Popup Box Category: Speakers

As a Customer Success Manager at Cariloop, Alex works with HR Directors and employees of companies that Cariloop supports to connect employees with Care Coaches. She is responsible for collaborating with employers to proactively and creatively engage with employees and educate them on the support and services Cariloop provides as a caregiver support benefit that is free for them to utilize. Having worked with caregivers in previous roles, Yoss is passionate about bringing more awareness to caregiver support services and helping such a large group of people whose stories and struggles aren’t as often talked about, written in the news or shared openly. She has a Master in Social Work from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Missouri.

Jill Watson joined Gallagher Benefit Services’ Houston office in August 2000 after serving as the Area President for Willis and holding senior leadership roles at other major brokerage firms. With other 35 years of experience in Employee Benefits, Jill continues to drive change across the entire consulting landscape.

Highly knowledgeable in the fundamentals and complexities of benefits planning, delivery and administration, Jill’s extensive expertise enables her to offer her clients innovative and comprehensive solutions while also ensuring that the exposures facing them are well-protected and insured. As Health and Welfare Practice Leader for Gallagher, Jill is responsible for driving growth through new business as well as overseeing the management of the existing clients she serves. Through partnership with the account management and specialty practice teams within Gallagher, her customer-focused approach ensures delivery of high-quality, innovative solutions.

Jill sits on numerous advisory boards and thought leadership groups across the industry and participates in panels and speaking engagements on topics ranging from healthcare cost containment strategy to women in leadership.

In addition to her industry involvement, Jill and her husband John are the founders of non-profit organization Bloom Fitness. Bloom was founded in 2017 after many years of passionately supporting and advocating for those with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and is dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional and cognitive wellness of the IDD community. Bloom offers those with IDD an inviting and safe environment to exercise, learn about healthy lifestyle choices and have fun social interactions with friends.

As an industry and community leader, Jill’s experience and expertise make her a critical asset and highly valued advisor to her clients. As a key leader within Gallagher, her strategic guidance, innovative solutions and commitment to advocacy create immense value for her clients.

Dr. Chris Skisak is the Executive Director of the Houston Business Coalition on Health, a multi-stakeholder coalition dedicated to impacting the cost, quality and experience in healthcare delivery to its more than 2 million employer-sponsored lives. Dr. Skisak also serves on Board of Governors of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions representing 51 million lives and serves on its Executive Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Business Group on Health. Prior to HBCH he was President and Founder of Corporate Health Management Solutions, an organizational health and productivity management company which provided consulting and software to employers and their health management partners to demonstrate the value of an integrated health management strategy. Dr. Skisak had previously worked 25 years with Houston Fortune 50 energy companies in a variety of population health management positions. He is originally from Chicago and attended the University of Illinois. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas School of Public Health.

Janocqua Shaw is an accomplished Total Rewards Director with 20 plus years of progressive experience in Total Rewards (Health & Welfare/Retirement Benefits Administration, Compensation, Absence Management, Occupational Health, Wellness, Shared Services and Employee Recognition/Engagement. She has worked in the Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Education and Financial Services Industries. She has expertise in developing and maintaining vendor relationships, administering and designing Employee Benefits, Wellness, Recognition and Compensation programs and resolving complex issues. She also has a proven track record driving company culture and consistently achieving business goals while utilizing strong interpersonal skills to provide high quality customer service and promote company brand. Janocqua considers herself a servant leader. She has a passion for people and is unabashedly transparent about her journey to motherhood and weight loss, both of which lead her to focus on mental health and wellness. She grew up an athlete and has a degree in Kinesiology and Health from The University of Houston- Central Campus. In her spare time, she enjoys glam (doing makeup and lashes, baking, shopping and spending time with her daughters.

Linda Riddell is a population health scientist, poverty educator and independent validator with 30 years’ experience in health care, public and private health insurance, and health policy. She specializes in measuring outcomes for health and wellness programs, such as coaching, behavior incentives, and novel interventions.

Linda is the founder of Health Economy, LLC, focusing on health policy and health data analysis. Her clients range from state governments to private insurers to start-up technology companies. She also serves as Vice President Strategic Initiatives for the Validation Institute, which peer reviews outcome measures for member companies.

After studying the effects of scarcity on our brains, Linda created a unique, experiential game in 2018 where players experience for themselves the brain changes that occur in poverty. Gettin’ By is meant for people whose work affects those in poverty — such as teachers, legislators, and medical care providers. After playing the game, participants learn about how poverty changes the brain and how they can take this into account in their work.

Linda has a master’s degree in health policy and management from the Edmund Muskie School of Public Service.

Jaja Okigwe is CEO of Seattle-based First Choice Health.Serving in this role since 2018, Jaja has presidedover its renewal as a modern health benefit company.Over the course of a 25+ year career in which hehas advised companies across multiple industry sectorsand in several countries, Jaja has developed aunique perspective on the U.S. healthcare system,with a focus on simplification and appropriatetechnology.

As an imaginative thinker, Jaja has held key leadershiproles including leading strategic planning andinnovation for Premera Blue Cross, a health plan basedin Washington with two million members; anddeveloping products and partnerships for a divisionof McKesson Corporation, presently #6 on theFortune 500.

Jaja is fluent in French, Spanish and English; anaspiring author; an avid cyclist; and a supporterofimmigrants’ rights, adoption and youth soccer.

Jaja received his undergraduate degree from HarvardCollege and an MBA from HEC Paris.