Editors’ Note

Sean Magee served in the United States Navy onboard the USS. Thorn (DD-988) in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1996, he joined Active International as a Media Market Specialist and rose quickly through the ranks in Active’s Sales and Account Management Department becoming Vice President of Sales for Enterprise Accounts. In 2008, Magee left Active International to join Sherwood Trading Group as Executive Vice President. He is an active participant and supporter of his community and veteran causes and sits on the Board of Directors for B.R.i.D.G.E.S., the Advisory Council for New York State’s PFC Joseph Patrick Dwyer Vet to Vet Program, and Rockland Community College’s Veteran Affairs Board. He is also a Rally Champion for the National Relay of Carry The Load, a 501(c)(3) national charity whose mission is to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day while honoring and supporting the military, first responders, firefighters and police officers. Magee graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with a BS degree in political science with a concentration in international relations.

Company Brief

Anchor Trading (anchortrading.com) is a full-service, independent, and veteran-owned corporate trade and media buying company that provides financial and marketing solutions to consumer advertisers across industries. Anchor’s corporate trade programs improve EBITDA and increase cash flow while restoring full value to any type of underperforming asset including, but not limited to, excess inventory, real estate, fleet vehicles, capital equipment, and unwanted sponsorships. It is a cutting-edge technology-driven media company that invests in and secures all types of media including programmatic, mobile, television, radio, print, and out-of-home. Anchor clients have the option of paying for their media and other goods and services with cash, an underperforming asset or a combination of both. Anchor is a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies and is certified by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

How do you describe the Anchor Trading culture, and how critical is culture to the success of the company?

A strong company culture is the unifying thread that keeps a good company together and as such, we believe that it is crucial to have a shared set of values, goals, attitudes and practices that define our brand.

Our company symbol is the Anchor, and it represents the strength and steadfast approach that we take not only to business, but also to our lives. The Anchor moors us and keeps us grounded, not just as individuals, but as a team, just like a ship’s anchor moors the ship to the bottom of the sea, keeping it in place.

When I served on the USS Thorn (DD-988), the ship’s motto was “sharply perseverant.” The meaning of this is to be very targeted, and to act quickly and decisively with a never quit, dogged persistence. I could not think of a better motto for Anchor as a company, and we have adopted it as our own. At Anchor, we strive to be sharply perseverant in all aspects of our business, whether it is sales, finance or media.

At Anchor, we have adopted many aspects of the military into our culture. One of the things I’m proud of is the Anchor Challenge Coin we have minted which is used extensively in the military and among first responders and is a small metal coin that represents organizations, units, teams or special accomplishments. The Anchor Challenge Coin is a representation of both our military heritage and our sense of teamwork, and it has become part of the company culture, especially when we meet with our existing and prospective clients and vendors.

In summary, we bring a team approach to work every day, using a grounded, disciplined attitude of respect, integrity and loyalty to each other, our clients and our partners.

How critical is it for Anchor Trading to build a diverse and inclusive workforce in order to bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the table when making business decisions?

We are the proof that enlisting diverse perspectives and experiences provides the best results for our clients, while building an extremely strong corporate culture. As a veteran-owned business, this is in our DNA. We know first-hand that skill, intelligence and capabilities come in all shapes and sizes, and employees are not just “employees,” but rather teammates and, like any great team, we all depend on each other, irrespective of whatever role each person plays in the organization. Building an organization that embraces diverse perspectives and experiences is a win-win-win. Our clients win, Anchor as a team wins, and the individuals win in their own respective professional growth. Our efforts not only strengthen the workforce by positively shaping the culture and ensuring equal opportunities, but also assist in meeting the increasing demand of attracting and retaining highly skilled workers. We are always looking to grow, bringing new and fresh perspectives to the table for us and our clients which puts us on a path to greater success.

What do you see as Anchor Trading’s responsibility to the communities it serves and will you highlight Anchor Trading’s support for veterans?

Anchor was founded primarily to provide business services that provide financial and marketing value to our clients. However, the company has a secondary, but no less important, mission, and that is to give back to the veteran community. One way in which Anchor achieves this mission is to provide veterans with employment opportunities in an industry they typically would not enter. Anchor’s culture is driven by a service-to-others mentality, and we strongly feel that our business success has given us a great platform to provide opportunities for the veteran community. We are proud to say that more than 21 percent of our team are veterans. On a personal level, I have hired six veterans from nearby Rockland Community College, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to mentor them through post-military life.

Secondly, Anchor is committed to providing charitable support to our veteran community. As an example, every year for the holidays, we are proud to partner with Veterans Angels of Hope to provide more than 1,500 holiday dinners to veterans and other military families across Rockland County.

In addition to our service to the veteran community, Anchor donates a portion of its profits to charities that benefit veterans and their families. Since inception, we have donated more than $850,000 to select veteran, military and humanitarian charities including Carry The Load, Legacies Alive, The USO, the Memorial Order of the Purple Heart, and Baking Memories for Kids. With our continued success, we look forward to doubling that number in the next five years.

In addition to providing services for our clients, we strongly believe that it is our solemn responsibility to give back and extend a hand of compassion to help pull others up along the way with us. Whether that is through employment or other types of support, financial or emotional, we strongly feel it is our duty to play a part. We have a deep passion to give back and work together to make a difference in our community, and that is probably the biggest part of our success that I am most proud of.