Longtime industry veteran takes leadership reins of highly performative, national FMO
NASHVILLE, Tenn. and CLEARWATER, Fla. – September 28, 2023 – Senior Market Advisors (SMA), a fast-growing field marketing organization (FMO) in the health insurance space and an affiliate of AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), today announced the appointment of Joshua Borders to principal and chief executive officer.
Borders, who succeeds SMA founder Jeff Pitta, was previously founder and managing partner of Buffalo Health Advisors, a Nashville-based insurance distributor and downline affiliate of SMA that specializes in Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, PDP solutions, and health insurance for the under-65 market. At Buffalo, Borders oversaw a nationwide network of more than 500 field agents and grew the business 20% year-over-year for nine straight years, establishing the company as a top MAPD distributor in the state.
Borders began his career as an independent sales agent focused on the Medicare Advantage market, bringing with him a client-centered approach and relentless focus on empowering agents with the tools and resources they need for success.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead SMA alongside an amazing team and our partners at AmeriLife,” said Borders. “SMA’s story is one of continued success, thanks in large part to an approach that isn’t content being just any FMO. SMA has – and will continue to be – a true difference-maker in the lives of the agents we help, the clients they serve, and the communities we support.”
Founded in 2007, SMA boasts over 9,000 agents across 49 states, providing them with access to top Medicare and health insurance contracts, as well as life insurance and other products to help them serve the senior market. SMA is highly regarded for its best-in-class training, expert marketing support, and robust technology platforms that are designed by and for agents to better manage and grow their books of business, and support and scale growing independent marketing organizations (IMOs). SMA became an affiliate of AmeriLife in 2021.
SMA is also deeply committed to putting people over profits. Since its founding, SMA has pledged more than $10 million to charities and community organizations locally and around the world, including to organizations such as Feeding America, King’s Kids Africa, and global nonprofit charity: water.
“SMA has written the playbook on what it takes to be a successful FMO,” said Robert “Bobby” Bache, vice president of Life and Health Distribution for AmeriLife Health. “I’m grateful for Josh’s partnership and confident that, under his direction, SMA will continue to raise the bar in our industry.”
“I want to thank Jeff for his many years of service at SMA and congratulate Josh on his new role,” added Scotty Elliot, Chief Distribution Officer for AmeriLife Health. “Josh’s appointment is a testament to his leadership, business acumen, and agent-first mindset. I believe he’s the perfect choice to lead SMA, and I couldn’t be more excited for the road ahead.”
