Client Manager - Employee Benefits

EPIC acquires a fifth-generation Michigan brokerage. The deal gives EPIC its first significant Detroit anchor alongside its existing Grand Rapids office 17 Sep 2026 EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants has acquired Korotkin Insurance Group, a fifth-generation independent brokerage based in Michigan with more than a century of operating history. The deal gives EPIC its first significant presence in Detroit and builds on the firm's existing Grand Rapids office, with KIG serving as an anchor for continued Midwest expansion. KIG brings established specialty practices in for-hire transportation, family entertainment centers, real estate and fitness franchises, alongside private client and small business coverage. Emily M. Korotkin, Jeffrey S. Belen, JJ Reifler, Kyle Fenton and Matt H. Warsh join EPIC as managing principals. Tom O'Neil, vice chairman of EPIC, credited KIG's longevity as evidence of its strength. "KIG represents exactly the type of organization we look for as we continue building EPIC, a firm with deep expertise, longstanding client relationships and a strong presence in its market. Their longevity is a testament to the strength of the business and the trust they've built with clients and their community," O'Neil said. Meanwhile, Emily Korotkin said the decision to join EPIC came down to culture and resources. "EPIC's culture, resources and expertise made the decision to join the firm clear. Together, we'll be able to expand opportunities for our employees, deepen the capabilities available to our clients and continue building on the foundation of trust and service that has driven KIG's success," Korotkin said. Part of a more structured EPIC acquisition program. This deal reflects a broader change in how EPIC is running its acquisition strategy. Insurance Business reported earlier this year that EPIC restructured its senior leadership team, creating a dedicated managing director of M&A role and expanding chief financial officer Frank Mammaro's mandate to include oversight of acquisitions alongside finance and operations. That infrastructure buildout suggests KIG is arriving into a more formalized integration process than EPIC's prior, more ad hoc acquisition approach, relevant context for agency owners evaluating EPIC as a potential acquirer. The KIG deal also illustrates a specific pattern EPIC has followed in the Midwest. EPIC's Grand Rapids presence itself traces back to the acquisition of West Michigan-based Johnson-Gallagher, a commercial lines and personal insurance agency, giving the firm a regional base it is now expanding south and east into Detroit through this transaction. Taken together, the two Michigan acquisitions show EPIC building statewide density rather than treating each deal as standalone. Why this matters for Michigan agency owners and brokers. For independent agency owners in Michigan, KIG's deal illustrates how EPIC is positioning itself in the state: anchored in two major metro markets, with a leadership team that includes five KIG principals staying in place, and a stated intent to expand employee benefits and complementary solutions into KIG's existing commercial client base. For retail brokers who have worked alongside KIG on shared accounts, the practical change is that KIG's clients now have access to EPIC's national carrier relationships and specialty resources, which may affect how complex or multi-state accounts in KIG's specialty niches, particularly for-hire transportation and fitness franchise coverage, get structured and placed going forward.

EPIC taps pharmacy veteran to lead employee benefits nationally. Big Three PBM share fell nine points in 2026 as small employers moved away on fiduciary grounds. EPIC's response is to put a specialist in charge of its entire national employee benefits practice. EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants has promoted Adam Okun (pictured) to president of its national employee benefits practice. The move puts pharmacy consulting at the center of the firm's strategy heading into one of the costliest benefits renewal cycles in years. Okun, a 20-year employee benefits veteran, succeeds Craig Hasday, who takes on the role of vice chairman of employee benefits. He reports to Phil Moyles, co-president of EPIC. His primary mandate is integrating Pharmaceutical Strategies Group (PSG), an EPIC pharmacy consulting subsidiary, directly into the firm's employee benefits platform. PSG has historically served commercial payers and large multinational organizations. Okun's appointment signals EPIC's intent to extend that expertise to employers of all sizes, from small group clients through to large national accounts. Pharmacy costs drive the mandate. Prescription drug costs are projected to climb 11.5% in 2027, according to the 2027 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey. Plans covering GLP-1 medications for obesity management recorded pharmacy cost trend rates of 18.3% in 2025 based on Segal's plan experience data. For mid-market employers, pharmacy spend has moved from a line item to a strategic problem. "Pharmacy benefits are a uniquely complex endeavor and employers need expertise that extends beyond traditional brokerage services," Hasday said. "Adam's leadership will deepen our pharmacy integration platform, resulting in easier access to more sophisticated pharmacy solutions for employers and their employees." A market moving toward specialists. The share of employer-sponsored plans using one of the three largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) fell nine points in a single year, from 63.4% in 2025 to 54.3% in 2026, according to the 2026 Pulse of the Purchaser survey published by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Smaller employers drove the shift, citing contract transparency gaps and fiduciary concerns. Okun will also align EPIC's four client segments: small group, lower middle market, upper middle market, and large national consulting, under a more integrated national structure. The aim is giving clients access to specialist resources and local market knowledge through a single point of engagement. "Our clients' needs are becoming ever more specialized, increasing their reliance on advisors who understand the unique challenges facing their business and workforce," Okun said. "I am laser focused on harnessing the full impact of our practice such that clients can access the right specialists, resources and solutions, regardless of their point of origin or the solutions they may have relied upon in the past." Okun joined EPIC through its 2017 acquisition of Frenkel Benefits, where he served as co-president. He most recently served as regional practice leader before the August promotion. EPIC describes itself as a top 20 benefits consultant and broker in the US, with more than 1,500 employer clients. The appointment comes as prescription drug costs reshape how employers fund their health plans, and as brokers face growing pressure to deliver pharmacy expertise alongside traditional consulting.