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The Zenefits Debate

Sometimes benefits brokers come by the Zenefits office, and they refer to me as Darth Vader, says Parker Conrad, chief executive officer of Zenefits, the insurance benefits technology startup that's threatening to change the landscape of the employee benefits business drastically and irrevocably.

By Amber Taufen | Updated on April 01, 2015

“Sometimes benefits brokers come by the Zenefits office, and they refer to me as Darth Vader,” says Parker Conrad, chief executive officer of Zenefits, the insurance benefits technology startup that’s threatening to change the landscape of the employee benefits business – drastically and irrevocably.

“They see me as Satan or the most evil person in the world,” Conrad continues. “But one of the things I think they don’t realize is that if Zenefits is fortunate enough to continue on our current trajectory, then, yes, Zenefits will be extremely destructive to agencies. But I think it will be extremely positive for brokers, for the individuals themselves. Brokers are as much a victim of the state of technology in the insurance industry today as their clients are.”

Average consumers might not realize the threat Zenefits poses to the insurance industry because from an employee’s perspective, benefits obtained through Zenefits are identical to those obtained through a traditional brokerage – and the company also hosts a support team to manage the day-to-day employee issues that arise within any benefits package, so the average consumer wouldn’t experience any loss in personal attention or support from someone who can help with a plan question or issue.

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