Knoxville woman heading up new human resources consulting and services firm

Knoxville woman Meredith Jones is owner and manager of a new human resources advisory practice, Sera Business Advisors. Image courtesy of Cowan Benefits.

KNOXVILLE – Franklin-based Cowan Benefits, the 10th largest benefits broker in the United States, is spinning out its human resources advisory practice into a new company, Sera Business Advisors.

​The new firm will be owned and managed by Meredith Jones, most recently Cowan's Human Resource Consulting Services Practice Leader. It will deliver HR consulting support and services including risk mitigation, change management, executive development & coaching, employee training, compensation services, interim on-site HR leadership and communications & collateral to human resource leaders throughout the nation.

Jones is a graduate of Central High School and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is the daughter of Lynn and Glendora Clapp, who founded Lynn's Guitars and, later, Broadway Sound, in Knoxville.

​"The timing was right to create this innovative delivery model to help companies better calibrate people objectives with business goals and results," said Meredith Jones, managing partner, Sera Business Advisors. "Our model is similar to other offshoots Cowan has created for communications, technology and voluntary benefits and we intend to provide cost-effective support to all sizes of clients in all types of industries. Our philosophy is to be an extension of a client's human resource function."

An accountant by degree, Jones worked in financial advisory services and human resources with Deloitte before holding business strategist positions with a regional bank and her own consultancy firm and, later, joining Cowan. As Cowan's consulting services practice leader, Jones worked with businesses of all sizes on a variety of business issues including re-engineering policies, strengthening infrastructure and developing human resources as a key component of successful business strategies.

​Her team at Sera will include her husband, Andy, a CPA, who will be the company's controller, as well as Wendy Morefield, SPHR, and Lisa Gentry, both of whom will be business advisors. Together, Morefield and Gentry have served in the human resources field for 36 years.

​"Entrepreneurship is in my blood, having grown up in a family of risk takers," Jones said, in further explaining why she launched the business. "Those formative years, as well as my years with Cowan and other companies, have given me a deep understanding and appreciation for the challenges businesses -- especially small businesses and start-ups -- have in today's economy. I love helping businesspeople address issues using the strength and creativity of their people in doing so." ​Jones holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Accountancy from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. She is also a professional member in the National and Middle Tennessee chapters of the Society of Human Resource Management and she's president on the Board of Directors of the Montessori Centre in Nashville.

For more information, please visit www.seraadvisors.com.

Published July 11, 2014