Vincent J. Passananti

Vincent has spent his career, spanning five decades, designing, implementing and administering executive benefit plans that supplement restrictive qualified retirement and group insurance plans.  Some areas of experience include:

• Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERP)
• Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans
• Salary Continuation Plans
• Executive Carve Out Plans (Life & Disability)
• Bonus Plans
• Split Dollar Life Insurance

Clients served over the years have included Fortune 50^® organizations, large non-profit organizations, law firms, hospital groups, manufacturers, banking institutions, life insurance companies, and successful enterprises of all size.  Vincent has always embraced the challenge of finding solutions for each client’s unique needs and has instilled a sense of pride, accountability and proactivity in his team to ensure that clients’ expectations are met. In addition to his Executive Benefits practice, Vincent has grown a sizeable wealth transfer practice serving ultra-high net worth individuals and families to transfer wealth generationally. Vincent has led multiple, leading insurance carriers in annual production, including being inducted to the renowned Pacific Life Insurance Company’s ‘Vanguard’.  Vincent has been a member of the prestigious AALU® (The Association for Advanced Life Underwriting), the Forum-400® and other life insurance consortiums.

In addition to founding Meridien in 1975, Vincent was a founding partner of New England Trust Company the same year.  New England Trust was nationally chartered and grew from dollar-one to have over $1.4B in Assets Under Management when sold in 1994.  New England Trust served the investment management needs of high net worth families, defined benefit plans and other institutional investors.

Mikko J. Passananti, MBA

Mikko has spent his entire professional career of over two decades assisting corporate clients, their executives & employees, and high net worth families by developing, implementing and maintaining financial and insurance strategies.

As CEO & President of PensionmarkMeridien, Mikko oversees all facets of firm operations, is responsible for our clients’ satisfaction and experience, and our team members’ professional growth and wellbeing. Mikko leads the firm’s Executive and Investment Committees. In addition, Mikko manages key corporate and advisory relationships for the company, inclusive of healthcare conglomerates, white-shoe law firms, ultra-high net worth families and others. He specializes in the design and implementation of investment and insurance solutions for qualified & nonqualified retirement plans, corporations, executives, and affluent individuals/families. Mikko is a member of Finseca (formerly known as The Association for Advanced Life Underwriting), a prestigious industry organization.

Mikko graduated from the University of Rhode Island and has an MBA from Clark University. He became a member of the prestigious AALU® (The Association for Advanced Life Underwriting), by the age of 30. He holds FINRA 6, 63 & 65 licenses, Life, Health and Life Settlement licenses.

Alison Segall, ChFC^®, CLU^®, CAP^®

Alison is the firm’s Executive Vice President and helps guide the strategic direction of the company. Having joined the PensionmarkMeridien team in 2013, she has over 30 years of experience working with affluent clients, businesses, and their advisors to creatively design and implement estate, philanthropic, retirement, and executive benefit plans. Alison is a Chartered Financial Consultant, Chartered Life Underwriter, and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy. She is also a member of the International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy, the Lifespan Planned Giving Advisory Committee, and the Rhode Island Estate Planning Council.

Alison leads PensionmarkMeridien’s Executive Benefits and Life Insurance Case Design teams and serves as the lead of client relationship management across key company accounts. Alison earned her B.A. at The College of William and Mary, holds FINRA Series 6 & 63 registrations, and is life insurance licensed.

David A. Radoccia, CFP^®, ChFC^®

David is a Managing Director at PensionmarkMeridien. With extensive experience in both insurance and investments, David has used his passion to help develop unique processes and methods to assist employers and employees, as well as individual clients and families, finding ways to maximize their retirement dollars and to help achieve financial independence.

David is experienced in Qualified Retirement Planning for Businesses and Non-Qualified Benefit Programs for Executives and Highly Compensated Employees.  He also leads Financial Planning for the firm as well as working within the Wealth Advisory practice. David serves on PensionmarkMeridien's Investment Advisory Committee.

Finally, David serves on on the Insurance Advisory for the Town of Walpole, MA, as well as being active in the Walpole community. He also serves in various capacities on Boards and Committees at Walpole Country Club.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing/Management from Bentley University in 1985 along with an Associate Degree in Accounting and Management, David began his career in 1985 with SunLife Financial before joining PensionmarkMeridien in 1997.

Philip G. Backholm, Jr., CPA

Philip G. Backholm, Jr. is a Managing Director with over 35 years of experience in the Financial Services Industry He is a Certified Public Accountant and has responsibility for the specific client case design relating to pre- and post-retirement life insurance, non-qualified deferred compensation, Internal Revenue Code Section 409A, independent review of existing plans, and annual regulatory compliance accounting and reporting. Prior to joining Pensionmark, Mr. Backholm spent 12 years with KPMG. There he worked providing auditing and consulting services to financial institutions and insurance companies.

Mr. Backholm is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In addition to his CPA license, Mr. Backholm also maintains Series 6, 26 and 63 securities licenses. Mr. Backholm graduated from Bentley University with honors with a degree in Accounting and a minor in Mathematics.

Christopher Barrett, MBA

Chris is a Managing Director at PensionmarkMeridien focused on Corporate Retirement Plans and Executive Benefits.

Chris has spent over 30 years helping large recordkeepers and investment managers such as Transamerica and MFS service their clients. He has a passion for helping plan sponsors create an environment for participants to succeed in reaching their retirement goals.

As part of the PensionmarkMeridien team, Chris leverages his plan design and investment experience to help organizations strategically improve their retirement benefits. Employers that want to offer the best retirement plan for their employees look to his vision and insight to help them and their employees reach a higher level of success.

Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and his MBA from the Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University.

Mark Geraigery

Mark has spent his entire professional career working in the retirement services industry.

Mark joined PensionmarkMeridien in May of 2015.  He brings a quarter century of experience along with invaluable relationships throughout the industry. In addition to leading firm relationship management, Mark heads our custom education platform.

Beginning his career at Putnam Investments in various roles over fifteen years, Mark transitioned to MassMutual Retirement Services where he spent five years working with plan sponsors to foster financial wellness and successful retirement outcomes by developing educational processes. 

Mark is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA).  He maintains his FINRA Series 7, 6 & 63 licenses along with his Health Insurance license (MA & RI).  He recently earned the CHSA® (Certified Health Savings Advisor) Designation.

Michelle Noon, MBA

Michelle joined PensionmarkMeridien in 2010 and has been the Corporate Controller since that time. With over twenty years of experience in Accounting and Business Management in varied industries ranging from banking to corporate retail to international seafood exporting and wholesaling, she oversees all financial operations for the firm. Michelle has FINRA Financial Operations Principal, Series 28 and Operations Professional, Series 99 designations.

Michelle is a Cum Laude Graduate of Rhode Island College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a minor in Business Management. She was a member of the Rhode Island College Honors Program and made Dean’s List every semester.  Michelle received the Economics and Management Department’s prestigious John Silva Memorial Scholastic Award as a sophomore. After graduating from Rhode Island College, Michelle continued her education at the University of Rhode Island where she graduated with an MBA with a concentration in International Business.

Martha Tenkarian

Martha is the Director of Insurance Services at PensionmarkMeridien. Her experience in the financial services industry spans over thirty years. Her insurance career began with Guardian and MassMutual, working specifically with retirement plans and high net worth individuals.

Serving as the Office Administrator for a sizeable MassMutual agency provided for a natural transition to life insurance administration. Martha’s experience serving both clients and insurance producers, eventually led her to PensionmarkMeridien.  For the over a decade, she has led the firms client service, underwriting, and licensing needs. While paying strict attention to detail, Martha always puts the client first.

Windy Fino, AIF

Windy is the Director of Client Services at PensionmarkMeridien. She has spent over a decade in the financial services industry serving the needs of corporate clients and high net worth families.

Windy specializes in collaboratively working with her clients and her team to provide a high-touch service to ensure all client expectations are met and exceeded.  She provides clarity and confidence sharing her experience that is consistent with our firm’s core values. 
 
Her primary focus is to assist plan sponsors with their qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, provide relationship management, and to support PensionmarkMeridien’s wealth advisory services.
 
Windy graduated from the University of Rhode Island and currently maintains her FINRA Series 6, 26, 63, and 65 licenses, while working towards her series 7.

Alexis Duffy

Alexis joined the PensionmarkMeridien team in September of 2018 as an Insurance Services Specialist.  She is responsible for project management and data reconciliation and analytics for the firm’s corporate and high-net worth relationships. Additionally, she provides underwriting and client service support to non-qualified plan clients and the firm’s wealth transfer clients, as well liaising with trust and estate attorneys and accounting teams. 

Prior to joining the firm, Alexis was employed at Mercer as an Operations Team Leader and a Resolution Specialist.  She spent the majority of her career assisting plan sponsors with their employees’ wide range of health and life insurance benefits. Currently, Alexis maintains her Health and Life Insurance Producers license.

Melissa Urban Kindness

Melissa has rejoined PensionmarkMeridien in May 2021, returning from the Voluntary Benefits & Health Insurance industries, where she had developed relationships across both Public and Private sectors. Prior to starting in the life insurance industry in 2015, she had started her professional career in 2000 managing multi-chain restaurants, both in-store and as part of the Regional Service team of Southwest FL, the top producing region in the nation. 

Melissa graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training/Biology from Florida Southern College. She maintains her Life/Health & Accident Insurance licenses in RI, MA, CT, and ME and is currently studying to obtain her series 6 and 63 licenses. 

In her spare time, Melissa is active with her son in multiple sports, Boy Scouts, and day trips year-round. She’s also an active PTO board member at Portsmouth Middle School (RI) where they reside, enjoying the New England summers in Newport and at the beach.