My Professional Edge - Keith Carrington

Keith Carrington
Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Aspire Technologies Inc.
Keller degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA)

My career

As Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Aspire Technologies, which develops and markets QuoteWerks sales quoting software, I directly manage and guide teams responsible for inside and outside direct software sales, indirect channel sales through 645 Value Added Resellers (VARs) worldwide, and three overseas distributors. My role also includes product management with sales engineers for pre-sales technical support, product marketing programs, corporate communications, media relations, community relations and strategic alliances with partners such as Microsoft, Sage Software, Intuit and others.

I am charged with the strategic responsibilities surrounding Aspire's Comprehensive Marketing and Sales Planning and Forecasting, Contracting, Vendor Relations, Strategic Alliances, User Group Management and sales partnerships. In all, I directly manage 73 employees.

During my tenure at the company, I have made significant progress in all aspects of my position. Accomplishments include developing and implementing the company's first formal sales training program. It resulted in greater retention of sales personnel, improved conversion rates amongst all sales teams and individuals, a shorter sales cycle, and increased new customer sales by 38 percent in the first year. We have also increased lead development through interactive marketing campaigns, resulting in a doubling of qualified leads within four months.

Professional honors

I was extremely proud to be named as VP of sales and marketing at a global software firm by age 30, and I was equally proud to have graduated with distinction from the Keller degree program. In fact, I was awarded the 2007 George P. Doherty award, which is presented to the top Keller graduate who best represents the qualities of leadership, strength of character and pursuit of excellence. Beyond working to achieve those two milestones, I have received several other awards. I was selected as 2003 and 2006 Businessman of the Year by the NRCC, as well winning its National Leadership Award in 2003. Rotary International also named me as its Distinguished Club Treasurer for the Florida district.

Why Keller?

I evaluated a number of programs and selected Keller because the curriculum was grounded in the reality of a business, not just ivory tower theories. I required a curriculum strong in both marketing and finance because my employer expects me to understand accounting principles and our company's bottom line. At Keller, I developed the real world skills and knowledge through classroom education, with meaningful and relevant projects. Keller delivered, ensuring that graduates leave school ready to act on the wisdom collected in the classroom, online and with study groups.

Real world application

I came away from the Keller degree program with two things: powerful, specific knowledge for better job performance, and improved personal skills to further my career. The specific knowledge centered on advanced financial and accounting procedures. The Keller degree program is rigorous and I developed an aptitude for using and interpreting financial statements and other reports, along with a keen understanding of advanced accounting principles. I can now speak fluently of my product's integration with a customer's accounting and inventory control systems, and also to assess the financial risk, returns, and impact of decisions and plans.

On a more personal note, the Keller graduate degree program sharpened my critical assessment skills. Regardless of the business issue or topic at Aspire Technologies, I am now better equipped to consider the various business ramifications from multiple angles, consider potential objections and support points prior to presenting recommendations in an Executive Committee meeting. Being the youngest executive in the company, I previously faced a credibility issue in the boardroom. A Keller education has allowed me to overcome that age credibility issue because of my developed ability to critically assess and identify with other business lines and units.

I have met and worked with many professionals with MBAs who routinely demonstrate that their degree programs provided great book knowledge without any understanding of how to practically apply that education. I am fortunate that Keller's approach to its MBA degree program takes into account the real-world application of educational wisdom.