Chris McDonell, President of McDonell Consulting & Development, Inc. has more than 25 years of experience in sales and executive leadership. He has lived and worked around the U.S. for some of the world's leading financial corporations, such as Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Chris has been with Sandler Training since 2008 and has formed successful partnerships with both small and large companies in a wide range of industries.
As an executive in the corporate world, he has led large sales, operations, and management teams to reach and surpass business goals on a continual basis. Furthermore, he has hands-on experience and expertise in all areas of leadership, marketing, operations, and sales. This is due to having trained and coached thousands of sales professionals, sales managers, and senior level management of both large and small companies across the country.
Chris graduated from Salisbury State University, and during his time as an executive at Citigroup, was selected as one of six from among more than 2,500, to attend and complete a two-year curriculum with focus on Executive-level Credit Management at the National Institute of Consumer Credit Management (NICCM), Milwaukee WI.
An Interview with Chris
What is one fun fact about you?
I enjoy a quality home theater experience, and have always been an audiophile when it comes to music.
What do you like best about your role?
I get the greatest satisfaction building long-term relationships with our clients, and seeing them hit milestones (personally and professionally) that they may not have seen as being possible.
Who inspires you?
My grandfather first comes to mind. He grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania, and worked hard all of his life to support his family. I am also very inspired by my children as they go through the various phases of life. When they were toddlers, they reminded me of what it is like to be happy with the simple things in life. As they get older, I realize that I laugh when they laugh, and smile when they smile... I admire how excited they get about every new opportunity that comes their way, and inspired at their resilience during tough times.
What is one food you can’t live without?
All natural almond butter. It used to be peanut butter, however recently tried almond butter and loved it. A spoon full in the morning, and in the evening when walking past the fridge is a must.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia. I love tropical environments, and natural aquatic ecosystems. I would love to visit with my family for a few weeks, and simply explore and take in the beauty.
