Kelly Wenzel received a Stevie® Award for Best Executive in a Computer Software/Services firm (up to 2,500 Employees) in the 2008 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

What book are you currently reading?
I’m currently engrossed in Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3), by Stephenie Meyer.

What was the last movie you saw, and would you recommend it?
This weekend I saw Quantum of Solace and really enjoyed it, especially the interaction between Bond and M. It was interesting to delve beyond the surface of that relationship.

What is your favorite sport or hobby?
I grew up in a very athletic household, with all of us playing different sports every season, so this one is tough to answer. I played soccer for eight years, so that would probably top my list!  People often remember where they were on historic occasions: I remember where I was when the US Women’s team won the World Cup in ’99. It was an awesome match, and the impact was even more exciting, as it helped increase the popularity of the sport here in the United States. Today, however, I’m a budding yoga-phile.  

Who is your favorite historical figure?
There is no one I admire and respect more than my father.  He instilled in me a real of work ethic.  He was a guidance counselor who dedicated thirty years of his life to counseling inner-city kids. As a lifelong athlete and coach, he introduced me to team sports, which played a huge role in our household and helped me develop a sense of teamwork, competition, and discipline in my work life. And watching how he contributed to the lives of people less well off than we were made a lasting impact on me. 

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David Szen, Vice President of National Training and Development at Florida-based Valpak, received a Stevie® Award for Sales Education Leader of the Year in the 2007 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  He is also a member of the Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors for the 2008 Awards.

David Szen’s Stevie Award recognized how he had successfully ensured that Valpak continues to build on its position as one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America.  Here we look at how he achieved that.

David was recently named Vice President of National Sales & Training where he will now lead Valpak’s National Sales team. With a total of 18 years of experience in account management, sales training and development, and direct selling, he will further leverage that background in sales education, national accounts and coaching sales performance.

Before that, David led Valpak’s award-winning training department where he was responsible for educating and preparing the nearly 1,200 sales reps in the Valpak network.

Not by the Book
David isn’t a textbook sales education leader. He is a street-smart leader who spends time in the field with Valpak clients to better understand and deliver their wants and needs.

David embraces the necessity to upgrade sales reps’ skills.  With helpful tools such as quarterly CDs sent out to 800 sales reps and leadership classes for sales managers, David consistently sets the pace for sales excellence. Valpak provides various programs to assist the reps in different stages of their careers and to help them reach the next level of success. David was responsible for setting the strategic selling process for the company and overseeing the curriculum for all major training events.   

David implemented a number of additional programs, including:

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Blogs, or web logs, are all the rage these days. Each month in this space we'll point you to several blogs that we think might be of interest to you.

Politico : Suffering from withdrawal from the U.S. elections? Let this news site--and it's link to multiple blogs--provide a political fix.
Marketwatch : News and information on worldwide markets from The Wall Street Journal Digital Network.
The Glass Hammer : Stevie Award-winning online community created for women executives in financial services, law and business. A site that wants to help you thrive, not just survive..
White Whine : Check out complaints #268 and #313. Feel free to add your own!