Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Brian Giovannini
Brian Giovannini has more than 15 years of experience as an employee benefits attorney at Haynes and Boone, LLP. In this role, Brian serves as compensation and total rewards advisor to a diverse group of clients—from local governments to Fortune Global 500 corporations—who value his in-depth technical knowledge and analytical skills on numerous legal issues affecting the development and operation of their retirement plan plans, benefit programs, and compensation plans and agreements.
Brian holds a J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in Italian Studies from University of Houston. Brian has been recognized in Chambers USA, Chambers and Partners, for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Houston), 2021-2023.
VICE PRESIDENT
Raquel McGowen
Raquel McGowan is a purpose driven Director of Benefits with over 8 years’ experience driving strategic improvements in employee benefits programs. A seasoned consultant with a focus on cost containment, health and wellness initiative, and streamlining benefit administration processes. She has consistently delivered superior results for clients across diverse industries. She is highly skilled in vendor negotiation, employee communication and data analysis. Raquel is passionate about creating impactful and sustainable benefit strategies that enhance employee well-being as well as attract, retain, and engage top talent.
Past President
Courtney Scardino
Courtney is an Assistant Vice President at Lockton Companies. She brings over 10 years of progressive Human Resources and Total Rewards experience with previous roles in both corporate and operational HR in the oil and gas and manufacturing industries. At Lockton, she serves as a liaison to clients ensuring needs are identified and met during every step of the insurance process.
Courtney holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Treasurer
Kate Collins
Kate is a Total Rewards Analyst at LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI), a market leader of drag reducing agents that improve pipeline flow and reduce energy costs. Prior to joining LSPI, she worked as an actuarial consultant with a focus on pension and 401(k) plan consulting, bringing expertise in retirement plan design and compliance. She combines analytical rigor with a passion for optimizing employee rewards programs to support organizational goals.
Secretary
Tyler Hubert
Tyler Hubert is an employee benefits attorney at Dykema Gossett PLLC. With a practice focusing on employee benefits and executive compensation matters, Tyler provides guidance on ensuring employee pension benefit plans comply with ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code, and advises on employee welfare benefit plans and cafeteria plans to ensure adherence to ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, and other applicable laws. He supports clients during M&A transactions, handling employee benefits and executive compensation diligence, and assists with compliance issues arising under IRC Section 409A for executive deferral plans, including the correction of operational failures under Notice 2008-113.
Tyler holds a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Texas A&M University.
Membership director
Ashley Kobelan
Ashley Kobelan is a seasoned Senior Manager of Global Compensation at LyondellBasell, where she leads compensation programs across 32 countries. With 15 years of experience spanning finance, accounting, and compensation roles, Ashley has developed a deep expertise in creating and executing compensation strategies that align with global business objectives.
Her career has taken her across diverse industries, including technology, healthcare, energy, legal, automotive, life sciences, and financial services. Ashley's background in both the corporate world and consulting includes a unique experience as an expatriate in Dubai, where she spent three months advising on organizational design and global compensation projects, providing insights into cross-border challenges and opportunities.
A Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Ashley is committed to staying at the forefront of industry best practices and trends. She has also served on the HC&B Board for over six years, contributing to thought leadership and initiatives that drive value in the compensation and benefits field.
When she's not driving global compensation strategies, Ashley enjoys her weekends as a dog sitter, combining her love for animals with a fun and rewarding side hustle.
Sponsorship Director
Joshua Heard
As a Senior Wealth Strategy Associate with UBS Institutional Consulting, Josh helps organizations and individuals turn complex retirement challenges into practical, results-driven strategies. Drawing on five years of consulting experience, he specializes in investment analysis and participant education, partnering with Plan Sponsors to craft tailored solutions that meet unique organizational needs.
communications director
Breia Foston
Breia Foston is the Founder and CEO of Worldview Benefit Advisors, Inc. Breia has more than 15 years of experience designing and delivering innovative and strategic benefits solutions for diverse clients across various industries and regions around the globe. Foston has worked with some of the world's leading Fortune 500 companies, helping them optimize their benefits programs and enhance their employee engagement and retention. Breia has a deep understanding of the global benefits landscape and the challenges and opportunities it presents for employers and employees alike. As a thought leader and advisor, Breia is passionate about creating value for her clients and delivering exceptional service and outcomes.
professional development director
Fernanda Banega
Fernanda Banega is a global Total Rewards executive with over 20 years of experience developing and leading reward strategies across North America, Latin America, Europe, and APAC. As Director of Total Rewards at Archrock Services, Fernanda oversees compensation, benefits, payroll, and HR technology, partnering with the Executive Team and the Compensation Committee to design competitive executive pay frameworks, strengthen governance, and align rewards strategy with shareholder value.
Prior to joining Archrock, Fernanda held leadership roles at major global energy companies including Weatherford, Baker Hughes, and Aggreko. In these positions, Fernanda led regional reward strategies, managed compensation and incentive programs across multiple continents, and directed organizational design and analytics, delivering workforce redesigns and global HRIS implementations. Fernanda is recognized for driving large-scale transformations, M&A integrations, and cross-regional harmonization initiatives that enhance organizational competitiveness and elevate employee engagement.
Fernanda holds a Bachelor’s in Human Resources from Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales (Argentina), and advanced certifications including SHRM-Senior Certified Professional, WorldatWork Sales Compensation Professional and Certified Benefits Professional.
Programs Directors
Teresa Groff
Teresa Groff is the Benefits Lead Analyst at The Friedkin Group, where she manages and supports a wide range of employee benefit programs designed to enhance the overall employee experience. Before joining The Friedkin Group, Teresa spent five years at Empyrean Benefit Solutions in Benefits Administration, where she gained extensive experience in client management, benefits implementation, and strategic plan support.
Teresa takes pride in helping employees make the most of their benefits, ensuring that programs are both effective and aligned with organizational goals. She is passionate about leveraging data-driven insights and streamlined processes to create meaningful, people-centered solutions within the benefits landscape.
Teresa earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University.
Mike Williams
Mike Williams is a Lead Consultant for Gallagher's Employee Benefits Practice. With more than 25 years of hands-on experience, Mike’s consulting competencies include strategy development, corporate transactions, risk management, administration optimization, and communication campaigns. He engages directly with clients as a senior strategist to ensure that their benefit programs integrate and evolve with their total rewards strategies to drive business-focused HR results. Mike holds a BBA, Finance, from The University of Texas at Austin and the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation from the
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
At large
Denise Guerra
Denise Guerra is the Compensation Manager at The Friedkin Group, a privately-held consortium of businesses and investments and affiliated with one of the world’s largest independent Toyota distributors. In her role, she manages all aspects of Compensation, and meets with leadership to ensure the compensation programs implemented are aligned with the business and strategic initiatives. In this role she is responsible for compensation program development, implementation, and administration for over 3,000 salaried and hourly employees. Her responsibilities also include compensation strategy development for executive and incentive compensation.
Denise brings over 20 years of experience in human resources having worked across multiple industries – financial services, healthcare, chemical, automotive, and oil & gas. Denise holds a BBA from the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University and holds the CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) certification. She has served on the Houston Compensation & Benefits Association Board for the last three years, and enjoys creating connections with Total Rewards professionals and keeping up with the latest compensation and benefits trends.
At large
Lisa Ng
Lisa Ng is the owner of LLN Consulting Inc., specializing in helping organizations with Human Resources and HR Technology solutions. With over 20 years of experience in global markets, she brings extensive expertise across industries, including Oil and Gas (SLB), Medical Devices, e-commerce (Amazon), Telecommunications (Comcast), and Manufacturing. Lisa is known for her ability to drive HR process improvements, develop impactful compensation strategies, and navigate the complexities of global HR compliance.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from Abilene Christian University.
