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Richard Augustyn
Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of Management Committee
Richard is the founder and CEO of Extensis. He has been a successful entrepreneur and business leader for more than 20 years.
In addition to creating and leading the Extensis Group, Richard has founded and continues to direct a portfolio of successful financial service businesses. In 2003, NJ Biz named Richard to its annual “Forty Under Forty” list, which recognizes young men and women who have made outstanding contributions to their professional fields.
A nationally recognized expert on complex risk management matters, Richard has been interviewed by CNN/FN, WABC, and public television’s PBS and NJN. Speaking on risk management-related topics throughout the country, Richard is a well established risk management information resource and has been frequently quoted in publications such as The New York Times and The Star-Ledger.
Richard also serves as Chairman of the NIP Group, Inc. one of his portfolio companies.
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Dan Sheridan
President & Chief Operating Officer
Dan is the President and COO of Extensis. Applying his considerable skill and expertise to the company’s aggressive growth objectives, Dan spearheads the firm’s ongoing efforts to create a best-in-class, customer service program.
Most recently, Dan served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Extensis. In that role, Dan focused on driving media relations, industry growth for Extensis as well as promoting the advantages and opportunities for small business community in general.
With more than a decade of high-profile, executive-level sales, operations, and management experience, Dan has been published in the NJSCPA, Enterprise Magazine. As a subject-matter expert on a range of small business matters, Dan is a much sought after expert who has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, The Star Ledger, and NJBiz. He has also been a guest on News 12 New Jersey’s “It’s Your Money” program, discussing a number of HR outsourcing topics.
Dan received his BA in Political Science from Dickinson College.
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Don Abernathy
Chief Administrative Officer & Chief Risk Officer
Don is the CAO and CRO of Extensis and a member of its management committee. Don ensures the business has risk processes and procedures to meet business growth objectives spanning across the entire enterprise.
Bringing with him more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in a diverse group of high-growth public companies, Don’s deep experience in strategic planning and risk management disciplines add to the easily accessible resources Extensis provides to its clients.
Before joining Extensis, Don served as Chief Financial Officer of the Digital Direct Marketing business at Rapp Collins Worldwide, a subsidiary of Omnicom Group, Inc., the world's largest advertising and public relations company.
Prior to Omnicom, Don was the President and CEO of Portable Cellular Communications, a subsidiary of publicly-traded Nationwide Cellular Services, Inc. Earlier in his career Don held positions of increasing responsibility in the audit practice of Deliotte & Touche USA LLP.
Don graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with a BBA in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
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Gregory Tupe
Chief Financial Officer
Greg is the Chief Financial Officer of Extensis and a member of its management committee. Mr Tupe’s business and financial career spans more than 25 years.
Prior to joining Extensis, Greg served as the Chief Financial Officer and a member of the management committee of the NIP Group Inc., one of the largest specialty insurance brokers in the US. At NIP, he was a driving force behind the company’s dynamic growth and its emergence within the top ranks of the brokerage industry.
Greg co-led the development of an alternative insurance facility to bring new underwriting capacity to stabilize two large business groups. These risk bearing vehicles, co-developed by Greg, are now recognized as the industry’s best practice models.
Prior to joining NIP Group, Greg was the CFO of Montblanc International and a senior executive at Zale Corporation. Earlier in his career he held management positions at Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.
Greg graduated from Pace University with a BBA in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
James Celentano
Vice President of Human Resources
James is the Vice President Human Resources for Extensis. James leads the team that provides Extensis clients with guidance on employee relations, compensation planning, staffing best practices, performance management, training and other human resources needs.
James is a hands-on executive, with a long track record of partnering with clients ranging from small businesses up to Fortune 500 companies. Before joining Extensis, James served as VP Human Resources at Warner Music Group where he led the human resources generalist functions for the distribution companies, two recorded music labels, and the corporate population.
Prior to Warner, James was the VP of Human Resources at TVT Records, and also has prior experience as a business owner as Founder and President of human resources consultancy Hudson Gain Corporation where he served client company needs in talent acquisition, assessment and talent development as well as process and organizational design. James started his HR career at executive search firm Korn/Ferry International.
James serves as an adjunct instructor at New York University and holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Jan Kaupas
Vice President of Sales
Jan is the Vice President of Sales for Extensis. He has more than 15 years experience in the Professional Employer Organization and HR Outsourcing industry. He has held positions of increasing responsibility at ADP-Totalsource, Trinet, HR Logic and Javers Group in Sales, Leadership and Ownership capacities.
Jan has previously been a Licensed Life and Health Producer, ensuring a "broker-friendly" philosophy at Extensis. He is a member of the PIA, NAHU, New Jersey Tech Council, Bio NJ and The Professionals of PEO Industry. He has been a key player in the development of Extensis' industry leading sales department, finding and recruiting the finest talent for Extensis.
Jan’s intimate understanding of Benefits Strategy, HR Consulting and Sales Management has helped fuel the continued growth of Extensis and has solidified its market leadership.
Jan holds a BS in Psychology from East Stroudsburg University. He is very active in his community coaching his daughters intramural and travel soccer teams.
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Laura Risman
Vice President of Benefits
Laura is the Vice President of Benefits for Extensis. She brings more than 15 years of Benefits Management and Human Resources experience to her role at Extensis. Laura is also an established subject matter expert in the areas of Employee Benefits, Employee Relations, Leadership Development and Talent Retention.
Laura leads the company’s benefit program design and negotiation efforts to ensure the wide selection of programs Extensis offers are truly innovative and highly competitive. Having worked with countless small businesses during her professional career, Laura is uniquely qualified to create Benefits Solutions that are closely tied to the business objectives of Extensis’ clients.
Before joining Extensis, Laura held multiple corporate positions of expanding responsibility for Gap Inc., most recently as that company’s Northeast Zone HR Manager for its Old Navy division.
Laura holds a MS in Human Resource Management from Stevens Institute of Technology and a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University.
Additionally Laura has created company partnerships for diversity and recruiting with: New York City Board of Education BOCES program, the New York City Public High Schools Employability Skills Center, The New York City Department for the Aging Senior Employment & Senior Resource Unit, Center for the Hearing and Communication (NYC), and Business Link and Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey Inc.
Laura is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a board member with Kharity.org, a charity dedicated to connecting sponsors with orphanages.
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John Powell
Vice President of Marketing
John is the Vice President of Marketing for Extensis. In this role, John is focused on driving business growth, client acquisition, public relations and increasing client retention. Additionally, he provides analytical support the strategic business planning of Extensis.
John joined Extensis with more than 12 years of successful marketing and sales experience with AT&T and Nielsen Media Research. He was involved in the launch of, AT&T.ALL, AT&T Wireless, ATM & Frame Relay Services, International Data Services, Managed Internet Service and Integrated Network Connection Service (INCS). John collaborated with service partners Cisco Systems, Visual Networks and Vertical Networks to provide integrated networking solutions for AT&T Business Services customers.
Additionally, John thrived as an Account Executive and Product Specialist in the Small Business and Commercial Markets segments focusing on Toll Free Services, Local Market Entry and Long Distance Services. John’s background includes product management, business services marketing to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as program and sales channel development.
He brings considerable experience to Extensis in the areas of new product introduction, new business development, branding, strategic planning, sales training and database management.
John holds an MBA from the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, focusing on Marketing and Logistics and a BA from Colgate University.
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Jill Moynihan
Vice President of Service Operations
Jill is the Vice President of Service Operations at Extensis. She has more than 22 years of experience in the Payroll and HR Outsourcing industries.
Before joining Extensis, Jill served as the Director of Support Services for Payroll Associates Inc., a leading payroll software development company. At Payroll Associates, Jill developed the firm’s national customer support systems.
Prior to Payroll Associates, Jill was the Director of Support Services for ADP Employer Services Division. During her 14 years with ADP, she lead the rollout of Easypay Payroll Services to all ADP operation centers.
Jill received her BA in Business Management from Trenton State College.
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Matthew Ponticelli
Vice President of Risk Management
Matt is Vice President of Risk Management for Extensis. Matt was previously the Risk Manager for RailWorks Corporation, a public corporation established to furnish the rail industry with all its construction, maintenance and materials solutions. In his capacity as Risk Manager for RailWorks, Matt was responsible for all property and casualty (P&C) exposures and the implementation of controls to mitigate risk.
He has broad P&C insurance knowledge, with particular specialties in workers’ compensation and general liability programs. Prior to joining RailWorks, Matt served as the Risk Manager for L.K. Comstock & Company, Inc. and with AIG and The Travelers in senior positions in claims management.
Matt earned a BA from State University of New York and has chaired Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) committees and authored several manuals for RIMS publications.
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What is a PEO?
Broker Talk
“My Broker Rep is an asset to my team.”
Mike Salerno – President,
Northeast Professional Planning Group – Benefits Broker
