ABC Forms Alliance with European Counterpart

The IEBA, which was founded in the United Kingdom in 1994, now has branches in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Switzerland.

Under the alliance, interested ABC members can now avail themselves of membership in IEBA, which offers access to networking and information-sharing opportunities, all at no cost to the individual or their company. The alliance will also allow ABC members to obtain IEBA’s comprehensive global benefits curricula and the opportunity to sit for examinations to earn a diploma in international employee benefits.

“For many of the American Benefits Council’s 367 member companies and 6,000-plus member individuals within those companies, employee benefit plan sponsorship has become an increasingly global enterprise,” said Wilma Schopp, chair of ABC’s board of directors. “As the Council extends its policy expertise across U.S. borders, we are pleased to announce a partnership with the prestigious IEBA that will allow our members to stay informed and connected to the latest global benefits developments.”

The IEBA will receive access to the expertise of ABC members, who are senior benefits professionals from global corporations.

“By building a bridge between benefits professionals on both sides of the Atlantic, we can better develop and share best practices that will improve plan design and administration,” said ABC President James A. Klein. “This is also an important step in our further efforts to forge partnerships with benefits professionals in emerging and developing nations around the globe where Council members are operating.”