Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG) has added five new hires to its Syracuse office.

ELIZA SHARPE joins as a junior account manager. She previously worked for Empower Federal Credit Union as both a call center representative and lender.

NICK MALVASI joins BHG as an account executive. He is a graduate of Ithaca College and previously worked as a broker for Brown & Brown Insurance.

MERSIDA HASANOVIC has come aboard as a credit analyst. She holds a degree in finance from Le Moyne and previously worked at Aspen Dental in various roles.

KATE COLBERG also joined the BHG credit team as a credit production manager. She previously worked in higher in education enrollment, management, and operations for 15 years.

RANDY MISENCIK joined the firm as a compliance risk analyst. Prior to BHG, he worked at M&T Securities, Inc., conducting risk assessments and providing oversight functions to nearly 800 registered branch offices in about 14 states. 

BENEDIKT SANDER has been named executive VP of insurance operations at Preferred Mutual Insurance Company. He has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance sector and in consultancy. Sander previously was senior VP for underwriting strategy for national insurance at Liberty Mutual. He also previously served as the senior VP and product manager for Liberty Mutual’s workers compensation and commercial auto business, as well as VP, agency relationship management for Liberty Mutual’s Agency Corporation. Sander was also a principal in the corporate strategy & research division of Liberty Mutual. Prior to these roles, Sander held a variety of positions for McKinsey & Company. He earned a master’s degree in economic theory from Cambridge University and an international MBA from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. 

HEATHER KUBACKI has joined Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS) as graphic designer & marketing coordinator. She will take the lead in managing RMS communications, including newsletters, press releases, web content, brochures, and marketing materials. She also brings proficiency in graphic design and digital marketing. Prior to joining RMS, Kubacki worked as the graphic designer & copywriter at WCNY, the public broadcaster. She earned her bachelor of fine arts degree in visual communications and advertising from Cazenovia College.

STEPHEN BERGONZI has joined the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo as director of development. He most recently worked as a major gifts officer at Temple University, in the College of Science and Technology, in Philadelphia. Bergonzi has a bachelor’s degree in history from SUNY Brockport and a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

JOHN MCCANN has been named managing broker of One Realty Partners Rome Division. His responsibilities include overseeing day-to-day operations of the division as well as any growth opportunities. McCann is a licensed associate broker and brings decades of business acumen and experience.