About Us
Our History
Since 1975, GCG Financial, LLC, has been a trusted partner for our clients. Our mission has been to enhance the financial security of the businesses and families we serve through exceptional employee benefits, risk management, and wealth management solutions.
In 2017, GCG Financial and 23 other like- minded, entrepreneurial firms came together to form Alera Group. Since then, Alera Group has grown to over 4,400 employees, 160+ locations, and thousands of clients across the country.
In 2022, we officially began embracing the Alera Group brand. What remains consistent is holding our clients at the core of our business; we focus on bringing personalized solutions, expanding our capabilities, and deepening our resources nationally.
Our Team
Trusted. Smart. Passionate.
Our team has a sincere commitment to the long- term success of our clients. With an emphasis on collaboration and teamwork, we create unique solutions that fit the distinct needs of each client. We are passionate about doing what is right for every client, driven by the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, integrity, character, fairness, trust, and confidence.
Our Presence
Our clients benefit from the expertise and resources of a large national firm, while still maintaining the advantages of local service and relationships. We leverage powerful relationships, industry experience, and resources with the goal of supporting our clients’ business strategies and elevating the experience of working with us.
Above all, our firm believes in empowering people – our clients, our team, and the individuals in the communities where we live and work.
We are headquartered in Deerfield, IL, with offices throughout Illinois and Colorado, along with more than 160 Alera Group locations across the country. Wherever you are, we can meet your needs.
Investment advisory services offered through Alera Investment Advisors, LLC. Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth.
Meet Our Team
Alex Koglin
Senior Benefits Consultant | Employee Benefits
Alex Koglin is Senior Benefits Consultant for the firm. He has nearly a decade of experience in healthcare benefits and has worked with companies ranging from a handful of employees to over 5,000 employees across a diverse range of industries. His responsibilities include new business development, strategic playbook review, client relations, and functioning as liaison between sales and service teams.
Alex routinely works with clients to transition to alternative-funded programs, while considering the holistic employee experience. In addition, he has overseen the merger of benefit programs following multiple large-scale acquisitions. Alex leverages those opportunities to identify program improvements and substantial cost reductions.
Alex is WELCOA certified and uses his knowledge to oversee client wellbeing initiatives, keep a pulse on employee engagement, and identify employee values. Moreover, he uses his process-driven approach to identify best-practice benefits administration solutions and better leverage technology.
Above all, Alex values his client relationships, excellent client feedback, and long-term client retention.
When he's not working, Alex values time spent with his partner and his dog, and can be found hiking, playing tennis, teaching yoga, or cooking.
Jeff Kolker, RHU
Senior Vice President, Benefits Consulting | Employee Benefits
Jeff joined the firm in 1992 and became Vice President of Employee Benefits in 1999. His responsibilities include supervision of the employee benefits resource team, product review, and the sale of new and renewal employee benefits programs including medical, dental, disability, and various other employee benefits to our clientele.
After working for a public accounting firm in Denver, Jeff relocated to the Chicagoland area and entered the insurance business. He retained his RHU professional designation and has been in the insurance business since 1989, with a specialty in employee benefits since 1991. Jeff has used his accounting background and communication skills to become a leading producer in group benefits. He has been involved in speaking and advisory roles for many of the national health carriers, helping design benefit plans and providing valuable feedback on various plans’ strengths and weaknesses. His understanding and grasp of the continued pressures on businesses to remain competitive and profitable have helped make him successful in the employee benefits field. Jeff has also served on various advisory boards for insurance carriers doing business in the Chicagoland area. Jeff, along with the firm’s employee benefits division, has been recognized by several of the national carriers as a top producer and preferred broker.
Jeff is active in several charities and civic organizations, including the firm's monthly community giving program, and he often helps fundraise for other organizations.
Jeff's focus is his family life. Most of his time is spent with his wife and three kids doing various activities ranging from education to travel to sporting activities. When he is not spending time with his family, he enjoys golfing and other sports.
Education: B.S., Accounting, University of Denver, 1987.
Credentials: RHU
Organizations: National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and Association of Health Insurance Advisors.
Dawn Lauret
Vice President, Benefits Consulting | Employee Benefits
Dawn Lauret joined the firm in 1998 and became Vice President of Benefits Consulting in 2005. She brings a consultative approach to the sale and retention of small group employee benefit packages with her background in both the sales and service aspects of the business. Her role is to partner with firm brokers to identify employee benefit opportunities on existing clients as well as new prospects. Many of the national health carriers have tapped Dawn for advisory boards, and she has been instrumental in designing benefit plans and providing feedback on plan strengths and weaknesses for small groups.
Before joining the firm, Dawn was an account manager for a small benefits agency in the employee benefit division.
Dawn enjoys spending her free time with her family and friends. She also enjoys playing volleyball, golfing, walking, biking, crafting, and traveling.
Education: B.S., Workforce Education and Development, Southern Illinois University.
Jordan Levitz
Risk Management Consultant
Jordan Levitz is the Director of Personal Risk Management at the firm and a third-generation insurance professional.
Jordan is a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, a Florham Business Scholar and played Division III College Lacrosse.
He came to the firm after working in the insurance industry for three years as an underwriter with CHUBB, where he managed a $32M+ book of business and underwrote risks for agencies in Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio.
Jordan is a member of the Alera Personal Lines Committee and has overseen the Chicago office double in size during his first three years as director.
In his free time, Jordan is typically with his family, Kelly, Mia, and Max, or on the golf course when his family allows.
Education: Bachelor of Science, University of Southern California
Resources
Alera Group Spends The Week Giving Back
In the spirit of our Generous Community Giving program, Alera Group employees participated in a week of events, both in-person and virtually, for our 2023 Community Giving week.
Chicago Housing Authority Hiring Fair
Alera Group colleagues spent the day at the Chicago Housing Authority Job Fair reviewing resumes, helping with interview prep, working on communication skills, and offering general insights and advice to people just starting their professional careers. It was time well spent helping others in the community both professionally and personally.
Feed My Starving Children
The Alera Group team volunteering with Feed My Starving Children had a positive experience measuring, bagging, weighing, sealing, and packing meals for children over the course of an afternoon. Not only did they feel like they made a difference in the lives of others, but they also enjoyed using the time as a teambuilding exercise to work with colleagues outside of their department.
Lyman Woods Nature Center
Alera Group volunteers rolled up their sleeves to beautify the nature preserve by building a new fence and cleaning up the trails for the community to enjoy now that the weather has warmed up. Despite being a physically demanding morning, everyone agreed it was a rewarding experience.
Send virtual cards to patients at St. Jude
Our remote teammates were able to participate in Community Giving Week as well! They wrote dozens of encouraging notes to patients undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
The Alera Group volunteers not only gave their time and energy to make a positive impact on our communities, but unanimously agreed that they had a great time while doing it!
Alera Group’s 2023 Office 5k Raises Money for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
On October 12 we laced up our sneakers as part of our Generous Community Giving initiative. This year’s annual 5k included a record number of participants who enjoyed running and walking the outdoor course at our Deerfield, Illinois headquarters as well as a step challenge for remote employees. To keep things interesting, we added a new 5k relay event consisting of teams of four colleagues for some additional friendly competition.
The proceeds of the money raised this year benefits Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Their mission is to improve lives by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes (T1D).
The day was billed a success as the rain clouds held off long enough for us to support an important cause while enjoying the company of our fellow team members.
An Alera Group Care Package
Alera Group colleagues came together last month to enjoy a lunch and celebrate our shared successes in 2023. The day had a bigger purpose though, as we rolled up our sleeves to kickoff our first Generous Community Giving event in the new year with nonprofit group, Blessings in a Backpack.
Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry. By the end of the afternoon, over 100 Alera Group colleagues had packed 500 bags! Not only was it rewarding to collaborate on a physical task together, but we were thrilled to know that our work would ensure children in our community would not go hungry that weekend.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
2025 Healthcare and Employee Benefits Benchmarking Report: How Does Your Benefits Program Stack Up?
In this session, our experts will dive into the results of our annual, market-leading benchmarking survey.
June 26, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Dynamic Data: Strategies for Success
Join us for this session, as our experts will share how to utilize your organization’s data to create advanced and innovative strategies for success.
July 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Wealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
July 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
Benchmarking: How Do Your Organization’s Employee Benefits Offerings Stack Up?
For the sixth consecutive year, Alera Group is offering a valuable piece of market intelligence: our Healthcare and Employee Benefits Benchmarking Report. We’ll introduce the 2025 edition on its release date, June 26, with a one-hour webinar beginning at 1 p.m. CT.
June 5, 2025
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Employee Benefits
Reminder: PCORI Fees Due By July 31, 2025
Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) should keep in mind the upcoming July 31, 2025 deadline for paying fees that fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) via Form 720, which was recently updated and released by the IRS.
June 3, 2025
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Weekly Market Update
Stocks advanced over the short trading week, bolstered by a possible trade deal with the European Union (EU) and an upbeat corporate report from a mega-cap tech company that creates semiconductors used in the creation of artificial intelligence.
June 2, 2025
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Employee Benefits
Benefits Captives: Your Business and What Your Competitors Are Doing
In one form or another, Captive Insurance has existed as a risk management solution for many decades — originally for property and casualty coverage and primarily for large employers. But its viability as a solution for employee benefits and for midsized businesses has increased dramatically in recent years, fueled by volatility in the insurance market in general and by the skyrocketing cost of health insurance in particular.
May 29, 2025
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