Our People

Ryan Mullins – Executive Director

Professor Mullins oversees the overall strategy and growth of SIP. In this role, he helps curate and support all sales program offerings in order to provide value to students, faculty, industry and all Clemson stakeholders.

Mullins is also an award-winning author, professor and consultant focused on helping organizational leaders improve sales performance. Mullins seeks out industry collaboration and has conducted research and consulting projects with Fortune 500 companies, providing analysis, recommendations, coaching and training interventions. This real-world engagement has helped Mullins be recognized as a noted researcher and insightful speaker to sales organizations and enabled the delivery of innovative teaching in SIP courses.

Carter McElveen – Director of Operations

After eight years in sales with Eli Lilly, Carter returned to Clemson to teach in 2011. As Operations Director for SIP, McElveen coordinates our corporate partner program. She plans and executes engagements alongside our SIP Program Manager for Engagement. McElveen also teaches our Introduction to Professional Selling and Capstone Selling Courses. Her students are very involved with hands-on learning, including selling for the Elevate Sales Conference and Tiger Paw Classic Golf Tournament.

McElveen was named an Alumni Master Teacher in 2016 and a part of the 2020 President's Leadership Institute Cohort. She currently advises Blue Key Honor Society, is a Delta Sigma Pi Faculty Initiate and is the president of the Fort Hill Clemson Club, the local Clemson Alumni group. Carter and her husband, Andy(’03), live in Clemson with their two children, Nora Lynn(9) and Willis(4).

Lisa Beeler – Director of Development

Beeler is the SIP Director of Development, which focuses on developing students outside of the classroom via sales coaching, student workshops and sales competitions. She is an accomplished sales consultant and researcher who has published in the top academic sales journals in the field and continues to conduct research with companies nationally. Prior to becoming an academic, she held the title of Director of Marketing and Sales for a B2B International parking company in Atlanta, GA. All of this experience informs the application-based learning approach she uses in her classroom to prepare SIP students to be great salespeople, valuable co-workers and good citizens. When she isn't involved in all things sales, you can find her throwing themed parties, camping or on the soccer field.

Kristen Dean – Adjunct Professor

When Professor Dean saw the opportunity to merge her real-world experiences with the classroom for students at Clemson, Dean knew that teaching in the SIP would be a rewarding experience. Through her teaching in Professional Selling and Healthcare Selling courses, Dean merges her real-world leadership, marketing and pharmaceutical sales experience to deliver an insightful curriculum.

After earning her Bachelor of Science and master's degree from the University of South Carolina, Dean spent time in real estate prior to beginning her pharmaceutical sales career with Merck in 2006. In 2009, She continued her Medical Sales Leadership and Marketing career with Eli Lilly, where she is currently a District Sales Manager in Immunology. Dean enjoys traveling and attending her oldest daughter's softball games and golf matches at Daniel High School and attending her youngest daughter's gymnastics meets and watching her cheer on football and basketball teams at R.C. Edwards.

Charleen Fitzgerald – SIP Student Services Coordinator

Charleen Fitzgerald earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Clemson University in 1997. Charleen supports the Sales Innovation Program helping with student engagement, event logistics, partner relations, curriculum support and a variety of other roles. Fitzgerald was awarded Team Player of the Year for the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business in 2017 and received the Staff Award for Student Service for the College in 2020-2021. She currently resides in Seneca SC. She has 2 children Haley (age 15) and Kesler (age 11).

Izzy Jahnke – SIP Engagements Liaison

As the Engagements Liaison, Isabelle Jahnke plans and executes all SIP events including networking nights, pitch showdowns, sales competitions, etiquette events, corporate partner workshops and many other engagement opportunities for students. Jahnke will be graduating in May of 2022 with a B.S. in Marketing and a B.A. in Women's Leadership, along with the Sales Certificate and the Orthopedic Medical Device Certificate earned through coursework offered by the Sales Innovation Program. Upon graduation, Jahnke will start her sales career with a corporate partner, Otis, in Atlanta, GA. In addition to her role in the SIP, Jahnke is involved with the Clemson University Marketing Association and is also a member of the Rally Cats dance team under the Clemson Athletic Department.

Molly Langella – SIP Recruitment Liaison

Molly Langella serves as our Recruitment Liaison Program Manager. In this role, she is responsible for planning and executing the overall recruitment strategy, engaging with prospective SIP students on campus and managing the Clemson Sales Club. Langella is from Atlanta, GA, and is the youngest of three girls. She will be graduating in May of 2022 with a B.S. in Marketing, double-minors in Brand Communications and Management and a Sales Certificate. Along with the Sales Innovation Program, Langella is a member of the Marketing Student Advisory Board and a member of the Tri-Delta sorority. She is excited to be moving to Washington, D.C. in June to begin her career with Meltwater as a Sales Consultant.

Sara LaGuardia – SIP Ascent Liaison

Everyone wants to leave their "Clemson legacy," and the SIP has allowed LaGuardia to do so. She has formed genuine connections, gained meaningful sales and leadership opportunities and matured her professionalism since joining in April of last year. In December 2021, she secured an internship with one of our partner companies, OTIS Elevator, and was awarded an opportunity to work alongside the program managers to lead the Ascent Program. As the Ascent Program Manager, she works with newer sales students of different majors and academic years and is currently planning a LinkedIn and Resume Workshop. Her most memorable project thus far has been implementing a new mentor-mentee initiative, pairing Sales Innovation Program students with Ascent students based on mutual industry and company interests. As a member of our Sales Competition Team, she has had the opportunity to coach two Ascent students and travel to Toledo, Ohio.

Tripp Tucker – SIP Marketing Liaison

Tripp Tucker is a third-generation Clemson student from Richmond Hill, GA. He will graduate in May of 2022 with a B.S. in Marketing, minors in Brand Communications and Computer Science and a Sales Certificate. As the Marketing Liaison Program Manager, Tucker's role is to build relationships between program partners and students through social media content and target potential student audiences in order to increase program membership. Following his graduation, Tucker will begin his sales career with Qualtrics in its Sales Development Program in Dallas, TX. Tucker's other involvement within the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business includes being a College Recruitment Ambassador, being a member of Delta Sigma Pi professional business fraternity and participating in Cadency (the Erwin Center's student-led Brand Communications agency).