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Self-assured executive Kirk Hanes thrives on proving himself Using the skills he teamed as a hiker and technical mountain climber, Hanes understands that effective corporate communication and business performance are supported by a step-by-step approach that incorporates teamwork, strategic thinking and plenty of practice. So what does this lanky former petroleum industry computer programmer-turned sales executive and CEO actually do, and how does he do it?
Hanes is best described as a vice president for hire - a fractional vice president, as he calls himself. Since the late 1990s, the Monument resident and founder of Summit Performance Partners, LLC has offered his executive management skills, sales force and team-building knowledge, along with high-powered motivational messages to move entrepreneurial organizations to new heights. And, in these days of economic challenge, he finds his schedule busier than ever.
"My goal is to increase a companys performance and revenues. There will always be a demand for that - even with downsizing and conservative financial projections," he states confidently.
The concept of consulting with companies that cannot afford a traditional highpriced sales or management pro grew popular in the 1990s, as start-ups struggled to find and pay the talent necessary to grow. "Many companies developed great reservoirs of technical knowledge, but were lost when it came to business survival, sales management and building revenues," Hanes admits.
Educated as an undergrad at Kansas University, Hanes earned a B.S. in engineering and went on to also get an executive MBA from Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He joined Garrett Computing Systems as a computer programmer upon graduation and moved up through the ranks as sales account manager.
Hanes' first boss and mentor identified...