40 Under 40: Tyler Kelly

Shortly after being hired at App One, Tyler Kelly volunteered to accept the newly created recreational dealer sales role.

In this role, he quickly built a relationship with the only lender sales rep at the time, David Mitchell. They worked together to show customers how AppOne would make RV financing more efficient.

Since then, Tyler has mentored many of the AppOne sales reps and has become the go-to guy for many of the company’s integrated partners.

“As the RV industry continues to evolve at an exponential pace in recent years, Tyler has contributed considerable time to working with the AppOne product development team and integration partners to create functions and features that support the diverse business models of the RV industry,” a peer says.

Tyler’s role initially involved one RV dealer group, but at the time of his promotion, he was handling the top 25 groups in the country.

“Tyler has contributed to AppOne becoming a premier F&I workflow tool in the RV industry with over 87% penetration in RV dealerships across the U.S.,” says an industry peer. “Tyler started as recreational dealer sales rep for AppOne and was then promoted to corporate accounts manager, assigned to the largest dealer groups and finance service company relationships in the industry. In August, he was promoted to manager of recreational dealer field sales for AppOne, Motility DMS and VTR 50 (formally Opus VTR).”

The industry has taken notice of his efforts. Tyler has achieved the prestigious Reynolds and Reynolds President’s Club award three times and the 300 Club award three times.

When asked about his accomplishments, Tyler says, “[I] started [my] career in banking with a passion for finance, and completed a master’s degree at St. Cloud State University and exited retail banking to work as business development manager at AppOne, working with independent auto dealers. [Realizing] the potential AppOne had in the RV industry, I took on the task of marketing AppOne to the recreational business. Over the last 11 years, [I] grew AppOne into a necessary workflow solution for dealership financing efficiency.”

In his free time, Tyler, a true Minnesotan, immerses himself in nature with his family, enjoying activities like hunting, fishing and camping in the woods, waters and even on the ice. It goes without saying that he’s a Minnesota Wild fan.

Tyler’s advice for upcoming leaders in the RV space:

“‘There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.’ – General Colin Powell”

What it means to Tyler to be a 40 Under 40 honoree:

“Being acknowledged as a leader in such a wonderful industry is an honor. The most important part of being a leader is surrounding yourself with good people. Your inner circle plays a significant role in shaping mindset, influencing decisions and ultimately impacting your success. As leaders, we move the industry forward with optimism toward a bright future.”