Who We Are

The People First Approach

Too many organizations have spent too much time and money on incomplete solutions. Investments in training, organizational development, performance management, process improvements, and employee retention efforts often fail to deliver real and measurable results. As an executive with a Fortune 500 company, Deb Calvert, the founder and president of People First Productivity Solutions, was also challenged by the number of choices… and by the lack of sustainability those choices offered long-term.

But there is a better way. Transformational change is possible. The key to real and lasting change is aligning your people with your processes so everything works together to advance your business goals. Alignment comes when you build organizational strength by putting people first. This is an approach that makes sense to everyone, from your front-line employees to your senior management team. And with everyone on-board, the changes we bring to you will soon become part of your organization’s culture. Additionally, internal ownership of these changes means that you won’t have to rely on an ongoing consulting engagement to “prop up” the transformation you desire.

Deb Calvert

Managing Americans Expert Panel Member

 

Deb Calvert
President, People First Productivity Solutions

Deb Calvert, author of the DISCOVER Questions book series, has worked as a sales productivity specialist and sales researcher since 2000. She has worked with the newspaper industry for over 25 years as a consultant, a corporate director in Sales and Human Resources for a Fortune 500 company and as an Operations Director, Training Manager, and Sales Manager. Deb’s early career included a variety of inside, outside and major account sales positions. Over the past 10 years, Deb has worked with over 300 media companies to accelerate sales productivity. Deb hosts the CONNECT! online radio show for selling professionals where listeners ignite their selling power in just an hour.
As President and Founder of People First Productivity Solutions, Deb helps companies to boost productivity through people development. This work includes leadership program design and facilitation, strategic planning with executive teams, team effectiveness work, and performance management program design. Deb is certified to facilitate The Leadership Challenge® and also works with executives, managers, sales trainers and sales reps as a Humanistic Performance Coach. She is certified as an Executive Coach by the Center for Executive Coaching.
Deb is certified as a Master Sales Coach and Master Trainer. She is a charter member of The Sales Force Advisory Board and a graduate of the Accelerating Sales Force Performance executive program at Northwestern University. Deb is also a member of the American Society for Training & Development, national and Mount Diablo chapters, the American Management Association, and SF Coaches, a chapter of the International Coach Federation. Additionally, Deb is a Certified Practitioner with the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and other assessment tools.

Deb’s unique mix of senior-level Sales, Human Resources, and Operations experience gives her a unique perspective in understanding the challenges faced by companies and senior leaders.
deb.calvert@peoplefirstps.com

Mary Altuvilla

Mary Altuvilla
Senior Consultant

Mary Altuvilla has over 20 years of successful sales and management experience. Altuvilla has been affiliated with People First since April 2007, providing sales training, sales management training, and coaching.

Her media experience includes classified call center, automotive, retail territory and major account sales. With management roles in retail territory sales, retail advertising management, and as Vice President/Director of Advertising for the Pioneer Press, St. Paul Minnesota, (Circulation 250,000 Sunday), she successfully built and led high performance teams in one of the nation’s most competitive media markets.

As Vice President of Customer Development for the Pioneer Press, Mary was responsible for research, advertising financial management, customer call center and sales training. In this role, Mary led a company-wide project to examine and change workflow from sales prospecting through the production process. The result of the project was streamlined handoffs, reduced errors, and gains in available selling time for advertising representatives.

Mary began consulting in 2002 and worked with Knight Ridder, Inc and individual newspapers and media companies in the areas of training and staff development. She also provides executive coaching and program facilitation and has been a faculty member for Maynard Institute Media Academy and Knight Ridder’s Advertising Management Development program.

Mary is Achieve Global certified, master trainer in areas of consultative sales and sections process. She is an experienced coach to executives, sales professionals and trainers.

Mary and her family are based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

mary.altuvilla@peoplefirstps.com

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Alex Sim
Associate Trainer

Alex Sim has extensive experience in the field of marketing, specializing in sales and sales management, along with considerable skills in training entrepreneurs. His experience includes having worked in the packaged goods industry as Canadian National Sales Training Manager; he has held several executive positions and has a very successful career as a College Instructor. Alex has designed and presented business seminars on a wide range of topics, including all facets of business plan development, all aspects of the sales process, sales management, and marketing. His specialty is working with organizations to guide sales managers and sales executives in the proper methods required in providing positive leadership and direction to their salespeople.

From 1997 to 2012, Alex served as a Business Advisor/Instructor/Coordinator with the international award winning Douglas College Self Employment Program. The program provided new entrepreneurs training in business plan development, business research, and a series of eighteen business seminars, many that Alex designed and/or updated. Alex has helped over three thousand entrepreneurs complete extensive business plans, start-up activities, and ongoing mentoring.

From 1987 to the present, he has taught sales and sales management classes at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver, Canada, part time studies. Working in the School of Business evenings and weekends, Alex has enjoyed teaching over four thousand students the fine art becoming a proud sales professional.

Alex has a Certificate in Business Administration and a Certificate in Financial Management from George Brown College in Toronto and is certified to deliver an extensive array of seminars. His wide experiences in the business, public and education sectors, combined with his extensive world business related travels, have made him a seasoned consultant and seminar leader. Alex is noted for his sincere and often passionate delivery, a good sense of humor, and love of his chosen field.

alex.sim@peoplefirstps.com

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Renee Calvert
Art and Communications Director

Renee Calvert supports People First’s consultants and corporate office by coordinating all administrative work and scheduling. She has been working with People First since its inception, doubling as Special Projects Coordinator while attending school. Renee earned her Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University in 2009, with a concentration in Art and Economics. She then earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Animation at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in December of 2012.

Renee illustrated the Expedition Series sales training manuals for People First. Her unique artwork makes these courses stand out as inviting and engaging right from the start. With her educational credentials in Corporate Finance and Business Analytics, Renee also assists with People First’s sales productivity analysis and research, as well as website maintenance. She provides graphic design and artwork for company materials.

renee.calvert@peoplefirstps.com

Photos of Renee taken by Beth Lambert Hill of lamberthillphoto.com

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