Sean Lloyd has been at the helm of Lightyear Network Solutions’ channel program since early May, when he replaced Kevin Parker, who left for another, non-telecom job. Lloyd came to Lightyear, the Kentucky-based CLEC, with nearly 20 years’ experience in telecommunications. Lloyd oversees Lightyear’s agent, direct and retail channels. He also arrived as a new CEO, Stephen Lochmueller, replaced long-time Lightyear head Sherman Henderson, and as the company seeks to make some financial changes that please investors. It may help that much of Lloyd’s background stems from the wireless sector — he has worked for carriers including Cingular, Nextel Communications and Cricket Communications. That kind of experience likely will prove key for Lightyear, which serves as an MVNO through Sprint Nextel Corp. With Lloyd now in place as Lightyear’s vice president of sales for about three months, Channel Partners wanted to find out more about his plans for partners. The following is an edited transcript of that interview.
Channel Partners: What is your previous channel experience?
Sean Lloyd: I am very familiar with it, having worked with the agent model in one form or another during my 19 years in the telecom industry.
CP: You’re in charge of both the direct and indirect sales channels at Lightyear. How will you handle any channel conflict that arises?
SL: Simply stated, we would handle any conflict with care and on an individual case basis. We are committed to the agent partner channel, and we have been since we first opened our doors for business; our agent program was one of the first in the telecom industry. We would work to resolve any dispute or conflict in a fair and equitable manner for both parties.
CP: How will your wireless background, specifically, impact how you approach your new role?
SL: Obviously, the wireless industry is exploding. Our goal is to capitalize on that growth, with our agents playing a key role. The wireline industry seems to be just as competitive as the wireless industry that I’ve just come from, but I believe my experience helping others succeed and grow their businesses will translate well to our existing and new agent partners.
CP: How do Lightyear agents need to adjust to wireless sales, and how do you plan to be part of that transformation?
SL: We view wireless as a complementary — but very important — product and another offering that will drive revenue for our agent partners. If they haven’t started selling wireless, they should because they are missing out on potentially significant revenue streams. There is no doubt that their customers are relying on wireless solutions increasingly more, especially as the features and functionality of handsets and smartphones continue to improve.
CP: How have you changed the Lightyear agent program since you took over, and why?
SL: Our overall goals remain the same: grow organic sales. I have charged our agent support team and our sales directors to be fully engaged with our agent partners, to reach out to them more often, to work with them more closely, to visit them more often. We stand ready to join them on customer-facing appointments to lend our expertise and help them close those opportunities.
