Warwick, RI

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 is the firm’s Executive Vice President and helps guide the strategic direction of the company. Having joined the PensionmarkMeridien team in 2014, 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 an active member of the International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy 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 William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, holds FINRA Series 6, 63, 65 & 99 registrations, and is life & health insurance licensed.

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 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. 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.

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

George is a Managing Director at PensionmarkMeridien and serves on the firm’s Investment Committee. George works with families, individuals, and institutional wealth clients, with a focus on solving their comprehensive financial planning needs. These solutions often include investment planning, estate planning, risk management, and tax strategies. George has a B.S. in Economics from the College of Charleston. He holds a Series 7, Series 66, and insurance licenses for life, accident, and health. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and an Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor℠ (APMA®).

In his free time, George enjoys golfing, supporting local businesses, live music, traveling, spending time with family, and coaching youth basketball leagues.

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 joined PensionmarkMeridien in 2010. 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 financial and office operations for the PensionmarkMeridien office in Rhode Island. 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. As a sophomore, Michelle received the Economics and Management Department’s prestigious John Silva Memorial Scholastic Award. 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.

Michelle is a member of her parish community garden, which provides fresh produce to area food banks and free meal programs. Additionally, she serves as treasurer on the board of her high school alumni association.

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 over a decade, she has led the firm’s client service, underwriting, and licensing needs. While paying strict attention to detail, Martha always puts the client first.

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 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.

Melissa 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.

Susy recently joined PensionmarkMeridien as a Director of Client Services. With 30 years in the financial service industry, she has gained valuable client service and communication experience. Her attention to detail, organizational skills, and motivation to work as a team are put to work in support of clients and their needs.

Susy has worked closely with high-net-worth families, and in addition to working with clients, she also works closely with senior management and our investment portfolio team and provides necessary support and assistance in office and client-related matters.

Susy is married and a mother of two sons and two step-daughters and lives in Coventry with her husband. In her spare time, she volunteers at the USO and enjoys the beach, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

George Kilborn was born and raised in Providence and is a full-time resident of Little Compton. He has three children and two grandchildren, all of whom live close by.

George went to Moses Brown School for ten years and then to Brooks School, graduating in 1959 and Williams College in 1963. He is the past president of Plantations Capital Management, Barclay Capital Management and Compton Capital Management, which he founded in 1991.

Upon graduating from Williams, George enlisted as a reserve in the R.I. Army National Guard and fulfilled his six-year commitment.

He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1970 and is a past president of the Providence Society of Financial Analysts.

George is an avid athlete and is active in squash, golf, and paddle tennis and was a two-sport captain at Williams. He is also a former state squash champion. He is an active board member of several local non-profit organizations. He attends St. Andrews by the Sea Church, where he was the senior warden for four years.