ON THE PULSE with IMA

If the list of benefit solutions keeps growing and it is getting harder to tell which ones actually matter,

this episode shows how employers can step back, find the gaps worth closing, and decide what to do

now, later, or not at all.

Resources Mentioned:

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including point solutions, workforce

strategy, and how employers decide what deserves attention. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-

insights-on-the-pulse-report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe: Share this episode with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with

IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like

covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

Episode Description:

Kelly Bowman sits down with Nick Holdbrooks, Senior Vice President and Colorado Market Leader at

IMA Financial Group, to talk about why more benefit options do not automatically create a better

strategy. Nick explains how one-at-a-time decisions can lead to vendor fatigue, duplicated services,

and spend that is disconnected from what the organization is trying to do. He walks through the IMA

Gap Analysis, a way to start with the employer rather than a vendor list: what the program already

provides, where employees feel friction, and which opportunities deserve attention now, later, or not at

all. A missing benefit is not automatically a gap. They cover how cost, administrative capacity, and

company size shape what is realistic, why two similar employers can have completely different gaps,

and how an in-house strategy assistant can surface options without replacing human judgment.

Whether you are heading into a strategy meeting, trying not to copy the competition, or unsure which

conversations are worth continuing, Nick offers a practical first question: what do you want the benefit

program to do?

Guest Bio:

Nick Holdbrooks is Senior Vice President and Colorado Market Leader at IMA Financial Group, based

in Denver. He works with employers navigating complex benefits decisions, from cost pressure and

pharmacy spend to point solutions and total rewards. His team developed the IMA Gap Analysis to help

clients see what they already have, identify meaningful gaps, and prioritize a manageable set of actions

aligned with people and business goals. In 2026, Risk & Insurance named him an Employee Benefits

Power Broker.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – 00:41: Introduction to why more benefit options do not automatically create a better strategy.

00:41 – 01:11: Show intro and welcome.

01:11 – 02:12: Getting to know Nick: Denver, hiking, skiing, and time outdoors.

02:12 – 04:17: Why employers needed a better way to evaluate options, and how one-at-a-time

decisions fragment the program.

04:17 – 05:51: What counts as a meaningful gap, and why employers need a way to separate

interesting ideas from ideas that will matter.

05:51 – 09:25: How cost, capacity, demographics, and feedback shape what is realistic, and why a

missing benefit is not automatically a gap.

09:25 – 11:47: Why two similar employers can have different gaps, and how benchmarking differs from

deciding what to do next.

11:47 – 12:31: How to avoid copying the competition, and when peer comparison still belongs in the

strategy.

12:31 – 14:45: A client example: narrowing a long list to two or three conversations worth continuing.

14:45 – 17:13: How a broad list of solutions becomes a manageable set of decisions: why it matters,

what already exists, and when to act.

17:13 – 19:57: Four lessons from using the analysis: the conversation, using what you already have,

timing, and consulting discipline.

19:57 – 21:27: Where the tool helps, and where human judgment still has to take over.

21:27 – 25:35: Where benefit strategy is headed: cost, affordability, pharmacy, employee feedback,

and a multi-year roadmap.

25:35 – 26:37: The first question to ask: what do you want the benefit program to do, and do you have

what you need to deliver it?

26:37 – End: Closing thanks and show outro.

Resources Mentioned (Repeated for Convenience):

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including point solutions, workforce

strategy, and how employers decide what deserves attention. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-

insights-on-the-pulse-report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe (Repeated for Convenience): If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow

HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical

insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

If rising healthcare costs, leaner HR teams, and financial pressure are forcing a harder look at benefits,

this episode shows how employers can use those programs more strategically to manage risk, support

their people, and reinforce the culture they are trying to build.

Resources Mentioned:

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including healthcare cost management,

specialty strategy, workforce risk, and employee experience. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-

insights-on-the-pulse-report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe: Share this episode with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with

IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like

covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

Episode Description:

Kelly Bowman sits down with Colleen Savoie, National Specialty Practice Leader at IMA Financial

Group, to discuss why employee benefits can no longer stop at placing coverage. Colleen explains the

pressures hitting employers and employees at the same time, including faster cost increases,

multimillion-dollar claims, leaner HR teams, and shifting reimbursement that pushes more cost onto

employer plans. She also points to the openings inside that disruption: AI that turns data into earlier

action, clients more willing to leave the status quo, and benefit programs that can mitigate risk and

reinforce culture. They cover why specialization matters in pharmacy, stop loss, captives, and industry

practices, how that expertise should still feel seamless to the client, and how advisors should decide

what deserves attention. Whether you are trying to understand what is driving cost, align HR and

finance, or decide if your advisor is still leading the work, Colleen offers a practical place to start.

Guest Bio:

Colleen Savoie is National Specialty Practice Leader at IMA Financial Group. Based in Anchorage,

Alaska, she has spent nearly 30 years working with complex employee benefit strategies, including

self-funded health plans, purchasing coalitions, specialty practices, and legislative issues. Her work

focuses on helping employers connect benefits to people strategy, manage emerging risk, and use

specialized expertise in areas such as pharmacy, stop loss, captives, and industry practices. She also

serves on the board of Alaska PAWS, formerly the Alaska SPCA.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – 00:49: Introduction to rising costs, stretched HR teams, and the chance to rethink what benefits

can accomplish.

00:49 – 01:19: Show intro and welcome.

01:19 – 02:42: Getting to know Colleen: Anchorage, travel, cooking, the outdoors, and board service

with Alaska PAWS.

02:42 – 06:55: The biggest client challenges: faster cost growth, multimillion-dollar claims, access

issues, leaner HR teams, and employee financial pressure.

06:55 – 09:29: Reasons for optimism: AI that turns data into action, guided enrollment, and tools that

help employees find the right coverage and providers.

09:29 – 10:37: Why financial pressure is opening the door to new funding, specialty pharmacy, and

communication approaches.

10:37 – 11:59: How Colleen’s view of benefits has shifted from coverage in place to programs that

reinforce culture and business goals.

11:59 – 14:47: What clients should be thinking about: connecting benefits to compensation, retirement,

workers’ comp, future workforce needs, and culture.

14:47 – 17:51: Why specialization matters, from industry practices to stop loss, captives, pharmacy,

and data.

17:51 – 18:50: How specialist work stays connected and still feels seamless from the client’s side.

18:50 – 21:51: How to decide what deserves attention: business goals, affordability, HR capacity, and

the people who rely on the plan.

21:51 – 23:18: What good guidance looks like, red flags to watch for, and why the consultant should

drive the process.

23:18 – 24:19: What the most successful employers will be doing differently three years from now.

24:19 – 26:11: What to stop doing, and the first step: tell your advisor what you want, then understand

what is driving cost and behavior.

26:11 – 28:11: What gives Colleen the most optimism, and her hope that employers will look at people

strategy as a whole.

28:11 – End: Closing thanks and show outro.

Resources Mentioned (Repeated for Convenience):

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including healthcare cost management,

specialty strategy, workforce risk, and employee experience. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-

insights-on-the-pulse-report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe (Repeated for Convenience): If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow

HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical

insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

If richer coverage still feels like the safest way to support employees, this episode shows why that

assumption can miss the mark, and how employers can use data to see whether people are paying for

benefits they do not need or value.

Resources Mentioned:

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including healthcare cost management,

plan design, data, and total rewards. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-pulse-

report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe: Share this episode with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with

IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like

covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

Episode Description:

Kelly Bowman sits down with Dalton Drumm of IMA’s Data and Analytics team to challenge a common

assumption: that the richest health plan automatically creates the best employee experience. Dalton

explains why employers still default to richer coverage, and why that is no longer the main reason

people join or stay. He walks through actuarial value in plain terms, shares a client example where

three very rich plans looked almost the same on a dartboard, and shows how a younger workforce was

paying for coverage it rarely used. They discuss the difference between a rich plan and a good plan,

the trade-off between healthcare spend and compensation, and how social determinants of health can

help employers see what a workforce can actually use. Whether you are heading into another renewal,

wondering if employees are over-insured, or trying to explain a plan change without it sounding like a

takeaway, Dalton offers a practical first question: are employees getting the most value from the plans

you offer?

Guest Bio:

Dalton Drumm is part of IMA Financial Group’s Data and Analytics team. Based in Grand Rapids,

Michigan, he helps employers look past premiums, deductibles, and co-pays to understand plan

richness, utilization, and workforce fit. His work focuses on actuarial value, demographic and social

determinants analysis, and plan design that matches how employees actually use coverage, so benefit

dollars can be redirected where they create more value.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – 00:42: Introduction to the assumption that richer health plans are automatically better.

00:42 – 01:12: Show intro and welcome.

01:12 – 02:27: Getting to know Dalton: Grand Rapids and recharging on Michigan lakes.

02:27 – 04:28: Why employers assume richer coverage creates a better experience, and why benefits

are no longer the main hiring or retention tool.

04:28 – 06:36: A client example: very rich plans, a younger workforce, and three options that looked

almost the same.

06:36 – 08:25: What actuarial value means, metallic tiers, and where richer coverage starts producing

diminishing returns.

08:25 – 09:58: What employers miss if they only compare premiums, deductibles, and co-pays, and the

difference between a rich plan and a good plan.

09:58 – 11:48: How demographics and behavior should shape plan design, and when employees can

be over-insured.

11:48 – 13:21: The trade-off between healthcare spend and compensation, HSA funding, and

retirement.

13:21 – 14:56: How a social determinants of health analysis helps employers see what the workforce

values, and why this is a total rewards conversation.

14:56 – 16:36: What to analyze before changing plan richness: utilization, and how generations often

fall into different plan levels.

16:36 – 18:20: What employers are doing differently than five years ago, and how cost pressure is

pushing them to be more proactive.

18:20 – 20:04: How to talk about plan value so employees do not only hear that benefits are being

taken away.

20:04 – 22:55: The shift from richer plans to smarter plans, and what a high-value strategy may look

like in five years.

22:55 – 24:15: How data and AI can surface savings, and where those dollars can be reinvested.

24:15 – 26:52: The question to ask now, what to look at before the next renewal, and the first step:

understand the workforce.

26:52 – End: Closing thanks and show outro.

Resources Mentioned (Repeated for Convenience):

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including healthcare cost management,

plan design, data, and total rewards. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-pulse-

report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe (Repeated for Convenience): If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow

HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical

insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

If the advisor relationship still feels like a renewal meeting a few months out, this episode shows what a

year-round partnership looks like, and how HR leaders can tell whether they have the right person in

the seat.

Resources Mentioned:

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including cost pressure, advisor

relationships, and multi-year strategy. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-pulse-

report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe: Share this episode with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with

IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like

covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

Episode Description:

Kelly Bowman sits down with Andrew Rose and Nick Hendricks of IMA’s Atlanta team to talk about how

the advisor role has moved from a renewal transaction to a year-round partnership. Nick explains why

showing up a few months before renewal is no longer enough, and why more CHROs now have a seat

with the rest of the leadership team. Andrew makes the case that the relationship has to start with trust,

and that a good partner should be willing to bring ideas a client might say no to. They cover employee

friction, why benefits rarely retain people on their own, the case for more C-suite involvement, and why

a three-year plan beats waiting for a 25% renewal. They also explain how data from larger groups can

inform smaller ones, how quarterly HR leadership dinners grew out of a failed happy hour in Seattle,

and how to tell if the current advisor is still the right one. Whether costs are rising faster than the

business can absorb, or the relationship has gone quiet, the practical starting point is time: make

benefits a priority for the next six months, and if the partner is not the right one, use that window to find

someone who will push the work forward.

Guest Bios:

Andrew Rose is an Employee Benefits and Risk Advisor with IMA Financial Group in Atlanta. He works

with employers in technology and professional services, using a listening and discovery approach so

the strategy fits the employer’s risk profile and what employees actually prefer. That work includes

Voice of the Employee surveys, funding, benchmarking, and self-funding feasibility. A University of

Georgia Terry College of Business graduate (B.B.A. in Marketing and Sales), he started his IMA career

in Seattle and returned to Atlanta two years ago. He also builds community for HR leaders, a role that

can be isolating, through quarterly leadership dinners that started in Seattle and now run in Atlanta.

Nick Hendricks is Senior Vice President, Employee Benefits, at IMA Financial Group in Atlanta, and a

University of Georgia Terry College of Business graduate. He has specialized in employee benefits for

more than 15 years and helps clients build strategies that are financially disciplined without

shortchanging their people. His view is that the goal is not to spend less. It is to spend smarter. He

hosts the quarterly People Leaders Collective, a dinner that brings HR leaders together, and works

alongside Andrew on client strategy in Atlanta.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – 00:50: Introduction to the shift from renewal meetings to a trust-based advisory relationship.

00:50 – 01:33: Show intro and welcome.

01:33 – 03:02: Getting to know Andrew and Nick: Atlanta, UGA, Seattle, and Saturday birthday parties.

03:02 – 06:00: How the role moved from broker to advisor, and why a strong HR leader often sits with

the companies that are winning.

06:00 – 08:35: Why trust comes before ideas, and why a good partner should hear no sometimes.

08:35 – 11:42: Day-to-day friction with employees, why benefits rarely retain people on their own, and

the prediction of more C-suite involvement.

11:42 – 13:27: Why advisors have to understand the business, and what happens when there is no

three-year plan.

13:27 – 16:10: How multi-year work on self-funding and pharmacy changes the calendar, and the strain

that puts on consulting teams.

16:10 – 21:37: Using data from larger groups to inform smaller ones, and how to deliver a hard renewal

early enough to budget for it.

21:37 – 26:23: The HR leadership dinners: a failed Seattle happy hour, two simple rules, and a

community that is not a sales event.

26:23 – 28:34: What HR leaders get from the room, including connections that continue without IMA in

the middle.

28:34 – 32:02: How to tell if the current advisor is the right one, and why the real test is who will push

the right decision in June.

32:02 – 37:23: The next five years: AI, faster change, and why the human relationship still matters.

37:23 – 39:08: Where to start: make time for benefits in the next six months, and find a partner who will

push the work forward.

39:08 – End: Closing thanks and show outro.

Resources Mentioned (Repeated for Convenience):

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including cost pressure, advisor

relationships, and multi-year strategy. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-pulse-

report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe (Repeated for Convenience): If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow

HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical

insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

If rising costs, stacked renewals, and a flood of funding options have made benefits decisions harder to

navigate, this episode shows what HR leaders and CFOs should expect from their advisors, where the

pressure shows up first, and how to raise the standard for the advice they receive.

Resources Mentioned:

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including healthcare cost management,

alternative funding, and advisor partnerships. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-

pulse-report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe: Share this episode with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with

IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like

covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

Episode Description:

Kelly Bowman sits down with Tom Polenzani, Employee Benefits National Sales Leader at IMA

Financial Group, to discuss why benefits decisions have become more expensive, more complex, and

more central to the C-suite. Tom explains how stacked fully insured increases are pushing mid-market

employers toward alternative funding, why CFOs struggle with the loss of a fixed premium number, and

what happens when organizations move without understanding cost drivers or getting every decision-

maker in the room. They talk about information overload, the difference between dumping data and

giving a recommendation, and why education over a three- to five-year horizon matters more than a

one-year renewal conversation. Tom also shares what employers should do before the next renewal

hits the desk, including getting a second opinion without a 45-page RFP, asking whether the

marketplace is being fully explored, and expecting an advisor who understands the business, not just

the plan. Whether you are facing another double-digit increase, considering self-funding or a captive, or

questioning whether your current advice is still serving you, Tom offers a practical standard for what

good counsel should look like when the stakes are this high.

Guest Bio:

Tom Polenzani is Employee Benefits National Sales Leader and West Region Sales Leader at IMA

Financial Group. Based in Pasadena, California, Tom has spent more than 25 years in insurance and

human capital management, working with HR leaders, CFOs, and ownership teams to navigate cost

pressure, funding strategy, and complex plan design. He previously served as Managing Director at

Bolton and as President of Polenzani Benefits. His work focuses on helping employers look beyond a

single renewal cycle, educate stakeholders, and build programs they can sustain over three to five

years.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – 00:43: Introduction to rising cost, complexity, and why the easiest solution is not always the

right one.

00:43 – 01:12: Show intro and welcome.

01:12 – 02:34: Getting to know Tom: Pasadena home, family, and recharging at Newport Beach.

02:34 – 04:28: What disruption looks like day to day: outsized cost, more C-suite involvement, and

longer planning cycles.

04:28 – 07:27: What HR leaders and CFOs need to understand now that they did not need five or ten

years ago.

07:27 – 10:03: Where pressure shows up first: moving to alternative funding when the CFO no longer

has a fixed premium number.

10:03 – 12:09: What happens when organizations change funding without understanding cost drivers

or claim volatility.

12:09 – 15:53: Information overload, missing decision-makers, and why advisors need to be more

directive.

15:53 – 17:07: What clients finally see once they understand they can design the program instead of

accepting a packaged plan.

24:17 – 25:22: Why resources and client advocacy matter, and what makes this work rewarding.

25:22 – 28:24: What to do before renewal numbers hit the desk: a second opinion without a 45-page

RFP.

28:24 – 31:31: What employers should start questioning, including staying on the same program for

more than three years without a conversation.

31:31 – 33:19: Why advisors must understand the client’s business, not just the benefits plan.

33:19 – 35:41: One thing to refuse to accept: a broker who is not exploring multiple carriers, TPAs, and

stop-loss options.

35:41 – 38:21: How to know you have a strong advisor: they understand your business, work hard for

the result, and are available when you need them.

38:21 – End: Closing thoughts on mid-year collaboration, trust, and show outro.

Resources Mentioned (Repeated for Convenience):

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free

report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including healthcare cost management,

alternative funding, and advisor partnerships. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-

pulse-report-2026

• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter

employee benefits.

Listen and Subscribe (Repeated for Convenience): If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow

HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical

insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

If traditional wellness programs feel like checkboxes that have not moved the needle on rising healthcare costs or chronic disease, this episode shows how lifestyle medicine addresses root causes and helps organizations build workplaces where people can actually thrive.

Resources Mentioned:

Listen and Subscribe: Share this episode with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

Episode Description:

Kelly Bowman sits down with Val Tivnan, Vice President of Population Health Strategy and Wellbeing at IMA, to explore why traditional corporate wellness programs have struggled to reduce costs or improve chronic disease outcomes, and what a more effective approach looks like. Val explains the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, the difference between checkbox perks and evidence-based therapeutic programs, and the real pressures keeping employers up at night: affordability, economic uncertainty, engagement, mental health, and AI. She shares research on the Diabetes Prevention Program and workplace ROI studies, describes a free step-by-step guide she helped develop with ACLM and ACOEM, and outlines practical first steps any organization can take. Whether you are evaluating current wellness spend, looking for measurable impact, or ready to build a culture that supports healthier employees, Val offers a clear path forward that starts with knowing where you are today and taking one realistic next step.

Guest Bio:

Val Tivnan is Vice President of Population Health Strategy and Wellbeing at IMA Financial Group. Based in Boston, she has spent nearly 11 years at IMA and more than 25 years in the industry helping employers design strategies that improve employee health and create cultures of wellbeing. She chairs the Lifestyle Medicine in the Workplace member interest group at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and collaborated with ACLM and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine on a free guide that gives employers a practical roadmap for bringing lifestyle medicine into the workplace. Her work focuses on connecting clients with evidence-based programs, measuring results, and helping organizations address root causes rather than symptoms.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – 00:55: Introduction to rising costs, chronic disease, and the limits of traditional wellness programs.

00:55 – 01:29: Show intro and welcome.

01:29 – 02:51: Getting to know Val: Boston base, travel with family and Boston terrier Tyson, and New England nature.

02:51 – 04:54: Val’s role at IMA, 25-plus years in the industry, and how she helps clients build cultures of wellbeing.

04:54 – 08:06: What lifestyle medicine is, how Val discovered it through Dr. Beth Frates and ACLM, and the six pillars.

08:06 – 11:06: What keeps employers up at night: affordability, economic uncertainty, engagement, mental health, and AI.

11:06 – 13:07: Why traditional checkbox wellness programs have not delivered the results employers hoped for.

13:07 – 14:46: The evidence: Diabetes Prevention Program results and a workplace study showing strong ROI.

14:46 – 15:42: Why lifestyle medicine is finally resonating: it targets root causes employers are paying for.

15:42 – 17:28: The free workplace guide Val helped create with ACLM and ACOEM, and how employers can use it.

17:28 – 18:22: Employer feedback on the guide and the reality that many meaningful steps require little or no budget.

18:22 – 20:26: Val’s work as an adjunct professor and the soft skills and psychological safety she emphasizes with students.

20:26 – 21:56: Optimism about the younger generation and their stronger advocacy for health and better leadership.

21:56 – 25:08: Practical first steps: know where you are today, look under the iceberg, use data, and align the environment with the message.

25:08 – 26:01: The single best action in the next 90 days: get the free guide and identify one realistic next step.

26:01 – 27:05: What gives Val the most optimism: documented, multi-year client results and healthier, more engaged workforces.

27:05 – End: Closing thanks and show outro.

Resources Mentioned (Repeated for Convenience):

Listen and Subscribe (Repeated for Convenience): If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

• A Guide to Bringing Lifestyle Medicine into Workplaces – A free, step-by-step resource developed in collaboration with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The guide helps employers move from assessment to implementation with practical tools and a clear roadmap.• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including workforce wellbeing, chronic disease management, and population health strategy. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-pulse-report-2026• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter employee benefits and whole-health strategies.• A Guide to Bringing Lifestyle Medicine into Workplaces – A free, step-by-step resource developed in collaboration with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The guide helps employers move from assessment to implementation with practical tools and a clear roadmap.• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including workforce wellbeing, chronic disease management, and population health strategy. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-pulse-report-2026• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter employee benefits and whole-health strategies.

If leaders are spending more time worrying about AI’s cost impact than its growth potential, or if performance, culture, and leadership feel harder to manage in a rapidly changing workplace, this episode shows how organizations can use technology to create capacity, free people for higher-value work, and strengthen the human elements that drive results.

Resources Mentioned:

Listen and Subscribe: Share this episode with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

Episode Description:

Kelly Bowman sits down with Greg Boothroyd, Chief People Officer at IMA Financial Group, to explore how organizations can approach the future of work with greater intention. Greg explains why leaders often focus too narrowly on the cost side of AI instead of its revenue and growth potential, how technology should free capacity rather than replace people, and why the uniquely human elements of work (empathy, relationship-building, judgment, and coaching) will become even more valuable. They discuss IMA’s People Powered strategic pillar, the importance of role clarity and performance differentiation, how culture is shaped by the experiences leaders create, and why investing in managers as coaches is essential for sustainable growth. Whether you are evaluating AI tools, redesigning work processes, strengthening performance management, or building leadership capability, Greg offers a practical starting point for using this moment to strengthen what makes organizations effective.

Guest Bio:

Greg Boothroyd is Chief People Officer at IMA Financial Group. He joined IMA in 2025 from Vail Resorts, where he served as Vice President of HR Business Solutions and Chief of Staff to the CEO. With more than 15 years of human resources experience across multiple industries and leadership roles, Greg leads IMA’s people strategy with a focus on talent investment, culture, leadership development, performance systems, and aligning people practices with business growth. He holds an MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and a BA in Sociology from the University of Michigan.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – 00:34: Show intro and welcome to On the Pulse with IMA.

00:34 – 01:48: Getting to know Greg: being a dad to Grant and Henry, tree houses, go-karts, and wake surfing.

01:48 – 03:51: The future of work: leaders over-focusing on AI cost versus revenue and growth potential. AI as a task aid, not a job replacement.

03:51 – 05:36: What leaders get wrong about AI (treating agents as employees) and why technology is best viewed as a productivity enabler, like Excel or factory robots.

05:36 – 08:04: How to identify what to automate versus keep human: start with the value a role delivers, break work into tasks, and protect empathy, vulnerability, and relationship-building.

08:04 – 09:43: Beyond simply giving employees AI tools: HR’s opportunity in organization design, work design, process mapping, and creating capacity.

09:43 – 11:41: Making work more human: machines do the machine stuff, people do the people stuff. The critical need for better data plumbing.

11:41 – 13:36: Building a high-performance culture: clarity of who is on the team, shared goals, accountability, mutual respect, and teamwork.

13:36 – 15:02: Why differentiating outcomes based on individual contribution matters and how rewards systems send cultural signals.

15:02 – 17:02: Why well-intentioned leaders struggle with performance conversations and how to equip managers with the skills to have them.

17:02 – 18:52: IMA’s People Powered initiative: role clarity, career growth, leaders as coaches, and performance tied to rewards.

18:52 – 21:07: Key learnings from People Powered: people as the true differentiator, relationship culture as secret sauce, and the reality that what got you here will not get you there.

21:07 – 23:33: How the HR function must evolve: people strategy linked to business strategy, creating capacity for strategic work through better technology and process.

23:33 – 26:14: Preserving and evolving culture at scale: culture is what people believe, and beliefs are shaped by the experiences leaders deliberately create.

26:14 – 28:45: What’s missing in most leadership development: the 70/20/10 model, on-the-job application, and treating senior leaders as coaches for their teams.

28:45 – 30:22: Why every leader benefits from coaching and continuous improvement, and what it signals when someone believes they do not need it.

30:22 – 31:50: The biggest disconnect: distraction by the latest AI model versus knowing where human capital is deployed and whether that allocation drives growth.

31:50 – 33:56: What will distinguish organizations that thrive: thoughtful use of technology grounded in core value, investment in leadership capability, and strengthening humanity (judgment, relationships, creativity, and coaching).

33:56 – 37:26: What gives Greg the most optimism: intergenerational learning (interns teaching prompting, experienced leaders bringing craft knowledge), and choosing the perspective that change equals growth.

37:26 – End: Closing thanks and show outro.

Resources Mentioned (Repeated for Convenience):

Listen and Subscribe (Repeated for Convenience): If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you’d like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including workforce strategy, leadership, AI, and organizational performance. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-pulse-report-2026• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter employee benefits and people strategies.• 2026 On the Pulse Report: Insights on Employee Benefits Trends – Download this free report for forward-looking trends in employee benefits, including workforce strategy, leadership, AI, and organizational performance. https://imacorp.com/insights/hr-insights-on-the-pulse-report-2026• Visit imacorp.com to connect with the IMA team and learn more about building smarter employee benefits and people strategies.

If AI, cyber risk, healthcare costs, and workforce change feel like separate challenges, this episode shows why they are connected and how HR can help lead the response.

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Listen and Subscribe: Share this episode with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you'd like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.

Episode Description: Kelly Bowman sits down with John Hearn, Chief Operating Officer at IMA Financial Group, to discuss how HR leaders can help organizations prepare for a workforce being reshaped by AI. John explains why leaders need to look beyond short-term tools and first define what the workforce, customer relationship, and operating model must look like in three to five years. They explore how ambiguity and change fatigue can stall action, why organizations should move before they have perfect information, and how protected AI environments, clear policies, workforce upskilling, and stronger human connection skills can create a foundation for responsible innovation. John also breaks down the cybersecurity and data risks of unmanaged AI use, the need to balance speed with enterprise scale, and the role HR can play in bringing operations, IT, and leadership into a disciplined strategic conversation. The discussion also turns to healthcare cost pressure and why employers must be willing to challenge conventional approaches rather than let a misaligned system control their choices. For HR leaders navigating AI, workforce planning, healthcare costs, and organizational change, John offers a practical case for acting now, leading strategically, and treating disruption as an opportunity.

Guest Bio: John Hearn is Chief Operating Officer at IMA Financial Group. He brings decades of experience across risk management, insurance, employee benefits, and business leadership. In his role, John helps guide IMA’s operations and long-term strategy, with a focus on scalable growth, workforce development, innovation, and client impact. He is also a recognized voice on healthcare reform and employer strategies for challenging the status quo, managing cost trends, and creating better outcomes for organizations and their employees. His current work includes helping leaders think more intentionally about AI adoption, cyber risk, organizational change, and the skills companies will need to remain relevant in the years ahead.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

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If rising healthcare costs, renewal increases, and pharmacy spend feel impossible to control, this episode shows how employers can explore smarter funding strategies, stronger partnerships, and more transparent solutions.

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Episode Description: Kelly Bowman sits down with Andrew Agress, Executive Vice President of Employee Benefits at IMA Financial Group, to discuss how employers can respond to rising healthcare costs with greater control, transparency, and confidence. Andrew explains why traditional fully insured and HMO models are becoming harder for some employers to justify, how self-funded and level-funded strategies are opening new possibilities for mid-market organizations, and why pharmacy transparency remains one of the biggest opportunities for savings. They also explore the importance of trusted relationships, HR communities, aggregation and harmonization for private equity and shared-ownership structures, and the role of a broker partner who brings proactive education instead of simply reacting to renewals. Whether you are facing renewal pressure, looking for better data, or wondering if alternative funding is right for your organization, Andrew offers a practical starting point for taking back control of healthcare costs.

Guest Bio: Andrew Agress is Executive Vice President of Employee Benefits at IMA Financial Group. Based in Southern California, Andrew has spent more than two decades working with HR leaders and executives to navigate healthcare complexity, carrier negotiations, benefits strategy, and cost control. He also leads and supports HR executive communities through the National Human Resources Association and invite-only roundtables, helping leaders connect, share resources, and solve challenges together. His work focuses on helping employers evaluate smarter funding models, improve access to care, build stronger benefits strategies, and support employees and families when they need care most.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

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If your organization is trying to improve retention with more perks, surveys, or exit interviews, this episode shows why the real opportunity may be the conversations leaders are not having.

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Episode Description: Kelly Bowman sits down with Gary Butterworth, a communication expert, speaker, trainer, and former broadcaster, to discuss why employee retention often comes down to the quality of the relationship between a leader and their people. Gary explains why perks and surveys are not enough, how one-on-one conversations build trust, and why stay interviews can reveal what exit interviews often miss. They explore the difference between efficiency and effectiveness, the role of active listening, how leaders can create space for honest dialogue, and why Gary prefers to call stay interviews “bespoke career-centered conversations.” From practical questions leaders can ask to advice for handling unexpected responses, this conversation offers a clear reminder that employees are more likely to stay when they feel seen, heard, supported, and able to grow.

Guest Bio: Gary Butterworth is a communication expert, speaker, trainer, former broadcaster, and longtime Toastmasters participant. His career has included radio, television weathercasting, teaching, training, and leadership communication. Known for his energy, humor, and practical approach to interpersonal skills, Gary helps leaders strengthen workplace relationships through better listening, more meaningful conversations, and communication practices that build trust and engagement.

Host: Kelly Bowman

Key Timestamps:

Resources Mentioned (Repeated for Convenience):

Listen and Subscribe (Repeated for Convenience): If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow HR leader and subscribe to On the Pulse with IMA on your favorite podcast platform for more practical insights. Have questions or topics you'd like covered? Reach out via imacorp.com.