Alliant Insurance Services has brought Tim Simokonis on board as senior vice president in its Southeast Employee Benefits Group. Based in Florida, Simokonis will work with clients across the country, focusing on self-funded health plans, improving data transparency, and optimizing fiduciary strategies.
Simokonis brings over 18 years of experience to the role. He has a strong background in managing self-funded health plans, including reviewing and negotiating ASO (Administrative Services Only) and PBM (Pharmacy Benefit Management) contracts. Before joining Alliant, he held the position of vice president at Lockton Companies.
Meanwhile, Sunstar Insurance Group, which operates in the Southeast and Midwest, named Daniel Romero as its new chief acquisition officer. Romero has more than 15 years of experience in insurance mergers and acquisitions. He has led over 130 deals in his career. Previously, he was head of corporate development at Evertree Insurance and served as vice president of mergers and acquisitions at Hub International. At Sunstar, Romero will focus on expanding the company through new agency partnerships.
Sunstar, founded in 2012 by Casey Bowlin, currently has over 800 employees and writes around $2 billion in premiums annually.
In Alabama, the Department of Insurance has hired Kelli Littlejohn Newman to lead its new Pharmacy Benefit Compliance Division starting December 16. This division was created to enforce the state’s Community Pharmacy Relief Act, passed earlier this year. Newman holds a doctorate in pharmacy and has more than 20 years of experience in pharmacy practice, health care administration, and government work. She most recently worked as senior director of clinical services at the Alabama Medicaid Agency, where she oversaw pharmacy programs worth billions of dollars.