Beacon and Company Expands to Charlotte, Names Annette Leonard National Sales Director

Fresh off its best year in 2009, Beacon sees bright prospects for 2010 as banks make customer retention and professional training high priorities

South Dartmouth, MA – April 7, 2010 – Beacon and Company president Kathleen Shea announced today that Annette Leonard has joined Beacon and Company as National Sales Director. Ms. Leonard, who has 20 years of experience in high-growth sales, marketing, and national training management, will operate from Beacon’s new location in the banking hub of Charlotte, North Carolina. She will be responsible for building, managing, and driving strategic business services for Beacon’s flagship products, Beacon Sales Coach©, and Beacon Sales Coach Plus ©.

A training and coaching series for retail bankers, Sales Coach features more than 50 sales management meetings, including such staples as “How to Differentiate Your Company;” “Increasing Cross-Selling Results”;” and “Facing Competitive Challenges.”

“Annette is a wonderful addition to our team,” stated Shea, who pointed out that 2009 was Beacon’s best year ever, despite the slow economy.

“Sales Coach has been extremely popular among banks that have made it a priority to retain customers and increase their share-of-wallet with those customers. Last year’s results showed it, and with Annette on board we expect 2010 to be even better.”

Prior to joining Beacon, Leonard was a senior account executive for ATTUS Technologies, a regulatory compliance company. Her specialized experience includes compliance within the financial services industry as well as tours with US Sprint National Accounts, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Connally Systems.

“I look forward to helping Beacon extend its reach within the banking marketplace,” said Leonard. “With last year’s launch of Sales Coach Plus, Beacon is better equipped than ever before to help its clients deepen and broaden their relationships with customers.”

About Beacon and Company
Founded in 2003, Beacon and Company specializes in sales management, training and coaching for the financial services industry. Beacon’s team of banking and marketing professionals have been recognized both nationally and internationally for assisting clients to improve profitability and market share by maximizing existing resources. Beacon also helps organizations facilitate cultural change and achieve continuous improvement in sales and service delivery.