Leadership Team

Ryan Kubacki, President

Ryan Kubacki was recruited to Holden International in 2006 to solidify its position as a leading sales consulting and training company dedicated to increasing sustainable sales performance of its clients.  Mr. Kubacki is a recognized authority in making business development a sustainable competitive advantage and is the co-author (with Jim Holden) of the much anticipated book The New Power Base Selling, to be published by John Wiley & Sons in May 2012. 

Based on data from one of the most comprehensive sales surveys in the sales training industry, along with more than 50,000 deal reviews, The New Power Base Selling presents sales as a management science, helping readers understand and replicate superior sales performance. It shows how high performing sellers leverage three intangibles - politics, unexpected value, and strategy - to win business, maximize value to their customers, and their own companies.

Prior to joining Holden, Mr. Kubacki held sales and marketing leadership roles at Microsoft, including directing sales operations and field marketing for an 18-state region with a $1.4 billion quota.  Before Microsoft, Mr. Kubacki was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Calypso Systems.  Mr. Kubacki started his career at A.T. Kearney, a global management consulting company, where he specialized in sales and marketing effectiveness.

Mr. Kubacki received an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in Government from Harvard College. He and his wife Jana and their three children live in Naperville, IL. Mr. Kubacki serves as Vice President on the Development Board of Saints Peter and Paul School, is active on the Harvard Club of Chicago Schools and Scholarship Committee, is a member of the CEO Roundtable and Corporate Directors Club, and coaches youth sports for the Naperville Park District.

Jim Holden, Founder, Chairman

Jim Holden founded Holden International in 1979, and throughout its almost 30-year history, Holden has grown to be a world-renowned leader in the sales process improvement field.

Mr. Holden's career has been marked by exceptional innovation. In 1990, he established Holden as the first company to model sales effectiveness, an achievement that garnered the Ernst & Young Regional Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Service Industry.

Mr. Holden is also a globally recognized business author, with titles including Power Base® Selling, World Class Selling, The Selling Fox, and The New Power Base Selling co-authored with Ryan Kubacki.

Mr. Holden earned a B.S.E.E. with high honors from Northeastern University in Boston and is a member of the National Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi, and the National Interdisciplinary Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi. He began his sales career in 1974 with Teradyne, a Boston-based high-technology company. Prior to founding Holden, he was Vice President of Sales for Aegis, a third-party distribution company selling computer-based test systems into the manufacturing environment.

Mr. Holden and his wife Chris reside in the greater Chicago area. He was a founder/director of the First National Bank of Roselle and has served as a director of two other area banks and several early development-stage companies. He is active in the community, having founded the Partnership to End Homelessness in Chicago, and is a supporter of many other charities, including cancer research.

Chris Holden, Chief Financial Officer

In 1979, Chris Holden cofounded Holden International and currently directs the firm's accounting practices. In this role, she manages the accounting department and oversees the budgetary function, financial reporting, and all tax and audit functions. She is also instrumental in developing and reviewing legal documents for client user agreements.

An active member of several social programs, Mrs. Holden cofounded the Partnership to End Homelessness and worked with the Community Emergency Shelter Organization to establish best practices and results measurement. She is also a trustee of the Brookfield Zoo and an active supporter of multiple melanoma cancer research.

Mrs. Holden graduated with honors from Lasell College, earning a degree in retail sales and marketing. As a scholarship recipient, she also attended advanced finance curriculum at Roosevelt University.

Matt Martin, Senior Vice President

Matt Martin leads Holden's customized content design process and delivery practice in an effort to maximize client relevancy, adoption rates, and time-to-value of Holden's consulting and training services. He has played an instrumental role in bringing to market Holden's “10-Steps to Driving Impact” engagement model, Holden's enhanced content and methodologies, as well as new tools and learning experiences.

An expert in sales effectiveness, Mr. Martin has spearheaded numerous strategic consulting engagements and facilitated hundreds of sales effectiveness workshops throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. He has led over 100 competitive deal coaching clinics–helping sales teams formulate competitive strategies for “must win” large pursuits. Mr. Martin is also an accomplished speaker who has provided keynote addresses to large audiences on competencies and personal attributes that drive sales effectiveness.

Prior to joining Holden, Mr. Martin was a recognized sales leader at The Coca-Cola Company where he led accounts and consistently exceeded quota at the local, regional and national levels. As National Account Executive on Coca-Cola's largest global account, McDonald's Corporation, he had regional responsibility for the company's brand exposure, business penetration and customer relationship management.  Additionally, Mr. Martin provided consulting services on strategic selling processes to key Coca-Cola franchise bottlers across North America, resulting in record case volume and share growth.

Mr. Martin received a B.A. in communications from Michigan State University. He, his wife Courtney and their son reside in Glencoe, IL.

Paul Dillon, Senior Vice President

Paul Dillon joined Holden International in 2007 and now serves as Senior Vice President of Business Development. He is focused on further developing our training and consulting business, while managing our management assessment capabilities. Mr. Dillon's responsibilities focus on driving sales achievement and key strategic initiatives for our clients through implementation and adoption of world-class sales effectiveness strategies and “compete” methodologies.

Mr. Dillon brings to Holden a depth of background in complex procurement and selling professional services. Prior to joining Holden, Mr. Dillon was a director responsible for a $600 million budget and the corresponding services at a Fortune 200 consumer packaged goods company. He has interviewed, negotiated and worked with over a thousand sellers globally.

Mr. Dillon has also held management positions at Accenture and Deloitte Consulting. Mr. Dillon has worked with senior management teams across leadership areas and industries to measurably grow margins through both top-line sales growth initiatives and bottom-line efficiency programs. His professional contributions have been covered by various publications, including The Journal of Commerce, Purchasing, and Traffic World.

Mr. Dillon received his M.B.A. from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and his B.A. with honors from Colgate University. Paul enjoys running and has completed several marathons.

Angie Wheeler, Vice President

Angie Wheeler brings more than twenty years of sales and sales consulting experience to her workshops and client engagements. Her experience extends across industries and business sectors, allowing her to bring widespread sales and strategy expertise in creating and delivering real-world, case-study based workshops and performance management initiatives for her clients across the globe. Cisco, Dell, HP, and Comcast are just a few of the technology and communications companies she has helped increase revenue and market share.

Angie's passion for developing others and teaching led to her shift from selling to the Sales Consulting industry, where over the past 15 years she has personally trained more than 7,000 salespeople to increase revenues and deeper client relationships. In addition to teaching, she regularly consults with her clients on marketing messaging, process improvements, and accelerated on-boarding, always customized for company culture alignment.

As an avid outdoor enthusiast, Angie donates her time and expertise to The National Park Service and Grand Canyon Trust, a non-profit organization based in Flagstaff, AZ. She is currently collaborating on a national media campaign and communication strategy to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park in 2016. She is active in her children's schools and promotes children's fitness and outdoor exploration programs in suburban Chicago.

Angie graduated from Indiana University with a BA in Speech Communications and is a former NASD license holder. She and her family live in Hinsdale, IL.

Bailey Allard, Certified Gold Partner

Bailey Allard specializes in sales and leadership development through seminars, coaching and professional speaking. She specializes in increasing bottom-line results by implementing strategic selling methodologies, and by developing the business communication skills needed to win sales. She is a specialist in Power Base® Selling methodology, Social Styles, Presentations Connections, and the Kolbe Decision Index.

Bailey has more than 25 years of successful experience working in sales, management, and seminar leadership in the high technology industry, including seven years with Data General Corporation. She now serves as President of Allard Associates, Inc., an international firm specializing in sales and leadership development, which she founded in 1991. Since then, she has worked throughout Europe, EMEA, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to working with multi-national clients in India and South America.

Working in both the public and private sectors, Bailey has been a results catalyst for diverse cultures and groups, including sales and marketing professionals, systems engineers, managers, executives and channel partners.

She is one of only 4 program leaders ever to be awarded Holden International's Certified Gold Partner status, due to the consistently high quality of her contribution to sales development for corporations around the world.

Teresa DeRubeis, Senior Consultant

In the corporate world, Teresa DeRubeis not only trains it — she's done it. Teresa boasts more than 25 years of experience in commissioned sales, sales management, training and executive level leadership. She established Executive Focus Canada in 1999, and its clients are found in many industries: high-tech, telecom, transportation, energy, pharmaceutical, retail, manufacturing, services and others around the globe.

Teresa's sales career has spanned a range of responsibilities, from pre-sales engineer at Northern Telecom, to sales representative and management member at Southam Business Communications, to chief executive management at AchieveGlobal.

Today, although Teresa provides strategic account management consulting to many industries, she has made a specialty of sales training in high-tech B2B. She assists Sales Managers in the coaching of their sales teams, and provides guidance and coaching to senior sales executives to improve their leadership and effectiveness. Many of her clients call upon her strategic thinking and insights to facilitate major account penetration and closure of business. Teresa, who speaks fluent English, French and Italian, has demonstrated the cultural flexibility to train sellers in Asia Pacific, EMEA and the Americas. She is able to adapt concepts to reflect both local and cultural requirements, while still maintaining the integrity of major/national account selling.

As a facilitator, Teresa is highly energetic, articulate and engaging. Her business acumen and strategic thinking are supplemented by her ability to engage her audience, creating a highly interactive learning environment that facilitates the acquisition and application of skills.

Teresa's interests include local politics, where she served as successful campaign manager in a municipal election. Active in various civic affairs, she has also led high school committees and spearheaded the localization of new facilities. An avid golfer, she and her brothers have organized charity golf tournaments over the past 10 years. A passionate horsewoman, she enjoys riding and attending international equestrian events in Quebec, where she resides in Montreal. In between all these pursuits, she also finds time to enjoy the opera. Teresa has been featured as a guest lecturer of journalism at Concordia University and on business topics at her alma mater, McGill University.

Michael Johnson, Operations Manager

Michael Johnson joined Holden in 2008 to streamline and improve core business operations. As Operations Manager, he oversees internal sales and consulting operations. In that role, he is responsible for customer service and logistics, documentation production, and Holden's efox software suite, as well as vendor relationships and internal support departments.

Prior to joining Holden, Mr. Johnson held positions in sales and operations management at Cambridge Educational Services. As Director of School Relations, he worked with the nation's largest school districts to implement data-driven school improvement techniques aimed at raising standardized test scores. He began his career in sales in the same company before assuming responsibility for the sales team, for the assessment division and for internal operations.

Mr. Johnson received a B.A. in Philosophy from Wheaton College. He, his wife Elisabeth and their two sons live in Aurora, IL. Mr. Johnson is active in his church, and enjoys running and philosophy.

Jenae Meader, Sales and Marketing Associate

Jenae Meader joined Holden International as a Sales and Marketing Associate, providing support for many key clients.

Throughout her years with Holden, Ms. Meader has conducted research on industry trends and projections, helped launch a new website, and was a key player in cultivating the alumni community. She currently serves as the Community Manager for the online headquarters of the Holden International Alumni Network, The Fox Den.

A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Jenae earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. During her time at U of I, she was an active member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity and Pi Beta Phi Women's Fraternity. She was also a General Assembly Scholarship recipient.

Ms. Meader enjoys traveling and cultural experiences. One of her most memorable travel excursions was mountain biking through the Swiss Alps from Zurich, Switzerland to Nice, France. She now resides in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, IL.

Ghaffar Variend, Controller

Ghaffar Variend joined Holden International in 1998 as an Assistant Controller. Presently, he heads Holden International's financial department. His responsibilities include accounting, preparation of monthly and annual financial statements, and management reports and policies.

Prior to joining Holden, Mr. Variend served as Controller for Plasti-World Products Ltd., a plastic novelty items manufacturer in Montreal, Quebec. Mr. Variend has over 15 years of experience in public accounting, providing financial audit services to clients in the importing, manufacturing, travel/leisure, textiles, and wholesale distribution industries. He has also provided small-business clients with management consulting and advisory services in a broad range of corporate accounting disciplines. In addition, Mr. Variend has played a key role in conducting research on a number of technical accounting issues.

Mr. Variend received his bachelor's degree in accounting from Karachi University in Pakistan. In his free time, he enjoys walking, bicycling, bowling, and maintaining his own website. He is very involved in his community and served as president for Quebec Memon Association in Montreal and Memon Association of America in Chicago, IL.

Alex Pease, Associate

Alex Pease joined Holden International as an Associate in 2011.

As a part of the Holden team, Alex conducts analytical research on clients’ businesses and industries to ensure the relevancy and success of each engagement while also supporting in business development.

A graduate of the Harvard College, Alex earned a Bachelor's degree in Government. During his time at Harvard, he was a member of the Varsity Basketball team and also studied abroad in Krakow, Poland earning top honors in his program.

In his free time, Alex enjoys running and has placed in multiple competitive races. Alex is also active in the Chicago community through involvement in local charitable organizations. Alex now resides in the River North area of Chicago, IL.

Ewa Baska, Associate

Ewa Baska joined Holden International as an Associate in 2011.

At Holden she tracks the Three Level Performance System throughout client engagements to ensure quality and satisfaction in all workshops. She also prepares Executive Business Reviews, where she ensures adoption and organizational impact is achieved with all clients.

A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ewa earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and International Business. During her time at U of I, she was an active member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity. She studied abroad in Milan, Italy for six months enjoying full cultural immersion while traveling all throughout Europe with friends and family. Ewa is bi-lingual in Polish and English.

Glenn Coleman, Managing Director

A past Director on the Board of EADS North America Defense, Glenn Coleman has over 35 years of business development and marketing experience in the aerospace and defense industry. Holding positions of leadership responsibility for diverse high-technology product and service applications for land, sea, air, and space platforms and their support systems, he has brought value to and realized successes in closing competitive new business initiatives both domestically and internationally. His experience also includes civil applications of military technology as well as commercial ventures based on product applications of systems developed under federal government acquisition processes.

As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Mr. Coleman initially spent 10 years on active duty as a line officer in the submarine service and as an intelligence officer on shore assignment. His last active duty assignment was at the National Security Agency. Converting from line to intelligence specialty, he completed 12 years of reserve duty and retired as a Captain, USNR, in 1986.

Concurrent with leaving active duty, Mr. Coleman earned an M.S. in financial management at George Washington University. His early industry career involved a variety of assignments on classified programs for General Electric Space Systems Division at Valley Forge, PA; Washington, DC; and Sunnyvale, CA. As his career matured, he held a progressive set of responsibilities in marketing, business development, research, and advanced programs for GE, RCA, and Litton, leading efforts in domestic tactical and strategic reconnaissance programs and foreign airborne reconnaissance opportunities in Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. and Kuwait.

It was during one of these campaigns that Mr. Coleman became the unwilling guest of Saddam Hussein and served 4 ½ months as a "human shield" in Iraq, immediately prior to the hostilities involved in the first Gulf War.

Following this mid-career adjustment, Mr. Coleman joined Lockheed Martin Information Systems and continued to lead ventures both domestically and internationally. He managed a multinational partnership, formed strategic alliances with Spanish, U.K., French, and Japanese partners in a variety of opportunities, and led capture management campaigns in Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Taiwan.

Philip Max Kay, Senior Consultant

Philip Max Kay joined Holden International in 1994 as a program facilitator, bringing with him over 25 years of telecommunications and high-technology sales and marketing experience. Since then, he has established himself as a skilled practitioner of Holden methodologies, delivering Power Base® Selling workshops to clients globally. Mr. Kay also facilitates our coaching, management, and creating sales programs.

Prior to joining Holden, Mr. Kay founded his own competitive sales training consulting company specializing in programs for the telecommunications industry. Clients included SBC Communications, Inc., Lucent Technologies, Toshiba America Inc., and Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co., as well as numerous emerging telecommunications companies. He began his career selling NEC and ROLM telecommunications systems. Mr. Kay has also held the position of product manager for voice communications products at Wang Laboratories, Inc. (now Wang Global Inc.), and telecommunications consultant at Arthur D. Little.

He is the author of the audio cassette program, How to Compete and Win in the Telecommunications Industry, and the book Compete and Win in Telecom Sales.

Mr. Kay earned a BA in economics from Colby College in Waterville, ME and an MBA in marketing from Boston University. A former lieutenant in the United States Navy, he resides in Beverly Farms, MA, and is an active skier, sailor, scuba diver, and runner, having completed 39 marathons.