Strategic PEO Advisory aligns HR infrastructure with financial objectives. Instead of treating a PEO decision as “admin support,” this approach evaluates the HR operating model the same way you would evaluate a core system or vendor in your value-creation plan: through the lenses of cost, risk, scalability, and talent outcomes. A PEO partnership is one option; in some cases an ASO or hybrid stack wins. The point is strategy first, not vendor first.
Why now: labor costs, multi-state compliance, and benefit inflation are squeezing margins while hiring expectations remain high. Growth companies and private-equity operators need faster ways to stabilize cost, de-risk compliance, and retain talent without ballooning headcount. That’s the job of a strategic, not merely administrative, HR model.
At its core, Strategic PEO Advisory is a structured decision and negotiation framework:
The difference from standard “brokerage” is intent: the goal isn’t to place you somewhere—it’s to engineer the HR stack that protects margin and scales.
Today’s environment makes “set-and-forget” HR expensive:
A strategic advisory motion addresses these realities directly. It consolidates where consolidation pays, diversifies where specialization wins, and negotiates from evidence, not assumption.
1) Financial clarity before vendor selection
You quantify current total cost of ownership—admin fees, benefit markups, payroll taxes, workers’ comp, add-ons, and the internal time your team spends. That baseline creates real leverage during renewal or RFP.
2) Model fit, not logo fit
Some companies need the pooled benefits and co-employment safeguards a PEO provides; others get better control with an ASO plus best-in-class point solutions. The advisory discipline maps scenarios by cost, risk, and talent impact, then selects the architecture that wins on net value.
3) Negotiation with benchmarks
Armed with comparable plans, fee ranges, and service metrics, you can push for cleaner contracts, transparent fees, and SLAs that actually protect your business.
4) Low-friction implementation
Change succeeds when onboarding, payroll cutover, carrier transitions, and employee communications are sequenced and owned. Execution discipline preserves goodwill and avoids “savings with pain.”
Organizations that take a strategic path typically report:
These outcomes don’t come from luck; they come from treating the HR stack as a lever in your operating model—designed, benchmarked, and measured.
As an independent advisory, we design and negotiate the HR model that fits your stage—not a vendor quota. Start with a brief discovery, then a side-by-side analysis of your options, including savings and risk implications. If a PEO is the right answer, we help you compare PEOs with confidence. If a hybrid or ASO wins, we build that roadmap instead. Either way, your HR operating model serves the business, not the other way around.
If “PEO” is your best-fit route, we’ll ensure the term sheet, plan design, and SLAs are aligned to outcomes, not just features. If you’re early in the journey and need to ground the basics, our primer on Strategic PEO Advisory explains the framework we use. For a broader view of who we are and how we operate, start at PEO.
The question isn’t “PEO or not?” It’s “What HR operating model protects our margin, reduces risk, and scales talent outcomes this year?” Strategic PEO Advisory answers that with data and delivery. When the model is right, HR stops being an admin burden and becomes operating leverage.
Senior PEO Consultant
Alicia helps businesses navigate the world of PEOs—whether they’re evaluating options, switching providers, or simply looking to get more value from renewals. At Dinsmore Steele, she manages the RFP process from start to finish, gathers competitive quotes, and delivers detailed analyses that give clients clarity and confidence. Acting as a bridge between companies and PEOs, Alicia makes sure onboarding, compliance, and benefit transitions are smooth and stress-free.
With a strong background in PEO brokerage, consulting, and customer service, Alicia brings both industry expertise and a client-first mindset. Her style is strategic and detail-oriented—she’s known for keeping projects organized, proposals accurate, and communications clear. Over the years, she’s successfully negotiated lower fees, secured stronger service agreements, and uncovered hidden savings that translate into measurable ROI. Clients trust her not just for her knowledge, but for her ability to listen, advocate, and deliver solutions that make a real difference.
Alicia’s passion for helping others extends beyond the office. She’s a dedicated animal rescue advocate, actively volunteering with dog rescues and adoption efforts—and a proud dog mom of three herself. She also loves staying active through strength training, hot yoga, and pickleball. Whether with clients, colleagues, or in her community, Alicia thrives on building strong connections and supporting others in reaching their goals.
Peo Consultant
Ethan helps clients make sense of the complex PEO landscape, guiding them through evaluations to find the right long-term solution. Before joining Dinsmore Steele, he spent several years at ADP—starting in small business and later selling TotalSource—working closely with companies in blue collar industries, professional services, and tech. A consistent top performer, Ethan has built a reputation for listening closely, cutting through the noise, and finding solutions that actually solve the problems clients are facing.
His strengths lie in navigating the overwhelming number of PEO options to identify the best fit for each company’s goals. Ethan’s approach works because it’s rooted in problem-solving—he focuses on what matters most to clients and ensures every recommendation aligns with their specific needs. What he enjoys most is the trust clients place in him and the satisfaction of delivering solutions that truly fit.
Operations Director
Pat is the glue that keeps operations running smoothly at Dinsmore Steele. As Operations Director, Pat focuses on processes, workflows, and accounts—making sure nothing falls through the cracks and every system works the way it should.
With a career that spans industries and countries, Pat brings a truly global perspective to the team. Prior to joining Dinsmore Steele, Pat served as a Marketing Manager for a restaurant chain in the Philippines, a Regional Sales Director for a tech start-up in Vietnam, an Accounts Manager for the Central Bank of the Philippines, and an Operations Manager for an HR firm in Australia. This diverse background has given Pat the ability to see both the big picture and the finer details, spotting inefficiencies, improving workflows, and bridging gaps between teams to create systems that actually scale. Known for being strategic yet execution-focused, Pat makes sure every plan is not only effective but also executable.
Pat’s early career as an international model with Elite Model Management developed a sharp eye for branding, visual storytelling, and creative direction. That creative perspective still shows up in their work today, blending operational precision with design-minded detail. Outside the office, Pat enjoys exploring new ways to merge structure with creativity, bringing balance to both professional and personal pursuits.
Chief Human Resources and Client Experience Officer
Bobbi Jo is a seasoned HR leader who believes people strategy should always push the business forward—not just keep it running. With more than two decades of experience, she’s helped companies tackle big challenges like turnover, scaling through acquisitions, and building systems that make HR less reactive and more proactive.
As a former CHRO, Bobbi Jo knows what it takes to lead a high-performing HR team and get results in fast-changing environments. She’s streamlined processes, redesigned job structures, and rolled out performance tools that stick—all with a focus on creating efficiency without losing sight of the people behind the work. Having been both a sole contributor and a leader of large teams, she gets what HR professionals at every level are up against, and she knows how to help them shine.
Bobbi Jo is the person you call when HR needs to be more than just a support function. She guides businesses through PEO transitions, benefit renewals, and M&A integrations, while also digging into the nuts and bolts like compensation benchmarking, pay equity, recruiting strategies, and turnover action plans. She’s skilled at building or reworking HR systems, creating policies that actually work in practice, and setting up engagement programs that inspire real results. Whether it’s payroll, performance reviews, or planning the next generation of leaders, Bobbi Jo brings clarity, structure, and energy to every project.
Marketing Director
Rachel leads all things marketing at Dinsmore Steele, where she’s known for turning big business goals into smart, data-driven strategies that actually connect with people. Her superpower? Blending creativity with analytics to build marketing programs that not only look good but also drive real, measurable growth.
Rachel has worn just about every marketing hat: go-to-market planning, brand positioning, demand generation, team leadership, and more. She’s built marketing programs from the ground up, partnered with product, design, sales, and growth teams, and helped transform complex ideas into stories that resonate with customers. From launching new ad formats and running multi-channel campaigns to refining customer journeys with data insights, Rachel brings a mix of strategic thinking, collaboration, and a results-driven mindset.
When she’s not leading marketing initiatives, Rachel’s likely off exploring. She’s traveled extensively (including bungee jumping in Greece!) and loves experiencing new places and cultures. Rachel’s love for travel fuels her curiosity and creativity—she’s always drawing inspiration from new experiences. At home, she finds joy in music—she’s an accomplished pianist and never misses a chance to sit down at the keys.
Chief of Staff
Josh is an operations and marketing strategist who helps businesses scale by combining automation, CRM strategy, and airtight systems that eliminate chaos. With more than a decade of experience supporting executives and business owners, he’s built a reputation for translating big ideas into workflows that actually work.
At Dinsmore Steele, Josh manages client lifecycle campaigns, builds CRM automation in HubSpot, leads outreach strategies, and makes sure marketing vision translates into measurable results. Known for being proactive, precise, and systems-obsessed, Josh is the trusted behind-the-scenes operator who keeps both the DS team and their clients running smoothly.
Josh specializes in creating end-to-end systems that drive growth and efficiency. He builds CRM automation and marketing funnels, designs HubSpot workflows and sequences, and develops follow-up strategies for both active and lost deals. He also supports PEO lead nurturing and client retention efforts, while running survey campaigns, email drips, and slybroadcast voicemail outreach. Beyond campaign execution, Josh strengthens team communication systems, ensures content and campaign quality, and continuously optimizes processes to keep businesses running at peak performance.
SVP/Sales & Revenue
Cassandra joined Dinsmore Steele in 2023, bringing more than a decade of experience and a reputation as one of the top 1% of performers in the PEO industry—earning her the nickname “The PEO Queen.” Few, if any, know more about the inner workings of PEOs than Cassandra, and she uses that expertise to help clients navigate their options with clarity and confidence.
Her role focuses on guiding businesses to the PEO that best fits their needs and budget, then ensuring a smooth transition through the DS platform. With deep experience across PEO, ASO, EOR, HRIS, benefits, payroll, workers’ compensation, compliance, and risk mitigation, Cassandra brings both breadth and depth to every engagement. She combines market knowledge with high-volume productivity and strategic insights to help organizations achieve true scalability. Known for her compassion, professionalism, and dedication, Cassandra always chooses client success above everything else—even when that means losing profit.
Managing Partner
Barbara has been part of Dinsmore Steele since 2016, bringing with her a wealth of industry experience and a knack for building high-performing teams. An industry veteran, she quickly streamlined operations and helped shape a world-class team to better support clients, partners, and providers. What makes Barbara’s perspective especially unique is her background as a former partner in a successful PEO—giving her firsthand experience on both sides of the table and a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver real value.
Today, Barbara focuses on developing cost-effective PEO solutions for organizations of all sizes. She believes the key is understanding each company’s needs and vision, then researching and analyzing the best options to deliver the right fit. Beyond advising clients, Barbara also leverages her deep PEO expertise to work directly with both PEO and ASO providers, helping them expand their marketing engines and strengthen their reach.
Founder and CEO
In 2010, Rodney founded Dinsmore Steele with a clear vision: to give business owners an unbiased, efficient way to shop, compare, and negotiate with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). As CEO, he has spent the last 16 years redefining how companies build HR infrastructure—not by selling vendors, but by engineering smarter PEO strategies that protect margins and fuel growth.
Rodney often says most companies don’t pick the “wrong” PEO—they pick without a strategy. That lack of strategy costs businesses time, leverage, and profitability. Through Dinsmore Steele’s Strategic PEO Advisory™, Rodney and his team compress what would normally take months of research into a few days of outcome-driven analysis. The results speak for themselves: over 6,000 companies advised, more than $592M in savings delivered, and an average of $2,016.78 saved per employee, per year. Trusted by growth-stage founders, PE operators, and portfolio teams, Rodney has built an independent, strategic, and proven model that helps businesses design infrastructure that scales—because the right PEO strategy doesn’t just save money, it powers the next stage of growth.
