Executive Team
Richard Ollis
Richard Ollis is a fourth-generation risk and insurance advisor specializing in business risk who leads the team as the Chief Executive Officer of Ollis/Akers/Arney. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Missouri State University, Richard has gained more than 30 years of experience in the Insurance industry. A veteran of the U.S. Navy and active in the community, he is a second-term council member for the City of Springfield. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) and has served in many other capacities throughout his 35 year career.
John Akers
John Akers is a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) who brings more than 20 years of Employee Benefits expertise to the company. He is the Vice President for the Benefits Department and is a third-generation insurance advisor. He is a graduate from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in business and is licensed in Property & Casualty and Life & Health. With a passion for helping others, John was voted Outstanding Young Agent of Missouri by the Missouri Association of Independent Agents and is a Springfield Business Journal 2018 Trusted Adviser.
Kevin Robbins
Kevin Robbins serves as the Chief Sales Officer for Ollis/Akers/Arney. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Business Administration degree from AIU and is licensed in Property & Casualty, Life and Health. With over 20 years of business consulting and strategic resource development experience, Kevin works with clients to provide simple solutions to complex business challenges. He leads the Ollis/Akers/Arney Advisors to be proactive in protecting client’s employees, assets and income through a proven documented approach.
Karen Shannon
Karen Shannon is the Vice President of Business Consulting / Chief Human Resources Officer. She received her MBA and BA in Business Administration and Economics from Drury University. She has over 20 year of experience in HR Leadership positions and has served on the Board of Directors for several local organizations. She is a past President of the Junior League of Springfield and a member of Leadership Springfield Class XV. Recognized in 2000 by the Springfield Business Journal, Karen was named one of the Most Influential Women in Business.
Paul Long
Paul Long is the Vice President of Core Solutions for Ollis/Akers/Arney and has been a licensed insurance agent since April of 1999. Paul has had experience working for both captive and independent agencies and started The Paul Long Agency, LLC in February 2006. Paul works with all lines of insurance, specializing in business clients and farming clients. Paul is very active in his community and was a 3rd generation Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce President, Bolivar Rotary Club President, past President of Enterprises Unlimited (the local sheltered workshop), founding board member of the Polk County Economic Coalition, and is on many other boards and committees.
Joe Gaunt
Joe Gaunt joined Ollis/Akers/Arney in 2017 as the Client Service Specialist and is now the Director of Operations for all four locations. He graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in administrative management. Previously an employee of ANPAC and Philadelphia Insurance Company, Joe brings with him over ten years of experience as an underwriting supervisor and 11 years in the insurance industry overall. In Joe’s current role, he improves the client experience by optimizing internal software, ensuring high quality client service across all departments, and oversees personal and commercial lines support teams.
Katy Stewart
Katy Stewart graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a BSBA in Accounting and pursued her Master of Accountancy from there as well. Katy has more than 10 years of experience in the accounting industry, having spent time as a Staff Accountant at BKD, an Assistant Controller at NOBLE Communications Company, and the Controller for First & Calvary Presbyterian Church in Springfield. She joined Ollis/Akers/Arney’s Management team in September of 2018 as the Controller.
Tammy Johnson
Tammy Johnson joined the Ollis/Akers/Arney team in May of 2018 as the Director of Marketing & Community Relations. She is a 25-year veteran in the hospitality industry having worked for hotel companies such as Carlson Managed Hotels and was a two-time recipient of the National Sales Champion award as well as numerous International Awards citing overall hotel performance as the key metric. Tammy’s time spent from 2008 – 2017 at a cutting-edge marketing company was a nice segue way from the hotel industry to the world of insurance. Tammy holds her license for Property & Casualty.