Company benefits are often a major consideration when people are deciding where to work.
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Company benefits are often a major consideration when people are deciding where to work.
But who administers those benefits is something oftentimes overlooked.
That is where Stephen Repka comes in. Repka is co-founder and principal of Unionville-based third-party benefits administrator eBenefits Group Northeast, which administers health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts and other employee benefits for employers. He’s also co-founder and principal of Advanced Benefit Strategies Inc., a third-party administrator for pre-tax programs.
Repka got into the business of handling companies’ benefits in 1993. One of the biggest challenges he faces these days is keeping up with technological changes within the industry.
Repka made headlines in April when he decided to sell eBenefits Group to Virginia-based The Hilb Group LLC for an undisclosed sum.
He says the move will add value to the company, as well as the number of services it can provide.
What will the Hilb Group deal mean for eBenefits?
Hilb is a large national company, and when you have a national firm behind you, you’re able to have all the bells and whistles. EBenefits will now have services such as an in-house Employee Retirement Income Security Act attorney.
We also maintain our autonomy, so we’re running bigger and better than we were doing before.
How has technology changed how employees receive benefits from their workplace?
The technology advances are fun to see. For example, Advanced Benefit Strategies Inc. uses software that is created by WEX, a payment processing and information management services company headquartered in Portland, Maine, with a major office in Simsbury.
WEX’s cloud software shows plan participants’s real-time activity including debit-card usage. This information is on a portal and on the mobile app — which is very slick.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know?
One of the biggest thrills of my life was playing in a special hockey game for Gordie Howe’s 65th birthday.
I never played professional hockey, but I played for the Hartford Whalers Alumni team for years.
Gordie Howe was a hero of mine, and I was lucky enough to play on a team with him against the New York Islanders Alumni team on his birthday.
