Apollo Organization Staff
Meet the Apollo Team
Scott Eckley
President
Kansas City has been home for my family and I for almost 30 years. Most of that time has been spent developing and growing businesses. In 2010 a series of events led me to the insurance industry where my mindset was forever altered in how to view insurance. Prior to 2010 my experience with insurance was not so great. As a business owner making health insurance decisions each year fell on my shoulders, and each year this process would turn me into a three-year-old emotionally and intellectually…… I just never understood health insurance! How ironic it was for me a few short years later to be firmly entrenched in the industry. Born and raised on a farm in Iowa I was taught early in my life to work tirelessly for your family and those who counted on you. I have never strayed far from this vital characteristic instilled in me as a young man. My success in sports through college allowed me to hone my highly competitive nature into worthwhile endeavors. Health insurance has become an ever-changing commodity requiring experts to understand the nuances, network access, in and out of network benefits, available RX benefits, etc. It was exhilarating for me to help provide solutions for my clients in the midst of this ever-changing industry. I loved being the problem-solver so much that it led me to start this National Marketing Organization platform where agents could be coached in how to create solutions to serve their clients. Now we have a growing family of agents who have partnered with Apollo to help provide the best solutions for their clients.
Phil Kathol
Manager
Previous to my short three years in the health insurance industry, I owned and operated fitness franchises for 16 years. Out of all yearly decisions, I made about running my business, health insurance was the one decision that put me on the top of the building ready to jump every year. (Figuratively speaking of course) I never understood it and in no way could get my arms around it! I felt like I paid too much and definitely misunderstood my benefits and how they worked.After the 2008 housing bubble and great economic collapse, I eventually found myself out of the career that I greatly loved. On top of that, the health insurance industry was the last profession I was seeking to make a living. But after posting my resume on a job board, my phone began to ring. That’s when The Apollo Group contacted me and I was introduced to a common sense view of health insurance. This approach quickly removed my anxiety and created an affordable solution with sound benefits for my own family. This knowledge became the launching pad for my health insurance career. Since then, I have helped train hundreds of agents find practical and affordable solutions for their clients.In the midst of constant health reform and chaos, the need for a calm, objective voice is paramount. I believe that’s what agents expect from me.
George Kopp
Manager
At a time when hundreds of health insurance agents were exiting the marketplace, George Kopp jumped in! Since 2010, George has been a licensed health and life insurance agent helping individuals, families and small business’s structure health plans to meet their ever-changing needs. The Apollo Organization's continued leadership, support, and vision have been the backbone of George and his continued success. George has been able to take his experience as an agent and turn his focus to helping agents. His passion has transferred from helping his clients to helping agents across the nation. George’s motto is “Helping agents reach their true potential is what we do at Apollo." "I truly enjoy people! It is fun for me to get to know agents in this industry and the needs that are specific to their business. My desire is to help agents become the voice of reason and hope to their clients in the midst of chaos in this volatile industry.”
Jeff Gueldner
Manager
My name is Jeff Gueldner. I have been in a sales or sales management capacity my entire work life. From the time I graduated college to today at my new home with Apollo which started approximately 3 years ago. I grew up in central Illinois in a small town and learned quickly not only the value of hard work but also in doing things the right way as everybody knew everybody’s business. I parlayed that work ethic into a basketball scholarship at the University of Kansas where I played from 1986-1990 before graduating in 1991. No doubt the experiences that I had, the people that I met, the coaches I played for, the wins and losses and the obstacles I encountered and overcame prepared me that much more for the real world. Throughout college and by choosing to stay in the area I have continued to live my life in a fish bowl with the feeling that somebody is always watching. This was a constant reminder: to be honest, treat people the right way, and never to burn a bridge. At times I feel my entire life can be Googled but rather than focusing on the negative I choose to relish in the fact that by doing things the right way everything that is out there is positive.In 2010, at the age of 41, I went from being perfectly healthy to being diagnosed with cancer and my life changed forever. The love and support that I received from family, friends, and strangers were something that I will never forget. This experience opened my eyes to how many people knew me or knew of me and cared about my well-being. Life is not always fair and bad things do happen to good people but we all have to choose how we let that impact us and our ability to move forward. Once I was back on my feet I knew I wanted to find a career where I could help people and that is what eventually brought me to Apollo. Even though many agents have seemed to thrown up their hands and have left the industry, I want to help keep agents in this business. As experts in the industry, we are the only ones who can provide services to the group and individual market across the nation. My job is to educate, train, and inspire agents to provide affordable solutions to their clients. My goal is to help agents grow their books of business and take better care of their clients as the health insurance industry continues to evolve. Although none of us have a crystal ball I feel 100% confident that whatever comes next we will be ready for it at Apollo.
Jordan Eckley
Manager
Helping people has always been a joy for me. I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City and had an incredible love of sports and in particular baseball. This took me to college where I played baseball at Rockhurst University and Mid-America Nazarene University. I learned the necessity of daily habits in my sport which led me to be a two-time conference player of the year, a two-time all-American, academic all-American, and named male athlete of the year my senior year. I was able to apply much of what I learned as a baseball player that applies directly in the insurance world. From team building to leadership, to work ethic, to knowing how to handle failures… the baseball field was as much of a learning facet as the classroom was for me. I got started in insurance/ financial planning in May of 2015 and I have had much success. Recently I have been able to take this success and use it as a tool to help other agents grow their business and provide great solutions for their clients. No matter where you are at in your business I would love to come alongside of any agent and provide a fresh look at how to grow what they have built.