Throughout the years, CB&A has developed relationships with extremely intelligent, hard-working experts within the education industry. We consider these professionals as our associates, turning to them when questions arise in their specific areas of expertise. Whether it is marketing, design, sales, new media, or capital gain, we are able to draw on the special skills of our associates to help our clients to reach their goals.
Annie Galvin Teich - The Teich Group
Annie Teich is a sales and marketing professional whom we always enjoy working with - and not just because she’s a former member of the CB&A team. Today, Annie serves two critical roles in helping educational publishers achieve success. First, she is a “keyboard for hire” who creates sales-oriented copy for white papers, brochures, Web sites, magazine articles, and other marketing materials; tasks she’s performing for two members of our client family. Second, she is a veteran player in the publishing game. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, she develops strategic marketing and sales plans, including compensation and sales training programs. Annie, who leads The Teich Group, has been a publisher at several companies and in addition to sales and marketing expertise, she also has a keen eye for identifying new product opportunities in the market, streamlining and revising current product lines, and leading rebranding initiatives.
Jerry Rosenbusch - 7th Wave Consulting
We turn to Jerry Rosenbusch for expert advice when a member of our client family may be experiencing “channel conflict” while using a mix of sales initiatives to reach potential customers. We’ll also confess that we like working with Jerry because he shares our love of boats and water. Presently, Jerry and the 7th Wave Consulting team are leading the sales initiative for a member of our client family, focusing on so-called “open territories” states that do not have an official curriculum adoption program. His consulting firm specializes in successful execution of profitable marketing and sales plans. Jerry is a revenue generation expert who recommends new pricing, product configurations, and sales channels to increase revenue.
Linda Winter - The Winter Group
Linda Winter can pull a rabbit out of her hat when it comes to direct mail and advertising campaigns. The first promotional piece Linda ever sent Charlene as a potential client - nearly two years before CB&A was founded - featured a magician doing exactly that, and she’s always exceeded our highest expectations. Nearly 20 years later, Linda and her team are leading the extremely successful catalog, e-mail and direct mail campaigns for two members of our client family. And we have the pleasure of watching her “in action” several times a year, leading focus groups for SIIA and CoSN. Having earned numerous awards from the Association of Educational Publishers and others, Linda and her team at The Winter Group set the education industry standard for excellence in advertising, branding, and exhibit design.
Steven R. Cony - Communications Counselors, LLC
Steve Cony’s mantra is Bigger Ideas, Better Results. He provides each client with Bigger Ideas – strategically driven creative solutions that work hard to attract more positive attention than the competitors. From brand identity to Web site to print to video to advertising to trade show display and beyond, the Communications Counselors team (www.biggeridea.com) becomes a comprehensive go-to resource – and that helps to ensure continuity of impression for your brand. Steve began his career on Madison Avenue, supervising accounts such as Chrysler, Burger King, Eastman Kodak and Dunkin’ Donuts. Now he brings a wealth of strategic know-how to every project – and then does all the writing himself, guaranteeing that nothing gets lost in the translation. Throughout all assignments, Steve commits to making the marketing decision process relaxed and enjoyable for the client. At the same time, he maintains that to him, your deadline is as important as your headline.
Liz Strauss - Successful-Blog.com
Liz Strauss builds irresistible strategies for incredible people, brands, and businesses online and off. Her passions are entrepreneurs, business, and education. Founder of SOBCon which grew out of her popular Successful-Blog.com and author of: The Secret to Writing a Successful and Outstanding Blog: An Insider's Guide to How Conversation Is Changing the Way that Business Works. Liz is a community builder who has been called the most influential non-celebrity blogger on the Internet. She’s been called a thought provoker, an uber connector, an idea machine. Liz Strauss has been named to the Top 100 Social Media & Internet Marketing Bloggers the Top 100 Most Influential Marketers of 2008, and most recently to Top Social Media Strategists To Watch In 2010.
Kevin Custer - Arc Capital Development
Kevin Custer specializes in helping education companies evaluate options when they are about to face a critical business moment - an acquisition, a sale or a round of financing - drawing on his experience as the founder of five companies that have all achieved sales of more than $10 million each. He asks great questions - it usually takes him less than three to identify the key issues on the table - and has counseled executives in businesses of all sizes, including several of our clients, as they work to develop the strategies needed to achieve a breakthrough to the next revenue level. Kevin and his Arc Capital Development business partner Rita Ferrandino help position companies for investment capital or potential shareholder exits, provide business and operating expertise, and quickly improve a company’s competitive position for rapidly increasing sales. They also operate a private equity fund. In addition, Kevin serves as CEO of AutismPro, an Arc portfolio company.
Peggy Fernau (formerly Lanier) - LanierThinking, Inc.
The focus of Peggy Fernau’s career has been to help companies bring products and services to the education market. She is known for her ability to quickly capture the nuances of education products and services, and to translate this information into effective sales and marketing campaigns, collateral, ads, tradeshow signage/design, and websites, all while staying within a budget. We’ve seen Peggy at work developing marketing and sales plans for several members of our client family over the years, and have always been pleased with her ability to generate highly detailed, easy-to-execute plans with a results-oriented focus that make sense to all stakeholders. Her ability to recruit, manage and develop teams of independent sales reps for companies needing sales coverage is another unique aspect of her business model that sends us back to LanierThinking again and again.