Episode 1: The Voices of NEBGH

Sandi Stein is a managing director - global head of total rewards at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., the last privately held bank in the United States. At BBH, which she joined in March 2012, Stein is responsible for furthering the global rewards agenda to ensure that compensation and benefits align with the organization’s overall business strategy while designing meaningful and competitive programs that motivate and support the workforce.   She leads an award-winning, well-being program. Sandi is also the global chair of BBH’s Pride Network.

Prior to joining BBH, she was vice president of global benefits, including global mobility, at NYSE Euronext, and was responsible for delivering competitive, best-in-class benefits programs for the organization and related subsidiary companies.

Stein joined Securities Industry Automation Corp. in 1991 as a 401(k) benefits specialist. In 2006, the company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the New York Stock Exchange, where she assumed the lead HR/benefits role.

Stein earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Albany and completed coursework as a certified financial planner from New York University.

Donna Rey is the Executive Director of the 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds and CEO of Funds Administrative Operations. The Funds provide comprehensive self-insured, self-administered healthcare and retirement benefits to members and retirees of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, New York’s largest union representing healthcare workers, and their dependents. The four Benefit Funds cover more than 450,000 lives and spend more than $2 billion annually on health benefits. As Executive Director, Dr. Rey brings extensive leadership experience, including more than 30 years of implementing organizational change and nearly 14 years as an executive at the Funds.

She most recently served as Associate Executive Director and was responsible for the operations of the Benefit and Pension Funds, as well as joint administrative services for the Training and Employment and Child Care Funds — including Finance, Information Technology, Security Risk Management, Eligibility, Legal Operations, Facilities and Human Resources. In that capacity, Dr. Rey was responsible for the management of more than $3.5 billion in benefit payments and administrative and benefit-related costs; for contributions from nearly 650 employers; and for benefits and services to more than 450,000 covered lives.

Prior to joining the Funds in 2006, Dr. Rey served as Chief Executive Officer for the Regional Operations Center at the NYC Department of Education, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources-Management and Organizational Services at Columbia University, Chief of Staff/Associate Director for Administration at the Victim Services and Assistant Commissioner for Administration at the NYC Department of Finance. She has served as an advisory board member and process consultant to several community-based organizations and also was an adjunct professor at New York University and Columbia University.

Dr. Rey received a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a Master of Science from the W. Averell Harriman School for Management and Public Policy and a Doctorate in Education from Columbia University.

Dr. Joe Grasso is the Vice President of Workforce Transformation and Customer Marketing at Lyra Health. He is a clinical psychologist by training, earning his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by a clinical internship at the University of Wisconsin school of medicine, and a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, where he was the first-ever psychologist inducted into the VA Quality Scholars institute, a program dedicated to training future leaders in healthcare quality improvement. During his fellowship, he conducted research on innovative approaches to expanding access to mental health care for veterans, including embedding psychologists onto interprofessional healthcare teams. After completing his fellowship, Dr. Grasso joined the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs full time, where he managed the rollout of a national training program for mental health providers, led quality improvement initiatives, and conducted health services research. He joined Lyra in 2018, first as a manager of clinical quality, but later transitioning into his current role in which he oversees Lyra's product suite for supporting mental health within the workplace, as well as its marketing to members and its customer advocacy efforts. His day-to-day work includes leading a team of experts who consult with employers on their management practices, corporate policies, learning and development programs, and benefits engagement efforts. Dr. Grasso has been interviewed by national media outlets including CNN, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, the Washington Post, and several podcasts, for his perspective on workforce mental health topics. His peer-reviewed research spans topics including integrated health care, psychotherapy outcomes, and the intersection of social identities and mental health.