Dean Gilkes

Dean Gilkes currently serves as the Director of Large Group Sales and Retention at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, a position held since March 2022. Previously, Dean worked at Cottingham & Butler for over 15 years, where roles included Vice President responsible for Dubuque-based benefit brokerage operations and client retention, as well as Director of Benefits Service overseeing the delivery of value-added services to group benefit brokerage clients. Earlier in Dean's career, from 2004 to 2005, Dean was a Senior Operations Manager at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, providing health and welfare consulting and managing daily operations of the consulting division. Dean holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Loras College, obtained between 1985 and 1989.