Associate Spotlight: John Ulery
Learn more about John Ulery, Regional Sales Director, PDI Healthcare, and his experience as part of the Sales team.
Q. Can you tell us a little about your role at PDI?
Ulery: I am the Regional Sales Director over the Ohio Valley region, I oversee the sales team that covers nine states. My primary responsibilities include employee development, training, and sales management.
Q. What does “Be the Difference” mean to you?
Ulery: This phrase has many meanings for me. I want to be the difference in the training and development of each of my team members. I want to be the difference with my customers by helping them reduce preventable infections and associated costs. I want to be the difference for the patients by helping to save lives by reducing preventable infections.
Q. What new skills have you learned while working at PDI? How have you developed personally and professionally?
Ulery: My direct supervisor has encouraged my interest in pursuing my MBA while working full time, thus over the last two years I have been able to apply classroom knowledge to real world situations at PDI.
Q. Are there any unique / exciting projects you have been able to work on while at PDI?
Ulery: As a member of the Sales Leadership Council I have been able to have insight and a voice in many projects in the developmental phase.
Q. What has been your favorite project / program that you have been able to work on while at PDI?
Ulery: When the pandemic first started my team and I developed a virtual sales training program that was rolled out to the entire sales team. This program gave home office bound sales professionals additional skills with presenting virtually, which has become another tool we can now use at any time.
Q. What impact do you feel your function has had on the industry, particularly during COVID?
Ulery: The sales team as a whole has truly had an opportunity to become a trusted advisor to our customers. We have been able to share best practices across healthcare organizations and become a sounding board for our customers. One customer that oversees the critical care units at a well known children’s hospital called me concerned there might be a shortage of one of our products; she said without our product “babies will die.” It really drove home the importance of PDI and the impact of our products.
Q. Can you provide some insights on your team dynamics / working relationships with colleagues?
Ulery: The power of PDI is our people, each person you deal with is a genuinely good person who is willing to go out of their way to help you. There is always an assumption of good intention by all team members, therefore the working dynamic is amazing. I have asked several people to be informal mentors for different members of my team, and each time the answer has been an enthusiastic yes. I then get updates from both my team member and the mentor telling me how they have both grown and learned from the mentor/mentee relationship.
Q. What is your favorite memory from working at PDI?
Ulery: My favorite memory is my first national sales meeting at PDI, I was finally able to meet some of the people that had been helping me for months. The sense of common mission and camaraderie was awesome.
Q. Have you participated in any charitable programs or events through PDI? If so, which ones and what impact did that program have on our local community?
Ulery: Every year PDI sponsors a “Be the Difference Day”- during this day I find joy in including my family in activities that support our local community, last year my son and I donated blood together.
Q. Do you have any interesting hobbies or fun facts you could share? (personal or work related)
Ulery: Again, family appears to be a theme in my life. Currently my family and I are training for the “Tough Mudder” and we just completed the Pittsburgh Marathon relay together as our first step on our training path to the Mudder this fall !
Q. How long have you been with PDI and why have you decided to stay with the company?
Ulery: I have been with PDI for five years, and the people at PDI are the reason I have stayed I have a great team that I manage, a fantastic boss, and a supportive and knowledgeable group of peers.
Q. How has the company evolved since you joined?
Ulery: PDI really feels like it has come to an inflection point, we are transitioning from a relatively small company and are currently on a launching pad… primed and ready for huge growth and opportunities.