Slideshow Benefit pros on the move: Mercer, HealthJoy, Zenefits and more make key appointments

The latest hires and promotions inside advisory firms across the nation for late summer 2017.

Tech start-up League Inc. has named Brian Ancell as its head of U.S. business. Previously he served as president and COO of Welltok, executive vice president of Premera Blue Cross and senior manager of Deloitte Consulting. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School. Based in Chicago, League is now live in Illinois and Washington state and has plans to add clients in 10 cities by 2018.

Mercer has has appointed Jen Faifer to the role of Detroit office business leader for health. She will focus on growing Mercer's health business in the Motor City and greater Michigan and will report to Eric Bassett, Mercer's central market business leader. Faifer is currently adjunct professor of John Marshall Law School and she joined Mercer in October 2012 as senior associate, employee benefits attorney. She previously served as employee benefits counsel for USI Insurance Services and as an employee benefits consultant for Ernst & Young

Patricia Griffey was named vice president of the National Association of Health Underwriters Board of Trustees at its 87th Annual Convention and Exhibition in Orlando. Griffey has been a licensed life and health agent since 1979. She is currently a risk management adviser for the Healy Group based in South Bend, Ind., where she oversees services to employer groups through agents and brokers located in Indiana and Michigan. She has been a NAHU member since 1997 and has served in leadership positions in her local and state chapters.

AJ Ijaz has been named vice president of retirement plan services for The Standard. In his new role, Ijaz will oversee the company's teams responsible for the service, operations and administration of its retirement plans division. Ijaz has nearly 20 years of senior leadership experience in financial services at Allstate where his most recent title was vice president of life and retirement agency operations. Prior to that he was vice president for Allstate Financial National Sales and assistant vice president of Allstate Financial Customer Service.

Mercer has named John Lapinski to the role of senior healthcare consultant. He will be responsible for client management, business development and client consulting on health and benefits issues. He will work in the consultancy?s Detroit office and report to Eric Bassett, central market business leader. Lapinski first worked for Mercer Human Resource Consulting in 1996 and left in 2007 to join Conduent HR Services as principal, health practice leader. He rejoined Mercer as a principal in 2017.

Meg Murphy has joined employee benefits tech startup HealthJoy where her new title is director of business development and communications. She will work with the Chicago-based firm's team on artificial intelligence, consumerism, employee engagement, cost containment, sales differentiation and technology trends. Before joining HealthJoy, Murphy worked at Maxwell Health.

Lisa Reeves has been appointed to the role of senior vice president of product for Zenefits. She will be responsible for the development, management and execution of the product vision. Reeves recently served as vice president of corporate strategy at Workday and was co-founder and CEO of GridCraft, a data analytics company acquired by Workday in 2015. Reeves began her career at SAP where she held a series of executive positions during her 15-year tenure. Reeves is the latest in a series of additions to the Zenefits leadership team, including CEO and chairman Jay Fulcher, COO Jeff Carr and Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Marasco.

GoodWorks Insurance has named Bryan W. Russo regional president and head of its new office in Walnut Creek, Calif. Connecticut-based GoodWorks Insurance recently opened its first office in California and plans to?open additional storefronts in the Golden State and the western U.S. later this year. Russo specializes in employee benefits plans for mid-sized and large employers. A 20-year industry veteran, Russo previously served as a benefits consultant with Lincoln Financial and UNUM in Walnut Creek, Calif.

Zenefits has appointed Beth Steinberg as its chief people officer. She will report to CEO Jay Fulcher and oversee the creation, implementation and ongoing execution of HR policies and practices. As part of Zenefits leadership team, she will guide the firm in workforce strategy, talent development and organization management. Steinberg has held leadership positions at Facebook, BrightRoll (acquired by Yahoo), Sunrun, and Electronic Arts. She has also served at Nike, Hewlett-Packard and Nordstrom. Most recently, she ran her own advisory firm, Mensch Ventures.

Erin Turley, partner in McDermott Will & Emery’s employee benefits practice in Dallas, will be inducted as a Fellow of The American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. Turley's practice focuses on employee benefits matters and she has experience handling ERISA and employee stock ownership plan issues. She also advises employers on the design, implementation and administration of tax-qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, and health and welfare benefit plans. ACEBC is a national professional organization of lawyers who have made outstanding contributions to the field of employee benefits.