Benefits delivered. Intentionally designed.
Collective Knowledge
The RCG team provides expert guidance and strategic support to clients throughout the Pacific Northwest. We’re experienced, skilled, and are continually learning the latest trends in our industry to help our clients create sustainable benefit plans that fit their needs for the long term. We put our combined decades of experience to work for you.
Jim Russel, MBA
Managing Principal
Jim Russel, MBA Managing Principal Jim has an extensive background as an employee benefits consultant and is recognized for his expertise in benefit planning, strategic advice, and improving the value of benefit programs. Jim’s clients include employers, association health plans and multi-employer health and welfare trusts.
Prior to starting Russel Consulting Group in 2014, Jim worked in senior roles with national and regional benefit consulting firms, was a director of two multi-state group benefit health trusts, and early in his career, as a large-group underwriting manager for a national insurer.
Jim has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with emphasis on insurance and finance, from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and an MBA from the University of Portland. Jim serves on industry boards, non-profits, and active with several professional organizations.
In his spare time, Jim loves to master new culinary dishes, enjoys yoga and visiting Oregon wine country. He loves the game of golf, but wishes golf would love him in return. Jim is married to a first-grade teacher and together have two adult children: a freelance artist and a casualty actuary.
Kevin McCartin
Senior Financial Strategist, McCartin Analytical Services
RCG client service agreements include the underwriting, actuarial, and plan design rating services of Kevin McCartin with McCartin Analytical Services. Kevin provides our experience rated insured and self-funded clients on plan design pricing, renewal analysis, financial projections, and in annual reserving requirements.
Prior to forming his own company, Kevin held senior actuarial and underwriting management positions for Regence, PACC, and Kaiser Permanente. Kevin has served on many industry boards, including Oregon Insurance Department Advisory Committee, Insurance Governing Board Member, Oregon Insurance Department Health Reform Advisory Committee, and Oregon Medical Insurance Pool Board.
In his free time, Kevin loves to garden, collects coins and stamps, and along with his wife, enjoys good wine, travel, and goofing around with his five grandkids.
Susan Krueger
Agent Broker Consultant, Intermediary Services LLC
As the owner of Intermediary Services LLC, Susan and her team bring marketplace expertise in the areas of fully insured and self-funded stop loss products, including carve out third party administration and pharmacy benefit management services. Susan has been a licensed insurance agent for over 30 years and has consulted in a variety of ways with employers, agents, insurance companies and producers in the Pacific Northwest.
Her extensive background in account management and former position as the regional marketing consultant for a large TPA provides Susan a unique insight into the process of insurance administration -from A to Z. Just ask her about ARPA, BUCA, COBRA, DEFRA, ERISA, FICA, GINA, HIPAA...well, you get the idea.
Susan approaches health and welfare benefits as a jig-saw puzzle – you need the right pieces to fit together for a beautiful, finished product. In addition to puzzling, she enjoys time spent with her husband at the beach, playing piano, reading, calligraphy and family dinners with her two adult children.
