Adam V. Russo, Esq. is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Phia Group, LLC, an experienced provider of healthcare cost containment techniques offering comprehensive claims recovery, plan document, and consulting services designed to control healthcare costs and protect plan assets. The Phia Group’s overall mission is to reduce the cost of healthcare through its recovery strategies, innovative technologies, and legal expertise.

Attorney Russo is also the founder and managing partner of The Law Offices of Russo & Minchoff, a full-service law firm. Attorney Russo’s practice is devoted to representing employers, plan fiduciaries, and administrators in employee benefit matters throughout the United States. He is a frequent speaker on employee benefit topics at webinars, conferences, and seminars across the country.

Attorney Russo obtained a Juris Doctorate degree from Suffolk University Law School and a Master’s Degree in Finance from the Frank Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University in Boston. He also earned an undergraduate degree from Suffolk University, where he double majored in Political Science and Public Relations. He was recognized by Suffolk University with the 2005 Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award.

Attorney Russo was the 2019 Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Self-Insurance Institute of America, Inc. (SIIA) and is the Recipient of the Free Market Medical Association 2024 Be A Beacon Award. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for SIIA and on the Board of Directors at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South, Massachusetts.  Attorney Russo is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Adam enjoys spending time with his wife Kelly and their four wonderful children, Soli, Maeve, Shae, and Samuel, and rooting for his beloved Cleveland Guardians baseball team.

Ron E. Peck has been a member of The Phia Group’s team since 2006.  As the Chief Legal Officer at The Phia Group, Ron has been an innovative force in the drafting of improved benefit plan provisions, handled complex subrogation and third-party recovery disputes, healthcare direct contracting, and spearheaded efforts to combat the steadily increasing costs of healthcare.

Considered to be not only one of the nation’s top ERISA lawyers, Attorney Peck is also viewed as one of the nation’s premier self-funded health plan consultants and health benefits attorneys; lecturing at and participating in many industry gatherings including but not limited to The National Association of Subrogation Professionals (“NASP”) Litigation Skills Conference, Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (“SPBA”), the Health Care Administrators Association (“HCAA”), The Health Plan Alliance, the Self-Insurance Institute of America (“SIIA”) and SIIA's Government Relations Committee.  Ron is also frequently called upon to educate plan administrators and stop-loss carriers regarding changing laws and best practices.  Ron’s theories regarding benefit plan administration and healthcare have been published in many industry periodicals and have received much acclaim.  Prior to joining The Phia Group, Ron was a member of a major pharmaceutical company’s in-house legal team, a general practitioner’s law office, and served as a judicial clerk.  Ron is also currently of counsel with The Law Offices of Russo & Minchoff.

Attorney Peck obtained his Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University School of Law and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University.  Attorney Peck now serves as The Phia Group’s Chief Legal Officer.

Since joining The Phia Group as its Chief Operating Officer in 2015, Joseph Montalto has been a driving force in maximizing client value satisfaction by spearheading enhancements to the company’s technical and operational infrastructure. Behind Mr. Montalto’s efforts to optimize core technical functions including, but not limited to, IT applications delivery, data analytics, and data quality programs, the company has streamlined processes while not compromising quality productivity. In managing The Phia Group’s Operations, HR, IT, and Security departments, Mr. Montalto has overseen improvements to the company’s PMO, Data Center, Data Science and Business Intelligence, and Product Delivery functions as well as the ISO 27000:13 certification of its Information Security Management System. An expert in leveraging innovative techniques to develop new products and ensure product maturity, Mr. Montalto has been instrumental in cultivating an environment of continuous improvement throughout The Phia Group.

Before coming to The Phia Group, Mr. Montalto served as the Vice President of Business and Technology Solutions for Valassis, a publicly traded multibillion-dollar advertising company, whereby he guided senior executives through the execution of transformative projects amid complex changes. At Valassis, Mr. Montalto notably leveraged Lean Six Sigma towards driving process efficiency and higher quality output across multiple platforms of the organization. His earlier professional experiences included serving as Regional Delivery Director at Sierra Atlantic (Hitachi Consulting) and the Managing Principal Consultant at Oracle Consulting, the latter of which involved implementing Oracle E-Business Suite in professional services, high-tech manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, and engineering procurement construction industries. Additionally, Mr. Montalto has a strong background in the healthcare field, having served in numerous roles at Stamford Health Systems and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, all of which lends itself well to The Phia Group’s mission to contain healthcare costs for hardworking Americans.

Mr. Montalto received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Connecticut and Bachelor of Science in Systems from Providence College. Additionally, he is Six Sigma Black Belt trained and a certified Agile Scrum Master.

An avid golfer, Mr. Montalto has a decade’s worth of experience volunteering at youth golf programs under the leadership of Suzy Whaley, the first female President of the PGA of America. Mr. Montalto resides in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, with his wife and two daughters, both of whom also play golf, one at the NCAA level.

Peter Kotsifas joined The Phia Group as its Chief Financial Officer in 2021.  Peter has over 20 years of experience leading accounting and finance teams and helping high-growth companies scale and optimize enterprise value.

Before joining The Phia Group, Peter worked in the IT services industry, public accounting, and the golf industry.  Peter credits his work in the golf industry as the spark that lit the fire of his passion for outstanding customer service – which he believes is critical to delivering a world-class, customer-focused approach at The Phia Group.  Peter’s work in the IT services industry enabled him to hone many technical skills, including numerous software system implementations, system integrations, as well as mergers and acquisitions.  Peter has a passion for excellence in everything he does and brings that winning attitude to his work for The Phia Group.

Peter received his Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell and is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.  Besides working at The Phia Group, Peter also serves as the Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors for Aceing Autism, a non-profit on a mission to help children with autism grow, develop and benefit from social connections and fitness through affordable tennis programming.

When Peter is not spending time with his wife, Megan, and two children, Colin and Halle, he enjoys playing golf, guitar, and recording music.

Jason C. Davis is the Chief Revenue Officer at The Phia Group, LLC. Mr. Davis joined The Phia Group in 2014; prior to this, he was Vice President U.S. Markets for another cost containment company, where for nearly 10 years, he contributed at various levels of claim settlement, dispute resolution, R&D, product development, sales, and leadership.

Mr. Davis also founded JCDC in 2014, which is a cost containment company that catered to international payers with exposure in the U.S.  In order to expand its reach into international markets, The Phia Group acquired JCDC in 2020.  As such, Mr. Davis’ network of industry partners, contacts, and clients is spread all over the world.

Jason or “Jay” (as he is so often called) is a self-professed and proud “nerd.”  He is a consistent contributor to industry periodicals and a regular speaker at conferences that address medical cost containment issues for multiple insurance industries. Jason loves to work hard, play hard, travel, and spend time with his wife, Kim, and their four children – Aleithea, Kairus, Xeidan, and Mohzen.

Jennifer M. McCormick joined The Phia Group, LLC in 2008. As the Senior Vice President of Phia Group Consulting, Attorney McCormick concentrates on a variety of healthcare and regulatory issues facing employee benefit plans and their administrators while also focusing on health benefit plan regulatory compliance services, including but not limited to self-funded health plan consultation, health plan exclusions, health plan limitations, health plan revisions, definitions of key items such as usual and customary fees, and the entire health plan summary plan description and summary of benefits and coverage. She is a constant contributor to The Phia Group’s webinars and other educational media.

Attorney McCormick earned her J.D. from the Syracuse University College of Law, with certificates in Estate Planning and Family Law, and her B.A. in both Psychology and Criminal Justice from Indiana University, graduating with distinction as a National Dean’s List Scholar. While attending Syracuse, Attorney McCormick served as an Intercollegiate Director of the Moot Court Honor Society and as a Student Attorney in the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic where she counseled clients on state and federal tax matters and the U.S. Tax Court appeals process.

Julie Martin began her career with The Phia Group, LLC as a Claims Recovery Specialist. Ms. Martin’s primary responsibilities at the time were investigating potential subrogation opportunities, obtaining accident details, and pursuing reimbursement from plan members, insurance carriers, and their attorneys.

In 2005, Ms. Martin proved her mastery of subrogation by earning her Certified Subrogation Recovery Professional (“CSRP”) certification. Shortly thereafter, she was promoted to a Case Manager, and subsequently to her current role as Senior Vice President of Recovery Services, in which she supervises all of The Phia Group’s Claim Recovery Specialists. Ms. Martin handles complex cases, such as those involving a class action recovery lawyer or class action recovery firm, third party liability attorneys, Medicare coordination of benefits, third party reimbursement and third party subrogation collection. Julie is an extremely valuable resource for clients and The Phia Group’s team members alike. Ms. Martin has always demonstrated an interest in law, graduating from Bridgewater State College with a degree in Criminal Justice.

Scott is an attorney, data analyst, software developer, and a Certified Professional Coder through the American Academy of Professional Coders. Prior to joining The Phia Group, he worked at a national third-party administrator as Vice President of Access Innovation.  Prior to his TPA work, Scott was an Associate General Counsel, Director of Dispute Resolution, and designated company witness at a nationwide medical bill review company focused on commercial payor reimbursement and workers’ compensation fee schedules and disputes.

Tim Callender serves as the Vice President, Strategic Accounts & Business Development.  Before joining The Phia Group, Tim spent years working as in-house legal counsel for a third-party administrator. Tim is well-versed in complex appeals, plan document interpretation, stop-loss conflict resolution, and generally aligning the needs of all industry stakeholders while keeping abreast of regulatory demands, vendor contract disputes, and many other issues unique to the self-funded industry.

Tim has spoken on a variety of industry topics in front of respected organizations such as the Self-Insurance Institute of America (“SIIA”), the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (“SPBA”), the Health Care Administrators Association (“HCAA”), and the National Association of Health Underwriters (“NAHU”). Tim sat on the Board of Directors for HCAA and is still involved in conference planning and internal matters with HCAA.  Prior to his time as a TPA’s in-house counsel, Tim spent many years in private practice in Boise, Idaho, with a focus on civil litigation, criminal defense, and family law.  

Tim holds a prominent role with The Phia Group’s executive leadership team while continuing to assist on many general consulting and industry projects. Tim also employs his experience to focus on the development of new services and the enrichment of The Phia Group’s existing services.

Tim received his Bachelor’s Degree from The College of Idaho and his Law Degree from The University of San Diego School of Law.  Tim operates out of The Phia Group’s office in Boise.

Hemant Dua is the Senior Vice President of Technology at The Phia Group, where he has been an integral part of the leadership team since 2015. With about 25 years of experience in driving technological transformations, Mr. Dua is widely recognized for his expertise in IT infrastructure, enterprise application development, ETL processes, data analytics, and enterprise architecture. His leadership ensures the seamless integration of cutting-edge technologies across the organization.

At The Phia Group, Mr. Dua leads the Applications Development and Data Services Group, overseeing complex projects that span across software development, data management, and analytics. Under his guidance, his teams have consistently delivered innovative solutions that align with business goals, optimize operational efficiency, and improve overall system performance.

Certified as a Chief Technology Officer from The Wharton School, Mr. Dua holds multiple certifications, including Data Analytics from Cornell University and Agile Scrum Master from Scrum Alliance. These certifications reflect his commitment to staying at the forefront of emerging technologies and methodologies.

Mr. Dua holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from Pune University (India). His background, coupled with his certifications, equips him with a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic insight to lead large-scale IT initiatives.

He resides in Simsbury, Connecticut, with his wife and daughter.

Kelly E. Dempsey joined The Phia Group in early 2014.  She is the Vice President of Phia Group Consulting, specializing in plan document drafting and review, as well as a myriad of compliance matters involving the ACA and other federal laws and industry issues. Through working for a TPA and an insurance carrier, Kelly has gained experience with balance billing and other provider disputes, COB for Medicare, reference-based pricing, usual & reasonable fees, as well as the other issues TPAs face on a daily basis.  Kelly brings a unique perspective to The Phia Group and is an asset to its team of consultants and health benefits attorneys.

Kelly is admitted to the Bar of the State of Ohio and the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio. Kelly earned her Juris Doctorate from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Business from Muskingum University (formerly Muskingum College), graduating magna cum laude. Kelly is a former board member for 6 years for Project: LEARN of Medina County (Ohio), serving as President of the Board of Trustees in 2020, and current President and Board Member of the Chi Alpha Nu Sorority Alumni Board.

Rebekah McGuire-Dye has worked nearly 30 years in the cost containment industry and now serves as the Vice President of Recovery Services Onboarding & Support for The Phia Group, whereby she ensures the company’s client care service function remains unparalleled in the cost containment industry.

During her extensive career, Rebekah has served over 150 health benefit providers in roles ranging from front line file handler to Group Vice President overseeing all commercial subrogation operations for over 20 million benefit recipient lives.  Her nearly three-decade cost containment career, while focused on the healthcare line of business, also includes experience in both disability and property and casualty subrogation matters. 

Such in-depth experiences have cultivated her passion for cutting-edge technology and its ability to drive efficiencies for all levels of an organization. She is honored to be sharing her love of modernization with the board of Subrogation Healthcare Alliance as the inaugural Director of Technology.

While not pursuing cost containment endeavors, Rebekah is an avid traveler (some may say wanderer), nature lover and family-oriented resident of rural Kentucky. She gives back to her community at every turn and focuses stewardship efforts on advocating for underserved school children in remote parts of Kentucky.

Scott brings 20 plus years of experience in healthcare subrogation to The Phia Group. As Vice President of Business Development, Subrogation Recovery Services, Scott is responsible for The Phia Group’s subrogation sales to health plans across the U.S. Previously, Scott worked for another large subrogation company.

Prior to his career in sales, Scott earned his law degree from The University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, and served many years as an attorney and Director of Litigation for Gibson and Sharps, PSC, a nationwide subrogation law firm. With his background, Scott is well-versed in applicable laws and regulations that govern the healthcare industry, and specifically, subrogation, including but not limited to ERISA, FEHBA, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Scott has spent many years working closely with large health plans across the country, where he has developed a unique understanding of the value that subrogation has on the payer industry and in the overall U.S. healthcare system. Scott has published several articles on various subrogation related topics, both with NASP (the “National Association of Subrogation Professionals”) and other industry publications.

Brady Bizarro joined The Phia Group as a healthcare attorney in early 2016. As the Vice President of Legal Compliance & Regulatory Affairs, he specializes in regulatory, transactional, and compliance matters related to healthcare and employee benefits law. He provides general consulting services to clients, including employers, third-party administrators, brokers, and vendors associated with health benefit plans on matters related to the health insurance industry, including ERISA, ACA, and HIPAA compliance. He also performs contract review and due diligence on healthcare transactions and assists with dispute resolution efforts between the various players in the healthcare industry in an effort to protect plan members and plan sponsors.

During law school, Brady participated in the Edward C. Stone Moot Court Competition and completed a legal internship in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also worked as a summer associate at Greene LLP, a complex civil litigation firm in Boston that specializes in healthcare fraud cases, and as a Rule 3:03 attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services, where he represented indigent defendants in employment and discrimination cases in state court. Prior to law school, he worked as a mediator for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and for the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

Jackie Andrews is the Vice President of Provider Relations at The Phia Group. Since joining The Phia Group in 2019, Jackie’s focus from an industry perspective has been primarily RBP, balance billing and other provider disputes or negotiation related work.  Jackie has excelled in leading the Provider Relations department, showcasing an impressive blend of strategic management, operational excellence and financial understanding. Her leadership has not only driven significant improvements in processes and resource management, but has also fostered a culture of autonomy, innovation, and collaboration. Through her adept handling of customer relations, operations, and team development, Jackie has positioned the Provider Relations department as a pivotal component of the company, underlining her invaluable contributions and exceptional performance.

For the first fifteen years of her career, Jackie worked in financial organizations, most recently for JPMorgan Chase. Focusing on client relationships, Jackie advocated for her clients by ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and responsiveness of deliverables. These skills have been invaluable as she has established herself as a transformative leader who manages resources across all Provider Relations departments, spearheading departmental operations processes, and serving as a liaison between customers and operations.