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Director of Benefits

Location:
Valley Cottage, NY
Posted:
April 29, 2014

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Resume:

Michael Martakis

NY Metropolitan Area

Cell 845-***-**** ***********@*****.***

Benefits Professional with extensive experience managing Health and Welfare, 401(k), Pension,

and Risk Management (Property & Casualty) programs. Outstanding skills in strategic planning,

decision-making, problem-solving, and customer service have led to superior results in:

• Health & Welfare Plans • Defined Benefit: Pension (Frozen) Plans

• Benefit Plan Designs • Defined Contribution: 401(k) Plans

• HRIS /Payroll Systems • Risk Management of Property & Casualty Insurance

• Union Negotiations • Insurance Contract Analysis

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SHARP ELECTRONICS CORPORATION, Mahwah, NJ 1999– March 2014

Fortune 500 high-technology international company with annual U.S. sales of 6 billion and 2,000

employees across 35 U.S. locations.

Corporate Director, Employee Benefits

Designed and administered competitive Health and Retirement Programs for both non-Union and

Union employees, as well as Risk Management (Property & Casualty) Programs. Report to the

Corporate Vice President of Human Resources. Member of Retirement Fiduciary Committee and

manage Corporate Benefits function and staff. Assisted and worked with line HR managers on all

aspects of HR functions.

Health and Welfare Programs

• Negotiated, coordinated and designed both self-insured and fully insured health programs.

• Successfully controlled health care costs below the national averages while maintaining a

high employee satisfaction rate of 97% based on employee surveys through negotiations with

insurance vendors’ on fees and services, monitoring their performance, and changing plan

networks.

• Successfully transitioned benefit plans of 14 company acquisitions to Sharp’s U.S. platform

with minimal operational disruption or employee dissatisfaction.

• Improved plan outcomes for employees by introducing Disease Management, Employee

Assistance and a variety of Voluntary Benefit Programs to Sharp’s benefit platform.

• Member of Union Committee responsible for analysis and negotiation of union contracts.

Activities involved designing benefit plans to achieve labor union, employee and management

acceptance and satisfaction.

Retirement Programs

• Significantly improved efficiency and effectiveness of Sharp’s retirement programs by

consolidating 401(k) and pension programs with one vendor.

• Reduced actuarial fees and administrative costs while improving participant services and

efficiency by designing methodology to hard freeze Pension Program at limited expense and

employee issue.

• Saved Sharp over $25 million by negotiating with ten insurance carriers and working with

and directing attorneys, investment consultants, and actuaries in transferring manufacturing

plant’s terminal pension liability.

Michael Martakis Cell 845-***-**** Email ***********@*****.*** page 2

• Interviewed prospective investment asset managers, compared their benchmark and peer

performances and volatility to formulate and present recommendations to Sharp’s Retirement

Committee.

• Initiated a smooth transition of the 401(k) stable value option from the abrupt closing of

Charles Schwab’s stable value fund to Invesco within a 60 day window.

Risk Management Programs

• Managed Sharp’s Property & Casualty Risk Management Insurance programs for general

and excess (Umbrella) liability, inland transit, ocean marine, fire, boiler, automobile, and

workers’ compensation.

• Analyzed and recommended changes and solutions as appropriate including risk retention

(deductibles) and self-insurance financing opportunities.

• Directed a nationwide on-the-job safety training regimen which reduced work-related

injuries by 15% which directly lowered the Workers’ Compensation expenses.

BICC Cables Corporation, West Nyack, NY 1996 –1999

Benefits Specialist

Successfully transitioned defined contribution plan from quarterly valued plan to a daily valued plan

while enhancing features, providing quicker service and reducing plan costs. Aided in decentralizing

the company’s medical plan while improving the network selection and employee satisfaction.

• Maintained all phases of company’s pension and 401(k) plans.

• Prepared yearly health care analysis used to determine annual employee medical costs.

• Verified accuracy of invoices and payments to benefits vendors.

Earlier Career Includes Positions at:

Deutsche Bank, New York, NY 1994 –1996

Benefits Specialist

Loral Corporation, New York, NY 1987 –1994

Benefits Specialist

American International Group, New York, NY 1981 –1987

Benefits Supervisor

EDUCATION

MBA, Finance, Long Island University, Orangeburg, New York,

BS, Management, St. Johns University Queens, New York



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