Global Benefits Director, HR Business Partner Connect with me using: ►►► susan@ebcbenefit.com ◄◄◄ All Invitations to Connect Welcome LION – LinkedIn Open Networker **************************** Recruiters, HR Managers, Hiring Managers connect with me to get access to my network deep in industry leadership. **************************** Susan Gordon is a Benefits attorney, licensed to practice in New York, with 25 years of national corporate experience. Ms. Gordon has owned two successful consulting companies during her career, providing invaluable experience regarding the alignment of Human Resources initiatives with business success and revenue drivers. Ms. Gordon understands Business Partnership because she has successfully navigated both sides of the alliance. Ms. Gordon has multiple areas of expertise, including management and administration of health and wellness benefits, 401(k), life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, leaves of absence, self-funding, mergers and acquisitions, communications, strategic planning, change management, audit defense, vendor management, ROI protection and resolution of escalated employee complaints. As President of Specialized Benefits Communications, Ms. Gordon designed graphic communications campaigns for clients in diverse industries, including The Walt Disney Company, Toshiba, Pacific Life, IHOP and Western Digital. Ms. Gordon has been recognized as a Benefits and HR expert witness. She has testified in depositions and trials involving wrongful termination, wage and hour, future and present value of lost wages and benefits, HIPAA and FMLA. Ms. Gordon lectures on Mandatory Benefits versus Discretionary Benefits for the Human Resources Graduate School Program at Azusa Pacific University and presents at Labor and Employment Conferences regarding Legal Compliance Strategies for Health and Wellness Plans. To brainstorm and collaborate on any of these perspectives, call me at (714) 322-0731.

Founder |Total Rewards Leadership @ Discussions regarding Industry Trends and Best Practices in Health Care Reform, Workforce Globalization, Strategic Planning, ROI metrics and Global/Federal/State compliance. Sharing our challenges as Industry Leaders: 1) How we got back on our feet after failing; 2) Damage control techniques; 3) Lessons learned and 4) What we would do differently to avoid a repeat performance. From 2014 to Present (1 year) United StatesGlobal Benefits Director, HR Business Partner @ Employee Benefits-Consulting (EBC) provides project-based services for corporations, law firms and individuals. EBC specializes in U.S. and Global harmonization strategies which seamlessly align with Total Rewards and Leadership goals, including multiple perspectives from Finance, Legal, HR, IT and Operations. EBC has created a defensive strategy which shields corporate ROI against erosion. Non-compliance penalties in the benefits area can be a severe financial hit to the bottom line. HIPAA penalties can go up to $1.5 million and a recent COBRA class action cost an employer $1.3 million in employee restitution damages. Additional areas of expertise include management and administration of health and wellness benefits, 401(k), life insurance, disability insurance, leaves of absence, self-funding, mergers and acquisitions, communications, change management, external and internal audit defense, vendor management and resolution of escalated employee appeals and legal issues. From February 2010 to Present (5 years 11 months) Orange County, California AreaBenefits Manager | HR, Total Rewards @ Fresh Start Bakeries was structured as three wholly-owned subsidiaries and a partnership. The Human Resources departments of each entity retained their independent benefits programs. I managed all five benefits offerings, with a total population of 2,800 employees. Benefits included self-insured and fully insured medical, dental and vision, flexible spending accounts, cafeteria plans, Medicare, 401(k), travel accident, disability, life insurance, COBRA, leaves of absence, time-off, HIPAA and FMLA. Management responsibilities also included benefits administration, interface with payroll, open enrollment, employee communications, Federal & State compliance, manager training, healthcare cost-sharing analysis, plan audits and vendor selection. I reviewed and re-drafted Retirement Plan and Insurance Carrier plan documents, as well as contracts and Business Associate agreements. I served as the benefits subject matter expert for senior management, finance, HR, IT, operations, and in-house counsel. In 2008, senior management eliminated both the 401(K) match and incentive bonuses for the first time in company history. Morale and productivity declined. The Vice President of Human Resources and I were given the challenge of finding a solution. We instituted an employee reward recognition program with bonuses, e-cards, extra vacation days and one day per week to telecommute. We designed supervisor training to reinforce our strategy. We also started a campaign to educate our employees on the benefits and compensation package of Fresh Start Bakeries versus our competitors and industry standards. Morale and productivity increased within four months. From July 2008 to September 2009 (1 year 3 months) Senior Benefits Specialist | HR, Total Rewards @ Alliance Imaging had a benefits package covering 2,400 employees in 49 states. My responsibilities included managing supervisors and administrators nationwide and balancing escalated employee grievances against the company’s financial and human capital goals. Benefits included self-insured and fully insured medical, dental and vision, flexible spending accounts, cafeteria plans, 401(k), travel accident, short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance, leaves of absence and voluntary benefits. I trained district and regional managers on HIPAA, COBRA and FMLA compliance and tracking in a judicial environment of employee-friendly circuit courts. I also designed and implemented a consumer-directed healthcare communications campaign to introduce a Health Reimbursement Account. The campaign yielded 15% actual enrollment versus our target of 8%. As SOX project leader, I audited current benefits procedures and re-drafted our Internal Controls Manual. I partnered with IT to implement the necessary systems changes and finally designed a presentation of our work to the Internal Audit Committee. From April 2006 to March 2008 (2 years) Human Resources and Benefits Manager @ National Marketing Services (NMS) owned the largest database of insurance carriers in the country, in addition to call centers in India and California. Insurance agents and brokers would purchase product-specific renewal data from NMS and retain the call centers to set appointments for them in order to maximize their renewal revenue. The California call center was staffed entirely with Millennials. My mission was to decrease turnover and to educate these young men and women about the benefits of investing in their health and retirement. I applied the graphic strategy learned at Specialized Benefits Communications (see below) and held weekly meetings to explain how dismal a future with neglected health and no money for retirement would be. Turnover was reduced by 30% in 18 months, with an extremely high re-employment rate. I built the HR and Benefits departments from scratch and took on a generalist role to ensure legal compliance and documentation, communications, compensation and benefits strategies, administration and third-party vendor selection. I also designed a government-funded training initiative, which paid the company $77,000 annually. From February 2003 to February 2006 (3 years 1 month) President & Founder @ The formation of Specialized Benefits Communications merged my legal skills with the creativity of a graphic artist. Our company replaced complex benefits information with “picture books". Each benefit topic was accurately explained through user-friendly illustrations. We were privileged to be chosen to design the benefits orientation program for The Disney University Training Center. We also created a fully-graphic seminar explaining Health, Welfare and Retirement Benefits for visiting Japanese management at Toshiba. Our client base also included Litton Industries, IHOP, Sumitomo Bank, Western Digital and Pacific Life. From March 1990 to December 2002 (12 years 10 months)

BA, Political Science @ Cornell UniversityJuris Doctor (J.D.), ERISA @ Hofstra University School of Law Susan Gordon, Esq. is skilled in: Employee Benefits, Leadership, Management, Insurance, Human Resources, Training, Strategic Planning, Payroll, Business Development, Mergers & Acquisitions, ERISA, Benefits Administration, FMLA, Disability Insurance, Legal Compliance