20 Years of Apex: A Legacy of Learning

Spend some time around the Apex team and you will probably hear this saying — what is good enough for today, is not good enough for tomorrow. As an organization we are committed to continued education and growth.

People-Centric Growth

Building a culture of learning does not happen in a day. In Apex’s case, it has been a two-decade journey. And that journey is built on the underlying growth of our most important asset — people. For one of the longest tenured Apex employees, people-centered growth grew first as a passion, and then into a career.

In 2004, Toni Stinson became the fourth member of the organization as a service coordinator. Over the next 19 years Toni discovered a passion for continued growth as she shifted from role to role. First came a move from an administrative role to a more strategic client management position. This shift helped her discover a passion for education that she (as a self-proclaimed introvert) had never expected.

“If I was talking to high school me and told her that her job would be to talk to people consistently and stand up in front of peers and present, she would have laughed me out of the room,” said Toni. “That is one of the things I appreciate most about Apex. I have been able to challenge myself and grow, and the company has given me the space to grow along with it.”

Turing Passion into a Career Move

Over time, Toni began to focus on special projects to help educate and train new staff, discovering a true passion in the process. At this point a formal learning and development role did not exist. However, leadership had identified the need. She balanced her account executive duties and training for several years.

Eventually, Toni developed her own plan to build out a full-time training role that would help develop organizational knowledge and skills and ensure every employee had the foundation they needed to navigate the complexities of the benefits industry. After pitching the role to leadership, the training and development department was born.

Today, Toni serves as the Director of Apex Academy, investing thousands of hours into a dedicated curriculum of continued education on benefits and other professional development topics.

“It has always been vital to me that my role challenges me and provides fulfilling growth and development opportunities,” said Toni. “I am very grateful that this company has given me a place to grow and the chance to set my own path for growth, both personally and professionally.”

Purposeful Commitment

Apex is committed to providing an environment that allows employees to explore their passions and interests. But that commitment does not end with internal growth opportunities. The benefits industry is constantly evolving. To keep driving solutions for our clients that decrease costs and health risks, our capabilities must expand.

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act threatened massive impacts for organizations. A dedicated task force was hired to ensure Apex clients had subject matter experts on their side to shield them from the legislation.

We saw that improving employee health outcomes was crucial to create cultures of cost savings and wellness within organizations. We have built a team that pairs data analysts with clinicians ranging from nurses and pharmacists to licensed social workers and personal trainers.

In 2018, we saw drug costs continuing to rise and drive a significant portion of our clients’ medical spend. In response we built out a transformative pharmacy benefits team. Pharmacists partnered with pharmacy contract and pharmaceutical industry experts to identify unrivaled negotiating power and drug savings for our clients.

20 Years of Learning

What is good enough for today is not good enough for tomorrow. While this may sound like a pessimistic outlook, we disagree. It is our optimistic, forward-looking commitment to our team and our clients.

In the last twenty years, the benefits industry has continued to change and present new challenges. Team Apex will be ready. We are dedicated to maintaining our legacy of learning — twenty years in the making.

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