Lake Forest, IL (Jan. 16, 2019) — Impact, a leading managed service provider, kicked off the new year with continued growth and multiple internal promotions. Effective January 2019, Mike Lepper was promoted to general manager, Illinois/South; Jordan Jaenicke to sales manager of Bolingbrook Sales Team 1; Rocco Belcaster to sales manager of Bolingbrook Sales Team 2; Eric Janik to sales manager of Bolingbrook Sales Team 3; and Caitlin Cima to functional consultant for the Enterprise Solutions department.
Mike Lepper
Mike Lepper
Mike Lepper started at Impact in May 2010 as an entry-level sales rep in the Darien office after graduating from Northern Illinois University as a D1 athlete for football. During his tenure with Impact, Lepper rose through the ranks as a sales rep before being promoted to Sales Manager in January 2014. As a young manager, Lepper recognized that one of the greatest challenges he was up against was getting entry-level reps to believe in the Impact process. During his five years in management, he was incredibly successful at helping reps see a long-term vision for their careers and growth opportunities within the company. One of his many accomplishments was watching four of his entry-level reps develop and eventually move into management.
As General Manager, Illinois/South, Lepper will be responsible for overseeing all four sales teams out of Bolingbrook. As General Manager, Illinois/North, Cory Carnes will be responsible for the two Chicago Loop sales teams, with the addition of a third team planned for April, and the Lake Forest sales team expanding to include a second team in the future. Illinois is an incredibly large market and currently, Impact only has 8 percent market share. By splitting the state between two General Managers, both regions will be able to reach their full potential. According to Tom Pieters, VP of Sales, in the next two to three years the Illinois/North region is expected to grow to be a $50-75 million operation, and the Illinois/South region is expected become a $50-60 million operation.
In Bolingbrook, three brand new managers were also recently promoted, and Lepper will be responsible for getting them and their teams up and running. He is excited to teach them about the basics of management and provide them with the insights that made him successful. Taking on three new managers at the same time would be a challenge for anyone, but Lepper knows that by teaching them to manage individuals rather than a team, they will find success.
Mike’s achievements are credited to his dedication to the Impact process, and to Frank Cucco, Dan Meyer and Tom Pieters, who have been mentors to him for the past nine years. Each of the partners has helped to shape his career and management style.
Lepper has had many accomplishments during his time at Impact, including Rookie of the Year, multiple Partner’s Dinners, becoming a two-time Million Dollar Club winner and being named an Impact Partner in August 2016. However, his greatest accomplishment was hitting 100 percent or more of his quota during all of his five years as a manager.
Lepper’s incredible work ethic and dedication to Impact will lead to his continued success as General Manager, Illinois/South. Tom Pieters expressed his confidence in Lepper saying, “Mike Lepper is everything we look for in a top manager; he is competitive, driven and has a great work ethic. In every position he has held in the company, he has been one of our top people. This promotion is a testament to his dedication to the job over the last nine years, and we are looking forward to watching his success in this new position.”
Jordan Jaenicke
Jordan Jaenicke
As a recent hire to Impact, Jordan Jaenicke has proven to be a valuable asset to the company. Jaenicke started with Impact in June 2018 as a Senior Account Manager for Bolingbrook Sales Team 1. Prior to Impact, Jaenicke worked at Synnex Corporation as a National Account Executive, where he focused on 15 accounts with a $30-40 million budget. His prior experience in the industry and ability to manage large budgets is what initially encouraged Mike Lepper to bring him on board. Since then, Lepper has continued to be a mentor to Jaenicke and helped him to achieve this promotion.
As a Senior Account Executive with Impact, Jaenicke made a swift impression on the Bolingbrook office and Impact executive team by putting in the time and effort to learn the ins and outs of the business. Now as a Sales Manager, Jaenicke is most excited to work with the sales reps on his team and help them to grow their careers. His new role will include focusing on the day-to-day operations of the team and working to get entry-level reps promoted to more senior positions as quickly as possible.
“It’s exciting to see Jordan Jaenicke promoted to Sales Manager. He has a natural leadership mentality that is going to make him very successful. In his time at Impact, he has already earned the respect of his team and the Bolingbrook office,” said Impact General Manager, Illinois/South, Mike Lepper. Jaenicke’s ability to adapt to the fast-paced nature of the company and act as a natural leader has ensured everyone that he and his team are going to be incredibly successful.
Rocco Belcaster
Rocco Belcaster
In April 2016, Rocco Belcaster joined Impact as an entry-level sales rep in the Chicago Loop office, immediately following graduation from Ball State University with a degree in Marketing. As a former D1 athlete in basketball, Belcaster understands that it takes practice and preparation to be successful, and has brought that same work ethic to Impact. His athletic drive taught him the importance of teamwork, and even as a sales rep, he was a valued resource to new employees.
While in the Loop office, Brad Rozmarynowski became his inspiration and Belcaster found great success mimicking Brad’s day-to-day actions early on. For the past three years, Belcaster was a cornerstone in the Loop office and always ranked at the top for sales. Now as Sales Manager for Bolingbrook Sales Team 2, he is most excited to take on the challenge of managing newer reps. He will now spend the majority of his time leading his young team in the field, developing their skills and helping them advance to the next level.
“When I first started at Impact, Rocco was a great resource for me. He knows the Impact process and has shown an ability to be a great coach,” said Mike Giardina, Sales Manager, Chicago Loop. “I’m confident that Rocco will be very effective as a Sales Manager. If his reps can learn to prepare and practice the way he does, they will become a very successful team very quickly.”
Belcaster has had many notable accomplishments at Impact, including three six-figure deals, four Partners’ Dinners and four sales incentive trips. His even-keeled nature and drive will make him a great Sales Manager and mentor for his team.
Eric Janik
Eric Janik
Eric Janik joined Impact in June 2016, immediately following graduation from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Sales, Merchandising and Marketing. Janik was first introduced to Impact when Mike Lepper spoke in one of his classes about his growing career with Impact and knew that he wanted to be a part of the company.
During his time at Impact, Janik has grown from an entry-level sales rep to associate, then senior and now is the Sales Manager of Bolingbrook Sales Team 3. As a respected member of the team and a true leader, Janik’s promotion is well-deserved. Leading a mixed team of seasoned veterans and newer reps, he will work with the tenured reps on strategy and business solutions, while training the newer reps to follow the Impact process. His goal is to help his reps grow and get promoted, ultimately creating a more balanced spread of experience amongst the team. In this new role, Janik is most excited to compete against the other Sales Managers in the company, whom he considers to be the best in the industry.
His rapid success is credited to multiple people, including Mike Flores, Mike Lepper and Tony Deszcz. Each of them selflessly devoted time to working with him throughout every stage of his career. His notable successes include being in the Million Dollar Club, making it to the final round of the Boiler Room Competition and ranking among the top reps for Rookie of the Year. However, when asked, Janik noted that he thinks the best is yet to come.
“Since starting at Impact, Eric has been a great addition to the Bolingbrook team. He has always carried himself in a professional manner, and in turn, earned the respect of the senior level reps,” said Mike Lepper, General Manager, Illinois/South. “Eric is passionate about helping people grow their careers, and I think this will be a key factor in his success as a manager.”
Caitlin Cima
Caitlin Cima
In August 2008, Caitlin Cima joined Impact as an entry-level sales rep after graduating from Western Illinois University with a degree in Communications. Cima started her sales career in the Darien office working her way up to becoming a Major Account Executive. When Impact expanded its offerings into the business process automation sector, Cima found her niche. She became very familiar with the software solutions, closing multiple six-figure Strategic Services deals, including the department’s largest deal to-date.
After 11 years in sales, Cima has been promoted to Functional Consultant for Impact’s new Enterprise Solutions department. In this position, she will act as a pre- and post-sales specialist for the department’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. She will work closely with the sales teams to sell ERP and directly with customers during the implementation process. During her time in sales, Cima showed a genuine interest in improving her client’s processes and formed incredibly strong customer relationships. Her commitment to clients will be essential when implementing ERP solutions, which can take anywhere from 90 days to 12 months.
Additionally, as a member of the growing Enterprise Solutions team, she will be involved in the conception and execution of training the Sales department on the new Microsoft Dynamics suite.
Mark Sengstock, Director of Enterprise Solutions, is looking forward to having Cima on his growing team and expressed his confidence in her, saying, “I’m very excited to have Caitlin working with me in this new department. As one of Impact’s top sales reps, she has expertise in all of our products and solutions that will be incredibly valuable when meeting with new and current customers. I know that Caitlin will be an expert in ERP shortly, and will be very successful in her new role.”
During her time as a sales rep, Cima was named Rookie of the Year and made it into the Million Dollar Club seven years in a row. Her ability to adapt to the ever-changing nature of the industry and work as a team player will be essential in this new role.
Promoting from within is one of Impact’s core values, and each of these employees is more than deserving of this advancement. The Impact team is excited to watch them grow in their new roles and lead their teams to success.
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About Impact
Founded in 1999, Impact is one of the fastest-growing managed services providers in the nation, employing over 550 industry experts at 17 locations throughout the Midwest and West Coast. Beginning as a hardware dealer in an increasingly stagnant industry, Impact expanded into the business process optimization sector, helping businesses to reduce redundant, manual processes with intelligent automation. Today, Impact specializes in the conception, development and execution of customized strategies and solutions that improve technical, financial, operational and creative aspects of a business. The Impact suite of services includes Intelligent Process Automation, Managed IT & Cloud Services, Print & Document Management and Branding & Marketing. Recognized for rapid growth, continued innovation and company culture, Impact has been listed as an Inc. 5000 “America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” nine years in a row, Entrepreneur Magazine “Top Company Culture” and Chicago Tribune “Top Places to Work.” In 2019, Impact will celebrate 20 years of successful growth with continued plans for rapid expansion in sales, solutions, employees and locations.
