Our Team

Led by the firm’s two founding principals, our senior professionals are among the best in the industry.

Principals

Robert F. Calise, Principal
Rob Calise is a founding partner of Cornerstone Group. He helps clients control the costs of employee benefits by focusing on consumer driven strategies and on how to best utilize the tax savings tools the government provides. Rob is a board member of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI Broker Advisory Board, United HealthCare of New England Broker Advisory Board and the Rhode Island Business Healthcare Advisors Council. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Joseph E. Cardello, Principal
A founding partner of Cornerstone Group, Joseph Cardello works with small and large employers to develop strategies to control the cost of healthcare coverage for their organizations. Joe also works with many of our personal clients to solve their life, disability and long term care insurance needs. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Benefits Consultants

Major Accounts

Keith Demty, Vice President of Major Accounts & Actuarial Services
Keith Demty has over twenty years of underwriting, actuarial, analytical, and financial experience. Prior to joining Cornerstone, Keith was the chief underwriter at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, where he developed the rating formulas and risk assessment techniques for all size groups and was accountable for all underwriting functions, policy, decision making and rate negotiations on large accounts. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Amy Gallagher, MBA, Vice President of Major Accounts
Amy Gallagher has over 18 years of healthcare industry experience. At Cornerstone Group, she advises large group employers throughout southern New England on long-term cost-containment strategies, often coupling consumer-driven products with results-driven wellness programs. Her special areas of expertise include health savings accounts and wellness consulting. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Small Business

Cathleen Alexander, Senior Benefits Consultant
Cathleen joined Cornerstone in 2009 as an employee benefits consultant for small businesses, where she is responsible for cultivating and growing the under 50 segment of the southeastern New England market. She brings nearly a decade of brokerage expertise and in-depth knowledge of consumer-driven plans to her new role. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Jennifer Siefert, Account Manager
Jennifer Siefert brought with her a decade of health insurance experience when she joined Cornerstone in 2005 as an account manager specializing in the 1-9 employee market segment. In this role, she advises clients on group health benefits, including Medicare options and consumer-driven plans, and assists with large group open enrollment. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Financial Services

Bill Grossman, Senior Benefits Consultant
As a senior consultant, Bill Grossman advises small to mid-sized employers on all aspects of their employee benefits programs. He is also developing Cornerstone’s new long-term care insurance department that will offer clients tailored solutions to protect their assets. Bill began his career in the insurance industry in 1991, when he joined MassMutual/ Conn Mutual. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Retirement Services

Consulting & Administration

Paul Merlino, MST, JD, LLM
President of Cornerstone’s Retirement Administration Division
As President of Cornerstone's retirement administration division, Paul Merlino brings more than 25 years of experience in the design and administration of all types of qualified plans, including defined benefit, cash balance, 401(k), age weighted, employee stock ownership and 403(b). (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Investment Advisory Services

James F. Sampson, AIF®
Managing Partner of Cornerstone Retirement Advisors
Jim Sampson works with corporate retirement programs including 401(k), 403(b), profit sharing and deferred compensation plans. He has been in the retirement plan industry for more than 13 years, most recently voted one of the 100 Most Influential People in Defined Contribution for 2010, and one of the ten Most Influential Advisors in Defined Contribution for 2009 for the Micro Market (plans <$5M), both by The 401kWire. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Compliance & Legal

Lawrence Grudzien, JD, LLM, Attorney of Counsel
Larry is an attorney practicing exclusively in the field of employee benefits. He has more than 28 years’ experience advising on all aspects of employee benefit law including: drafting and reviewing individually designed and prototype retirement plans, performing due diligence on employee benefit issues for merger, acquisition and outsourcing transactions, and advising on administrative and design issues. (click here for full bio)

>back to top

Operations

Andrea Lawton, Director of Client Service
Andrea joined Cornerstone in 2004 with over 18 years of management experience. Her sole focus is to guarantee that our clients receive the highest level of service. She manages our eight-member group benefits client service team who are responsible for the most important function that we provide: client service. (click here for full bio)

>back to top