Joelle Ryssemus Margolin, Esq.
About Joelle Ryssemus Margolin, Esq.
Joelle Ryssemus Margolin, Esq. serves as the Northern California Practice Leader for Employee Benefits at Woodruff Sawyer, where she has worked since 2018. With extensive experience in human resources and legal counsel across various industries, she leads a team that delivers customized employee benefits solutions.
Work at Woodruff Sawyer
Joelle Ryssemus Margolin serves as the Northern California Practice Leader for Employee Benefits at Woodruff Sawyer, a position she has held since 2018. In this role, she leads a team that provides a comprehensive range of services, including HR Resources, Financial/Data Analytics, Compliance, Employee Communications, Employee Advocacy, Benefits Administration, HRIS/HCM Technology Consulting, and International Benefits. Her work involves engaging with clients across various industries such as Technology, Life Science, Financial Services, Real Estate, Construction, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Private Equity, and Venture Capital. Joelle employs a quarterly service model to proactively address all elements of clients' employee benefits offerings.
Previous Experience
Prior to her current role, Joelle held several significant positions. She was the General Counsel and VP of HR at IMSI from 1996 to 2000. She then served as Head of Human Resources and General Counsel at The Presidio Group LLC from 2009 to 2013. From 2015 to 2018, she worked as Vice President of Human Resources and Legal at Jaguar Animal Health. Additionally, she was the Human Resources Director at Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) from 2013 to 2015 and served as Corporate Employment Counsel at Autodesk, Inc. from 2000 to 2004.
Education and Expertise
Joelle Ryssemus Margolin earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she studied from 1993 to 1996. She completed her undergraduate education at San Rafael High. Her educational background supports her extensive experience in employee benefits, human resources, and legal counsel, enabling her to provide tailored solutions to clients in various sectors.
Client Engagement and Employee Education
In her current role, Joelle is involved in providing insights on sharing benefit costs with employees and educating them about available plans. She focuses on customizing employee benefits solutions to meet the specific needs of her clients' companies and their employees. This approach enhances employee understanding and engagement with their benefits offerings.
Personal Interests
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Joelle has personal interests in gardening and cooking. She enjoys playing board games in her leisure time. Joelle shares her home with her husband, son, and a variety of pets, including dogs, cats, and chickens.