News

April 6, 2010

Former GE Executive Joins Team as Vice President

As the new vice president of Sales Innovation, Brian Sheridan will work with the firm’s affiliate, the University of Pittsburgh’s Pitt Business Center for Executive Education, to achieve continuous growth of the Program for Business Development InnovationsSM serving the region’s business community.

In his new role, he will also oversee the sales and business development improvement programs currently offered in Pennsylvania by Sales Innovation, LLC, and its subsidiary, Business Development Innovations, LLC.

“Brian has a 15-year track record of sales success as a vice president at GE Commercial Finance, so he’s a very strong addition to the Sales Innovation team,” Kathy Apanowitch, executive vice president, business development, said.

“In addition to his experience presenting to Jack Welch and other C-Level executives and making multi-million dollar sales, Brian has had the ‘blue chip quality’ sales training that GE is so famous for providing to its employees. Our clients will gain a tremendous advantage from working with Brian.”

She added, “We believe professional services firms such as law and accounting practices will immediately relate to the sales challenges he faced at GE. How do you differentiate an intangible commodity to beat the competition whose fees are lower? Brian and his team found innovative ways to add value to companies with revenues of $10 million to $10 billion.”

In addition to his corporate background, Brian was a business entrepreneur earlier in his career, running a franchise that he sold for a substantial profit.

He earned a BSBA degree in marketing at John Carroll University in Ohio and an MBA at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. While in college, he worked in sales and marketing during internships at Nabisco, Bally’s, and Legent Corporation.

“Since Brian grew up in Pennsylvania and went to college in Pittsburgh, he has an extensive family and personal network that is already proving to be a valuable asset,” she said.

See Brian's bio on the About Us page for details about his expertise in consultative selling, cross-selling, and sales training.

February 9, 2010

New Regional Vice President Leads Florida Expansion

Mary Kay Liston of Bradenton, Florida, has been appointed regional vice president of Sales Innovation, responsible for leading the Program for Sales and Business Development Innovations in partnership with the University of Florida Leadership Development Institute.

“Mary Kay is a very energetic, goal-oriented person who will be a great asset to Sales Innovation,” said Kathy Apanowitch, executive vice president, business development, who added, “she excels at coaching and leading others to new levels of business development - it's a core strength for her.”

Over her career, Mary Kay has held executive positions in sales and sales training at a variety of corporations and franchises, including a national direct marketing firm and cable television stations in California and Florida. She holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and is a candidate for Certified Franchise Executive (CFE).

“Our vision of the future with Mary Kay is to grow the Florida market and add four regional consultants in Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Fort Lauderdale/Miami who will report directly to her,” Kathy said.

See Mary Kay's bio on the About Us page for details about her 20 years of experience in sales, sales management, and sales training.

December 9, 2009

Leadership Team Welcomes Seasoned Executive

Jay Moniello, Chief Executive Officer, is very excited to announce that Frank E. Hall has joined the leadership team as Ombudsman.

Previously, Frank and Jay worked closely together for 20 years at The Mathog and Moniello Companies, where Frank was executive vice president in charge of the company’s Technology, Human Resources, and specialized operational functions. Frank also served on the board of directors. When Webster Insurance, a subsidiary of Webster Bank, acquired Mathog & Moniello, Frank was asked to remain on the leadership team during the transition. He retired from Webster Insurance in 2008.

"Frank brings a work ethic that is second to none,” said Jay. In explaining what an Ombudsman does, he said Frank looks out for the best interests of everyone inside and outside Sales Innovation. He streamlines client deliverables and tailors solutions to the needs of all of our stakeholders including clients, employees, university partners and vendors.

"Through his diligent efforts, our employees will continue to work with state-of-the-art technology. Our clients will have better educational and business development tools to support their companies and sales goals. With Frank on our team, Sales Innovation is assured of staying on the leading edge in technology for many years to come,” said Jay.

See Frank's bio on the About Us page for details about his previous experience and role at Sales Innovation.

October 7, 2009

Coach Dixon on Leading a Winning Team

More than 90 business leaders from diverse industries such as manufacturing, energy, health care, technology, professional services, financial services, and banking, were treated to breakfast and insights on leadership from the winningest coach in the history of the Big East Conference, Pitt Head Men's Basketball Coach Jamie Dixon.

The breakfast, hosted by the Pitt Business Center for Executive Education, served to launch the center's newest portfolio of offerings and partnership with Sales Innovation, LLC.