CCA’s multi-disciplinary team embodies the qualities that generate lasting results. CCA’s Leadership Team and our Senior Consulting Staff represent a breadth and depth of experience that sets us apart. Let’s meet them.
Bob started CCA’s EAP in 1984 with a clear vision in mind: help people perform better at work, and you will help the organization succeed. Every organization, regardless of its product, service, or size, is comprised of and depends on its people. The people from one end of an organization to the other who think, create, build, serve, solve, make, manage, ultimately aspire to distinguish and advance themselves by advancing the organization.
Bob’s early experience in the business world as an accountant and sales person, combined with his later experience as a clinician and psychotherapist, led him to create CCA, an organization that understands that people drive performance. Investing in an organization’s best asset – its people – can yield real dividends.
CCA’s success can be attributed to Bob’s vision, and his commitment to highly responsive services coupled with great customer service. He started CCA with a passion for helping people and organizations, and the firm remains committed to that mission today.
Prior to founding CCA, Bob served as EAP Consultant and Counselor for a major national EAP; he was Director of an Adolescent Day Hospital for a major New York City medical center; served as a Probation Officer and Narcotics Parole Officer; and was a Field Instructor for the Hunter College School of Social Work.
Bob’s commitment to developing and maintaining industry standards for EAP care led him to found and publish two newsletters: The Human Resources Helpline and The Robert Levy Report on Employee Assistance, Bob helped raise the profile of EAP issues nationwide.
Bob holds an M.S. in Social Work from New York University and a B.S. in accounting from Queens College, City University of New York. He did his psychoanalytic training at the NPAP Psychoanalytic Training Institute. Bob is a member of the National Associate for Social Workers, the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, and the Society for Human Resource Management.
John brings his background in employment law to CCA. As President, he is focused on shaping and implementing the firm’s strategic direction. He is expanding and integrating CCA’s EAP and Consulting Practices and bringing both into the future. He is committed to leveraging technology to improve different aspects of CCA’s services (from EAP access, to providing coaching, to delivering learning programs).
John works with clients and HR leaders to identify and analyze workforce challenges at both the individual and organizational levels. He uses CCA’s expertise, and strategic alliances to marshal the appropriate resources to resolve these issues. John also leads the CCA team in developing innovative products to target the challenges facing our clients.
As an attorney with expertise in employment law and risk mitigation, John directs CCA’s services to help assess and reduce clients’ risk regarding employee claims of discrimination or harassment, potential violence or other concerns in the workplace. His vision for supportive performance management as a key to effective leadership, assists clients to resolve workplace issues cooperatively.
Prior to joining CCA in 2006, John worked as an attorney for Sullivan & Cromwell LLP on a variety of employment law cases. He also worked in the Civil Rights Clinic at New York University’s School of Law on hostile work environment and employment discrimination cases.
John received his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.A. from Wesleyan University.
Tom brings 25 years of top-tier, cross-industry, cross-cultural business and HR experience to CCA. He oversees the consulting practices of the firm and drives strategic direction. His expertise is in executive coaching, change management, culture improvement, learning and development and HR Strategy-Business alignment. Tom is the recently elected President, Consulting Division for the New York State Psychological Association.
Tom’s experience reflects leading organizations in the corporate, public, and non-profit sectors, including: Time Warner, Kraft Foods, the City of New York, the MTA, East West Bank, Mizuho Securities, Trusted Media Brands, Lincoln Center, Whitney Museum, MoMA, Lexis Nexis, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Tom is formerly of Merrill Lynch where he served as Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Organizational Capability. At Merrill Lynch, he co-led product development & change management initiatives in New York, London, and Singapore. Prior to that, he served as Senior Manager and Lead Change Consultant for BearingPoint (KPMG) and earlier in his career led a Fortune 10 human resources department as National Manager, Human Resources & Executive Development at Altria.
Tom is extensively published by premier publishers such as Oxford University Press, Jossey-Bass, Wiley, and Erlbaum as well as many peer-reviewed journals. The American Psychological Association is publishing “Learning Interventions for Consultants: Building the Talent that Drives Business” a book he co-authored.
Tom holds a Ph.D. in Psychology with an industrial & organizational specialization from The Graduate Center, CUNY. He is a New York State certified psychologist and executive coach with post-doctoral training in behavior change management from the Institute for Behavior Therapy.
Professional Recognition and Contributions
Tom is Board Chair, Emeritus for enACT, an education-based nonprofit in New York. He is a SHRM Special Expert in Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility and a member of the McKinsey Executive Panel. He is a member of the National Association for Corporate Directors and serves on the Advisory Board at Stony Brook University (Business). Tom is soon to join the Board of the Risk Management Association – New York Chapter, 2018.
Georgia Critsimilios is Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at CCA. With a 25-year history in the EAP and Work-Life space, Georgia has been instrumental in transforming CCA from a small, regional EAP firm to a global HR consulting organization.
Georgia is passionate about building solutions that work for clients. She nurtures deep and productive relationships with Human Resource professionals, truly understanding their challenges and offers viable and pragmatic solutions to address them. She has built creative and integrated EAP, Work-Life, Training and Coaching programs for clients, looking to address organizational challenges such as chronic work stress, absence of work-life balance, lack of female leadership, crisis management and more. She has built long-term partnerships with HR professionals in many different industries, consulting on crisis events, performance problems, and leadership development.
Her extensive EAP and work-life experience includes business development, account management, clinical service delivery and coaching. A licensed clinical social worker, Georgia is a member of WorldatWork, NYC SHRM, Employee Assistance Professionals Association, Society for Human Resource Management, and the Society for HR People and Strategy.
Georgia holds a M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University and a B.A. in Psychology from the State University of New York.
Jay Sandys is Vice President of Organizational Development at CCA. In that capacity, he advises HR and senior leaders in multiple areas including employee relations, workforce risk mitigation, and organizational challenges. Jay provides advice and counsel on employee risk related to conflict management, performance management, harassment, substance abuse, workplace violence, and HR policy. He is also an experienced coach working with managers and leadership on a variety of matters. In addition, Jay designs and delivers workplace trainings on many topics including harassment prevention, manager development, mental health, and substance abuse.
Jay has considerable expertise addressing personal and organizational issues, developed through 23 years of clinical and management experience in a wide range of settings. Prior to his current role, Jay was Vice President of Operations at CCA where he managed CCA’s technology and administration, as well as the delivery of clinical services. Before joining CCA, Jay was the Manager for the Department of Social Work at a large New York medical center, where he directed a large professional staff and coordinated a variety of support and advocacy programs.
Jay received his Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work from New York University. His dissertation on the evolution of EAPs traces the ways in which the advent of managed behavioral health care has had an impact on external EAPs. He received his Master of Social Work from Tulane University and his B.A. in English Literature from McGill University. Jay also received training in Executive Coaching at Baruch College. Jay is a certified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) authorized to provide and manage services required under the U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.
Russell Correa is Vice President at CCA. Russell is a skillful relationship builder who draws on his background as a clinician, account executive, trainer, and coach to meet his client’s needs. He provides guidance to senior level Human Resources and management staff on a host of organizational and behavioral health issues in the workplace.
Russell manages large national and global accounts, including the direction of large training initiatives, coordinating all CCA services from development to delivery. Among Russell’s clients are diverse industries, including entertainment, multi-media, financial services, and fashion design. He is an experienced speaker and facilitator, who has presented at organizations from Fortune 500s to local not-for-profits, on topics such as performance management, resiliency, conflict resolution and team building.
Prior to joining CCA in 2004, Russell ran the New York office of a large Chicago-based EAP. In this role, Russell was responsible for client relations and manager consultations. He has also worked as a Senior EAP Counselor and has developed training and wellness strategies for his client companies.
Russell holds both a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology and an M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, as well as a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley. He also holds a Certificate in Organizational and Leadership Development from New York University. Russell is affiliated with the American Society for Training and Development, the American Psychological Association, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he serves as a board member for Allegany Franciscan Ministries, a funder of nonprofit organizations in the Miami, Tampa and Palm Beach areas.
Manendra Bhugra is Manager of Learning and Development at CCA. A gifted presenter with particular expertise in diversity and inclusion training, she is able to impart complex and often difficult information to a wide range of audiences in an engaging style, putting her audiences at ease. She consults on matters that affect performance across the talent life-cycle. Manendra designs and delivers learning programs across a wide-variety of delivery modalities, including Instructor Led Training, blended learning, e-learning, and coaching as a way to further apply skills learned.
Manendra has an expertise in learning programs in the following broad categories: Workplace Effectiveness (communication skills, resiliency, conflict resolution), Manager Development (performance management, feedback, delegation), and HR Compliance (harassment prevention, unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion). She also works on special issues organizations want to address including women in leadership, emerging leaders, conflict, building resilience in highly stressful work environments and creating fair and equitable work environments. Manendra has designed and delivered customized programs for clients in diverse industries including public sector, non-profit, financial, healthcare, media & marketing, legal and sports & entertainment.
Prior to joining CCA, Manendra worked as a clinician helping inmates transition to halfway houses. She also worked in the pharmaceutical industry as an onsite work-life assistance provider at a large multi-national company.
Manendra holds a M.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University, and qualifications in Instructional Design from New York University.
Peter Haber is the Director of Clinical Services at CCA. Peter has considerable expertise addressing personal and organizational issues, including crisis response, employee relations, human resource and corporate consulting, developed through more than 25 years of clinical and management experience in a wide range of settings.
Peter is a member of the CCA leadership team, assisting with the execution of strategic initiatives and policy formulation. He also manages the delivery of all counseling and clinical services, as well as providing account management for prominent clients. Additionally, he oversees the CCA quality assurance program. As a member of the CCA Management Consult Team, Peter consults with human resources at client organizations on a range of workplace issues.
Prior to joining CCA, Peter was the EAP Clinical Director at a ?major? EAP for 15 years. He expanded his experience and professional knowledge in the corporate environment as the Regional Manager of Crew Relations at a large airline. He has worked with companies of all sizes, helping to strategize ways to reduce risk and liability due to behavioral and performance problems within the workplace. He establishes strong business partner relationships through his emphasis and understanding of customer service, integration of EAP with health and wellness, a proactive and solution-focused approach, and taking a genuine interest in knowing the culture of his client accounts.
Peter received his Master of Social Work from Fordham University and his B.S. in Psychology at SUNY Old Westbury. In addition to his LCSW, Peter holds numerous professional certifications and licenses; he is a qualified Substance Abuse Professional, is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management Intervention, Culture & Diversity, Code of Conduct/Integrity, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Supervisory Program, and Principles of Leadership.
Veronica Alabi-Nwokem is the Director of Client Services at CCA. She leads CCA’s Account Services team, who manage our global business portfolio, including organizations ranging from 50 to 30,000+ employees. Veronica is responsible for overseeing all account management activity including new account implementation, promotional planning, consultation with Human Resources, crisis support, utilization report and review meetings.
Veronica builds deep, long-term relationships with her clients based on impeccable service delivery, particularly around highly sensitive or crisis situations. Her team is available to clients 24/7 and has helped them through everything from downsizing, or relocation to highly traumatic events such as a suicide, act of violence, terrorist attack or natural disaster.
An experienced clinical social worker and human resources professional, Veronica works closely with her clients on a broad range of workforce issues ranging from performance improvement to wellness initiatives to balancing work and life to crisis management. She regularly supports clients in managing change, promoting inclusion, and fostering positive workplace dynamics. She offers special focus on emerging leaders, support for working parents, leadership development, harassment prevention, and diversity & inclusion.
Prior to joining CCA, Veronica focused on training and development, recruiting, and change and career management for a large national bank. Veronica has also provided direct counseling and psychoeducation to individuals and families impacted by various medical conditions around stress management strategies, caregiver burden, and self-care.
Veronica holds a B.A. in Applied Psychology and Human Relations from Pace University and is an alumna of the J.P. Morgan Chase Leadership Development Program. She holds an M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work from New York University and is a licensed clinical social worker. Veronica was recognized at NYU with the President’s Service Award for Leadership.
