Young professionals from BrandSource member businesses around the United States gathered June 11-14 in Tahoe, California, for the Tustin, California-based buying group’s annual BrandSource Young Professionals University that featured more than 20 speakers.
“This year’s Young Professionals University brought together some of the best and brightest up-and-coming leaders in our industry,” said Jennifer Baldwin, director of marketing and member communications for Associated Volume Buyers Inc., parent of BrandSource. “The educational sessions were well-received, and we know we’re going to see great things from these young people in the years to come.”
Educational topics included inventory financing, with a presentation by Alicia Torres of Wells Fargo; and the benefits of a warranty service in a presentation by Michael Costanza, vice president of business development at Square Trade, a provider in the device protection industry and a sponsor of the 2018 event. The group also discussed managing turnover, building a talent bench and creative ways to engage customers.
The keynote speaker was inspiration coach Shannon McKain, who discussed the differences in values and motivations of each generation and how they work together.
The attendees also heard from several BrandSource representatives, who brought them up to date on the latest advances within the group’s benefits. For example, Jarred Roy, general manager of sales at BrandSource, led a session called “The Five Forces Workshop” about the importance of sales and how to do things differently to stand out in the industry.
