Team GDA, Inc.

•  Eric Richardson
•  Lorraine Richardson
•  Ed Harper
•  Reed Farley
•  Ron White
•  Robert Toatley
•  Bob Bruchey

Eric Richardson, President and CEO, has more than twenty-three years' experience in sales, sales training, and senior management.  At IBM his turnaround management style resulted in a top performing sales unit, growing sales from $8 million to $42 million in one year's time.  He managed sales training for IBM sales reps and systems engineers before becoming Assistant to the Vice President of Marketing Operations, IBM U.S.   As Digital's first Area Director of Sales and Marketing, Eric managed a staff whose sales and marketing programs helped create the top Digital sales Area in the U.S.  He pioneered methodologies to change traditional marketing efforts into a demand generation business which helped the Area grow from a half billion dollars to one billion dollars in three years, a process he continued as Digital's U.S. Competitive Strategies Manager.  Eric is the author of GDA’s Demand Generation and Preferred Partner classes and co-author of Quantifying Benefits.

Lorraine Richardson, Executive Vice President, Operations and co-founder of the company, has 23 years of experience in sales, sales support, management and training.  Lorraine performs the duties of financial, administration and operational management for GDA.  Lorraine is also responsible for a sister organization, Getting Ahead, Inc., which provides personal development training and products for multiple audiences.  Lorraine began her career in the public sector as a systems analyst for Public Health & Hospitals in St. Louis, MO.  She then developed and directed a federally funded training and counseling project on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome throughout the greater St. Louis area.  Moving into the private sector, Lorraine began an eleven year career with IBM, holding positions of Systems Engineer, Regional Sales Support Representative and Systems Engineering Manager for IBM large accounts sales divisions.  Her experience base includes working with clients in federal government, finance and insurance industries, developing and implementing geographically based sales and marketing programs for storage and printing systems and security software.  She received numerous branch and regional manager awards, national sales awards, and earned two systems engineering symposiums.    

Ed Harper, one of the original co-founders of GDA, brings more than 30 years of sales and sales management experience to GDA, including 16 years at IBM and Digital, where he developed and implemented a demand generation executive curriculum, Tapestry, that generated hundreds of new, hands-on customer opportunities for Digital’s Mid-Atlantic Area. Ed is the author of GDA’s Consultative Selling class and co-author of Quantifying Benefits.  Since 1997, Ed has been responsible for Growth Development Associates’ consulting services operations as well as trainer and training content development. An excellent group facilitator, Ed has conducted successful strategic planning sessions and teambuilding events for many years, producing breakthrough results in organization development, business process design, and performance management. 

Reed Farley has 26 years of sales and marketing experience with IBM and Lexmark International Inc.  He began his career as a sale representative with IBM and subsequently held positions of marketing manager, branch manager, and district manager along with a number of staff positions which included teaching at IBM’s management development school and as an administrative assistant to a divisional president.  In 1992 IBM spun off an independent business unit which would eventually become Lexmark.  Mr. Farley was named national sales manager of this unit. After Lexmark’s formation, he was named southwestern area manager.  He was later named director of sales, vice president of sales and then vice president of sales and marketing.  Following his retirement from Lexmark, Mr. Farley was named senior vice president, industry development and technology for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and has subsequently managed his own racing and breeding stable. 

Ron White is a business development and marketing consultant with over thirty-three years of experience. His career began in 1975 with The Travelers Insurance Company in Minneapolis, where he served as an employee benefits sales representative. During his first ten years with Travelers, Ron earned five promotions and won their national sales contest seven times. After he was promoted into sales management in 1986, Ron was consistently performed in the country's top ten in personal production, and he led the Minneapolis team to a "Distinguished Office of the Year" award. Ron was promoted to Regional Vice President, Midwest Region in 1991 and moved to Chicago. In 1994 Ron joined MMI Companies as Vice President, Sales and further extended his knowledge in healthcare while increasing top-line growth to this Risk Management Enterprise. In 1996, he joined Fortis and returned to the Twin Cities fully versed in both clinical and financial risk, making him one of only a few healthcare executives with extensive business development experience. In 2000, White joined United Healthcare as Regional Vice President of its Small Business Group, which provides employee benefits to employer groups of less than fifty employees. In less than six months, Ron was promoted to National Sales Vice President. During his two-year tenure, top-line revenues nearly doubled and net income soared. In late 2002, he was asked to join Corporate Marketing & Business Development, reporting directly to the Chief Marketing Officer. White left United Healthcare Group in 2005 to establish his own business development consulting and executive search business, RC White Enterprises, Inc. In May, 2008 he merged his company with GDA and became the GDA Chief Sales Officer. He focuses his expertise on business development training and techniques within the C-Suites of major organizations.

Robert Toatley has 30 years of sales and marketing experience with a few of America’s most successful companies, including 18 years with IBM where he began his career as a systems engineer.  Within IBM he held fast track positions including systems engineering manager, marketing manager, branch manager, and sales director along with a number of staff positions which included teaching at IBM’s Entry Marketing Education Center. Robert also served as program manager for the Director of Worldwide Sales to Enterprise Accounts.  In 1995 Robert joined Silicon Graphics Computer Systems as the North Central Region’s Sales Director.  He later moved to Lawson Software in 1997 where he served as General Manager for Lawson’s AS/400 Business Unit and Vice President of Lawson’s Retail Division.  In 2001 Robert joined SPS Commerce as Vice President of Sales and was later recruited to Thomson FindLaw in 2004 as Vice President of Sales and Account Management.   

Bob Bruchey has over 34 years of sales and marketing experience with numerous companies in the high tech industry. He began his career as a sale representative with Burroughs Corporation after graduating "Magna Cum Laude" from the University of Maryland in College Park. Bob had a 20 year career working at Digital Equipment Corporation holding positions that included Global Account Manager, District Sales Manager, Director of Regional Marketing and Director of Federal Government Professional Services Sales. He also served as Director of Americas Professional Services Sales at Compaq Computer Corporation. Bob's career continued with Vice President of Sales positions at a Pricewaterhouse Coopers subsidiary, Wintara, Iponix and Cross Match Technologies. Prior to joining GDA, Bob was instrumental in implementing a plan to market Reverse Mortgages at Harvard Mortgage. Bob resides in the Annapolis, Maryland where he serves on the Board of Directors for a local youth athletics organization. He also serves as the president of his homeowner's association.