Kate Ronan is a Human Resources & Employee Benefits consultant with more than 15 years of experience in legal, manufacturing and corporate environments. Her ability to communicate fluently in both Spanish and English gives her the flexibility to work effectively in diverse work settings.

As a consultant, Kate is well-positioned to add value in these key areas:

• Group Insurance
• Defined Benefit Plans
• Deferred Compensation Plans
• Family and Medical Leave Act
• Wellness & Risk Management

As an HR and benefits specialist, Kate has placed a high priority on improving HR processes, heightening employee awareness of critical issues, and reducing costs through innovative approaches to risk management.

In the areas of Group Benefits, Group Insurance and Risk Management, Kate has:

• Conducted bi-lingual and paperless open enrollments
• Administered cash balance, defined contribution, and defined benefit plans simultaneously
• Managed rate renewals for self-funded, minimum-premium as well as fully insured plans
• Launched Health Savings Accounts and other forms of consumer-driven health care
• Revised a self-funded, short-term disability program to achieve a smoother transition to a fully insured long-term disability plan
• Encouraged employees to utilize an online claims investigation system

In the areas of Employee Relations and Compliance plans, Kate has:

• Written summary plan descriptions to explain the connections between the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), parental leave and Long Term Disability (LTD)
• Trained managers and supervisors on FMLA plan details and requirements
• Reduced workers’ compensation premiums significantly by producing a videotaped safety and ergonomic training program and showing it to all employees
• Created a Be well … Be informed … Be well informed wellness campaign for employees
• Developed a variety of “soft” benefits to help employees improve their work/life balances – from annual health fairs and screenings and yoga to employee newsletters and monthly “lunch & learn” events
• Secured H-1 visas and Resident Alien cards for skilled and unskilled workers without legal fees
• Achieved early compliance with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) provisions

Kate, the former benefits manager for a major Chicago law firm, received her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from the University of Illinois in Champagne-Urbana and her MBA from Northern Illinois University. She is proficient in various HRIS and office systems.