Mr. Hays entered the insurance business at the age of 20 in 1974. He started his insurance career with Founders Life Assurance Company in Tampa, Florida. Founders Life was one of the very few insurance carriers at that time developing a marketplace for the sale of voluntary benefits through the worksite.  Mr. Hays has a unique prospective of the voluntary benefit business, as he was involved in product development, enrollment communication, administration, marketing and recruitment, basically all the disciplines required to create and sustain the sale of voluntary benefits in a new market.

Before the very few companies involved created this market 35 years ago, employees couldn’t purchase voluntary coverages through the worksite.  Mr. Hays became Vice President of Founders Home Office Agency in 1980.  During this period, Founders Life grew to one of the top ten insurance companies in the worksite marketing arena. Today many Insurance Carriers market voluntary benefits through the worksite.  Mr. Hays left Founders in 1982 to form his own agency, Hays West Insurors. Hays West was dedicated to the marketing of worksite benefits to working Americans. In 1986, Mr. Hays joined Joe Mack Thaxton to form The Elan Group. The Elan Group is a premier employee benefits agency specializing in the worksite marketing arena. Mr. Hays was named CEO in January of 2000. 
 
Mr. Hays is a Life member of the Million Dollar Round Table, serves on the Board of Directors of National Benefit Partners, and is a member of The National Associations of Insurance and Financial Advisors - Tampa. He is also a member National Association of Professional Enrollment Specialist. (N.A.P.E.S.) Ross has been married to his wife Sue for over 40 years and has three adult daughters; Mary Katey, Suzy, and Rosie.