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Leadership

Sequoia’s key differentiator as a service provider is the quality of our people and their team approach to delivering the best possible results for our clients. Our leadership team members have proven expertise combined with warmth, positive energy, and a can-do attitude. The result is a tangible difference in our clients’ daily experience, year after year.

Greg Golub

Greg Golub

Founder & CEO

As CEO, Greg is responsible for constituting the vision and future of the company, leading the management team, and strengthening our client-centric culture as Sequoia scales. Greg also spends much of his time studying industry trends, serving on advisory boards and figuring out what changes in our industry will serve as opportunities for our clients.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS in Economics, Washington and Lee University
  • Director, The Golub Group investment management firm
  • Member, Young President’s Organization (YPO)
  • Chartered Life Underwriter, CLU
  • Served on many Insurance Companies’ Advisory Boards

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Fly-fishing, Skiing, and Running
  • Cheering from the sidelines as my daughters compete in the sports they love
  • Partnering with my wife, Kelly, to raise our three daughters
  • Empowering young people by providing access to education and opportunities

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“The more you give, the more you get in return” – Mike Golub,  My Father

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Herb Kelleher, Mahatma Gandhi, Paul Newman, Jeff Bezos, Abraham Lincoln, Michael Phelps, David Packard

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Surrounding myself with a team of people who share my ethic of optimism, succeeding as a team and doing what is right and in the best interest of our clients and raising three daughters who love and support each other and are best friends.

Bob Lawson

Bob Lawson

President

As President & Chief Financial Officer, Bob is responsible for all finance and accounting activities at Sequoia, in addition to overseeing all market teams. His focus is to ensure a consistent, Sequoia-level service experience for all clients.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS in General Business, Iowa State University

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Sports of all kinds
  • Cooking and wine
  • Traveling with my family

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” – Abraham Lincoln

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My parents

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Raising three incredibly diverse children

Jim Gibson

Jim Gibson

Chief Financial Officer

As Chief Financial Officer, Jim is responsible for all finance and accounting activities at Sequoia. His focus is to grow an exceptional finance team that ensures Sequoia provides excellent service to all its clients.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • B.A. in Business Economics, University of California, Santa Barbara

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Anything outdoors
  • Coaching kid’s soccer
  • Seeing the world through my daughters’ eyes

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” – John Muir

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Teachers

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Being fortunate enough to work at numerous companies that changed the world

Christina Sullivan

Christina Sullivan

Chief Client Officer and GM, Sequoia One

Christina leads all client service teams at Sequoia and our Sequoia One PEO practice, which serves outsourced HR, payroll, and benefits support to our up-and-coming clients in the SMB space. With a passion for excellent customer service, she encourages collaboration so that the team members learn from each other and improve processes. She is dedicated to the success of each team member and loves nothing more than to receive praise from clients about the team.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Management, San Francisco State University
  • Certificate in Human Resources Management, San Francisco State University
  • CA Insurance License for Life, Accident and Health

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Spending time with family and friends, especially my husband and two kids
  • Running on the beautiful coastal trail in Half Moon Bay, CA and in an occasional half marathon
  • Trying new restaurants and foods

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Steve Jobs

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Steve Jobs, Richard Branson

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Being successful at balancing my work family and my family at home. I’m extremely blessed to be surrounded by great people all the time.

Jose Gonzalez

Jose Gonzalez

Principal & VP, Mid-Size Practice

As the mid-market team leader, Jose Gonzalez is responsible for business development and the overall design and delivery of our mid-size client experience. He oversees the orchestration of scalable client solutions delivering reduced costs, positive employee experiences, and reduced administration. Jose enjoys working closely with our client service, marketing, and support teams to continue finding innovative ways of meeting the evolving needs of our clients.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • California licensed Life, Accident and Health
  • BS in Business Administration cum laude, University of Southern California
  • USC Lloyd Grief Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Spending time with my wife, daughter and son
  • Music, Swimming, Water Polo, Soccer
  • Spending time with family & friends
  • Watching USC Trojan Football

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” Tommy Lasorda

“Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.” Jim Valvano

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Working with exceptional colleagues to make a positive impact in the lives of our clients, while earning and maintaining their trust.

Lesley Grady

Lesley Grady

VP, Enterprise Practice

As the enterprise team leader, Lesley is responsible for business development and the overall design and delivery of our enterprise client experience. Her focus is to ensure a consistent, Sequoia-level service experience for all enterprise clients.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA in Communication, Villanova University
  • NY Insurance License for Life, Accident and Health

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Living in and biking around New York City
  • Chasing my young kids around
  • I’m surprisingly crafty!

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.” -Jim Rohn

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My husband, he always protects and unconditionally supports me. My sister, she is super smart.

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

My twins- They were given a poor prognosis before birth. I am humbled and inspired every day by their strength and perseverance to be amazing healthy little human beings.

Stephen Kim

Stephen Kim

Chief Legal & Administrative Officer

As the Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, Steve is responsible for operational excellence in the functions that both safeguard our business operations and ensure that the company has the resources necessary to support our clients and their growth. In this role, Steve works with team members in Legal, Talent, Human Resources, Security and IT, and Facilities.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA in Philosophy and German, Johns Hopkins University
  • JD from New York University School of Law, Editor of Law Review
  • Member of the New York and California bars

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees of his sons’ school
  • Driving all over the Bay Area for music lessons, golf and tennis lessons, and tournaments for his children
  • As often as possible, organizing a movie or dinner date with his wife Betty

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard
“One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My parents, who carved out a life for themselves, and as a result, did so for the generations that will follow.

Michele Floriani

Michele Floriani

Principal & Chief Marketing Officer

As Chief Marketing Officer, Michele is responsible for leading the marketing and brand experience for Sequoia. He works cross functionally to grow the business and ensure the product and service quality is at or above Sequoia’s historically high standards.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BFA in Painting and Sculpture, University of Southern California
  • Economics courses, Georgetown University
  • Executive education course, delivered by McCombs School of Business, University of Texas

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Food and family
  • Formula One
  • Listening to and playing music

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” Thomas Jefferson

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Ben Franklin, Pablo Picasso, Ferdinand Magellan, Niki Lauda

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

I am still able to go to the skate park with my son and not embarrass him.

David Cook

David Cook

Chief Information Security Officer

As the Chief Information Security Officer, David is responsible for security and IT for Sequoia. David’s goal is to build a technology-rich security program that will protect Sequoia and be a company differentiator.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA Computer Science, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • MS Information Assurance, Norwich University
  • CISSP

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Family
  • Scuba Diving
  • Food and wine

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Jimmy Carter, Bill Hewlett, Dave Packard

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Building a house from the planning stage (drawing plans) to the actual construction.

Mark Dunning

Mark Dunning

Chief Data Officer

As CDO, Mark is responsible for Sequoia’s data strategy, including developing and implementing a data roadmap. Mark oversees Data Engineering, Data Governance, and Data Analytics with the aim of ensuring that Sequoia is making the most of its data assets throughout the organization and using data in an actionable manner.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS Management Information Systems, Dublin Business School

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Football (American and ‘footie’) and sports in general
  • Music, in particular live events
  • Travelling to new places

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” – Arthur Conan Doyle

“If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?” – Kendrick Lamar

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My mam, family, and friends

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

I have always been more about the journey than the destination, and to me, life is about accomplishing many great small things. That ranges from learning to speak Polish so I could speak to my new family on our wedding day, to completing Spartans races, to coaching my son’s soccer team.

Vivek Rajanna

Vivek Rajanna

Principal & GM, Solutions

An engineer at heart, Vivek’s passion for building products of impact led him down the path of product strategy and management. Having built products that are used by millions, Vivek is responsible for building and enhancing Sequoia’s digital products to create a lasting positive impact on our clients.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • Masters in Computer Science, Manipal-India

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Motorbiking, hiking, yoga
  • Watching documentaries and reading biographies
  • Long walks with my wife

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Finding happiness beyond material wealth.

Gaurang Telang

Gaurang Telang

Chief Product Officer

As Chief Product Officer, Gaurang, fondly known as GT, oversees all aspects of product, technology, strategy, and innovation at Sequoia. His primary focus is to build delightful product and service experiences for clients and partners, and to empower, inspire, enable, and transform millions of lives across the globe.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • MBA, University of Iowa
  • BS in Electrical Engineering, University of Mumbai
  • Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Stanford University GSB

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Watching Formula One & Ice Hockey (Cue Chelsea Dagger)
  • Escaping Escape Rooms
  • Reading books (non-fiction)
  • Listening to Progressive House Music
  • Watching documentaries and comedy shows with my family

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Trust is earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.” – Brené Brown

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Mahatma Gandhi, Malala Yousafzai, Frank Lloyd Wright

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

A happy and fulfilling life with an incredible support system that shares the same values.

Karthik Murugesan

Karthik Murugesan

Chief Technology Officer

As the Chief Technology Officer, Karthik is responsible for building Sequoia’s People Platform.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BE in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Love the time I spend with my two daughters
  • Reading anything that interests me
  • Random, long adventurous road trips

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Ideas are cheap, execution is everything.” — Chris Sacca

“Everything in the world can be exhausted, and only one resource can live endlessly, that is culture.” — Ren Zhengfei

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My Father, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Building multiple incredible teams with smart people and enriching my knowledge while working with them. On the personal front, raising two wonderful daughters who care for each other.

Kate Fahy

Kate Fahy

VP, People

As the VP of People, Kate oversees the team that is attracting and hiring the world’s best talent for Sequoia. The Talent Acquisition team is at the forefront of scaling our business and identifying exceptional new team members to power the Total People Investment.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA in Economics, California State University Chico

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Being with my amazing friends and family
  • Travel
  • Needlepoint
  • Exercise

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”Benjamin Franklin

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Dennis & Louise Del Paine – my intelligent hard working, self-made parents

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Being able to successfully balance work and my family is my greatest achievement. My son Nicholas is my pride and joy.

Matt Roberts

Matt Roberts

VP, Growth

Matt leads our overall strategic growth at Sequoia while collaborating closely with sales, marketing, product, service, operations and talent. Striving to continually refine our go-to-market strategy, he optimzies efficiencies around our sales process, building upon our complelling client offering and growing our world-class consulting team across all market segements and geographies.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • California licensed Life, Accident and Health
  • BA in Business Administration, California State University Fullerton

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Spending time with friends and family
  • Watching sports
  • Playing golf when possible

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” -Charles Swindoll
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” -Phil Jackson

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL:

My Mother, who has always modeled resiliency, compassion, work ethic, selflessness and an unwavering love for family. I owe a ton to her!

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

My family. I’m so proud of my incredible wife, our three kids and the life we’ve built together.

Sean Martin

Sean Martin

Principal & VP, Sequoia One Sales

As Principal & VP of Sales for Sequoia One, Sean is responsible for the revenue, profit, and overall client satisfaction of the PEO division of Sequoia. Sean spends his time keeping up with industry trends, competition, coaching and educating team members to ensure health and growth of the business.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS in Management, San Jose State University

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • NBA fanatic
  • Fitness enthusiast
  • All about family, food, and fun!

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good and go for the great.” Steve Prefontaine

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” Michael Jordan

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Michael Jordan, My wife – If only I could be half the person she is…

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Family – Successful marriage of 17 years, and the birth of our 3 beautiful daughters.

Mark Berkowitz

Mark Berkowitz

VP, Business Consulting, Sequoia One

As VP of Business Consulting for Sequoia One, Mark leads the NY market team, responsible for the overall market revenue and client retention in the region. Mark oversees the NY Business Consultant team along with directly managing a book of clients he has worked with since establishing the NY market for Sequoia One in 2016.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA, University of Rochester
  • MA in Organizational Psychology, Columbia University

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Friends and family first
  • All things pizza
  • Golf – I will figure this game out some day

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“The definition of ‘insanity’ is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My wife and daughter for their personal accomplishments, collective zest for life, and love of their friends and family.

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Being surrounded by people I love and trust – my wife and daughter (and our dog), extended family, close friends, and colleagues I have worked with over the course of my career that have become close friends.

Kyle Holm

Kyle Holm

VP, Compensation Advisory

As the VP, Compensation Advisory, Kyle is responsible for leading our teams of Compensation professionals who ensure Sequoia clients have compensation programs that attract, motivate, and retain their employees.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS in Finance, Santa Clara University

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Teenage daughter and a golden retriever
  • Passionately rooting for the Niners
  • Playing golf for fun, scenery, in tournaments, for cash…no wrong way to play golf

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”  — Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL:

Earl Conrad (Grandfather), Theodore Roosevelt, Steph Curry, Hunter S. Thompson, Muhammad Ali

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

A daughter who is thoughtful, brave, and kind who calls me Dad and a Dad who raised a willful, challenging boy and calls him Son.

Jill E. Neilson

Jill E. Neilson

Founder & GM, Sequoia Global Network

As the Founder and General Manager for the Sequoia Global Network, Jill leads our efforts with partners in over 130 countries. The Sequoia Global Consulting Team is supported by local country HR and benefits professionals that have been selected for their multinational and broad business sector expertise. Jill’s role reflects her passion to be a global ambassador, making relatable connections for Sequoia clients and our Sequoia Global Network Members. 

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • Business Administration Program, University of Phoenix
  • Intensive Course of Study in Cultural Anthropology (Angeles Arrien)

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • International travel
  • Challenging long-distance runs with my husband

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Four Rules For Life: Show up. Pay attention. Tell the truth. Don’t be attached to the results.” -Angeles Arrien

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Barack and Michelle Obama, Georgia O’Keefe, Queen Elizabeth

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Being a proud parent, long term friendships, and working with a group of professionals that I admire, trust and love.

Francis Coleman

Francis Coleman

VP, Global Services

As the global team leader, Francis is responsible for the delivery of global services and solutions to our multinational clients. His team helps clients through all stages of their global journey from initial country expansion to the complexities of operating as a mature multinational organization. This includes advising on global strategy combined with providing local expertise from the 130+ countries of the Sequoia Global Network. 

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BSc in Resources Science, Kingston University, UK
  • CA licensed Life, Accident, Health

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • International travel – visiting new places and cultures
  • All those strange UK sports – Rugby, Cricket and even Soccer (football)
  • Hiking and biking

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming.” -David Bowie”

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jane Goodall, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Helping raise twins who are far cooler than me, but still want to hang out with me.

Joe LaSorte

Joe LaSorte

VP, Global Consulting

As VP of Global Consulting, Joe is responsible for business development for our global benefits practice, as well as the development of the global consulting services that we bring to Sequoia’s clients. He works with those clients to build and implement employee benefit strategies that attract, motivate, and retain the best employees to support the business mission, wherever the clients operate globally.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS in Business Administration, University of Delaware
  • Graduate work in Economics, University of Delaware
  • Member Omicron Delta Epsilon (International Honor society for economics)

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Writing, playing, recording, and listening to music
  • Travelling with my equally busy wife (when we can find the time!)
  • Fitness, gardening, and politics
  • Collecting antique maps and vintage guitars

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” Abraham Lincoln

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Ansel Adams, Winston Churchill, Miles Davis, Nelson Mandela, Jackie Robinson, Frank Lloyd Wright

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Climbing Mt. Kenya, hearing my music on the radio, being quoted in the Wall Street Journal, helping our clients improve the lives of their employees.

Molly Knapp

Molly Knapp

Principal & VP, Financial Services

As Principal & VP, Financial Servies, Molly is responsible for leading the 401(k) team – both in adding new clients and continuing to enhance our client’s experience. She is also involved cross functionally to grow our business and evolved our offering through innovation. 

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS in Economics and Psychology, Allegheny College
  • FINRA licensed- series 6, 7 and 65

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Spending time with my husband and 2 sons
  • Running and hiking with my 2 dogs
  • Tennis, golf, reading, knitting

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Limits, like fear, is often an illusion.” Michael Jordan

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King Jr., Walt Disney, Richard Branson

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Raising 2 caring, smart and funny teenage boys

Jed Cloern

Jed Cloern

Principal & VP Business Consulting

As Consultant Team Leader, Jed Cloern is responsible for business development and overall satisfaction of clients. Jed works closely with the Client Service and Marketing & Support teams to ensure clients receive the best value for premiums, efficient administration, positive employee experiences, and all with flexible and scalable programs.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • California licensed Life, Accident and Health
  • BA in Business Economics, UC Santa Barbara

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Helping my wife raise 2 toddlers and a teenager
  • Enjoying my wife’s cooking
  • Enjoying the company of great friends
  • Rooting for bay area sports teams
  • Jogging (or feeling bad about not jogging)

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games.” Babe Ruth

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” Vince Lombardi

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Being a valued partner to people I respect in a complex and important aspect for great businesses.

Kaleana Quibell

Kaleana Quibell

VP, Wellbeing & Platform Partners

As the VP of Wellbeing and Platform Partners, Kaleana oversees our Wellbeing programs and partnerships, helping to support clients and employees come through for the various needs of their people.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA in Psychology, University of Washington
  • BA in Communications, University of Washington
  • MA in Psychology, Golden Gate University

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Family, spending time with my husband, my young son Caden, and miniature dachshund, Hoagie
  • Exercise and hiking
  • Exploring and traveling

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“The more I help out, the more successful I become. But I measure success in what it has done for the people around me. That is the real accolade.” Adam Grant

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Sigmund Freud, The Dalai Lama, Sara Blakely, Melinda Gates, Phil Knight

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Bringing our son Caden into this world. “Mom” will forever be the title I am most proud of.

Cathy Santoni

Cathy Santoni

VP, Risk Services

AS VP of Risk Services, Cathy is responsible for leading the Risk client service team while focusing on growth, creating process efficiencies, and ensuring consistent, world-class service for all Sequoia clients.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Aveta Business Institute
  • Certified Insurance Counselor, The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research
  • Certified Insurance Service Representative, The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Cooking & Baking
  • Enjoying the Outdoors
  • Football

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Watch your thoughts, they become words;
watch your words, they become actions;
watch your actions, they become habits;
watch your habits, they become character;
watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” – Frank Outlaw

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My father and William Murray, II

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Raising my amazing daughter, of whom I couldn’t be more proud

Petros Rotsidis

Petros Rotsidis

VP, Global Security

As VP of Global Security, Petros is responsible for overseeing the Security Program at Sequoia and supervising the IT function. He works collaboratively across the organization to protect Sequoia’s systems and data, as well as our clients’ data and to support the company’s growth.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • MSc in Information Security, University of London
  • BSc in Management Information Systems, SJSU
  • CISSP, CIPT, CCSK

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Hiking, tennis, running, snowboarding
  • Music and film
  • Travelling and experiencing new cultures and landscapes

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Παν μετρον αριστον” translates to “Everything in moderation”

“Ta panta rhei” – Heraclitus

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My father and mother

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Living and adapting to life in three different countries and leading a full, healthy and happy life with my family and friends!

Joanna Castillo

Joanna Castillo

VP, Compliance

As the VP of Compliance, Joanna leads Sequoia’s team of employee benefits (ERISA) attorneys across all markets, including the Sequoia One PEO. Joanna and her team focus on simplifying the ever-changing benefit plan regulatory landscape for our clients and internal teams, while also providing compliance solutions via Sequoia’s technology platform.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • Juris Doctor, William Mitchell College of Law
  • BA in Communication Studies & Minor in Dance, University of Iowa
  • Member of the Colorado Bar

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Supporting & enjoying the arts (dance, music, film)
  • International travel
  • Hiking & exploring Northern California
  • Yoga
  • Iowa Hawkeye sports
  • Time spent with my husband and our pets

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” – William Ernest Henley

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Simone Biles

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Creating a diverse & fulfilling career – whether it was dancing with a contemporary dance theatre, running a law firm, or navigating out of private practice to develop our client compliance program at Sequoia; I am proud of the journey and the wonderful relationships made along the way.

Marshall Wolf

Marshall Wolf

VP, Information Technology

As VP of Information Technology, Marshall is responsible for all internal technology infrastructure and business applications running Sequoia’s and its subsidiaries’ business functions. His focus is on Sequoia team member support and technology needs from laptops to networking to major application software and interfaces.  

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA in Economics, Stanford University

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Exercise
  • Travel
  • Kids

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.” – Baz Luhrmann

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My father

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Married nearly 40 years with children older than I feel

George Ty

George Ty

VP, Data Engineering

As VP of Data Engineering, George is responsible for data operations and development supporting analytics and reporting. George’s focus is to deliver timely, trusted data to Sequoia.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS in Mechanical Engineering, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Powerlifting and weightlifting
  • Bay Area sports: 49ers and Warriors

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi

“Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” – Bruce Lee

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, Elon Musk, Ralph Kimball

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Together with my wonderful wife, raising two amazing adults.

Cody Ward

Cody Ward

VP, Demand Generation

As VP of Demand Generation, Cody is responsible for leading the strategy and operations on the Sequoia marketing team. He works collaboratively with sales, client service and the support team to produce value-adding marketing campaigns for clients and future clients. Cody enjoys finding innovative ways to share Sequoia’s clients’ stories with the growing community of people-driven companies.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA in Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Coaching youth soccer
  • Hockey player and Blackhawks fan
  • Photography enthusiast

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My late Grandfather, who taught me about servant leadership.

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

My family, lovely wife, and three daughters.

Dustin Schodt

Dustin Schodt

VP, Operations

As VP of Operations, Dustin is responsible for leading the internal operations of Sequoia One. Hw works cross-functionally to automate, optimize, and simplify processes to help team members live out the Sequoia mission. 

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA in Business and Communications, Arizona State University
  • MBA with a Management Focus, Southwestern University
  • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Exploring new places with family
  • Reading and learning
  • Community involvement

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Make everything as simple as possible but not simpler.”Albert Einstein

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

Steven Covey, John Kotter, Brene Brown, Colin Powell, Shigeo Shingo, Simon Sinek

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Proposing to my wife after hiking to Machu Picchu…!

Jeff Sorrell

Jeff Sorrell

VP, Payroll Tax

As VP of Payroll Tax, Jeff is responsible for leading all aspects of Payroll Tax from setup to filing. He works cross functionally to make sure payroll tax compliance is current and accurate.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BS, Mount Saint Mary College
  • MBA, University of La Verne
  • Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Family
  • Sports
  • Warm weather

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”– Tim Notke

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My Parents (Jim and Lorraine), Uncle (Ralph Canape) and Aunt (Charlene Giannetti)

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Watching my 2 children grow up

Kristen Peed

Kristen Peed

Head of Corporate Risk

As Head of Corporate Risk, Kristen is responsible for the risk management strategy at Sequoia and collaborating closely with legal, IT, finance and other functional groups to ensure the company, our clients, and team members are properly protected.

CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION & RELATED ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BA, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
  • RIMS-CRMP, ACI, RPLU, CPCU, ARM-E, AIC
  • Board of Directors, Vice-President, RIMS (the Risk and Insurance Management Society)

HOBBIES, INTERESTS & FAMILY:

  • Training for ½ marathons and bringing my dog along for shorter runs
  • Golfing with my husband
  • Traveling to the beaches of South Carolina

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”– David Bowie

MOST INSPIRING ROLE MODEL(S):

My Parents

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Running my first ½ marathon in Cleveland, OH in 2023

Advisory Board

Stephan Roche

Stephan Roche

Operations & Financial Strategy

Kenn Kurtz

Kenn Kurtz

Technology Strategy

Ken Goulet

Ken Goulet

Healthcare & Insurance Strategy