Aflac Success Story...

Victor Velez makes a difference.

Victor Velez Is as American as Brooklyn.
He was born in that working-class borough of New York City in 1964, and the Aflac coordinator in training (CIT) has since lived the American dream, like millions of other sons and daughters of immigrant families.
“I’m so proud to be an American,” he says. “I believe it’s the greatest country on the planet. There’s opportunity here for anyone who wants to seize it.”
Victor has lived by that philosophy since he was young. At age 18, he managed an electronics retail store. He worked full time and went to college full time earning his BA in media communications. He became a professional actor and model, and appeared in commercials and numerous TV and film projects. He hosted an on-air show for QVC, a television shopping channel. He even married his high school sweetheart and fathered two beautiful daughters, now ages 17 and 9. In July, he will be celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary.
Does this sound like baseball, apple pie and ice cream? Throw in a little salsa and you’ve got the full picture.
Victor is proudly Hispanic. His mother was born in Puerto Rico, his father in the Dominican Republic. The eight-year associate now has a personal goal that aligns with Aflac’s business strategy.
“My goal within five years is to see Aflac become as much of a household name in the Hispanic home as it is in the American English-speaking home,” Victor says. “And I want my name to be the first one they think of when they need help.”
Victor’s personal motto as Aflac ambassador to the vibrant, fast-growing American Hispanic culture sums up his ambition: MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
It’s not just a slogan. Victor recently signed up Concilio, Pennsylvania’s oldest non-profit social services agency serving Latinos, as an Aflac account. The organization has about 60 employees. He’s recruiting another bilingual agent in Philadelphia, and he plans more interviews with promising candidates.
Victor began working with Aflac in 2000 after attending a career fair in Malvern, Pa. He credits RSC Tony DelBen, his recruiter and mentor, and RSC Tom Poppert with guidance and friendship. Their advice, it appears, has worked like a charm: It took Victor less than one year to earn a trip to the state convention (at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas) in 2001, and he finished as the number four rookie in the Pennsylvania/South Jersey territory that year. Victor took a district sales coordinator post in 2002, but moved back to CIT at the end of 2003.
“I missed the field,” he explains. “I missed having the impact in people’s lives I felt there.”
Today, Victor is one of the leading Hispanic agents in the Philadelphia area. He plays a key role helping Tom Poppert train new agents. And he’s especially excited about one new development at Aflac — the Multicultural Marketing team.
“I look forward to the good this team will bring our customers and our company,” he says. “I’ll be working hand in hand with the Multicultural Marketing department to increase awareness of the spectacular sales opportunities and policies Aflac offers.”
In short, Victor means to make a difference.