Meet the Kalibrate team attending BPAMA Convention and Business Expo 2024

February brings Kalibrate to Arizona where we are delighted to be exhibiting at the BPAMA Convention & Business Expo! 

Located at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess between February 19–21, the show brings a mix of best-in-class marketers, bp’s senior leadership, and key industry experts.

The theme for 2024 is “The Power of Us” with the event delivering industry knowledge, insights into BP’s programs, opportunities to network with bp marketer peers, and a business expo focused on products and services to enhance your business.

We are excited to meet with new prospects and share our fuel retail solutions from pricing to planning and site analysis.

Attending the show will be our solutions consultant Kent Schlesselman. He will be providing a speaker session on “Market planning with science vs. speculation”, sharing his expertise in how insight-led approaches can help you de-risk investment. Kent will be joined by Marianne Hillhouse, our Senior Sales Representative with a wealth of knowledge in fuel site analysis.

Ahead of the show, let us introduce you:

Kent Schlesselman, Senior Solutions Consultant

What is your role at Kalibrate?

I am a Senior Solutions Consultant and work in support of our sales team during sales engagements. I have worked closely with existing and prospective clients on a global scale during the course of my career at Kalibrate.  In my current role, I work with our sales prospects to understand their business needs and challenges, then provide product solutions to help them meet their goals.

What are you most looking forward to at BPAMA?

I’m looking forward to meeting new clients and catching up with existing clients. I’m also looking forward to featuring on the speaker panel.

Why did you choose to join Kalibrate?

I joined immediately after college.  It was an entry level job in a local family owned company.  The type of work and the skills required seemed a good fit for me.  At Kalibrate I have found wonderful colleagues, an extremely knowledgeable and professional client base, and a dynamic industry that continues to fascinate me.

What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

I love to play golf and have played for most of my life.  No clubs along this time.  Have enjoyed my share of desert golf in the past, but skipping this time around.

Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?

I read a lot.  I like movies, but mostly just the old ones. I have found that I now enjoy the gardening that my wife used to have to force me to do.

Marianne Hillhouse, Senior Sales Representative

What is your role at Kalibrate?

My role sits within the sales department for Single Site Analysis.  I regularly speak to marketers and retailers who need site evaluations to help them understand the volume potential for their locations.  Our model can forecast volume for new sites, sites being viewed for acquisition, or sites where major capital investment is being considered.

Some clients haven’t purchased their land yet.  Others have obtained the land, and they believe it is a good location, but they want reassurance.  Some are wanting to know if they should make significant capital changes to their existing facility or if they should change fuel brands.  The possibilities are almost endless.

My goal is to understand the scope of a project, explain the benefits of Single Site Analysis, and ensure we deliver the best insights for their business.

What are you most looking forward to at BPAMA?

I’m looking forward to reconnecting with clients that I have worked with in the past, as well as engaging with new folks who are not aware of Kalibrate and how we can assist them.  I love talking to people and helping them achieve their goals and see their plans come to life.

Why did you choose to join Kalibrate?

Well, I joined a company straight out of college called MPSI whose headquarters were in Tulsa.  The company was dynamic and quite young at the time, which really appealed to me.  I wanted to work somewhere that offered something unique, and MPSI was exactly that.   Very few businesses did site evaluations, and we were the market leaders.

It was an international business and a fun place to work, so I really enjoyed being part of the MPSI team.  Then, several years later, MPSI was purchased by KSS Fuels and we changed our name to Kalibrate.

Even now, so many years after I joined MPSI, I still feel we offer something unique to our clients.  The industry has changed, and our technology and insights are greatly enhanced, but the basics of what we do, and why, remain the same.

What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

The weekend goes by so fast!  I love watching movies so if there is something interesting at the theatre or on a streaming service, I will make it a point to relax and watch.  I’m also an avid reader, so I try to carve out some quiet time where I can escape into a good book.

What are you currently binge-watching?

I’m currently watching Season 2 of The Gilded Age.  I think the show is a very well-done period piece showing the early years of New York City and the mixture of old money and new money families.  I’m excited to learn it’s been renewed for Season 3.

 To arrange to meet with Kent or Marianne ahead of the show you can contact them here.