Challenger Announces Andee Harris as New CEO

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Challenger, a leading provider of training, technology and consulting in sales, marketing and customer service, announces the appointment of Andee Harris as CEO. Harris' predecessor, Simon Frewer, will serve as President and Chief Operating Officer where he will play a pivotal role leading Challenger's professional services and product teams to deliver exceptional customer value.

"Andee has an incredible aptitude for accelerating businesses and developing teams," said Ryan Wald, a managing director at Marlin Equity Partners. "In addition to her impressive career in leading companies through periods of high growth, Andee has also done an incredible amount of work in advising and investing in woman-owned startups and women in the technology industry. We are thrilled to have her lead and further expand the Challenger brand." 

A proven leader, Harris brings more than two decades of experience in growing and scaling service and technology businesses. She has previously led multiple companies, both as CEO and Senior Vice President, through periods of rapid revenue growth, critical fundraising and successful acquisition. These companies include Highground (acquired by Vista Equity Partners), TMBC (acquired by ADP), Syndio and Emerging Solutions (acquired by Emtec).

As CEO of Challenger, Harris will focus on expanding the company's market share, improving brand visibility and growing revenue. Her many years of experience in building successful consulting businesses, scaling technology solutions and managing sales and marketing teams perfectly positions her to lead Challenger through this new, and more complex, B2B selling environment and into a new phase of growth.

"I have been a fan of Challenger's iconic approach to winning the complex sale since The Challenger Sale was published a decade ago," Harris said. "Today, Challenger is much more than a few best-selling books. We offer a portfolio of solutions that give individual sellers all the learning, tools and support they need - at their fingertips - to win the sales moments that matter every day. I am excited to make our products even more accessible and to better position sales, marketing and service professionals to succeed in their craft."

Harris lives in Chicago with her husband and two children. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in organizational studies and human resource management from the University of Michigan. She is an active investor in cutting-edge technology and manufacturing ventures and sits on multiple civic and charitable boards. Harris is also a faculty member at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management where she teaches students how to lead and launch startups as part of the MBA Entrepreneurship program. Learn more about Harris here.

About Challenger

Challenger is a global leader in training, technology, and consulting to win today's complex sale. The company delivers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to sales, marketing and customer service teams. Challenger's training and consulting is provided through in-person workshops, eLearning and workflow tools, diagnostic and assessment offerings and other sales acceleration modules. Underpinned by the world-renowned, research-based Challenger™ and Effortless Experience™ methodologies, Challenger's solutions help enterprises adopt, develop, communicate and implement more effective commercial strategies on a global scale. The company is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia with additional offices in Chicago, London, Hamburg and Sydney. For more information, visit www.challengerinc.com.

About Marlin Equity Partners

Marlin Equity Partners is the parent company of Challenger and a global investment firm with over $7.4 billion of capital under management. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthen a company's outlook and enhance value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 170 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.

Press Contact:
Jenna Cason 
jenna [at] hi-oak [dot] com

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Andee Harris: CEO, Challenger
Headshot of Challenger's new CEO, Andee Harris

SOURCE Challenger