Our Team
Ryan Benefits, Inc. was established in 2004. We specialize in health and welfare plans for the mid-size employer market as well as multi-employer groups.
Ryan Benefits assists employers with risk management of self-funded plans and fully insured products covering medical, dental, disability, life, and voluntary worksite products.
Our boutique model competes against regional and national consulting/ brokerage firms and we have expanded our resources to support our growth.
Jim Ryan
Jim Ryan is the founder and CEO of Ryan Benefits, Inc. Jim has been in the Employee Benefits business for nearly four decades. He began his career as a Sales Representative with Aetna in 1982 in Hartford, Oklahoma City, and Houston. Jim received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Richmond in Virginia where he was a Lyon Scholar.
Joining MassMutual in 1984, as a Regional Group Manager, Jim was in charge of the Oklahoma office where he received many sales awards including Representative of the Year and Office of the Year.
In 1991, he became Vice President and moved to Dallas to manage the North Texas and Oklahoma area.
In 1996, MassMutual’s health division was acquired by Wellpoint/Anthem. Jim served as Vice President of the Central and Western Large Group Division.
In 2002, after 20 years in the carrier market, Jim joined the consulting field with a position as Executive Vice President of Corporate Health Plans of America, Inc. (CHPA) where he was later promoted to President of CHPA.
In 2004, Jim founded Ryan Benefits, Inc., and has seen the firm grow in staff revenues and new clients since.
Jim met his wife on an airplane in 1982 and has two sons both of which have joined the business. He enjoys fitness, golf, tennis and travel.
Andy Ryan
Andy Ryan has been an Account Executive at Ryan Benefits since August 2015. His daily activities include handling Request for Proposal (RFP) bids and reviews, generating client presentations, presenting open enrollment information, and managing accounts and finances.
After graduating from Texas Tech's Rawls College of Business with a degree in Marketing, Andy pursued a career in the employee benefits industry, following in his father's footsteps.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Andy enjoys sports, spending time with friends and family. He married in June 2020 and has two young boys, one born in 2021 and the other in 2023.
Patrick Ryan
Patrick joined the Ryan Benefits Team in the Summer of 2014. He works with both Multi-Employer & Commercial accounts. Patrick is responsible for the continued growth of Ryan Benefits and managing the current book of business.
Patrick graduated from Texas Tech University in 2013 and prior to joining Ryan Benefits, started with Healthcare Highways right out of college before joining the family business.
Patrick enjoys sports and spending time with friends and family. He has been married since May of 2019 and has 3 young children.
Dennise Burrow
Dennise Burrow has been associated with Ryan Benefits, Inc. and Jim Ryan the President, since the formation of the company in 2004.
Prior to working for Ryan Benefits, Dennise was employed by Corporate Health Plans of America as an Executive Assistant for three years.
In 1992, she began her career on the vendor carrier side with MassMutual as a secretary. In 1996, the Large Group Division was acquired by UNICARE/Wellpoint. During this time, Dennise worked in many different areas of the company including Executive Assistant to Jim Ryan and Account Management.
Previous employment includes Farmers Insurance and a receptionist and secretary and she was employed by Texas Instruments for 17 years working in their customer service and contract areas.
Dennise attended Texas Tech University and has an associate degree from Dallas County Community College. Dennise is married and has one daughter and one granddaughter. She enjoys reading and cooking.
Chris Monk
Chris Monk joined Ryan Benefits in May of 2005 as an Account Executive. Chris has been in the healthcare industry for over 24 years.
Chris stated his career with American Dental as a member service representative and continued his career in Dental insurance with Cigna. He received four nominations as the top customer service employee.
Chris obtained his agent license in 1998, and began working as an Account Manger. He was promoted to Account Executive in 2005, and is currently managing over 150 accounts through Ryan Benefits. His experience and strength falls under fully insured business, Medicare, and individual benefits.
Chris has several hobbies he enjoys, such as being the head football coach of his two boys. He is all about being a team player and doing whatever it takes to get a job done.
Melissa Morgan
Melissa Morgan serves as an Account Manager for Non Profit Agencies. During her tenure, Melissa has managed over 30 Non Profit agencies, providing them with day to day assistance as well as renewal assistance.
Prior to this role, Melissa served as a Volunteer Coordinator for Hurst Euless Bedford ISD. In her spare time, she enjoys watching her children's sports activities and volunteering at their schools.
Ian Parkinson
Ian Parkinson is the Vice President of Information Technology, responsible for the information technology strategy for Ryan Benefits, Inc., as well as for the implementation and maintenance of current systems.
Ian, a former US Marine, brings over fourteen years of technology expertise to the team. Currently, he is also a Fintech Product Manager at Alkami, responsible for defining, communicating, and delivering upon the strategic vision of a digital banking solution.
Prior to Alkami, Ian worked on the product team for Bottle Rocket building a TV Everywhere product and managing the QA team that was responsible for end-to-end testing of the deliverables and backend services that powered the apps. Ian also worked for BlackBerry where he was responsible for software validation and verification on BlackBerry’s new product introduction team.
Kelsey Clark
Kelsey Clark serves as the Marketing Director for Ryan Benefits. She has responsible and oversight for marketing initiatives and branding strategy.
Kelsey, a Texas Tech communications and leadership graduate, brings experience from previous roles working as an account manager for some of the most well known brands in the world including: Apple, Nike and Walmart.
Born and raised in Western Colorado, Kelsey has made Texas her home. She greatly enjoys travel, animals and spending time with family and friends.
Rick Hill
Rick Hill has been a producer of business development for Ryan Benefits since 2004. He has over 40 years of experience in the Employee Benefits business and has spent time with Prudential Advisors and Northwestern Mutual.
Rick has dedicated his life to sharing his story with the Glory of God and all who would be inspired to follow the dreams that God places in their lives whatever the cost. Rick has three children and enjoys golf, travel and being with his family and friends.
Rick's life was the subject of a major motion picture titled "The Hill," which tells the incredible story of his early childhood and younger years. The film highlights the adversity he faced and overcame to ultimately become one of baseball's greatest hitters.