Eric Cantrell, President & CEO

Eric Cantrell graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a double major in Accounting and Quantitative Methods. He completed his Masters of Business Administration at the Manderson Graduate School of Business.

Upon completion of his MBA, Eric worked as a management consultant for several large telecommunication and utilities clients in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. He worked briefly with a technology start-up in Huntsville, Alabama, before joining a new start-up called Collateral Benefits Group. Eric quickly rose within Collateral Benefits Group to assume responsibility for operations and all day-to-day business activities in 2004. Eric was named President and CEO in 2009.

Jamey Rogers, Vice President of Sales

Jamey Rogers is Vice President of Sales, with over 20 years’ experience in sales, marketing, business operations, training & human resources. He is responsible for developing & implementing sales strategies to enhance the company’s revenue & profitability. He is also responsible for agent & broker training and development.

Jamey is a licensed life & health agent with a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He joined Collateral in January of 2003 as Vice President, responsible for the recruiting & training efforts for all of the various Collateral Companies. He accepted the position of Vice President of Sales with Collateral Benefits Group in October of 2007.

Janet Northington, Vice President Customer Service and Contracting

Janet Northington is the VP of Customer Service and Contracting. Specifically she is responsible for customer service for employees and employers, contracting and licensing for new agents and companies, vendor contacts, and assisting agents on service matters.

Janet is from Birmingham, AL and has been with the Collateral family since 2003. The best part of working here is: “I love working with customers in the most dire of claim situations and then finding a way to get them the help they need. Getting to help others every day is the best thing about coming to work.

Rick Kesecker, Vice President of Advisory Services

Rick Kesecker is the VP of Advisory Services for Collateral Benefits Group. He is tasked with building a top performing financial services program that focuses on integrity and takes a holistic, consultative and long term approach to client asset management.

Rick is originally from Charleston, WV and joined the Collateral team in 2011. He enjoys his job because: “Financial advising is a profession just like law or medicine. It’s not about selling, it’s about helping others prepare for the risk we all face and being there when they need it most.

Jodi Skaggs, Account Manager

Jodi Skaggs is our Account Manager. She is responsible for a variety of tasks including: field enroller, benefit counselor, and customer service.

Jodi is from Birmingham, AL and joined the Collateral team in 2009. She loves her job because: “I really enjoy getting to meet different people during our enrollments and help them plan for their future. It’s rewarding to know what I’m doing in their life today will help them long after we meet.”

Claire Ray Clark, Management Accountant

Claire Ray Clark is Collateral’s Management Accountant. She handles revenue and cash flow projections, price analysis, financial statement preparation and reviews, sales profitability analysis, and case studies.

Claire is originally from Memphis, TN and came to Collateral in 2007 after graduating from Birmingham Southern College with a major in accounting. She enjoys what she does because: “Providing management with the information they need to make good business decisions. I am solving for an unknown and therefore creating something rather than entering data into an accounting system or reviewing other peoples work. I like the environment of CBG as well. It is not rigid, we question why things are done a certain way and the question “why” isn’t a bad word in our company. We are flexible not only in the products and services we offer but also in the way we think.”

Chad Troutman, Director of Marketing and Communications

Chad Troutman is the Director of Marketing and Communications. He is responsible for our web sites, advertising, marketing strategy, grammar, and all other communications related tasks.

Chad is originally from Charleston, SC but has had the pleasure of living in Tuscaloosa, AL since 2001.He graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s in public relations, a master’s in journalism, and a MBA. He joined Collateral Benefits Group in May 2011. What he enjoys about what he does: “Sipping on my morning coffee while watching Eric draw stick figure people on the whiteboard. We can work out any problem using stick figures alone.”

Pamella E. Joachim, Sales Administration

Pamella Joachim is our Sales Administrator. Pam is responsible for handling the sales support, new business quoting, and customer service aspects of our business.

Pam is a constant transplant starting first in Michigan then Long Island, NY, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and now Alabama. She has been with Collateral for 10 years and she enjoys working here because: “There is never a dull moment and each workday is different. Also, I have great co-workers which help make every day enjoyable; we are a good team!”