Senior PreSales & Cybersecurity Leader for Revenue Growth

Read Smith

Senior Cybersecurity & GRC Specialist Third-Party Risk Management Expert Security Compliance Leader Greater NYC Region St. James, NY 11780 631-***-**** ************@*******.*** linkedin.com/in/readsmith Professional Summary Accomplished cybersecurity and risk management leader with over 25 years of experience in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM), and pre-sales engineering. I excel at translating complex technical specifications into compelling business narratives that drive revenue growth, secure technical wins, and foster long-term client partnerships. Known for building trust, aligning Total Contract Value with real cost, and mentoring teams to connect business problems with scalable solutions. Led the largest commercial biometric rollout globally ($16M deal) and grew a $250K opportunity into $520K through consultative architecture and POCs. Following a medical leave from August 2023 to August 2025, I am fully recovered and eager to deliver clarity, revenue impact, and exceptional client value in dynamic, compliance-driven environments. Let’s connect to explore how I can accelerate your go-to-market strategy.

Signature Achievements

• Delivered 5x ROI in 6 months at Tevora through stakeholder-driven GRC solutions, generating 1M USD in additional annual revenue

• Secured four 120K+ USD deals in four months at Talkdesk via compliance-focused POCs and technical discovery

• Contributed to 36M USD sales quota at Prevalent Inc. with 40 percent revenue growth in 6 months through third-party risk workshops

• Led global biometric rollout as technical lead, closing 16M USD deal and expanding 250K USD to 520K USD

• Achieved 97 percent customer renewal rate at Supply Wisdom through TPRM alignment and continuous monitoring

Signature Strengths & Competencies

• Pre-Sales Engineering & Solution Architecture

• Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) & Compliance Frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, NERC)

• Proof-of-Concept (POC) Development & Technical Demos

• Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Functional Leadership

• RFP/RFI/RFQ/SOW Response & Proposal Writing

• Cloud Security: AWS, Azure, GCP

• Risk Program Implementation & Continuous Monitoring

• Competitive Analysis & Go-to-Market Strategy

• Mentorship & Knowledge Transfer

• Storytelling & Executive Communication

Professional Experience

Tevora, New York, NY Presales Solutions Architect / Pre-Sales Architect October 2022 – September 2023

• Delivered 5x ROI in 6 months through stakeholder feedback-driven solutions in cybersecurity and GRC

• Provided pre-sales support for 10 Account Executives alongside manufacturer Sales Engineers, focusing on cloud security, endpoint protection, and compliance tools

• Implemented new presales solutions architecture generating 1M USD in additional annual revenue by optimizing risk management and governance processes

• Designed and implemented customized presales solutions in 3 months, resulting in 15 percent revenue growth and enhanced compliance readiness

• Adapted from software sales to cover data governance, identity and access management, zero trust architectures, and regulatory compliance with integrated approach

• Increased customer satisfaction by 25 percent in 6 months through innovative, risk-tailored sales solutions

• Collaborated with 180 partner manufacturers to deliver solution recommendations, boosting client satisfaction by 93 percent

• Researched and created evaluation recommendations for 3-4 products in SIEM, threat management, and data governance

Talkdesk, New York, NY Enterprise Solution Engineer October 2021 – August 2022

• Achieved four 120K+ USD deals in four months, contributing to revenue growth through cloud-based contact center solutions with integrated risk controls

• Provided pre-sales support for enterprise prospects, emphasizing governance and compliance in call center operations

• Conducted technical discovery interviews to define needs and secure technical win in compliance-sensitive environments

• Reviewed quotes, RFPs, plans, and documentation, providing governance and risk insights

• Tailored product demos using Tell Show Tell approach, highlighting AI agents

• Partnered with sales teams to develop technical expertise, meet product expectations, and nurture customer confidence

Lynx Technology Partners, Inc., New York, NY Senior Sales Engineer / Senior Solutions Engineer Consultant October 2020 – April 2021

• Led development and implementation of complex products, applications, and solutions in integrated risk management

• Delivered impactful sales and product demonstrations, ensuring innovative and interoperable solutions aligned with customer governance and compliance

• Conducted compelling product demos, presentations, and pilot implementations focused on risk mitigation

• Analyzed customer requirements and crafted proof-of-concept solutions for prospective clients

• Improved customer satisfaction by 25 percent in 6 months, driving revenue through enhanced GRC implementations

Supply Wisdom, New York, NY Director of Strategic Accounts / Director of Strategic Accounts Consultant April 2020 – October 2020

• Conducted product demonstrations and nurtured customer accounts in third-party continuous risk monitoring and intelligence

• Cultivated and managed client partnerships, aligning with strategic TPRM objectives

• Achieved 97 percent customer renewal rate through TPRM plan alignment

• Built and maintained customer trust, impacting sales optimization in risk management

• Note: Faced underemployment during this period

Prevalent Inc., New York, NY Business Sales Engineer / Sales Engineer October 2016 – March 2019

• Achieved 40 percent revenue increase in 6 months as Sales Engineer in third-party risk management

• Contributed to 36M USD sales quota by securing technical wins tied to business impact and ROI

• Led product demonstrations, technical workshops, and POCs with expertise in PCI DSS, NIST, NERC, ISO, HIPAA

• Conducted discovery sessions, demos, and workshops emphasizing compliance and third-party activities

• Advocated redirecting prospect resources from questionnaire analysis to high-impact governance activities

• Served as technical expert supporting sales in opportunity identification and objection handling Franks Plumbing, New York, NY Assistant Plumber (Part-Time) January 2019 – August 2021 (Overlapping with other roles)

• Coordinated scheduling, billing, and warehouse receiving while managing materials (copper, PVC, PEX, water mains)

• Maintained operations and customer interactions to ensure project success in local community

• Fixed 45 plumbing issues in 3 months, reducing complaints by 75 percent through efficient problem-solving Syzygy Solutions, New York, NY Senior Business Analyst / Consultant September 2015 – October 2016

• Dedicated implementation resource for QVC, improving risk and compliance by 50 percent and increasing audit readiness

• Scoped projects, documented architecture and workflows, created BRDs for successful GRC implementations

• Conducted product training and curated feature requests for Archer SmartSuite Framework MetricStream, New York, NY Senior Sales Engineer February 2014 – September 2015

• Managed enterprise client engagements, tailoring risk management solutions to GRC business challenges

• Led RFP responses and proposal content development for maximum compliance and governance impact Novius Group, New York, NY Senior Business Analyst Consultant June 2012 – February 2014

• Served as AIG on-site technical representative, scoping engagements and documenting TPRM workflows

• Managed two developers to create technical requirement documents and deploy Vendor Gateway platform Early Career Summary (Prior to 2012) Progressive roles in cybersecurity, GRC, and IT operations at Paragon Solutions

(Citibank, 2010), Starpoint Solutions (The New York Times, 2009-2010), Sapphire Technologies (Iron Mountain, 2009), ACM Business Solutions (Estee Lauder, 2009), Archer Technologies (IT GRC Pre/Post Sales, 2009), Brabeion Software (IT GRC Pre/Post Sales, 2006-2009), Citigroup (VP/BISO, 2004-2007), BNX Systems Group (Senior Pre/Post Sales, 2000- 2004), Lockheed Martin (Site Operations Manager Contract, 1999-2000), Descartes Systems Group (Site Administrator, 1998-1999), and Suffolk County Clerk's Office (Systems Administrator/Project Leader, 1994-1998). Key wins: managed global banking vulnerability assessments, closed 15.7M USD identity management deals, architected GRC frameworks, ensured 100 percent uptime, led 3.8M USD optical imaging project. Education Bachelor of Science, Business Management State University of New York (SUNY) Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY

Graduated

Associate of Science, Business Management Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY Graduated Certifications

• Certified Third-Party Risk Professional (CTPRP)

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP, In Progress)

• Project Management Certificate with Agile

• Critical Selling Skills, Janek

• BISO Certificate of Completion, Citigroup

• Archer Certified Consultant (Historical)

Technical Skills

• Cybersecurity & Compliance: NIST, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, NERC

• Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP

• Risk & Compliance Tools: Archer GRC, MetricStream, Prevalent, RSA Archer

• CRM & Sales Tools: Salesforce, HubSpot, LinkedIn Sales Navigator

• Scripting & Automation: No-Code Workflows, API Integrations

• Other: SDLC, SQL Server, PeopleSoft, IIS, ASP.NET, AJAX, VMware, SaaS

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