We are a best of breed company. Our team, programs, training and success partnering all center on relationships, both internally and externally. Our training programs create cohesive and productive teams for both inward and outward facing employees. We work with all levels, from executives and partners, to mid management and staff. We do not and will not ever tell you that one person, one entity or one theory will solve all of your issues and problems. Beware of those that do.
If you are ready to take yourself, your company, your team, your division to a whole new level, you have come to the right place. Here are a few of the benefits our clients receive:
- Increased
revenue
- Recommendation generation
- Enhanced productivity
- Decreased stress
- Better communication
When you are ready, Turnkey Strategic Relations is here to serve you.
Key Management
Jim Ponder
President and Chief Executive Officer
Jim has over 25 years of experience in top management positions. He has been President of four companies and founded two multimillion dollar companies.
Jim is a seasoned entrepreneur and businessman. He is an experienced trainer, speaker, consultant and success partner. His diverse background brings experience in strategic planning, business and brand development and strong organizational skills. Jim has worked with many companies and organizations from large to small including AFLAC, Qualcomm and American Express Financial Services.
Jim clearly understands the issues facing businesses today. Competition has shown the need, more than ever, for companies to differentiate themselves. His background and success of building companies through relationships allows him to share his insights providing real change to companies and organizations desiring to excel.
Jim has a B.S. in Business Administration from San Diego State University, has served on local, state and national industry boards and organizations and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International. Additionally, he is actively involved with the Executive MBA program at San Diego State University teaching two sessions.
Jim believes strongly in giving back and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Military Outreach Ministry and is active with Monte Christo Ministries in South Africa.
Jim lives in Escondido, California and has been married to Carol since 1981. He has two children and enjoys biking, snow skiing and running.
Mara Babin
Professional Services Development
Mara Babin is head of development for the professional services sector. Mara is a business lawyer with more than 30 years experience in private equity, M&A, joint ventures and law firm management. For six years, Mara was managing partner of the London office of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey L.L.P. She also served as the head of that firm’s highly successful European and Middle East private equity practice.
Mara’s mergers, acquisitions and joint venture experience includes numerous acquisitions for U.S. publicly traded companies and funds in a variety of industries. She regularly advises clients in the formation and structuring of early stage, technology driven companies, including matters related to executive and equity based compensation programs and the protection of intellectual property.
She is co-author of “Structuring European Real Estate Private Equity Funds,” published in the January 2004 issue of Briefings in Real Estate Finance, and "Privatization to Private Equity," published in the April 2004 issue of The European Lawyer.
Mara enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and the excitement of helping people realize their dreams.
Sharon Morris
Training Specialist and Success Partner
Sharon is a highly motivated, knowledgeable and experienced coach and facilitator. Sharon enjoys working with entrepreneurs, small and large businesses, executives, and high potential managers by focusing on leadership skills that drive career success and measurable, incremental profitability for their businesses.
Sharon’s experience allows her to assess the most strategic, results-oriented action plans needed to work though challenging personal and professional issues. Clients appreciate her direct approach, objectivity and mentoring style. She is a graduate from Coach U and a member of the San Diego Professional Coach Alliance.
As the former owner and Executive Vice President of the twenty-two store retail chain, Bill Gambles Menswear, Sharon has extensive experience in the areas of finance, operations, warehousing, employee recruitment and retention and team training.
Because Sharon has worked in all areas of a very successful multi-facility business, clients benefit from her hands-on, realistic and relevant knowledge-base. Sharon understands and has herself applied her processes to everything from establishing a mission statement and business plan to hiring and training the best and brightest employees to implement them.
Sharon is an accomplished trainer who uses two different training methods – one-on-one mentoring and formal leadership training workshops. Both involve performance-based processes that improve individual and team performance. She is a facilitator of DiSC® leadership training and assessment programs.
Sharon has lived in San Diego for over 25 years. She enjoys life with her husband, including traveling, skiing, and being with family and friends.
Julie Yozamp
Training Specialist and Product Design
Julie provides training facilitation and has vast experience in creating and customizing programs for our clients.
Julie has substantial business experience including, selling Digital Equipment Corporation office automation products and worksystems and managing sales teams spanning multiple industries. As Sales Training Manager at Digital, Julie managed a staff responsible for training and development of 900 sales and technical support people on products, technologies, customers' industries, sales skills, sales management, and interpersonal skills. Prior to Digital, she successfully sold for Exxon Office Systems.
Julie has created, customized, and conducted programs including selling and demonstration skills, account management, product training, new hire sales training, interviewing skills, coaching, and sales performance management. Julie's specialty is collaborating with Sales and Marketing management to identify the behaviors that will result in improved sales performance and creating custom solutions.
Julie attended the University of Minnesota, St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Steve Bannigan
Operations, Success Partner and Business Development
Steve brings over 26 years of success increasing market share, new business / market development and sales team training. Steve’s vast experience includes building sales teams resulting in record revenue growth. He has developed technical and sales training programs leading to significant success.
Among Steve’s many accomplishments are the management of national sales offices and sales teams resulting in sales increases and additional market share, development of national direct response programs, development of government and private sector contracts for technical services and sales, and the development and implementation of major account plans.
Steve acted as Corporate Director of Sales and Marketing for a major electrical contractor with over 400 employees and 14 branch offices nationwide. During his tenure at the company, he significantly increased branch revenue, was responsible for training, and developed and instituted a sales coaching program.
Steve’s ability to uncover the needs of his clients and meet those needs has proven valuable to many companies and individuals. He works diligently and efficiently making the most out of every call and meeting. Steve treats each client like they are his only client.
Steve holds multiple certifications in success partnering, sales development, and business operations.
Bill Ginn
Business Development and Director of Incentives and Rewards
Bill offers over 19 years experience in the hospitality, event and incentive travel industry. From 1988 to 1992, he worked for Sheraton National Sales in New York City followed by three (3) years as Director of Special Events for the Upper Deck Company.
For the past 12 years, Bill has developed and managed numerous individual, group incentive programs in the corporate sector. Bill worked on the operations side of many high profile events including the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, The Masters, ADT Golf Skills plus corporate hospitality programs at the U.S. Open, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro AM and The Super Bowl.
Bill’s attention to detail and total focus on customer satisfaction allows him to consistently deliver beyond clients expectations.
He is a graduate of Villanova University, served in the U.S. Navy and currently lives in Carlsbad, California.
Kelly Ponder
Project and Event Manager
Kelly’s experience in project and event management allows her to seamlessly work with any size organization from sole proprietor to Fortune 500. Whether collaborating with in-house project managers and event personnel or providing full service, she makes working with Turnkey a pleasure.
Kelly excels at taking a project from concept to completion. Her creative side shows in special events such as fun runs and 5K’s, charity auctions, training events, and booking that special speaker. Kelly’s experience includes retail management, merchandising, and purchasing.
Kelly is also the Event and Fundraising Coordinator for Monte Christo Ministries and the Hands Across the Waters Foundation. She has traveled to South Africa to experience the ministry in action and is passionate about their mission and goals.
Kelly is active with her Rotary club and serves on the district committee for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. She is also a Paul Harris Fellow.
Kelly graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona with a degree in Parks and Recreation Management. She enjoys skiing, fitness, travelling, and time with friends and family.
Tom Gay
Principal
Tom provides the company with significant insight and strategic thinking. Early in Tom’s career he was swept up into the corporate hierarchy of Sherwin Williams performing market research and developing technology to determine where the company would put new stores. As his expertise grew, so did his entrepreneurial spirit.
In 1979, Tom formed National Decision Systems based in San Diego, California. The company became the largest provider of technology to help marketers know who their customers would be. Customers included Lexus, Acura, CVS pharmacies, Marshalls, and Dunkin' Donuts as well as all of the region’s banks. In 1988, Tom sold the company to Equifax.
In 1990, the entrepreneurial itch was again felt by Tom so he founded Vista Environmental Information which became Vista Information Services. The business grew to over 1,000 employees and was listed on NASDAQ. In 2000, at $100 million in revenue, Vista was merged with five other companies that also managed property information under the name Fidelity National Financial.
Tom soon found a calling in South Africa and began to apply his entrepreneurial skills with the founding of Monte Christo Ministries. He and his wife Patti travel routinely between South Africa and the United States. Tom continues to embody the entrepreneurial spirit and enjoys spending time with his two sons and daughter.
