Session Topic

• Partnership between CPHR Nova Scotia and the International Foundation, including professional development credit and discounted registration for e-learning courses
• Overview of the International Foundation’s educational offerings, including e-learning, conferences and webcasts
• Insights on the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) designation from the program’s academic advisor.

About the Facilitator

Rachel Oliver - CEBS, ISCEBS-Fellow
Manager, CEBS Program Development
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans

Ms. Oliver is the Manager, CEBS Program Development with the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In this role, she is responsible for outreach to promote the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist program to key markets through multiple channels, communication development, marketing efforts in conjunction with the Business Development team and on-going reporting and tracking of CEBS statistics. Prior to this role, she was the CEBS Marketing Specialist focused on developing and implementing on-going marketing strategies.

She earned her CEBS designation in 2019 and her ISCEBS Fellow designation in 2020.

Ms. Oliver has degrees from Marquette University including a Master’s Degree in Organizational Communication and an undergraduate degree in Public Relations.

Sandy Tellefson - MS, CEBS, ISCEBS-Fellow
Manager, Education Services
CEBS/ISCEBS
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans

Sandy is the Manager for Education Services for the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® program and the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS) at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In this role, she manages and oversees projects and activities related to educational services for current program participants. Sandy also leads the outreach efforts for universities and students, works with employer engagement for the CEBS program, and is the liaison for businesses and universities offering CEBS courses for employees and students.

Sandy holds the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) professional designation, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Carroll University in Waukesha, WI.

Alyssa Hodder - Director, Education and Outreach – Canada 
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP)

With 17 years of experience, Alyssa is Director, Education and Outreach – Canada, with the IFEBP. In this role, she is responsible for the successful design, development, maintenance and overall implementation of select educational programs, as well as representing and raising awareness of the Foundation through relationship management and engagement of employers, benefit funds and industry stakeholders across Canada. 

Before joining the IFEBP, Alyssa spent four years as a Senior Communications Consultant with Eckler Ltd. In this role, she was responsible for helping clients across sectors and industries – including public sector, corporate, union, not-for-profit, trusteed and multi-employer plans – solve their toughest communication challenges, with a special focus on member engagement and change management. 

Prior to that, Alyssa was Director, Knowledge Resource Centre with Buck Consultants, responsible for keeping clients informed on legislative changes and developments. Alyssa spent the previous eight years as Editor/Managing Editor of Benefits Canada magazine, with overall responsiblity for its print and online editorial operations. She has also worked at Buck Consultants as a Communications Consultant, with both internal and external mandates.

Alyssa earned her Master and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. and has successfully completed the Canadian Securities Course. She is very active in the pension and benefits industry, and is a frequent speaker and moderator at industry events.

Michelle Oram - CEBS CEBS Compliant, ISCEBS-Fellow
Product Owner, Financial Wellness Manulife

Ms. Oram is a product owner, financial wellness at Manulife. She has worked in the group retirement and benefits industry for over 30 years. Ms. Oram’s background includes a variety of roles in operations, training, compliance, marketing, and product management and development. In her current role, she oversees product strategy and develops solutions to guide Manulife’s group retirement plan members to successful retirement and financial wellness outcomes. Ms. Oram earned the CEBS designation, is CEBS Compliant and is a Fellow of ISCEBS. She has been a board member of the Southwestern Ontario chapter of ISCEBS since its inception and has been a regular speaker at the chapter’s fundamentals sessions. She is currently serving as Secretary/Treasurer of the ISCEBS Governing Council and is a member of ISCEBS Symposium Education Committee. Ms. Oram is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University and holds a certificate in adult education from Conestoga College.

Pricing