Carisk Partners Welcomes New Hires to Strengthen and Expand Team

Miami, FL, August 16, 2023 — Carisk Partners (Carisk), a specialty risk transfer and care coordination company, is pleased to announce the strategic addition of several talented professionals to its growing team. These appointments come at an opportune time for Carisk, furthering the company’s ability to drive results across its growing portfolio of products and services.

The new team members bring a diverse range of expertise and experience, enhancing Carisk’s innovative solutions for its client partners and patients:

Natasha Charleston, LCPC, CRC, CISM, EMDR is a Behavioral Health Specialist who brings over 15 years of experience in substance use counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and catastrophic case management. Natasha is a trained Crisis Counseling Professional, Critical Incident Stress Management Expert, Trauma Therapist, and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor who specializes in supporting patients dealing with the emotional effects of their workplace injuries. In her role, Natasha will be reporting to David Vittoria, Carisk’s Chief Behavioral Health Officer and will be responsible for furthering the behavioral health focus in the Pathways™ 2 Recovery service model. Prior to joining Carisk, Natasha worked for Genex (formerly Coventry Health Care) for over 12 years as a vocational field case manager.

Brian Hebert, RN is a Registered Nurse with extensive worker’s compensation experience. Brian has joined Carisk as Vice President of Clinical Operations and Quality Management reporting to Dr. Alana Letourneau, Chief Clinical Strategy Officer. In his role, Brian will be responsible for overseeing clinical services in the Carisk Outcomes division. Brian brings with him more than 25 years of clinical experience with a specific interest in care coordination for catastrophic workers’ compensation cases. Prior to joining Carisk, Brian worked for Paradigm Outcomes and Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Dan Sheehy has joined Carisk as Vice President of Sales responsible for driving revenue for Carisk’s Specialty Risk Transfer product. Bringing more than 25 years of experience in the workers’ compensation industry, Dan will be reporting to Tom Downey, Carisk’s Executive Vice President of Sales. Prior to joining Carisk, Dan worked for Genex (formerly Coventry Health Care) and AIG.

Madison Berardo is joining Carisk as a Regional Client Manager, Client Strategies reporting to Tyisha Torres, the Vice President of Account Management. Prior to joining Carisk, Madison was a Senior Client Manager at Cigna. Madison interned with Carisk in 2019 prior to her graduation from University of Florida where she was a Journalism and Communications Major. Following graduation, Madison completed Aetna’s E.E. Cammack Group School Program and transitioned to a Client Manager role at Cigna. In her new role at Carisk, Madison will be responsible for client relations for large group accounts in the Northeast Region.

Joseph Berardo, Jr., Carisk’s CEO and Chairman of the Board expressed enthusiasm about the new additions: “We are thrilled to welcome such a talented group of individuals to our team. These appointments come at a pivotal time for the company and reflect our commitment to driving innovation and excellence in the workers’ compensation industry.”

The company remains dedicated to fostering an environment of collaboration, transparency, respect, innovation, and professional growth. In addition to the Outcomes division growth efforts, Carisk’s ongoing expansion journey includes an extensive list of new hires and promotions in 2023 across all of its divisions and for a range of roles including Care Coordination, Sales, Clinical, Operations, Information Technology, Marketing, Finance and Administration. Among them, approximately 25% have been hired out of Carisk’s award winning internship program fostering Carisk’s commitment to cultivating future leaders in the workers’ compensation industry.

Carisk employees are the company’s greatest asset and benefit from job satisfaction and career growth. Employees take ownership in helping to grow the company while living out the core values in their daily roles. For the third consecutive year, Carisk has been awarded Modern Healthcare’s Best Places To Work in healthcare consistently ranking in the top third of the Best Places list. In addition to being recognized by Modern Healthcare, Carisk was recognized by Business Insurance’s Best Places to Work in Insurance list as well as being named to RISE Professionals list of “The Elite 50 internships.”

In the RISE Professionals list Carisk was top rated as the company with the Best Quality of Life. Carisk offers competitive salary, benefits, and the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.

BILT Named to Inc. 5000 for 4th Year Running; 3D Instruction App Company Accelerates Growth

Grapevine, TX, August 16, 2023 — Inc. magazine announced today that BILT ranks 1247 on the list of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America. The list provides a data-driven look at the companies and entrepreneurs that have generated rapid growth while navigating inflationary pressure, the rising cost of capital, and hiring challenges. This year’s list added almost 1.2 million jobs to the US economy.

“I’m proud of our team. The credit goes to each individual whose consistent effort enriches the lives they touch, from our brand partners to our end-users,” says BILT Chairman & CEO Nate Henderson.

BILT has won a spot on the Inc. 5000 list every year for the past four years. The 2023 list reflects revenue growth between the second quarter of 2019 and the last quarter of 2022, the years of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“Surviving and then thriving in this climate comes from focusing on creating promoters of the brands we serve,” says Henderson. “The courage to innovate despite uncertain economic times is a testament to our brand partners’ commitment to their customers and employees.”

Besides enhancing the out-of-the-box customer experience, BILT supports training and enablement of the professional trades. Brands like Siemens, Connecticut Electric, Assa Abloy, and Amico provide 3D Intelligent Instructions® to increase safety and efficiency while reducing tech support costs and upskilling time. BILT enables real-time feedback and insight from users to empower product and operations improvements.

“Making the Inc. 5000 means the top companies in the country in terms of growth…most are in the top half percent of all privately owned companies, better than 99.5%,” says Inc. Editor-in-Chief Scott Omelianuk. “There are clear trends this year: healthcare companies, software firms, and staffing platforms all indexed in the highest echelon. Startup culture here in the States is strong.”

Aurum Equity Partners, a Leading Global Private Equity Company Welcomes Sanjeev Mervana as Managing Partner

Pleasanton, CA, August 16, 2023 — Aurum Equity Partner, a leader in private equity firm with focus on real estate assets with Data Centers & cloud services, is pleased to introduce Sanjeev Mervana as its newly appointed Managing Partner. This strategic move comes following Aurum Equity’s recent announcement of its global fund.

This strategic addition to Aurum’s leadership team will undoubtedly strengthen their position as a premier player in the private equity sector. Mr. Mervana brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the telecommunication, cloud and data center infrastructure industry. With his dynamic leadership and strategic insights, they expect to see Aurum’s growth trajectory soar and their ability to deliver exceptional value to investors enhanced.

According to Venkat Bussa, Founder & CEO of Aurum Private Equity, “Sanjeev Mervana’s deep expertise and visionary leadership align seamlessly with Aurum’s commitment to their shareholders, investors and partners, in creating and growing, enterprise value of Aurum investments across the globe. His impressive background and extensive network will undoubtedly contribute to our firm’s continued expansion and evolution.”

Prior to joining Aurum Private Equity, Mr. Mervana held pivotal executive leadership roles at Cisco, where he consistently demonstrated his ability to identify investment opportunities for growth and execute successful portfolio strategies for profitable business. His comprehensive understanding of market trends, coupled with his passion for driving results, make him an ideal fit for his new role.

In response to his appointment, Mr. Mervana expressed his honor, stating, “I am honored to join Aurum Equity Partners as Managing Partner. The firm’s dedication to delivering exceptional returns and its commitment to innovation resonate with me deeply. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Aurum and contributing to the firm’s continued success.”

As Managing Partner, Mr. Mervana will play a key role in overseeing Aurum Equity Partner’s investment initiatives, partners relationships, merger & acquisition, and overall business development & execution. His appointment underscores the firm’s commitment to attracting top-tier talent and further enhancing its position as a global leader in the private equity landscape.

Buy or Wait… 6 Steps to Deciding if Purchasing a Home Now Makes Sense…

by Akash Pharande, Managing Director – Pharande Spaces

Buying a home is the smartest decision to make if one can afford it, and we all know the reason. Home ownership builds equity and net worth over time as the property value appreciates, unlike paying rent which builds no assets. Home loan interest rates are currently still lower than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic. It is by far the most important investment to make to ensure long-term stability, security, and social status for one’s family.

An owned home is the ultimate financial legacy to bestow on our children – an asset that grows is value even as it is used to eliminate rental expense and provide a ‘home’ base and launching pad for all future plans.

And yet, many Indians defer this important purchase even when their finances favour it, even as their hearts yearn for home ownership. What holds them back?

The Faces of Indecision

The uncertainty can have many causes. Often, negative news we consume affects our decision making. Once we believe a negative narrative, the tendency is towards confirmation bias – seeking out information that confirms the negative views. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle of negativity which shouts down a positive decision.

There is also anxiety about choosing the right property, location, timing, and stretching finances too thin. In India, it is not uncommon to have grown up in a family which puts a greater weightage on saving rather than investing in growth and a better life.

Whatever the reason or combination of reasons, there are obvious risks to procrastination – the aspiration for home ownership remains unchanged, but property prices and lending rates increase, and good projects sell out.

If you’re caught on the horns of dilemma even though your instincts favour home ownership, the challenge is to overcome the mental block. The sales person who takes you for a site visit will obviously do their best to overcome it, but being convinced by a sales pitch is not good decision making. This is a major decision in all respects, and it must be your alone.

Think it Through

When making a decision on a property purchase, you needs to focus on the benefits, not just costs. When we focus more on potential loss than on potential gains – a proven human tendency, by the way – it contaminates the decision-making process.

1. Concentrate on the financial, lifestyle, social, and emotional gains of owning a home. Imagine in vivid detail how much better daily life will be in your own home, where you’re in control and not your landlord. Prime your brain to move towards this positive vision.

2. Do the math. Before making your first site visits, prepare a detailed budget and financial plan and convince yourself on paper that home ownership is achievable for you over the long-term. This reduces the anxiety of the unknown.

3. If you’ve been talking to a lot of nay-sayers, talk to others who have recently achieved their dream of home ownership. Ask them about the process, challenges, and rewards. If you’ve been engaging in ‘catastrophic thinking’, this allows you to normalize the experience and make it more real and achievable.

4. Remind yourself that buying a home is far from irreversible. The seeming ‘permanence’ of owning a home can be scary, when in fact real estate can be sold or downsized if needed. If you’ve been following the news, you’re surely aware that homes are selling readily and at very good prices.

5. If the only professional you have spoken so far is a property consultant, get a second opinion – consult a financial advisor and find out whether home buying fits your situation and budget. Once you’re convinced that it does, go back to your real estate agent and give him your list of must-haves for a property, along with your budget.

6. Ignore expectations from those who do not share your life. Don’t buy a home or avoid doing so just because society thinks you should. It’s your and your family’s life, and your decision must align with your family’s needs and aspirations.

Long Story Short –

– reframe the whole idea of home ownership in your mind. It is simply a logical next step in life that builds a financial asset and long-term security. As psychologist Abraham Maslow noted, “In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.”

Sometimes, the smartest move is to step forward.

About the Author:

Akash Pharande is Managing Director – Pharande Spaces, a leading real estate construction and development firm famous for its township projects in West Pune and beyond. Pharande Promoters & Builders, the flagship company of Pharande Spaces and an ISO 9001-2000 certified company, is a pioneer of townships in West Pune.