**Editor’s Note: Click here to see which channel people were on the move in March.**

Sandler Partners is increasing its investment in the Midwest.

Sandler Partners’ Ryan Yakos

Ryan Yakos is now the distributor’s director of channel for the Midwest region. His new role has him overseeing Sandler’s agents and being responsible for their support and resources.

Sandler notes that Yakos will hire more channel managers for the region and is “actively seeking” qualified candidates. The company calls the Midwest a “key growth market.”

“The Midwest accounts for much of our growth at Sandler Partners, so we decided to create a new director-level position to support our team and its fast growth,” said Alan Sandler, managing partner for Sandler Partners. “Ryan came highly recommended for the position by everyone in our partner community who knows him. He has a lot of experience in the Midwest and brings a skill set that will be a tremendous asset for our sales partners in the region.”

Yakos most recently worked as vice president of sales and marketing for Access One, a Chicago-based communications provider. He began working for Access One in 2009 after an eight-year stint with First Communications.

Sandler Partners’ Alan Sandler

Sandler Partners said Thursday that Yakos has almost 20 years of experience in sales management.

“I’m very pleased that Ryan Yakos has joined Sandler Partners to support our Midwest partners,” said Dennis Fioretti, executive vice president of Sandler Partners. “Ryan understands the importance of building strong relationships and supporting our partners. He is a good man and will go above and beyond to earn the trust and respect of our partner community. He is a great fit for our team as we continue to expand in the region. We’re really excited to have him on board.”

Yakos said his new employer has talented workers and a successful culture, and that knowledge comes from being familiar with Sandler Partners over the years.

“Having worked in the region for many years, I already know that Midwest partners truly appreciate Sandler Partners’ core offerings, high level of support and proactive commissions auditing,” Yakos said. “Sandler Partners also is uniquely transparent about carrier contracts, so that sales partners know what we’re making, which agreements are safest and which carriers are doing the best job.”

Yakos will meet agents at the company’s upcoming Midwest Partner Summit May 16. Sandler Partners is headquartered in Hermosa Beach, California.

We wrote yesterday about Kim Rusch, a former Sandler Partners regional vice president who now works for master agent TBI.