W. O'Brien has over 20 years of experience in sales and sales management in the industrial automation industry. He has a proven track record of growing revenue and market share through strategic account development, strong presentation and interpersonal skills, and an analytical problem-solving approach. His roles have included key account manager, area sales manager, senior sales engineer, and regional manager where he consistently exceeded sales goals.

1. Professional Summary
Skills
Work History
W O'B
170 North Lincoln Avenue, Mundelein, IL 60060 • Home: 847-566-4429 • Cell: 847-372-0518 •
william.obrien170@comcast.net
Results-oriented and energetic Sales Engineer/Sales Managerwith expertise in lead qualification and
closing strategies. Extensive sales training and presentation experience. Strong experience focused on
profitable revenue growth and market share increases. An interest in mentoring others as well as being a
team oriented professional.
Strategic account development
Goal-oriented
Positive and upbeat
Strong interpersonal skills
Analytical problem solver
Technical understanding and aptitude
Strong Presentation Skills
Team oriented
Training orientation
Key Account Manager--National Distribution, 01/2015 to 05/2016
Lenze Americas – Glendale Heights
Primary responsibility was to work with Applied Industrial Technologies, headquartered in Cleveland, in
establishing sales momentum and corporate presence.
Grew Lenze's business with AIT approximately 8% in an overall down year for AIT's business.
AIT's primary industrial focuses are Oil and Gas, Aggregate, Automotive and Packaging.
Initiated programs to increase Lenze's presence at AIT's individual branch or service center. The
programs were centered around training, stock incentives, locally focused promotions and literature.
Developed ancillary duties by working with the Lenze sales teams in establishing stronger regional
presence at Lenze's tier 1 distributors. Created the mutual marketing plan that was used to identify
mutual goals and activities.
Created Drive for '16 programs focused on working with distributors in training their outside sales in
selling drives as well as identifying where drives were best applied. Trained Lenze's sales force in
identifying those opportunities as well and how to work through distribution in achieving customer
satisfaction.
Area Sales Manager, 08/2007 to 01/2014
Lenze Americas – Glendale Heights, Il.
Responsible for profitably growing Lenze's market share and revenues within Northern Illinois, Iowa and
Northern Indiana through working with distributors, targeting new OEMs, and working with existing
OEMs.
Lenze's product offering is comprised mostly of variable frequency drives, manufactured in US and

2. Education
Germany, servo drives in Germany, gearboxes and geared motors manufactured globally and
automation oriented product.
Grew Lenze's revenue from $1.6M to just under $3.85M over the period by working with existing
distributors, OEMs and identifying and closing new accounts and creating new channels of
distribution.
Jointly established a global corporate agreement with a key OEM in packaging and material
handling. The contract was worth $5M globally.
Successfully grew all of the distributors within my territory by planning, training and properly
executing plans. Developed a mutual planning procedure that was used throughout the country.
Exceeded goals every year including down economic years. Year over year increases ranged between
6% to over 24%.
Was awarded Sales Engineer of the Year for Automation product twice due to growth in revenues.
Successfully closed the industry leader in screen printing with Lenze's gearedmotors. The OEM
business was channeled through distribution.
Senior Sales Engineer, 06/2003 to 07/2007
Minarik – Carol Stream, Il.
Minarik is a manufacturer of DC drives and a distributor of motion/automation/safety products. My
position was in sales and I worked in the Northern Illinois territory.
Grew my territory from $.750M to $2.7M over that period.
Prime customer was a defense contractor that bought $525K in actuators and motors from Minarik.
Opened up a large packaging OEM account for Minarik DC drives. They bought about $250K from us.
Regional Manager, 11/2000 to 07/2003
Powermation – Wooddale, Il.
Powermation is an iconic Midwest located distributor of automation oriented products such as GE (PLCs,
Motion Control), Banner Engineering (Photoelectrics, Vision and Safety), Turck (Proximity Sensors and
encoders), Emerson (Servos, Drives), Control Techniques and Baldor among other products.
My region was Illinois and I managed the sales and operations of a 15 person team including outside
sales, customer service and inside sales, and warehouse.
Sales for the region grew to $4.3M over my time as regional manager.
Responsible for hiring and firing as well as inspiring outside sales.
Vendor relations were central to my success in this assignment.
Working closely with outside sales from identifying opportunities to closing profitable sales.
Developed and executed training programs for outside and inside sales.
Bachelor of Science: Marketing, 1974
Fordham University - New York, NY
MBA: Marketing Management, 1992
Loyola University-Chicago - Chicago, Il