Post Job Free
Sign in

Sales Manager

Location:
Los Altos, CA
Posted:
October 28, 2013

Contact this candidate

Resume:

Preston Roper

c: 650-***-**** ***** Nicole Lane

e: *******@*****.*** Los Altos Hills, CA 94024

SUMMARY Marketing executive with deep experience in positioning, launching, and ramping enterprise

software, SaaS, and service companies. I provide strategic direction, skilled execution, and

outstanding team leadership.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Hired team and provided necessary tools to reach $85M revenue during 2nd year of

Revenue Growth

operations in challenging energy services market.

Branding & PR Took company from stealth mode to the lead industry position through high-profile

launch event with Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and full company launch of

web, sales tools, social, etc.

Cross-Functional Launched a new product within 3 months by successfully recruiting a cross-

functional, international team within a multibillion-dollar public company (FSLR).

Product Management Resolved internal conflicts and set strategic roadmap which led to acquisition by Sun

Microsystems (now Oracle) in $1B+ company valuation.

Marketing & Demand Gen Established ongoing product pull via coordinated events, PR air cover, email, web,

and social lead generation programs.

EXPERIENCE

Palo Alto, CA

REACHABLE

VP, Products February, 2012 – April, 2013

Reachable’s “social selling” solution enables salespeople to find trusted connections amid the cloud of past connections,

social media interactions, enterprise interactions and the networks of friends and colleagues.

Managed product team out of 6-month quagmire, leading to successful 6-week release of revamped SaaS solution.

Warded off primary competitive threat from LinkedIn by focusing on enterprise data and new product line strategy.

Gained widespread customer acclaim for revamped UX.

Doubled our client base in 2012 by providing high-powered sales tools, demos and marketing air cover.

Mountain View, CA

COGENRA

Chief Marketing Officer & VP of Corporate Development December, 2009 – October, 2011

Cogenra is the pioneer leader of distributed solar heat and power products and services, backed by Khosla Ventures.

Launched vertical marketing & sales efforts upon detailed sizing and segmentation of C&I markets.

Built reference customers in 6 target segments by establishing successful installer, agent, and reseller relationships.

Established all branding, lead generation, sales support and public relations during emergence from stealth.

Grew international to 30% of business via distributors, developers and joint ventures in targeted geographies.

San Mateo, CA

TIOGA

EVP, Corporate Development & Operations March, 2007 – September, 2009

Acquired by sPower in 2013, Tioga provided solar-as-a-service solutions into SMB, commercial and industrial enterprises.

Established company as a leading PPA brand via clear positioning, identity, website, PR, and launch.

Developed over $85M in signed backlog while overseeing implementation of projects.

Drove customer acquisition into segmented commercial and industrial markets (e.g. education, municipals).

Managed all marketing, legal, operations, and project management.

Preston Roper

Page 2 of 3

May, 2000 – December, 2006 & Oct, 2011 – Jan, 2012

CATENARY MARKETING

CMO consultant – In a series of 6-15 month full-time, interim CMO engagements I positioned companies for venture

financing and acquisition. Additional work included setup of lead generation, PR, sales tools, and websites.

Business Strategy -- Sample Accomplishments

• Developed business plan that successfully raised $6M Series-A funding for bootstrapping startup.

• Repositioned BI company to embedded reports market, enabling growth from 4 customers to over 40 in one year.

• Transformed engineering services company into an off-the-shelf products company.

Company & Product Launch -- Sample Accomplishments

• Led numerous clients through comprehensive marketing, PR, sales and product planning and launch.

• Initiated and managed development of messaging and collateral, reducing average costs per lead by over 50%.

• Established a viable product strategy in replacement of an unachievable, “big-bang” technology vision.

Sales & Lead Generation -- Sample Accomplishments

• Revamped Web, marketing and PR, resulting in a 15-fold ROI uptick and 20% shorter sales cycle in just six months.

• Implemented leading-edge marketing and sales metrics to enable ROI measurement of all marketing expenditures.

Clients

First Solar: Launched new product & built pipeline in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Chile, and Australia in 2012.

Bitpass: Repositioned micropayments company to digital commerce & incentives. Sold to Digital River in 2006.

Corda: Leading provider of embedded data visualization software. Company was sold to Domo.

Remend: SaaS provider of loan default solutions sold to Fidelity.

JasperSoft (formerly Panscopic): Open source reporting. Funding by DCM, Morgenthaler, Partech.

Aztek Networks: Local-loop communications. Venture backed, profitable, sold to GENBAND.

Tesaria: relaunched 2.5G wireless application server company leading to acquisition by AirNet Systems in 2002.

Menlo Park, CA

SUN MICROSYSTEMS / NETDYNAMICS

Senior Director, Product Marketing August, 1997 – May, 2000

NetDynamics was a pioneering application server provider acquired by Sun in June of 1998; valuation exceeded $1.2B.

• Held P&L responsibility for $25M+ revenue and the close of the company’s first multimillion-dollar deals.

• Facilitated adoption of the EJB software standard, which set the company’s path for acquisition by Sun.

• Drove “partner modules” and “starter pack”, reducing the average sales cycle from 10+ weeks to less than 6 weeks.

• Delivered essential sales tools and field training to the worldwide direct sales team and channel partners.

• Successfully negotiated supplier license agreements and OEM sales relationships.

Vice President, Engineering (Interim, 12/97 – 3/98)

• Managed team of 30 developers and 3 product lines through difficult management shakeup period, instituting

beneficial management processes and a defined release model that improved morale and kept the team intact.

Mountain View, CA

SYNOPSYS

Director, Electronic Marketing January, 1992 – August, 1997

Synopsys is the leading electronic design automation (EDA) firm. From 1992 to 1997, the company went public and grew

from approximately 200 to over 2500 employees and $750M in annual revenues. Promoted from product manager to director

in recognition of repeated initiative, creativity, and team leadership skills.

Preston Roper

Page 3 of 3

Group Engineering Manager (1994)

Product Line Manager (1993)

Product Release Manager (1992)

Frankfurt, Germany

HONEYWELL GERMANY

Assistant to the President (Vorstandsassistent) 1987 – 1989

Honeywell Germany is the regional subsidiary of the worldwide leader in home, industrial, and aviation controls, with

approximately 4,000 employees and $500M in annual revenues. Provided strategy development and led special projects, such

as product launch and the reorganization of a $30M industrial controls division.

West Berlin, Germany

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Program Director and Industry Liaison 1984 – 1987

Managed Stanford’s relationships with over 40 leading industrial companies and arranged internships for students.

EDUCATION

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

MBA

MS Smart Product Design (computer science & mechanical engineering)

BS Mechanical Engineering

Other

Board of Directors, Los Altos Robotics League.

Lead Advisor to Sol-Solution, a non-profit project finance provider of solar PV to disadvantaged public schools.

Graduate of 3-year Authentic Leadership program in Atlanta, GA.

Entrepreneurial mentor to California Clean Tech Open contestants; www.cacleantech.com.

Past President, Kirkwood Meadows Association.

Active interests in raising my wonderful kids, snowboarding, biking, and reading.

Fluent in German.



Contact this candidate