Business
Strategic Benefits Advisors Named HR Consultant of the Year, Taking Sole Platinum in 2026 Pinnacle Awards
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- Strategic Benefits Advisors earned the only platinum award in the HR Consultant/Advisory Partner of the Year category of the 2026 Pinnacle Awards for Human Resources.
- The nomination centered on nearly a decade of work with a large employer that began with a retiree health exchange search in 2017.
- Director Kim Shumate, who joined the firm in 2011 and became director in 2019, led the engagement with executive oversight from Principal Jay Schmitt.
Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc. was named HR Consultant/Advisory Partner of the Year in the 2026 Pinnacle Awards for Human Resources, earning the category's sole platinum award, the program's highest level of recognition, the firm said on October 15, 2026. The FinancialContent Business Page carried the announcement.
The Engagement Behind the Pinnacle Award
Strategic Benefits Advisors is an Atlanta-based independent employee benefits consulting firm founded in 2002 that advises plan sponsors with 1,000 to 300,000 employees, according to company records.
The nomination centered on nearly a decade of work with a large employer that began with a retiree health exchange search in 2017. The employer has since returned to the firm for vendor searches, implementation support and ongoing consulting across its retirement, health and welfare benefits programs, including periodic assessments of provider costs and service levels.
Director Kim Shumate led the engagement, with executive oversight from Principal Jay Schmitt. The work drew on Runae Badciong, Lori Pocock, Kim McCauley, Kah-Lee Wong, Anna Marushchenko and Walker Gscheidle.
When the employer outsourced its health and welfare administration, the firm identified potential conflicts with existing systems, recommended changes to the implementation plan and built tools to simplify the employer's internal benefits allocations. The transition was completed without disruption to employee benefits, and the employer then engaged the firm for another complex transition involving four benefit carriers.
"Our clients count on us for more than recommendations. They trust us to understand their organizations, anticipate challenges and stay involved as their needs evolve," said Founding Principal Mindy Zatto.
What the Company Records Show
Strategic Benefits Advisors appointed Andy Clonts as Director and Senior Benefits Consultant in June 2025, according to akta.pro company records. Clonts brought more than 25 years of experience from Alight Solutions, Bright Horizons and Aon Hewitt to drive business growth.
The same records show the firm maintained consecutive recognition on the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Top Employee Benefits and Compensation Companies list from 2022 through 2024. Founding Principal Andy Adams retired in May 2023 after 36 years in the industry, with co-founder Mindy Zatto continuing as CEO.
Pay and Compensation News Elsewhere
The BBC pays white staff less on average than ethnic minority colleagues in every pay band except one, with minority workers earning 13.2% more in the lowest band and 5.3% more in the highest, The Telegraph reported on October 7, 2026.
Statkraft CEO Birgitte Ringstad Vartdal earned the most among state-owned company CEOs in 2025, with total compensation of 9.1 million kroner, including 7.7 million in fixed salary, E24 reported on October 8, 2026.
The Full Winners List
The firm directed readers to the full list of Pinnacle Awards for Human Resources winners at pinnacle-award.com. Shumate joined the firm in 2011 and was promoted to director in 2019, and her nearly four decades of experience guiding large employers through vendor selections, benefits plan transitions and system implementations stand out even at a firm where consultants average more than 20 years of industry experience.