Sales Manager

Bruce Whitehead

Email: *********@********.***

Address: ** ******* *****

City: Randolph

State: NJ

Zip: 07869

Country: USA

Phone: 973-***-****

Skill Level: Management

Salary Range: 125

Primary Skills/Experience:

See Resume

Educational Background:

See Resume

Job History / Details:

BRUCE D. WHITEHEAD

26 Phyllis Place Home: 973-***-****

Randolph, New Jersey 07869 Mobile: 973-***-****

*********@********.***

SUMMARY

Motivated high achieving, client centric minded group insurance sales and account executive and top-performing Life and Healthcare sales producer/account manager with career-long success delivering record levels of new business, retaining and expanding existing accounts and revitalizing stagnant lines of business. Led managed care sales and account management activities for Special Accounts unit, i.e., locally headquartered accounts with one thousand or more employees. Seeking a similar position in an insurance company, in a related capacity within a consulting or brokerage firm or some tangential business enterprise where I can make a notable contribution.

Have highly developed analytical ability, underwriting expertise with excellent presentation, negotiation and relationship building skills acquired and developed through years of extensive interaction with senior level executives and their staffs, both internally and externally with brokers, consultants and value added resellers. Recognized for building, educating and motivating a top-performing sales/account management team and associated members.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Profitable Growth & Retention Leadership & Relationship Building Superior Business Acumen

Problem Resolution & Crisis Mgmt Team Building & Reconciliation Implementation & Follow-Through Highly Ethical Behavior Dedication to Client Satisfaction Adaptability to Change

Excellent Written/Verbal Skills High Energy Level & Enthusiasm New Business Development

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Consultant (Self-Employed, Independent Contractor), Randolph, NJ (2009 - Present)

* Work with clients to evaluate, design or redesign and manage their health & welfare benefit programs.

* Focus on the development of strategies to strike a balance between finding and providing affordable and

competitive benefit programs without simply shifting all the cost and increases to the employee only to

decrease the overall value of the benefit programs.

* Navigate the complexities, requirements and effects the federal health reform legislation will have on clients

existing benefit designs and the cost of providing coverage.

WellPoint, Inc. (dba Empire BlueCross BlueShield), New York, NY

Group Life, Dental and Health benefits company serving 38 million medical members, as an independent licensee of the BlueCross and BlueShield Association.

Account Executive, Special Accounts (1998 - 1992)

* Actively managed and grew a complex, diverse book of business of business that ranged up to 26 clients, 72,000 members with a real annual premium income of $250,000,000.

* Awarded new business premium of over $139,000,000 on 14 new accounts with a total membership of 57,000.

* Increased premium revenue on average approximately 10-12% a year.

* Awarded President's Club distinction based on outstanding Membership Growth & Retention for 2007, 2005, 2003, 2000 and 1999.

* Positioned products, financing and account service against competition and achieved client retention rate of virtually 100% in addition to having converted all existing old "Hospital Only" accounts to Managed Care programs.

* Proven ability to promote, build, sustain and nurture positive relationships with key decision makers at clients and consultant/brokers and viewed as trusted advisor.

* Consultative sales and account management expertise, calling on and negotiating with CEOs, CFOs, COOs and related officer level executives.

* Facilitated and influenced the end-to-end process; from preparing initial proposals for renewals or new business development, to developing plan alternatives to reduce annual cost increases, preparing new business proposals for program enhancements, presentations and negotiations, alternate funding approaches, through complete case installation and follow-up.

* Unwavering commitment to client service/excellence despite inherent adversarial issues.

* Routinely orchestrated annual client open enrollment/benefit meetings and increasingly important wellness event

BRUCE WHITEHEAD Page 2

Manager, Key Accounts, aka, Special Accounts (1992 - 1998)

* Managed, mentored and fully engaged a staff of nine in the Key Accounts group - five professional account managers; a business analyst; and a staff of three administrative assistants, with the collective responsibility

for 90 accounts generating $600 million of annual premium.

* Consistent attainment of sales expectations, membership growth and revenue production in difficult marketplace

and internal Empire environment.

* Developed, created, designed and implemented an Empire 3first-of-its-kind broker/consultant marketing plan, for all sized groups with emphasis on those with over 1,000 contracts. Plan included and relied upon a more effective utilization of broker/consultants, the importance of this conduit of new business, and details for making contact and leveraging Empire's strengths in the marketplace, i.e., the largest provider network in NY and the nation.

* Engaged each Account Manager to develop sales and service strategies tailored to each account to ensure strong client and broker/consultant relationships and drive revenue.

* Fostered officer level commitment and buy-in to build client relationships at the highest level to demonstrate Empire's commitment to responsive customer service: the "Executive Sponsorship Program."

* Analyzed each customer's needs and expectations with Account Manager to ensure Empire's products, programs, available resources and proposed solutions met their needs - and if not - determine what was required.

* Coordinated closely with Sales Management leadership to create a system to more closely monitor new business leads, prospects and opportunities (RFPs) that belonged in Key Accounts.

* Demonstrated proficiency in coaching, developing and mentoring team members - fostered teamwork and collaboration.

Prudential Insurance Co. of America, Newark, NJ

Financial services company offering an array of financial products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management.

Director, Group Insurance Marketing/Sales; NYGO - New York, NY (1988 - 1992)

* Perennial top sales and new business producer in Prudential's Northeast Region, one of six, and nationally.

* Earned by performance to be awarded the ability to work with region's most prestigious broker and consulting firms to work on the larger in force group clients and also develop new business opportunities.

* Won numerous monthly and annual sales awards and attended every National Sales Qualifying Conference based on performance during tenure as a sales representative.

* Mentored both new and junior members of the NYGO staff through formal and informal training classes in product updates, design, underwriting, financial devices and marketplace skills by roll-playing and shadowing on sales/client calls.

* Served in capacity of person-in-charge (of office) on occasions when VP-In Charge was out of office.

* Promoted to the various positions noted below. Received technical Group Insurance training in risk evaluation, rate setting and in-depth product knowledge as Group Underwriter. Next was promoted to the job level of Assistant Account Consultant to assist a Senior Account Executive (AVP & VP level) working on Prudential's largest group plans in Northeast US (Note: preceded formation of National Accounts Org.). Lastly, transferred from the Northeast Group Operations HO and joined the Group Sales field staff and promoted to Associate Group Manager and served in various increasingly important Sales & Account Management capacities in both the New Jersey and New York Group Offices (Prudential's largest, most important market in the country) as noted below.

Regional Group Manager, NYGO - New York, NY

Group Manager, NYGO - New York, NY

Associate Group Manager, NJGO - Morristown, NJ

Assistant Account Consultant, Northeastern Group Operations - Wayne, NJ

Group Underwriter; Northeastern Group Operations - Wayne, NJ

EDUCATION

MBA, Marketing: Silberman College of Business; Fairleigh Dickinson University; Teaneck, NJ

BA, Political Science & Economics: Marietta College; Marietta, OH

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