Delta Dental of New Jersey Leadership Team

Paul Di Maio
President and CEO

Paul Di Maio is the President and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut. With a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, Paul brings extensive leadership experience and a steadfast commitment to fostering organizational growth and innovation.

Paul joined Delta Dental in 2016, initially serving as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. In March 2022, he was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer and continued to serve as Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

In these roles, he provided strategic leadership, guidance on commercial, governance and regulatory matters, while driving key initiatives in areas such as human resources, labor relations, training and development, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and corporate compliance. Paul also spearheaded innovative strategies to ensure the organization’s competitiveness and navigated complex challenges to deliver on its mission.

Before joining Delta Dental, Paul held executive roles at Samsung Electronics America and Avaya Inc. where he honed his expertise in corporate strategy, compliance, and risk management. He also spent seven years in private practice.

Paul holds a J.D. degree from Seton Hall University School of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of The Law Review, and a B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Business, from Villanova University.

In recognition of his contributions to the legal and business communities, Paul received the NJBIZ 2021 Leaders in Law Award. Paul has also been recognized by NJBIZ by being included in NJBIZ’s 2025 Power 100 list and their 2025 People to Watch in Health Care list. Under Paul’s leadership, Delta Dental was also recognized as an NJBIZ Health Care Hero and included in BINJE’s BEST Health Care 2025 companies.

He is actively engaged in the community, serving on the boards of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Community Foundation of New Jersey, as well as on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal and Northern New Jersey and as Chair of its Governance Committee. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Delta Dental Plans Association, Encara, Inc. and Healthentic, Inc. In 2026, Paul was appointed a trustee of the Delta Dental of New Jersey Board. Paul has also been active in several other professional and local organizations, including the Mendham Township School Board.

Paul also serves as Vice President of the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, which awards more than $1M in grants each year to support dental education, workforce development, and access to dental care for uninsured and underinsured children, seniors, veterans, and those with developmental disabilities.

 

Karim Bennis
Chief Operating Officer

Karim Bennis is Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut and is responsible for the day-to-day operational leadership and the execution of the company’s strategic priorities.

Since joining the company in late 2023, he has led key Enterprise transformation efforts where he applied his extensive background in healthcare operations to streamline processes, continuously enhance service delivery to Delta Dental customers, and build high-performing teams.

Karim has extensive leadership experience in healthcare and a proven track record of positioning companies for growth across various sectors, including insurance, pharmacy, care delivery, and healthcare services.

Before joining Delta Dental, Karim spearheaded an end-to-end transformation to build a one-stop shop for supplemental benefits as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Avesis, a dental and vision insurance provider. He was also the Chief Operating Officer at Walmart U.S. Health and Wellness, leading various efforts at scale to reinvent the pharmacy business and build Walmart Health—an innovative care delivery model providing affordable healthcare at scale.

Earlier in his career, he held several leadership roles at Monitor Deloitte, where he delivered large-scale enterprise transformations, strategy development, operational improvements and merger integrations for major healthcare clients.

Karim holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a Master of Applied Finance from Pepperdine University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Institut Supérieur de Gestion in Paris, France. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Asteres, Inc.

 

Stu Brereton
Vice President and Chief Sales Officer

Stuart Brereton is Chief Sales Officer and Vice President at Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut, where he leads sales strategy and operations with a focus on driving new business, retaining existing clients, and managing teams across individual, small group, core, and large group markets.

Since joining the organization in 2024, Stu has implemented strategies that elevate Delta Dental’s presence in the New Jersey market by improving client experience, strengthening broker relationships, and driving revenue growth across all segments. Stu has also focused on deepening relationships with Connecticut-based brokers and employer groups of all sizes to expand Delta Dental’s footprint in that state.

Before joining Delta Dental, Stu served as Regional Vice President at Prudential Financial and Regional Sales Director at The Hartford. Stu’s background in life and disability insurance makes him a natural fit to lead Delta Dental’s Sales organization.

Stu earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Gettysburg College, where he was also a record-setting varsity swimmer.

 

Vincent Farinella
Vice President, Strategy and Product Development

Vincent Farinella is Vice President of Strategy and Product Development at Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut, where he leads enterprise strategic planning and oversees product innovation, new business development, and long-term growth initiatives. His work focuses on aligning organizational strategy, market opportunity, and operational feasibility.

Vince joined Delta Dental in 1988 and has held leadership roles across customer service, professional relations, operations, and product management. His experience spans both core insurance operations and subsidiary oversight, including product and operational leadership for Flagship Dental Plans. Across these roles, he has developed a reputation for thoughtful analysis, disciplined execution, and the ability to translate complex systems into practical, sustainable strategies.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree from William Paterson University and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Seton Hall University, where he has also served as an adjunct professor in the School of Health and Medical Sciences. Vince is a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist and has completed additional coursework in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Beyond his executive role, Vince has served in governance and advisory capacities, including as Past President of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists’ Northern New Jersey Chapter and as a member of William Paterson University’s Business Advisory Board Student Mentoring Committee. With nearly four decades of experience in healthcare, insurance, and strategy, Vince brings a systems-level perspective grounded in both professional leadership and lived experience across the healthcare continuum. He is particularly interested in governance, decision quality.

 

Justin Lahullier
Chief Information Officer and Vice President Information Services

Justin Lahullier is the Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, and Vice President at Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut, where he leads enterprise technology strategy, delivery, and cybersecurity. He focuses on building secure, scalable platforms that improve customer experience, strengthen operational performance, and align technology investment to business outcomes.

Since being named CIO in 2017, Justin has led major modernization efforts to advance Delta Dental’s technology and security posture. His work includes launching an API-driven architecture, sustaining HITRUST certification, migrating the enterprise data warehouse to Google Cloud, and expanding AI-enabled capabilities to enhance digital experiences and operational efficiency. He also helped streamline digital access to plan and claims information and advanced a cloud-based platform that integrates data across internal systems to support a more complete customer journey view.

Justin joined Delta Dental in 2000 and has held roles spanning Compliance, Product Development, Strategic Planning, and Strategic Decision Support—experience that shaped his analytics-first approach and his emphasis on clear storytelling through data.

He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Monmouth University and a postgraduate certificate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Drexel University.

Outside of work, Justin is a proud father of two daughters and has served the community as a past Chief and volunteer firefighter with the East Rutherford Fire Department.

 

Dr. Keith Libou
Chief Clinical Officer

Dr. Keith Libou is the Chief Clinical Officer at Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut, where he oversees the Professional Relations Department, provider networks, claims processing policies, and works closely with dental consultants.

At Delta Dental, Dr. Libou never misses an opportunity to highlight the connection between oral health and overall health. He led the initiative for the American Dental Association to create a new code that would allow coverage for dentists performing the HbA1c blood test chairside to screen patients for undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes and obtained the necessary approvals in New Jersey and Connecticut that allowed Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut to cover HbA1C tests for all members.

In 2024, Dr. Libou played a key role in launching a special health care needs benefit for New Jersey and Connecticut members, both children and adults, to receive enhanced benefits for those with a qualifying special health care need, such as Autism.

Dr. Libou’s career has spanned private practice, practice management, and the dental benefits industry.

Before joining Delta Dental in 2014, Dr. Libou served as Chief Dental Officer at Dental Care Alliance (DCA), where he was Dental Director for DCA’s affiliated dental group in Pennsylvania. He was also Vice President of Operations and National Dental Director at Oral Health Services, and Cigna Dental’s Eastern Region Dental Director.

Dr. Libou is licensed to practice dentistry in New Jersey and Connecticut and earned his D.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and his Bachelor’s in Biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

He serves on the boards of the Somerset County Business Partnership and the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, where he supports community-focused health initiatives.

 

Barry Petruzzi
Vice President, Underwriting and Actuarial

Barry Petruzzi is Vice President of Underwriting and Actuarial Services at Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut, where he is responsible for developing and maintaining Delta Dental’s pricing structures, reserve liabilities, and underwriting guidelines.

Barry has more than 25 years experience in the Group Life/Disability market place, having held senior leadership positions at The Hartford and Guardian Life Insurance Company of America over the course of his career.

Since joining Delta Dental in 2019, Barry has provided critical strategic counsel to executive leadership on risk modeling, actuarial trends, and financial projections that support the organization’s overall corporate objectives.

He has more than 25 years of experience in the group life and disability insurance space, including having served as Vice President and Chief Group Actuary at Prudential Financial and holding senior actuarial leadership roles at The Hartford and Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Penn State University.

Barry is a member of and regularly speaks at industry events hosted by the Society of Actuaries, the Group Underwriters Association of America, and the American Academy of Actuaries. He also serves on the Zufall Health Board of Trustees, where he is currently Vice Chair, and on the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ)’s Board.

 

Michael Rodrigues
Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President

Michael Rodrigues is Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President at Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut, overseeing Finance, Underwriting/Actuarial, and Facilities Management functions.

Michael works closely with the executive leadership team and board of directors to align the company’s financial strategy with corporate objectives to strengthen financial performance and ensure sustainability and growth.

Michael joined Delta Dental in 2015 as Assistant Vice President and Controller and was later promoted to Vice President and Controller in 2019 and Chief Financial Officer in 2020.

Prior to Delta Dental, he held audit and accounting-related positions at Withum Smith + Brown, Goldstein, Karlewicz & Goldstein LLP Certified Public Accountants, EisnerAmper, and Sony Electronics, Inc.

Michael has been a licensed New Jersey Certified Public Accountant since 1999 and is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of CPAs. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Rutgers University.

Michael sits on the North Board of Junior Achievement of New Jersey and is a Trustee and Officer of the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, which provides underserved communities in New Jersey and Connecticut with access to dental care, education and workforce development.

 

John Rosero
General Counsel

John Rosero joined Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut in December 2024, bringing his extensive insurance industry knowledge and experience in helping companies successfully manage complex legal and regulatory issues. As Senior Vice President and General Counsel, he has responsibility for leading and setting strategy for all legal, compliance, regulatory, and governmental affairs matters. In addition, John is a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team. 

John previously served in numerous senior leadership roles at Prudential Financial, including Chief Compliance Officer of U.S. Businesses, Chief Legal Officer, and Chief Counsel. As a member of Prudential’s senior management, John advised the organization in many areas, including distribution, product development, operational, legal, compliance, and regulatory affairs. 

John holds a Ph.D. in Global Affairs from Rutgers University, an LL.M. in Corporation Law from New York University School of Law, and a J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law. John also holds certifications in regulatory compliance and artificial intelligence. He is a trustee for the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey and an advisory council member for OWL.co, a leading AI Insurtech, further showcasing his commitment to excellence and innovation.

 

Randy Stodard
Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President

Randy Stodard joined Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut in 2015 as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President. Throughout a broad and diverse professional career, he has successfully led global sales, marketing, and business development/new product teams at several blue chip companies, including—most recently—Walgreens, as well as Abbott, Pfizer, and Reckitt-Benckiser.

Randy has been heavily involved with innovation and launched many successful new products during his career. His efforts have been rewarded with multiple awards for best in class advertising, marketing campaigns, and new products.

In his role as Chief Marketing Officer, Randy is responsible for developing creative and impactful marketing strategies that effectively reach both current and emerging markets.

Randy serves on the following Boards -- Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce and Morris County Chamber of Commerce in New Jersey and the Stamford Chamber of Commerce in Connecticut.

Randy has a B.A. in Economics from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Melissa Toll
Vice President of Human Resources

Melissa Toll joined Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut in 2005 as an HR Coordinator. She steadily rose through the ranks, becoming the Director of Compensation and Benefits Administration before assuming her current executive position.

Melissa established Delta Dental’s Employee Wellness Program, a holistic initiative that offers yoga classes, daily stretch breaks, health screenings, an associate volunteer program, and other offerings that enhance professional and personal well-being. 

She holds multiple professional certifications, including CEBS (Certified Employee Benefits Specialist), CHIE (Certified Healthcare Insurance Executive), PHR (Professional in Human Resources), and SHRM-CP (SHRM-Certified Professional). Additionally, she is an active member of professional organizations such as the Morris County Society for Human Resources Management, the Northeast Business Group on Health, Northern NJ CEBS, and WorldatWork.   

She received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Ramapo College of New Jersey. 

As Vice President of Human Resources, Melissa is responsible for leading and overseeing all aspects of HR, including talent acquisition, employee development and engagement, benefits, and employee relations. She has played a pivotal role in shaping HR programs and initiatives to foster an engaged and thriving workforce and overseen compensation and benefits programs, including payroll operations, vendor management, and compliance, among other aspects.