In May of 1985 when Cellular One activated their system in Columbus, Ohio, Mike McCandlish was named the Director of Sales and Marketing. He established the first dealer network, coordinated public relations and implemented sales training programs.

PHONES TO GO was his venture into the Cellular phone business in 1986. The company became Cellular One’s top sales agent in Ohio and was purchased by Cellular One in 1989.

In the fall of 1989 Mike established McCANDLISH MARKETING as a start-up Video Distribution Company that held a representation agreement with Quest Entertainment of Universal Studios. His company sold and serviced Kroger, West Coast Video, and Blockbuster. As Quest’s top distributor, he conducted training seminars for new Quest distributors. They represented specialty lines including how to videos and non-theatrical release full-length feature films. The company was sold in 1995.

As Regional Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at International Profit Associates, Mike managed 30 consultants in the Midwest Territory. IPA grew from 19 employees in 1991 to 2000 in 2002 with annual sales of $180,000,000 and earned the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing status twice in a row. Mike originally sold management-consulting services to small and medium-size businesses and was the company’s #1 cash collector of 400 outside sales consultants in 1997. He set a domestic record of 18 sales in one week.

In 1999 Mike founded THE MCCANDLISH GROUP. As Independent Executive Search Consultants, the company specializes in all positions relating to business development including Sales and Marketing from the account executive level to Director and VP. We have successfully handled searches for IBM, Cisco, Bank One, Sterling Commerce, Qwest and numerous others.

In all, Mike has trained over 700 sales representatives to sell products in 6 different industries; Construction, Cellular, Home Security, Office Products, Management Consulting, and the Entertainment Industry.

Mike has constant bragging rights for 3 sons; Joe, an attorney, Andy, a scientist attaining his PHD at Princeton in molecular genetics, and Caz, a fledgling comedy actor. Two very athletic daughters, Lynda, at Northwestern University on lacrosse scholarship (undefeated 2005 NCAA champs) and Kristin, also at Northwestern University on the lacrosse team. Mike is married to Eileen Saums McCandlish an internationally known interior designer.