurance brokerage team.

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The new additions are Josh Binford, Account Manager; Paul Greer, Account Executive; Jodi Jennings, Account Executive; Hodges Willoughby, Health Risk Manager; and Paul Zederbaum, Account Executive.

"We are thrilled to bring this new group to Lockton and our clients. These new Associates exemplify the level of talent we are attracting to the firm, not only here, but around the world. The addition of these individuals further validates our commitment to the Carolinas," said Jason Richardson, Chief Operating Officer of Lockton's Southeast series.

Josh Binford is a new Account Manager, responsible for the day-to-day support of Lockton's retirement plan clients. He serves as a client advocate and as a liaison between the plan sponsor and their service providers. Key areas of focus include plan compliance, vendor management, investment selection and monitoring, fiduciary documentation, plan design, and employee communications.

Previously, Binford spent three years with Vanguard in its business development group, advising individuals and small business owners with asset allocation and retirement decisions. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Kentucky.

Paul Greer joins as an Account Executive in employee benefits. He brings more than 10 years of industry experience in employee benefits consulting and insurance brokerage. He assists clients with benefit program design, financial analysis, administration, goal setting, and project planning. Greer works strategically with clients to help them achieve their short- and long-term business goals.

Prior to joining Lockton, Greer worked as a consultant for Mercer. His experience also includes positions of client manager and financial analyst at Willis. Greer earned his bachelor's degree in business administration with concentrations in finance/banking and risk/insurance from Appalachian State University. In addition, he earned a Master of Business Administration from Pfeiffer University and a Master of Science in finance from The University of Michigan. Greer completed his Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation in 2004 and serves as a board member for the Carolinas chapter of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists.

Jodi Jennings joins the team as a new Account Executive. She brings more than 18 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, focusing on both middle market and national accounts.  She is responsible for providing client service through day-to-day interactions as well as managing the overall delivery of Lockton's services. 

Jennings has extensive expertise in a variety of industry sectors including manufacturing, real estate, retail/wholesale, higher education, and communications/media/technology. She has designed and implemented an array of programs ranging from guaranteed cost to self-insured programs. She holds a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University.

Hodges Willoughby adds her expertise as a Health Risk Manager. She brings more than 10 years of experience in health and wellness promotion. Willoughby works with the health risk solutions and employee benefits teams to assist clients in planning, implementing, and evaluating workplace wellness programs. She works with clients to build a strategy aimed at controlling healthcare costs and utilization by improving health behavior and personal accountability.

Prior to joining Lockton, Willoughby worked as the wellness coordinator for the Wells Fargo Insurance Services Mid-Atlantic region. She has also worked as a health education teacher and grant writer at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and East Carolina University as well as a research assistant at the Brody School of Medicine. Willoughby has a bachelor's degree in health education and a Master of Arts in wellness and health promotion, both from East Carolina University.

Paul Zederbaum joins Lockton as an Account Executive. He brings more than 11 years experience in the insurance industry, assisting clients with their risk management and insurance brokerage needs. His areas of expertise include property and casualty for a wide range of industries, including private equity, financial institutions, manufacturing, real estate, and professional service firms.

Prior to joining Lockton, Zederbaum worked with Aon in Chicago, New York, and Charlotte. He holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University. Zederbaum is a member of Leadership Charlotte Class 30, a community leadership organization.

About Lockton Retirement Services

Lockton's Retirement Services practice specializes in employer-sponsored retirement plans. Our comprehensive approach to partnering with clients helps them attract and retain employees in a compliant manner. As trusted partners, we work with more than 900+ qualified, non-qualified and executive benefit plans that account for more than $25+ billion in assets. We focus on fiduciary risk management, which includes compliance services, investment services, vendor management and pension risk services. Our executive benefits and non-qualified plan services assist clients in recognizing and rewarding key executives, reducing turnover, as well as minimizing risk associated with business succession. For more information, visit www.locktonretirementservices.com.

Securities offered through Lockton Financial Advisors, LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Lockton Investment Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. For California, Lockton Financial Advisors, LLC, d.b.a. Lockton Insurance Services, LLC, license number 0G13569.

About Lockton

More than 4,900 professionals at Lockton provide 35,000 clients around the world with risk management, insurance, and employee benefits consulting services that improve their businesses. From its founding in 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri, Lockton has attracted entrepreneurial professionals who have driven its growth to become the largest privately held insurance broker in the world and 9th largest overall. Independent researcher Greenwich Associates has awarded Lockton its Service Excellence Award for risk management for large companies. For four consecutive years, Business Insurance has recognized Lockton as a "Best Place to Work in Insurance." To see the latest insights from Lockton's experts, check Lockton Market Update.

SOURCE Lockton