SAN MATEO, California, 12/17/13 — (BusinessWire)– ABD Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Edward I. Cha as Vice President and Global Benefits Practice Leader. Mr. Cha will be responsible for the development, communication, and management of international programs and will serve as a strategic consultant to ABD’s multinational clients on broad benefits issues.

Mr. Cha has been consulting with multinational and global firms for over eight years, with a focus on international employee benefits and mergers & acquisitions. Previously, he was National Practice Leader, Client Services in the International Employee Benefits Practice for Wells Fargo Insurance, Inc. and Client Management Partner for Mercer LLC. Mr. Cha earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in chemistry and a master’s degree in applied mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“My goal at ABD is to ensure that we meet – and exceed – our clients’ international benefit needs,” Mr. Cha said. “Whether that means understanding superannuation changes in Australia, preparing for automatic enrollment in the UK, or benchmarking meal allowance benefits in Brazil, ABD has a solution.”

Today’s benefits executives are tasked with delivering competitive programs to attract and retain employees in diverse environments and cultures, while controlling costs and streamlining administration. ABD helps solve these challenges through its global partnership with the Worldwide Broker Network. The team strives to be as proficient at managing programs in Singapore as they are at managing similar programs in San Francisco.

“Ed brings to ABD a proven track record of delivering on this promise,” said Darren Brown, ABD’s Executive Vice President and Founding Principal. “We are thrilled that Ed is joining The ABD Team as our Global Benefits Practice Leader. Under his direction, I am extremely confident that we have positioned our team successfully to meet the growing demands of this critical business issue.”

Developing a plan for talent engagement and total rewards has become a global strategic imperative – and growing organizations need expert guidance to help them navigate the various regulations and issues that arise.

Said ABD’s President Kurt de Grosz: “Companies look to ABD to help them handle the complex details so that they can focus on building success. Adding Ed to the ABD Team builds upon our leadership position in international employee benefits, and gives our clients the confidence that they’re covered.”

ABD Insurance & Financial Services

We are the ABD Team. Our 140 risk and reward professionals are dedicated to helping you understand the relationship between risks and rewards—so that you can strike the right balance to achieve your goals. We partner with organizations of all sizes to help them develop strategies and tactics that fit their unique culture, taking care of the details so that they can stay focused on building success.

Headquartered in San Mateo, with offices in San Francisco, San Jose, and Walnut Creek, ABD has a history that spans over 75 years. Many of our risk and reward professionals have been recognized as the best and the brightest in the insurance and financial services industries. Our practice areas include Employee Benefits programs, 401k and Retirement services, Property & Casualty insurance, Executive Protection, Private Client services, and more.