Announcing Dan Heffernan's Retirement & Leadership Changes at AdvantageCS
After 37 years at AdvantageCS, with half of those years served as our Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Product Planning, Dan Heffernan is retiring. Dan has been responsible for the sales of our software worldwide, adding 46 direct enterprise clients and dozens of indirect ones via three service bureaus.
Dan rose through the ranks at AdvantageCS, starting fresh out of university in 1982 as a programmer and moving through various roles until landing in sales. After a six-year absence, which was spent consulting in Nicaragua, he returned to AdvantageCS in 1997 and managed three large implementation projects. The first of those had him relocate to Orlando, Florida, and the other two required moving his family to Oxford, England for four years. In 2004, Dan moved back into sales and was promoted to Vice President in 2007.
When asked about his career at AdvantageCS, Dan said, “I am extremely grateful to AdvantageCS management for allowing me the flexibility to try new things until I found what I love: helping set the product direction and selling it! I have had a terrific career here at AdvantageCS. I have worked with some very smart, talented individuals who have become my mentors. I will miss the unique corporate culture at AdvantageCS, which is both collaborative and family-friendly. I’ve made many good friends here over the years, and I will miss that daily contact with colleagues. I know that AdvantageCS will move from strength to strength in the years to come!”
With Dan’s retirement, U.S. sales, business development, and marketing responsibilities are being transitioned to John Sheehy, who has been promoted to Executive Director of Product & Market Strategy. Europe and U.K. sales and business development are transitioning to Philippe van Mastrigt, recently promoted to Managing Director, Europe. Both John and Philippe now report to Bryan Varblow, Executive Vice President & COO.
John has been with AdvantageCS for nearly 20 years, having started as an analyst working on implementation projects before taking on increasing responsibilities relating to product direction. Over the years, in addition to being our key product manager, he has played an important role in sales to prospects and existing clients.
Philippe has been with AdvantageCS for 16 years. Prior to beginning his career at AdvantageCS, he spent many years working in the publishing industry in Europe. Immediately before joining the company, he helped to implement Advantage at a large European publisher. At AdvantageCS, Philippe has been our primary representative in Europe, with our clients and at events in the region.
“Dan has been a valuable part of the leadership team at AdvantageCS for a number of years. His years as the head of our sales and marketing group, combined with his oversight of product direction, included some pivotal points of transformation for the company,” said Bryan Varblow. “Fortunately for AdvantageCS, John and Philippe bring decades of experience both at the company and within the industry. John has been leading our product direction team on a day-to-day basis for a number of years, also serving the key role of ensuring the best fit and solutions for prospects looking to adopt the Advantage platform. Philippe’s many years as our lead in the European marketplace, along with his extensive industry experience before joining AdvantageCS, make him well-suited to his new role as our Managing Director for Europe. Both John and Philippe have been key contributors to expanding our market presence.”
We wish Dan all the best in his years of retirement to come! Also, a resounding congratulations to John and Philippe on their promotions and additional leadership responsibilities at AdvantageCS!