Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

WHAT I DO

I am a training and organization effectiveness executive with special expertise in sales performance improvement. Most importantly, I am a business leader first, who understands how to improve real-world performance in complex organizations.

VALUE PROPOSITION

I analyze organization performance levers, build training where it is needed, and implement other systems and processes to support the levers and employees. This work, done well, radically improves business results and moves the needle on the metrics that matter. Then, I build the training, tools and resources needed by managers and other leaders to sustain and grow that performance. My projects have consistently exceeded executive expectations and in one case, a series of projects culminated in a $9.96MM net return-on-investment within one year.

Work History

• Torchmark Corporation
• Director, Sales Training
• October 2010 to Present

• Hired to lead the sales training and sales effectiveness efforts for United American Insurance Company and Liberty National Life Insurance Company, two of the Torchmark affiliates (NYSE: TMK). Currently conducting a full-scale performance lever analysis.

  See http://bit.ly/NewJob-MikeKunkle and stay tuned for for more detail.

• McKesson Provider Technologies
• Director, Training Delivery Services
• May 2007 to September 2010

• Led a professional services training delivery team teaching enterprise EMR software to customers and providing product training to support employee readiness. Managed scheduling, registration, customer service, training delivery (classroom and virtual), LMS management, delivery P&L, daily operations. Tasked with process improvement and ensuring scalability for future growth. Staff of 22.
  * Achieved $22.07MM revenue (9% over goal) and EBIT of $11.48MM (8% over goal) in one fiscal year.
  * Sold and delivered $759.5K in unbudgeted (organic growth) training classes, delivered onsite at customer facilities.
  * Led the instructor team to deliver customer satisfaction scores of 4.74 (5-point scale) and an average post-course proficiency assessment score of 88.8%.
  * Led a migration to a virtual instructor-led training environment (with hands-on labs), projected to lower customer Total Cost of Ownership and reduce employee travel costs, while retaining training effectiveness.

• NovaStar Mortgage, Inc.
• Director, Sales Performance Development
• April 2003 to May 2007

• Director, Sales Performance Development

  Led the 7-person team doing instructional design, training delivery (instructor-led and virtual), and performance improvement projects for inside, field, and major account sales and management. Managed a $4.6MM budget.
  * Achieved a $9.96MM annual net ROI through multiple projects to improve hiring effectiveness, shorten ramp-up time, lift sales results for underperformers, and improve the performance of sales managers.
  * Designed and implemented a coaching program that taught leaders to diagnose and correct weaknesses or reinforce strengths, based on metrics analysis and observable behaviors, relative to performance levers.
  * Played a pivotal role (one of three architects) in the development of NovaStar University, a custom Learning Management System, and the NovaStar University Leadership Development Curriculum.

• ForceField Performance Services
• Managing Director
• October 2001 to April 2003

• Consulted with business owners and corporate managers to increase revenue and decrease expenses. Provided analysis, strategic and tactical planning, hiring, training, business process redesign, executive coaching, performance management and profit improvement services.
  * Through changes in territory management, accountability systems, and sales coaching, increased sales-per-rep by 47% in 6 months.
  * Implemented strategic account management practices that significantly increased revenue from major accounts within 4 months, and improved average profitability per sales rep by 11%.
  * Developed a competency-based performance measurement tool (also used as a career-pathing tool).
  * Administered developmental and multi-rater assessments, designed executive development plans (including training, developmental programs, personal work analysis/redesign and time management, and more), and coached key business leaders to higher levels of effectiveness.

• Pfizer Consumer Healthcare
• Manager, Sales Training
• January 2001 to October 2001

• Designed and implemented sales training for consumer healthcare pharmaceutical reps.
  * Conducted in-depth needs analysis of sales performance levers and began course development.
  * Led sales training sessions at local and regional meetings.

• PlanSoft Corporation
• VP, Sales Force Performance
• June 1997 to January 2001

• VP, Sales Force Performance

  Led sales effectiveness initiatives to improve sales performance.
  * Delivered training on consultative selling skills and major account management.
  * Implemented employee selection systems, including behavioral interviewing and assessments.
  * Implemented performance management to increase coaching and feedback, resulting in shorter sales cycles.
  * Streamlined business processes to more effectively sell, serve, and manage accounts.

  VP, Strategic Implementation

  * Guided the executive team through the execution of a major change in strategic direction.

  VP, Professional Services

  * Built and led the implementation, training, and client support departments.

  Director, Technology Training

  * Hired as employee number 11 for this B2B, e-commerce software start-up, to build client training department and the design and delivery of instructional materials, documentation, and job aids

• Hyatt Hotels Corporation
• Director, Sales Training
• April 1995 to June 1997

• Hired by senior leaders of this luxury brand to lead sales training and management development.
  * Conducted needs analysis for field and national sales teams and designed sales training and management development curricula that included training transfer plans and evaluation systems, to ensure results.
  * Worked with The Ken Blanchard Companies, AchieveGlobal and Communispond to provide leadership development.
  * Trained and coached the 14-person field team that conducted sales and sales training.
  * Managed a training development budget of $1.5MM.

• Household Finance Corporation
• National Sales Training Manager
• August 1989 to April 1995

• National Sales Training Manager

  Implemented the sales training programs designed for the Central Region nationally. Led analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation of all sales training and management development programs.
  * Aligned hiring, training, compensation, coaching and performance management practices to increase new hire sales performance; 4-month employees outperformed a control group of 5-year employees.
  * Reengineered the training function to decrease costs by $600K annually without sacrificing results.
  * Managed a staff of 7 sales trainers and a $1.25 million training budget.

  Regional Sales Training Specialist

  Led analysis, design, delivery, implementation, and evaluation of sales training for the Central Region.
  * Increased loans closed per employee in the 3-month period after sales training by 2.3 per month (average revenue increase of $183K per class of 12, or over $36.6MM over 12 months).

Education

• Six Sigma Academy
• Six Sigma Green Belt
• 2007 - 2007

• Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
• Bachelors
• 1978 - 1982

• Cum Laude Graduate