Alliant Insurance Services has hired Tom Mather as a vice president in its Employee Benefits Group, adding a Washington, D.C.-area consultant for middle-market employers at a time of rising health benefit costs.
The Irvine, Calif.-based brokerage announced the appointment Thursday in a release. Mather will partner with middle-market employers to develop customized benefits strategies that maximize program value, manage costs and address changing workforce needs, the company said.
“Tom brings a highly analytical and innovative approach to helping employers navigate the challenges of today’s benefits landscape,” said Kevin Overbey, president of Alliant Employee Benefits.
Mather’s background spans strategic benefits planning, self-funded plan design and financial analysis, according to the release. He has worked with organizations nationwide on their employee benefits programs. His experience includes benchmarking, employee contribution strategies, competitive bidding, vendor management and renewal negotiations.
Alliant said he combines data-driven insights with creative problem-solving to help employers evaluate funding alternatives, improve plan performance and carry out solutions aligned with their organizational goals.
Before joining Alliant, Mather was vice president of employee benefits at a global insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting firm, which the release did not name. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Alfred University.
The appointment comes as employers brace for another steep increase in health benefit costs. Marsh, formerly known as Mercer, projects that total health benefit cost per employee will rise 8.2% on average in 2027, the highest increase since 2003, even after planned cost-reduction measures.
The figure comes from preliminary findings of Marsh’s 2026 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, with final results expected later this year. Without those measures, the projected increase would be 11%, Marsh said. The 2027 projection compares with 6.7% for 2026. Marsh said 59% of surveyed employers plan cost-reduction steps for 2027, including higher deductibles.
Other surveys point the same way. Business Group on Health’s 2027 Employer Healthcare Strategy Survey found employers expect a median increase of 9.2%, which plan design changes could reduce to about 8%.
Employers’ priorities have also shifted. A Lockton survey found 54% of employers rank cost reduction as their top benefits priority, up from 38% in 2025.
Alliant reorganized its employee benefits group into three regions: Eastern; South and Southwest; and Northwest and Midwest. The restructure was designed to drive faster growth and more locally tailored client support, Insurance Business reported in June.
Mather’s hiring follows other recent additions to the group, including Yana Jones in June and Elsje Johnson in August.
