Jennifer Benz*

Jennifer Benz is founder and chief strategist at Benz Communications, a boutique consulting firm that focuses on benefits and strategic HR communication. She has been on the leading edge of employee benefits communication for the last 10 years—starting with early adopter consumer-driven health plan implementations and now with innovative wellness and social media strategies. Her work has been recognized by Business Insurance, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), the Profit Sharing Council of America and others.

A well-known expert in employee benefits communication, Jen contributes speaks frequently and has published articles and is widely quoted in many trade publications, including Employee Benefit Adviser and Employee Benefit News, MWorld, The Conference Board Review and Workforce. Her advice on health care reform has been widely published and she's presented on communicating health care reform to the National Business Group on Health, the Northern California HR Association and others.

Prior to starting Benz Communications, Jen spent seven years at Hewitt Associates, where she helped shape the firm’s approach to health care communication and had tremendous success with health care, recruiting and other strategic HR projects.

Jen graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelors degree in Journalism. She is an active member of the Council for Communication Management, the International Association of Business Communicators, the Northern California Human Resources Association and Women in Consulting. As well, she devotes much time to pro bono work.