About Me (Prem Aithal)
Prem Aithal is an independent consultant that specializes in strategic planning, high performance coaching, and other business and financial consulting opportunities.
Prem has over 24 years of business experience, including 17 years with a Fortune 50 healthcare company, where he most recently served as a Senior Financial and Planning Director in the Financial Strategy area of the Commercial Business Division, managing 14 states in the Individual Segment. He has vast experience in accounting, auditing, finance, market analysis, and most notably, strategic planning. He is known as a high-energy and passionate collaborator, an adept forecaster, and one to call when assistance is needed in solving a complex problem. Prem has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree of Science in Accounting at Babson College and the University of Connecticut, respectively, along with a CPA.
Prem serves on the Regional School District #17 Board of Education (serving Haddam & Killingworth, CT) and is chair of the Strategic Planning Subcommittee. He led efforts to create the Vision of the Graduate (approved in March 2021) and the District’s first strategic plan (Board-approved in May 2022). The high energy Prem got from facilitating this process helped him determine he was ready for a career change in April 2022, and he decided to become an independent consultant to apply his talents in more meaningful and rewarding areas.
While Prem will continue to provide consulting for school districts through Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates, there are other firms in non-profit and business that are just as passionate as Prem about helping others and improving the world we live in. These are the type of organizations that he would like to seek out and partner with.
In addition to strategic planning, Prem also offers High Performance coaching, which focuses on sustaining success over the long term while maintaining one’s general well-being and positive connections with others. Prem especially is interested in working with cancer survivors, business leaders, and those that are motivated to find the best version of themselves.
Most importantly in Prem’s journey, he is a testicular cancer survivor of 16 years. He has raised almost $50,000 for the V Foundation & The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He has been featured in articles by the V Foundation and Prevent Cancer Foundation and the Voices for Victory podcast.
Prem is currently strategic planning consulting for three school districts and a local non-profit agency. References are available upon request.
Prem Aithal’s Resume
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates: Apr 2022-Present
Associate (Consultant) – Strategic Planning
Facilitate strategic planning process in three school districts to help create a new vision and mission, core values, strategic priorities and objectives, implementation plans, and strategic measures to track progress
Synthesize and analyze perceptions from several engagement sessions (interviews, focus groups, surveys) to help districts identify strengths, weaknesses, and vision for the future
Lead several distinctive Board and administration workshops in public meetings to help chart the organization’s future. Problem solve to find the best approach to gain consensus among participants
Anthem, Inc. (now known as Elevance Health): Apr 2005-Apr 2022
Financial Planning & Analysis, Dir Sr. – CSBD Financial Strategy – Individual Segment
Finance Director (Corp) – CSBD Financial Strategy - Individual Segment
Business Change Director/Chief of Staff of CT Plan President (CT Local Business)
Financial Account Executive – CT Local Business: Finance State Lead
Market Research Manager: Business Intelligence (Competitive Analysis) – Consumer Business
Market Research Analyst: East Competitive Intelligence – Consumer Business
Market Data Analyst II: Individual & Small Group (Northeast region)
Developed yearly detailed state level financial targets for the company’s Long Term Growth Plan and partnered with 14 states to develop key strategies to hit those targets
Provided strategic and financial consulting to state finance and pricing directors, segment finance/actuarial management, plan presidents, and peers during annual budget and forecast planning, as well as rate filings. Collaborated with segment leadership and states to create and implement strategies to maximize membership and operating gain
Strategically guided Individual Segment from an operating loss position to outperforming operating gain budget expectations in the next three out of four years. Subject matter expert in segment finance for senior leadership.
Created predictive modeling to improve accuracy of future membership
Evaluated and approved strategic initiatives and coached associates on financial projections and strategies
Performed due diligence on potential acquisition and evaluated other external opportunities that could align to the future vision of the segment and company
Hartford Life, Inc. (Weatogue, CT): Apr 2002-Mar 2005
Financial Associate: Statutory Financial Reporting
Prepared and analyzed statutory-based annual & quarterly statements for several legal entities, including a newly acquired company
Constructed statutory exhibits for senior management quarterly/annual earnings conference calls
Arthur Andersen, LLP (Hartford, CT): Jun 1999-Apr 2002
Experienced Staff: Assurance Services
Staff: Assurance Services
Performed GAAP and statutory-based financial statement audits for numerous insurance companies including healthcare and property & casualty companies
Supervised staff during SAS 70 internal control audit of large managed care company
Promoted firm at campus recruiting functions to prospective job-seekers
EDUCATION
University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT): May 2000-Aug 2001
Master of Science, Accounting
Babson College (Babson Park, MA): Sep 1996-May 2000
Bachelor of Science; Course of Study: Accounting
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
RSD #17 Board of Education (Haddam, CT): Nov 2022-Present
Chair, Strategic Planning Subcommittee Jul 2020-Present
Member, Finance Subcommittee
Highlights: Led creation of District’s Vision of the Graduate & first ever Board-Approved Strategic Plan
Haddam Economic Development Commission (Haddam, CT): Mar 2018-Nov 2021
Vice Chair [appointed]
Haddam Board of Finance (Haddam, CT): Nov 2019-Jul 2020
2 year alternate [elected]
HK Recreation Department: Dec 2022-Mar 2023 & Dec 2021-Mar 2022
Assistant Coach, 3rd-5th grade girls basketball
OTHER INTERESTS
Certified High Performance Coach (CHPC)
Fundraiser for cancer research (16 year cancer survivor with almost $50K raised)
Created mathematical-based college basketball RPI (http://premdawg.com) to rank all 363 teams and predict NCAA tournament field and game outcomes/upsets; update website daily throughout college basketball season
Personal development
Golf
Cooking (under the chef name Premeril)
Karaoke (favorite song: “Safety Dance”) and staring at my dormant piano
CURRENT CLIENTS (references available upon request)
The Sherman School (Sherman, CT) – HYA
Ashland Public Schools (Ashland, MA) – HYA
Irvington Union Free School District (Irvington, NY) – HYA
Youth and Family Services of Haddam-Killingworth (Haddam, CT)
IN THE NEWS:
“Speaking up saved my life,” https://www.preventcancer.org/2023/04/speaking-up-saved-my-life/, April 4, 2023
“A Conversation with Our Thrivers (Voices for Victory Podcast), https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/voices-for-victory/id1506967847?i=1000524274658, June 4, 2021
“Cancer activist raises awareness for survivor needs,” https://www.v.org/story/thrivers-prem-aithal/