Benefits industry experts, companies, new hires, andpartnerships in the news this week include the following:

Mike Lindemulder has joined independentinsurance brokerage Assurance as Vice President inits employee benefits practice. He earned his Bachelor ofScience degree in Administration and Finance from Elmhurst College.Lindemulder will work out of Assurance’s Schaumburgheadquarters.

MAXIS Global Benefits Network, theinternational employee benefits joint venture betweenMetLife and AXA, announced thatAXA Ukraine is the latest provider to become amember. AXA Ukraine had total premium written of UAH1.4 billion($53.3 million) in 2016 and joins nearly 140 member insurance firmsin the network worldwide.

The SPARK Institute, a nonprofit organizationrepresenting the retirement services industry, announced thewinners of its 2017 SPARK Awards for Investment Innovation andInnovation in Plan Design & Administration at the SPARK Forum. The award for Investment Innovation went toChuck Dobson, a Regional Chief Investment Officer(CIO) and a Senior Plan Consultant for NFP. The award forInnovation in Plan Design & Administration went toCarol Idone, Vice President of Client RelationshipManagement and Consulting at Strategic Benefit Services.

Transamerica announced that current clientMichael, Best & Friedrich, LLP, a national lawfirm based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, selected the company to betheir sole retirement plan provider. The decision will bringMichael Best’s 401(k) plan to Transamerica, who also currentlymanages the firm’s defined benefit program. The 401(k) plan hasmore than$160 million in plan assets, and over 650participants.

RxTE Health, which specializes in pharmacy costreduction programs for employers, has hired SaraLinnerooth, PharmD, as Senior Vice President of ClinicalOperations. She will be responsible for overall strategy andexecution of clinical development activities, including solutiondesign and product roadmap. Previously, Linnerooth was a clinicalpharmacist at WellDyneRx.

Bundled payment platform provider Carrum Healthannounced that it was named the winner of the 2017 Healthcare InnovationChallenge, a collaboration between Harvard BusinessSchool and Harvard Medical School. Theaward recognizes deployed healthcare solutions thatcan demonstrate value, impact on cost and quality of caredelivered, and scalability. Additionally, last week Carrum wasselected by the National Business Group on Health to present to itsboard, which includes HR and benefits executives at some ofAmerica’s largest companies.

Workers' compensation strategist David Huth isthe newest member of Rising Medical Solutions'(Rising) executive leadership team. In his role as Vice Presidentof Product Design and Development, he will be responsible foroptimizing Rising's managed care portfolio. Most recently,David served as Vice President of Strategy for Optum's managed careand settlement solutions division

CVS Health announced it has set a goal ofhiring 5,000 new apprentices by 2022. The goal reflects anexpansion of the company's Registered Apprenticeship program toseven additional states, including Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, bringing the totalnumber of statewide apprenticeship programs supported by CVS Healthto 18. More than 4,700 colleagues have joined its RegisteredApprenticeship career tracks for retail pharmacy, prescriptionbenefit management and retail store management.

The Arkansas Department of Insurance announcedtoday that ForeverCare, Inc. is certified andlicensed as a PASSE (Provider-owned Arkansas Shared Saving Entity)to provide access to health care for Medicaid eligible residents ofArkansas. ForeverCare, along with three other provider-led healthplans, will deliver access to health care through the PASSE modelof care, which is unique to Arkansas and provides coordination ofphysical health, behavioral health and home and community servicesto vulnerable Arkansans who qualify for these services due tospecific health conditions.

Centene Corporation announced the appointmentsof several key executives:

• Cynthia J. Brinkley, currently Executive VicePresident of Global Corporate Development, has been appointedPresident and Chief Operating Officer.

• Jesse N. Hunter, Executive Vice President ofProducts, has been appointed Executive Vice President of Mergers& Acquisitions and Chief Strategy Officer.

• Mark J. Brooks has been appointed ExecutiveVice President and Chief Information Officer.

• Kevin J. Counihan has been appointed SeniorVice President of Products.

• Michael F. Neidorff will remain Chairman andChief Executive Officer.