RPS Benefits By Design

What RPS Benefits By Design does

RPS Benefits by Design, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned insurance brokerage and employee benefits advisory firm headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. The firm sells and administers employee benefits programs (medical, dental, vision, disability, life, critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity, and telemedicine), retirement plans, executive benefits, financial planning, and individual medical plans to employers, business owners, and individuals across five offices in Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona. Service delivery follows a documented "5 C's" methodology covering Cost, Compliance, Consultative, Communication, and Culture, and is supplemented by a dedicated Life Event Solutions team that supports clients through Medicare transitions and other coverage changes.

The company earns revenue primarily through commissions from insurance carriers for placing benefits and related coverage, with pricing quote-based and tied to employer size, coverage selections, industry, and geography. Its go-to-market is consultative and relationship-led, supported by five regional offices and channel partnerships through the True Network (a nationwide consortium of benefits consulting firms working with over 10,000 employers) and a 2024 partnership with Leavitt Group that formed Leavitt Strategic Benefits. Technology is not proprietary: RPS relies on the third-party Employee Navigator platform for benefits administration, enrollment, reporting, and employee management, and delivers client training on that platform.

RPS operates as a small firm with 11-50 employees and approximately 20 named individuals on the management roster, led by Maria Ahlers as President (per detailed management data; a separate leadership section lists Thomas Trussell as President, which is noted as a source discrepancy). Ownership remains private and family-controlled, with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or public listing.

Name

RPS Benefits By Design

Legal name

RPS Benefits by Design, Inc.

Website

https://rpsbenefitsbydesigninc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RPS Benefits By Design is a family-owned insurance brokerage and benefits advisory firm that designs and administers employee benefits, retirement, and executive benefit programs for employers across five offices in Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Benefits Administration (BPACAPAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Benefits Administration & Enrollment Support (BPAAAIAB)

Keywords

• Employee benefits consulting
• Insurance brokerage services
• Retirement plan administration
• Executive benefits planning
• Group health insurance brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Earn commissions from insurance carriers for placing employee benefits, retirement plans, executive benefits, and individual medical coverage. Revenue generated through agency relationships with multiple insurance providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RPS Benefits By Design is a family-owned insurance brokerage and benefits advisory firm that places employee benefits, retirement plans, executive benefits, and individual medical coverage on behalf of employers and individuals. The firm operates across five regional offices under a consultative "5 C's" framework (Cost, Compliance, Communication, Culture, Consultative) and earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing coverage. It also operates a dedicated Life Events Solutions team that assists clients through health-insurance transitions such as Medicare aging and dependent changes.

Product overview

RPS Benefits by Design is a family-owned insurance broker and benefits advisory firm offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered on employee benefits, retirement planning, and financial services. The core offering is organized around Employee Benefits (medical, dental, vision, disability, life, critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity, telemedicine, and specialty products), Retirement Plans, Executive Benefits, Financial Planning, and Individual Medical Plans. These are supplemented by service modules including Life Event Solutions (Medicare transitions, dependent aging off plans), Health and Wellness programs, Technology Platforms (including Employee Navigator), and Strategic Analysis and Planning. The firm also participates in the True Network, a nationwide benefits advisor network serving over 10,000 employers. The company operates through five office locations and delivers services under a '5 C' consultative model: Cost, Compliance, Communication, Culture, and Consultative approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employee Benefits Comprehensive group benefit programs for employers of all sizes, covering medical, dental, vision, disability, life, critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity, telemedicine, and specialty products, including both employer-paid and voluntary offerings.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• True NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRPS Benefits is part of a nationwide exclusive group of employee benefits consulting firms called the True Network. This network works with over 10,000 employers and is described as the most dynamic and forward-thinking group of benefits advisors in the country. Membership provides access to collective expertise, best practices, and industry insights.
• Leavitt GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeavitt Group partnered with RPS Benefits by Design to form Leavitt Strategic Benefits. This partnership combines RPS Benefits' regional expertise with Leavitt Group's national resources and platform.
• Employee NavigatorcoreTechnology or IntegrationEmployee Navigator is the technology platform used by RPS Benefits for employee benefits administration. The company provides video demonstrations of the platform for client education and offers training on features including employee management, enrollment, and reporting.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Leavitt Group: National insurance brokerage that has formally partnered with RPS to form Leavitt Strategic Benefits. Operates an overlapping benefits and commercial insurance brokerage model across multiple states, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• OneDigital: National employee benefits-focused brokerage and consulting firm serving mid-market and large employers with a similar portfolio of medical, retirement, voluntary, and benefits administration services.
• USI Insurance Services: Large national insurance brokerage with a strong employee benefits and HR consulting practice; competes head-to-head with RPS in mid-market employer benefits and has built a similar multi-office regional structure.
• Holmes Murphy: Midwestern-based independent insurance brokerage focused on employee benefits and risk management, with a comparable regional presence and consultative service model to RPS.
• NFP (National Financial Partners): Diversified insurance brokerage and consulting firm with a sizable employee benefits practice targeting middle-market employers; competes for the same client profile as RPS.

Broad incumbents

• Brown & Brown: Large national insurance distributor with broad employee benefits capabilities; represents a scaled incumbent competitor in many of the same geographies as RPS.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with a substantial employee benefits consulting practice; broader portfolio than RPS but directly competes for mid-market benefits accounts.
• Hub International: North American insurance brokerage with deep multi-state presence and meaningful employee benefits capabilities; competes with RPS in regional employer accounts.
• Lockton: Largest privately-held insurance brokerage in the U.S., with strong employee benefits consulting; competes in the mid- and large-market employer benefits space.
• Marsh McLennan: Global professional services firm including Marsh and Mercer, with major employee benefits consulting capabilities; represents the scaled incumbent end of the competitive set RPS operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rpsbenefitsbydesigninc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RPS Benefits By Design