Joshua W. Desha

Risk Strategies Company

I've been in the Employee Benefits world since 2007 and I'm excited to now partner with Risk Strategies as Vice President of Business Development.  My years in this industry have taught me a lot, and the most important lesson I've learned is this:  More than anything else, employees, employers, C-level executives, owners, and HR leaders deserve a partner who...

💪 Understands the Benefits world and keeps up with innovation.
💪 Takes the time to really get to know (and WANTS to know) their company/industry/business.
💪 Willingly walks their clients through a REAL and INNOVATIVE long-term strategic benefits system based upon the needs of their employees, and the company financially.

The sad fact is that the vast majority in this industry never take the time to do these things for and with their clients. It's one of the reasons benefit rates are consistently increasing, employee satisfaction is at an all time low, and brokers are forced to move from carrier to carrier begging for a better deal. 

If you are a company and you are looking for a partner, a real partner, that will walk with you through this minefield of Employee Benefits, then let's talk.

Vice President of Business Development

The Leadership Lighthouse

The Leadership Lighthouse aims to be a beacon of hope, visibility, and leadership within each and every community. We help leaders lead.

Head of Operations

🔥 Helping Employees reduce their healthcare costs (Access to Doctors, Therapists, and 425+ generic drugs at NO COST) 🎯 Allowing Employers the chance to lower overall Health Insurance Spend 🙌🏼 🙏🏼 Benefits Nerd 🤓

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗺 𝗜❓𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 “𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲” 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁❗



I am one of the leading employee benefit experts on Linkedin. As an accomplished professional, I've worked with individuals and corporations alike.  
 
I believe to be genuinely GREAT you MUST stand out and be different!

Leaders in our industry should...
 
👊🏼 Stop being boring and ordinary!
👊🏼 Learn what matters to others FIRST.
👊🏼 Know your customer's story and needs better than they do.
👊🏼 Figure out how to put it all together for a long term/sustainable business strategy.
 
► 𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:
 
🔥Worked with hundreds of different businesses on strategic benefits planning.
🔥Led a team of 21 offices to business growth of 218% within 12 months.
🔥12-time Presidents Club winner in 2 different industries.
🔥I've started 2 companies from the ground up.
🔥11 Industry Elite Award trips.
🔥Took a team of young salespeople and turned them into the highest producing team in the company's history.

► 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆:

💰  I'm somewhat of an Employee Benefits sharp-shooter.  Being in the business since 2007, I've seen it all.  
💰  I can speak in movie quotes and still get my point across.

💰  I'm an all-around good guy.  :)  And hey, that seems to be missing in today's world, right?
 
► 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆:

☎️   512-876-4677
📩   jdesha@risk-strategies.com
💬   DM me here on Linkedin
🐤   Carrier Pidgeon (just tell it to go to "THAT DUDE" and it will get to me)

Director of Sales

Revive Health is Virtual Healthcare 2.0.  Stop spending so much money on healthcare and health insurance. We facilitate rapid and easy access to affordable, quality care and prescription medications. Our membership plans start at less than $1/day.

Optalitix

Marketing Manager

Counterpart

Counterpart is a SaaS early stage company, whose platform unifies organisations initiatives and optimise resources.

•	Responsible for developing and executing the overall marketing, branding and communications strategy and overarching marketing budget.
•	In charge of launching a new product - a Work Management Platform to the SME marketplace and running multiple campaigns, from idea -inception-success-measurement & reporting.
•	Research and project manage key trade shows and events including pre/post marketing and analysis of ROI. 
•	Design all marketing collateral including, brand assets, pitch documents, sales tools and presentations.
•	Manage and update content on the website including writing copy for blogs and interpreting web analytics
•	Manage all social accounts including building plans and monthly calendars, creating pro-active and re-active posts. Generating a variety of advertising campaigns across all platforms and monitoring and evaluating success.
•	Write persuasive copy and content for newsletters, press releases, case studies and targeted email campaigns.
•	Line Management of the Sales and Marketing team, developing consistent behaviours, with clear department alignment and measurable KPI’s.

Marketing Lead

Work Avenue

Work Avenue is a leading employment and business support organisation 

•	Developed and implemented an overarching strategic marketing plan to support its various divisions.
•	Responsible for launching the charities 1st Social Enterprise – WAGE and running a multi-pronged campaign.  
•	Managed the production of marketing materials, including leaflets, posters, flyers and e-newsletters.
•	Managed all social media, including preparing a monthly plan, creating content and analysing effectiveness.
•	Managed the PR and media plan and ongoing trends and relationships with media partners.
•	Planned and execute all advertising campaigns in print and online and negotiated deals with 3rd parties.

Interim Head of Marketing

The S&P Sephardi Community

The S&P is a large UK membership organisation providing enrichment and education.

•	Managed all the social media, including, writing posts, tracking results and growing their social media by 25%.
•	Streamlined the weekly newsletters and increased the distribution by 20% and the open rate by 10%.
•	Oversaw internal and external communication, ensuring they reflected the brand and voice of the organisation.
•	Designed all marketing materials, ensuring brand consistency and maximum impact on multiple mediums.
•	Reorganised and regularly updated a website with educational resources, blogs and event booking systems.
•	Using analytics tools to measure the success of projects and communicate these to key stakeholders
•	Played a vital role in helping the charity to raise 20% of essential funds in the height of the Covid pandemic

Interim Marketing Manager

British Friends of Reuth

BFR is a UK Charity supporting an International Rehabilitation Hospital in Israel, helping patients form across the globe.

•	Increased the charities annual turnover by 75% by creating and implementing new marketing strategies. These included: raising their profile, fundraising, events, website redesign, social media and marketing materials. 
•	Managing the donor communication, from enquires, to maintaining records and maximizing income opportunities.
•	Managing all advertising including creative direction, media planning, budget creation, campaign evaluation.
•	Project management of all fundraising projects, appeals and events, monitoring the progress of the projects, making adjustments as necessary to ensure successful outcomes.
•	Managing all the social media, including creating monthly calendars, writing proactive and reactive posts, tracking results and growing their social media by 30%.
•	Formulating and a managing the annual budgets and preparing reports for trustees.

Marketing and Communications Manager

JNF UK

JNF is a UK Charity that supports projects all around the world with a specific focus on projects in Israel.

•	Managed and controlled projects across all business units, including the launch of the new SmartGiving brand and integrated website for KKL Charity Accounts, which resulted in a 15% increase in the business.
•	Managed all the print and digital advertising including creative direction, media planning, budget creation, invoice approval, campaign performance evaluation. As a result, the annual Rosh Hashanah appeal was increased by 20%.
•	Supervised the creation of all marketing materials and messages in order maximize the impact of specific campaigns. The annual Green Sunday appeal received 5 times more exposure and 10% increase in revenue.
•	Measured and analysed all marketing campaigns and activities against targets.
•	Orchestrated and lead a team of people to redesign a new website for SmartGiving, which resulted in a 20% increase in number of people registering in the first 6 months.

Marketing Project Manager

One Moorgate Place

Also known as ICAEW is a large grade 11 listed historic conference, events and wedding venue in central London.

• Developed the commercial business through strategic marketing planning and strong client relationships resulting in an increased sales turnover by 50% and a 25% increase in the number of event inquiries.
• Developed new client relationships and cultivate existing ones in order to realise the venues potential through an effective marketing and proactive sales plan. Resulting in achieving an award for Best Conference Supplier Relationship in 2011.
• Developed effective networking system to ensure that the profile of the venue was elevated , as a result, constant competitive evaluation was undertaken, to ensure the sales 'toolbox' and offer was viable.
• Developed and created marketing materials to ensure maximum impact to the clients, including launching the One Moorgate Place Restaurant to local business community and the members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Sales and Marketing Manager

Pupil Parent Partnership

• Formulated and implemented an overall marketing strategy, which was rolled out in to deliver the specific campaigns in the different business areas which resulted in £50k increased overall revenue.
• Designed and developing the online and offline marketing collateral used for the various educational programmes and to promote the different services offered by the organisation
• Created and maintained a range of management information, producing monthly reports in order to track the departments failures and successes. 
• Supervised a team of people responsible for the Domestic, European, International bid writing and fundraising, by identifying the key available statutory funding the fundraising revenue increased by 20% to £500k.

Business Development Manager

Jewish Care

• Developed effective partnerships with the 42 local authorities and negotiated annual increases in the SLA contracts which resulted in doubling the weekly contributions given by local authorities for clients in the mental health homes
• Developed and implemented business strategies across all the services: 15 care homes and 15 community centres which saved the organisation £600k.

Interim Head of Business Development

Glaziers Hall

• Designed, developed and implemented new overall business and marketing strategy which enabled the annual turnover to more than quadruple in a 3 year period from £180k to £850k. 
• Used budgets and financial visibility to understand and turn around the performance which resulted in reducing the trading loss by £200k and returned the business to solvency and profitability.
• Implemented new selling techniques for both new and existing clients and concurrently re-launched the website,  marketing collateral and devised e-marketing strategies
• Promoted from Sales Manager to Managing Director in September 2005 and managed and motivated a team of 9 staff

Sales Manager

A highly creative, dynamic, driven and experienced marketing expert with a wealth of experience in developing and delivering strategic and tactical projects in the both B2Band B2C sectors. A creative thinker with an eye for detail with vast experience in digital communications. Has the ability to write compelling copy, to solve problems and build positive working relationships. Managed budgets and projects from start to finish. 

Key Skills
•	Strategy and planning: Developed and delivered complex marketing and sales strategies that required multifaceted approaches and that take into account the needs and preferences of the target audiences, the competitive landscape, and the overall business goals.
•	People Management: Effectively managed and supervised teams of people across different aspects of businesses. Lead many team-wide meetings and presentations, fostered collaboration among teams and across departments. 
•	Budget Management: Effectively managed large budgets, which included developing a budget plan, regular tracking, reporting on budget performance and prepared annual budgets.
•	Campaign Management: Run multiple campaigns, from idea -inception-success-measurement and reporting.
•	Project Management: Successful record of delivering a range of projects, often working under pressure with challenging timescales, deliverables and stakeholders.
•	 Social Media: Managed multiple channels and using social media scheduling tools; Building plans and monthly calendars, creating pro-active and re-active posts. Generating advertising campaigns across all platforms and monitoring and evaluating success.
•	Websites: Create content and edit websites and scrutinize Google Analytics.
•	Email marketing: Designing effective email campaigns in MailChimp and Constantcontact.
•	Content creation: Writing content to elicit the desired results for social media, websites, 
newsletters, blogs and marketing collateral. This also includes proofing all documentation.
•	Interpersonal skills: Experienced in building rapport with a range of audiences of different seniority and working collaboratively as part of an international, multidisciplinary team. Ability to work independently and as part of team to deliver results. Worked with a range of stakeholders including external suppliers.

Technical Skills 
•	Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Power point and MS Office
•	Design & Web packages: Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Typito and Wordpress.
•	CRM & other packages:  KOMO CRM, Sales Force, Monday, Asana and Hubspot.

taplio

The Battle

Joshua W. Desha

Janice Shapiro

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