Contact Andrew Hough
- Email: Andrew.Hough@cranfield.ac.uk
Background
Andy has spent over 25 years in individual sales roles before developing his career into sales leadership across financial services and technology sectors, including companies such as Lloyds, Barclays, GE Capital and concluding as Vice President Sales EMC (Now Dell | EMC).
Having travelled the world in sales roles, I have enjoyed a wide range of sales experiences and seen some wonderful best practices in companies and met some wonderful people.
Current activities
Andy is founder and CEO of the Association of Professional Sales which over 8 years has grown into the world's only independent professional body focused on parity for professional sellers, providing learners and members with qualifications, certifications, forums, best practices and the world's largest on-line learning management system.
With work undertaken at the Association seeing the potential impact on sales performance through formal learning as delivered by apprenticeships in sales at diploma, degree, and masters levels, has led to starting the exciting research journey with Cranfield University.
By reviewing the literature and designing the research, I hope to prove the Impact on Sales Performance of Professional and Soft Skills. This is pivotal in the future of sales development. If a direct link can be shown between formal, then professional education and then skills development and how that impacts on sales performance, then more organisations will sponsor their sellers into formal sales education.
By continuing to draw academics and practitioners together there will be benefits for individuals, their organisations, and their customers, leading to wider societal benefits.