• Marlin Bollinger, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CFS - President

    Marlin formed The Bollinger Group after spending more than 25 years as a producer, manager, consultant, and corporate officer in the insurance industry. His most recent position, Senior Life Sales Vice President for a major insurance company, has provided Marlin with a unique understanding of the brokerage community. Prior to entering the insurance business, Marlin spent several years in the radio and advertising industries.

    "I have been extremely fortunate to have worked directly with the Industry's most successful agents, personal producing general agents and brokerage agencies since 1981. As a company representative, I saw how my competitors conducted business. I also learned why some brokerage general agencies were more successful than others. I learned from them all, companies and agencies. I constantly thought about what the independent agent really wanted and needed from the BGA to be successful."

    "Creative concepting is one of the keystones to success in both advertising and insurance. The fundamentals are essentially the same. If you can successfully bring a product to market or grow a radio audience by developing a more listened to format, you can develop creative marketing systems in the insurance industry. The only difference is that you must first develop the technical expertise and product knowledge to guide you through the creative marketing process."

    The Bollinger Group ranks as one of the leading BGA's in the country and has been a leader in innovative marketing solutions. Their "Sales Ideas that Really Work" seminar series has been a huge success along with their nationally televised presentation of the "Leveraged Bonus Plan". "The Alliance Plan" is a time tested property/casualty marketing system created by Marlin to fuse synergy between the property/casualty agent and the experienced financial service agent.

    Marlin envisions The Bollinger Group as a leader in innovative marketing solutions in the coming decade.

    "Providing new and innovative ways for our agency force to successfully reach the end-user is paramount to the success of both agency and agent"

  • Tere Rizzo - Vice President of Marketing & Operations

    Tere is one of the country's most respected and recognized insurance administrators. Her career has always centered on the brokerage community and the independent agent. Tere first developed her tremendous sense of urgency as a trainee in a well established BGA in the mid 1970's. She soon moved on to join the Travelers Insurance Company, where she worked her way up the ranks over a period of 17 outstanding years. As Senior Marketing Coordinator, Tere managed the entire marketing administrative staff in Travelers Fort Lauderdale Field Office.

    "Working in the Fort Lauderdale office was an experience I'll never forget. It seemed as if we were constantly developing new marketing programs to stay ahead of the curve and the competition. Eventually, we became one of the most respected Field Offices in the country for The Travelers, always ranking in the top 10."

    In the mid 1990's Travelers presented Tere with her greatest career challenge. She was asked to develop, build, and administer a new Database Marketing System for Life, Annuity, and Long Term Care wholesalers throughout the country. That was only the beginning. After getting the Database program off the ground, she added marketing modules to the system designed to provide turnkey seminar planning for Travelers field personnel and general agencies.

    "Building the Database Marketing Program was a real challenge. As the only marketing employee working directly in the field, I was often required to make on the spot decisions that directly affected many of our field Vice Presidents. When they arrived in a seminar city, I had to make sure the room was filled with the appropriate agents, the marketing materials were on hand, the PowerPoint presentation was ready to go, the amenities were correct, the hotel was compensated, and follow-up procedures were implemented as soon as the meeting ended. I understand the importance of quality service and the magic of reducing a muti -stage process to its most simple and practical form."

    Tere's expertise and ability to focus on a task from beginning to end have elevated her to a category few occupy. Her work in the early years helped the Fort Lauderdale Field Office reach top ten status. Her most recent work helped Travelers Life & Annuity become one of the top ten Life Insurance Companies in the Country. The Bollinger group is proud to have Tere on our team, focusing exclusively on helping you, the independent agent, our client!

  • Jeffrey S. Dressel, CLU, ChFC - Senior Vice President Life Sales and Alternative Distributions

    Following his 1985 graduation from Dominican University with a BA in Economics and Business Administration, Jeff entered the life insurance industry with a career life company in Chicago, receiving recognition as the top rookie agent. After 5 years of continuous high performance, he was selected to develop a brokerage operation, focusing on the estate planning market and the new survivorship life products. In 1994, Jeff was recruited by a national brokerage agency to relocate to Florida. His focus was to help representatives of national wirehouses to sell life products to their estate planning clients. A few years later he took the position of Regional Vice President for the Southeastern U.S. with a major Mutual Holding Company.

    "I enjoy working in an industry that is constantly evolving with new products and new marketing concepts; it is a real motivator for me. Helping experienced industry professionals in the sale process by implementing new products and concepts adds value to the relationship and leads to profitability for both parties."

    Jeff is tireless in his efforts to bring unequaled service to the independent producers with whom he works. While maintaining impeccable ethical and professional standards, he helps producers generate additional revenue by providing them with state-of-the-art marketing and product resources. He is a true team player with producers and their staffs. His background in both retail and wholesale operations gives him an advantage that he brings to his professional relationships.

    Jeff is active in the Society of Financial Service Professionals where he served as the Tampa Bay Chapter President for 2004-2005. He is also a member of NAIFA.

    He lives in Tierra Verde, Florida with his wife and two children.

  • Bob Bruening, CIC- Sales Vice President

    Bob has devoted more than 30 years of his career to the insurance industry. Starting out in 1978 in his family owned property casualty agency, Bob gained valuable knowledge in sales, administration, and management. Not only did he have a strong working sales knowledge in the personal and commercial lines areas of property casualty but was astute enough to realize that risk also involves the human side of life. Bob quickly gained expertise in total risk coverage, including the need for life, annuity, and health related services. His expertise in the development of market penetration strategies, implementation of targeted marketing programs, and the need to strengthen carrier/agency marketing relationships, rapidly elevated Bob's stock as a liaison.

    Bob joined The Bollinger Group after having spent over 13 years in a pivotal regional marketing position with a well know national firm.

    "Most Life Brokerage Agencies treat their property casualty clients like they treat their life agents. At The Bollinger Group, we realize that property casualty agents may need our assistance in different ways than do the independent life agents. We understand cross marketing in property casualty agencies and come prepared to implement a total turnkey system to substantially grow financial services within a property casualty agency."

    Ideas that Really Work" seminar series has been a huge success along with their nationally televised presentation of the "Leveraged Bonus Plan". "The Alliance Plan" is a time tested property/casualty marketing system created by Marlin to fuse synergy between the property/casualty agent and the experienced financial service agent.

    Bob's broad knowledge and practical field experience of working with agents and carriers over the past 30 years makes him a valuable asset to The Bollinger Group and the agents he works with.

  • Andrew Yska- Annuity Sales Manager

    Andrew was first introduced to The Bollinger Group in the summer of 2007, hired as an intern during his junior year at the University of Central Florida. During Andrew's internship, he experienced all aspects of marketing, case management, contracting, and distribution in a successful and growing BGA. This valuable experience prepared him for a challenging position in the Financial Services Industry after completing his college education.

    Upon graduation from UCF with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management, Andrew joined The Bollinger Group full time in January of 2008. Initially providing valuable assistance in the Marketing Division, Andrew now manages the Annuity Division. Andrew provides our agency force with up to date annuity sales ideas and annuity product information in a highly competitive marketplace. Utilizing the most sophisticated technological tools, Andrew's management, marketing, and organizational skills have elevated the Annuity Division at The Bollinger Group to new and exciting heights. Proactively is not just a buzzword but standard annuity operating procedure at The Bollinger Group.