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Company:  Zions First National Bank, Salt Lake City, UT
Company Description: Zions Bank, a subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation, operates 133 full-service offices in Utah and Idaho. In addition to offering a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions Bank is also a leader in small business lending and has ranked as the No. 1 lender of U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loans in Utah and Idaho for the past 18 and 10 consecutive years, respectively.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Director of the Year

Nomination Title: Rob Jeppsen, Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales

Tell the story about what this nominee achieved since the beginning of July 2011 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Entering 2012, growth goals of Zions Bank were much more aggressive than growth of the economy. New government regulation (Dodd Frank Act) slashed several $million of income from Zions before the year was a week old. Finally, Zions announced planned withdrawals from specific segments to write down $350Million in outstandings in the first quarter of the year. None of these factors seemed to facilitate an easy way to 8.5% growth (budget goal) let alone growth of 20% (Stretch Goal.)

Jeppsen's philosophy is World Class Sales Leaders create World Class Sales teams. With 10 regions and 150 Commercial Bankers, Jeppsen started with a new approach to coaching for the 10 region directors.

Step 1 was to model success. With the framework of "Activities Fuels Pipeline, and Pipeline Fuels Sales," Jeppsen targeted the Activity mix and predictability of daily activities on future outcomes.

To do this, Jeppsen modeled wins and losses in chosen target markets. Using statistical analysis of variance to identify the activities that result in predictable sales, new metrics were discovered and a new coaching process developed. Jeppsen met with each of the 10 Region Directors each month individually to review new metrics and make short term 30 day plans inside each region. He developed a new technology in the bank to automate a similar process so each Region Director could have a similar predictive strategy session each month with their direct reports.

Remarkable predictability in the 30 and 90-day horizons emerged. After experiencing the announced Q1 shrinkage, Jeppsen's team began to experience success. The growth grew quickly and each team achieved growth each quarter through year end.

At the same time, Jeppsen launched the award-winning 6-bucket banker process aimed at achieving 8 products per business (up from 4 at beginning of 2012.) Not only did the 6 bucket process take hold quickly and create significant success in products-per-relationship and non-interest income, the new process created a new banker with swagger that had a significant competitive advantage in its markets. Zions started landing clients in record numbers with the wholistic sales process. Zions started landing in different areas with clients, which ultimately led to significant increases in loan opportunities.

The year ended in record fashion:

- 31% growth in outstandings

- $1,500,000,000($1.5Billion) in new production...a level better than the previous record set in 2007 under a strong economy ($1.4B)

- 12.8 products-per-relationship

- All 10 of Jeppsens Region Directors achieved or surpassed budget goal.

- 8 Other regional institutions have travelled to Salt Lake to learn Jeppsen's coaching process as well as the 6 bucket banker process.

- Drove Zions to a profitable year even with other departments being flat or shrinking.

- Achieved predictability in sales, delivering forecast accuracy records in bank history. Officers know the impact of their day THE DAY IT HAPPENS....not 30 days later.

Jeppsen's team was recognized by the business banking board as accomplishing things "Never before accomplished in banking." Please reward these remarkable new achievements by considering him as Sales Director of the Year.

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the nominee:

Rob Jeppsen is the Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales for Zions Bank. With over 17 years of direct sales and sales leadership experience, Jeppsen has worked in publicly-traded organizations, privately-held organizations, and has successfully led award winning sales teams in the technology, pharmaceutical, and financial services sectors.

Jeppsen is a regular speaker at conferences nationwide and at universities in the Western United States. He is the creator of the Zions Bank Business Performance Series, a tool offered to Zions' clients interested in building a world-class sales system. The course was taken by over 500 businesses in the 2010-2012 period.