Robert M. Peterson, White Lodging Professor of Sales, Director of the Sales Program
Dr. Peterson holds degrees from Indiana University, George Washington University and the University of Memphis. He was a salesperson for many years selling printing and financial data prior to earning his doctorate. Rob served on the board of the National Conference in Sales Management for seven years and is a current board member of the Sales Education Foundation. Rob is also the editor for The Journal of Selling & Major Account Management, a journal published by NIU's Professional Sales Program.

Dr. Peterson earned the American Marketing Association 2002 Innovative Teacher Award, the Innovative Sales Educator Award from the University Sales Center Alliance 2006, the 2010 Hormel Meritorious Teaching Award from the Marketing Management Association, and the most recently the 2011 Excellence in Teaching Award by the Sales Special Interest Group of the American Marketing Association.

Dan C. Weilbaker, McKesson Pharmaceutical Group Professor of Sales
Dr. Weilbaker received his Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina. He has over 10 years of business experience as a professional salesperson and as a sales and marketing manager within the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Weilbaker has over 22 years of combined academic experience at Ball State University, Bowling Green State University, and Northern Illinois University. He has experience in sales consulting in addition to publishing in major sales and marketing journals and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Professional Society for Sales and Marketing Training as well as a member of the Strategic Account Management Association.

Rick E. Ridnour, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Professor of Sales
Dr. Ridnour received his Ph.D. at Iowa State University. He possesses a strong practitioner background in banking, real estate, and manufacturing. He has conducted numerous executive development programs in selling, presentation skills and customer service.

Dr. Ridnour was awarded the 1992 "Teacher of Excellence" award by the College of Business, which recognized his effective combination of theory and practice and business education. He also was one of three NIU faculty members selected to receive an Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching award in 2001. Ridnour was inducted into the NIU Northern Star Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2004, he was one of three NIU professors to receive Northern's coveted Presidential Professorships.

Brian Vollmert, Instructor
Brian has been an adjunct instructor since 2005. Brian draws consistently upon his 20+ years of sales, sales management, and marketing experience across a diverse range of environments from: disposables to capital equipment, products and services, non-profits and for profits, Fortune 50 to sole proprietorships and to local, state, and federal government to deliver a current, dynamic, and grounded curriculum.

In addition to his teaching duties, Brian has been integral to the University's outreach effort since 1997. Today, Brian serves as the Director of Continuing Professional Education & Conference Services and Director of the NIU Association Resource Center. Both roles afford Brian the opportunity to continue as a sales and marketing practitioner.

Mark Groza, Assistant Professor
Dr. Groza received his Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His dissertation examined how salespeople can best utilize marketing resources to achieve superior performance.

Dr. Groza has received numerous teaching and research awards. In 2011 he received an American Marketing Association best track paper award; in 2012 he was awarded the UMASS Isenberg School of Management Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching and Outstanding Doctoral Student Research Awards; he received first place in the 2012 Mary Kay Doctoral Dissertation Competition held by the Academy of Marketing Science; in 2013 he received the overall best paper award at the National Conference in Sales Management.