WBA inducts two into Hall of Fame, names Lifetime Achievement Award winner

The Workplace Benefits Association, the national organization for voluntary benefit advisers and brokers, inducted two new members into its International Worksite Marketing Hall of Fame and named the first winner of its Lifetime Achievement Award at this week’s Workplace Benefits Mania event in Las Vegas.

Frank Doherty, CEO and managing partner of National Benefit Partners, and Brad Weir, managing director of Univers Workplace Solutions, were chosen for the Hall of Fame, and James Ouimet, president of U.S. marketing and sales at Afinium, was awarded the Walter B. Podgurski Lifetime Achievement Award.

The WBA’s Hall of Fame, established in 1999, recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of voluntary employee benefit plans.

International Worksite Marketing Hall of Fame

The WBA’s International Worksite Marketing Hall-of-Fame recognizes professionals for their contributions to the industry of voluntary employee benefit plans. The WBA inducts new members at its annual Workplace Benefits Mania event. Click above to see a list of Hall-of-Fame members.

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The Walter B. Podgurski Lifetime Achievement Award honors a voluntary benefit adviser or broker who has demonstrated vision and influence in the market. The award is named after the Workplace Benefits Association’s founder and long-time association manager, Walt Podgurski, who retired from the organization last year. The WBA and Employee Benefit Adviser are both part of SourceMedia.

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Brad Weir

Doherty started his career at Colonial Life and later joined the Copeland Cos. In 1995, he founded Frank Doherty & Associates, a distribution agency for Transamerica Worksite Marketing. In 2005, he and Dan Jund, who had been the president of Transamerica’s Worksite Marketing, started National Benefit Partners, which today is a national, independent voluntary benefit marketing firm.

Weir, whose career includes stints are National Provident Life, Unum and Turner P. Williams and Associates, was called an industry innovator by Greg Morano, Univers’ co-founder and chief executive officer, who noted that when Weir had served previously as the company’s chief marketing officer Univers exceed $100 million in sales.

Ouimet has served as managing partner at both Workplace Affinity and JCG consulting, vice president of brokerage sales at Medical Life Insurance, president and CEO of Kentucky Home Mutual Life, vice president of brokerage sales at BCBS of Kentucky and director of personal insurance marketing at MetLife. Ouimet was also the WBA’s first president, which he said was one of his highest achievements.

Podgurski, who presented Ouimet with his award, said the Afinium executive “made the people he worked with better … and the companies he worked for better.”

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