Richard L. Swain

Executive Leader in Sales and Marketing

Professional Profile

Strategic-minded Enterprise Account, Technology Solutions Consultant and Sales Executive. Formulates robust long-term client relationships and utilizes deep technical knowledge to accomplish consistent record of fast-tracking business development opportunities, closing multi-million-dollar deals and achieving 100%+ quotas. Broad technical subject matter expertise from foundational career as Technical Systems Engineer for professional, competitive differentiation in communicating complex-to-simplified translation of IT systems to diverse audiences, presenting at national conventions and publishing in industry-recognized forums.

• Sales & Business Development Leadership: Supports global Fortune 100 corporations’ IT optimization excellence. 12+ years of effectively selling digital disruption and leading-edge technology platforms. 8+ years’ current tenure at powerhouse IBM, collaboratively contributing to the development, bringing to scale, and selling of Data Management Systems’ solutions architecture to facilitate diverse industry clients’ cutting-edge positioning (in securing, safely storing, easily accessing, managing, and analytical harnessing of Big Data).
• Customer Success Management: Parlays unique combination of strong technical systems engineering knowledge, broad product portfolio fluency, and client needs-assessment aptitude for key account retention and growth. Provides clients with strategic concept-to-actionable development and delivery of customized solutions for proactive risk avoidance and reactive troubleshooting and remediation. Crafts consultative sales of IT solutions for digital business intelligence (BI) management, and drives service provider accountability to enable enterprise client productivity and profitability.

Expertise

Experience

SAS,CARY, NC                                                                                               10/2020 – Present 

Americas Service Providers Manager, Global Channels

Develop strategic relationships with clients and channel partners to drive indirect revenue for North and South America. Engaging across all lines of business from legal, marketing, enterprise negotiations and sales to coordinate agreements and get to first revenue.

2022 100% of sales goal over 200+ service providers

2021 Designed, sourced and branded “Lab as a Service” for Global Channel Partners

IBM, Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC                                                                                                  12/2005 – 9/2020

Brand Sales Executive, Data Systems (12/2016 – 9/2020)

Leverages progressive career tenure to deliver customer-centric key account development, growth and retention-oriented relationship cultivating of Fortune 100 Enterprise (Telecommunications, Power Utilities and Software companies)new & existingclients.

• : Completed sales of numerous, large-scalecontracts for IBM leading edge technology platforms to resolve enterprise clients’ complex data management issues or transformatively update current systems.

• Partners effectively by exhibiting technical expertise and sales leadership to support decisiveness. Collaborates with Engineering / Developers, Solutions Architects, and Executives to formulate robust data management systems.
  • Data management, storage, & virtualization SME who thrives in fast-paced, ever-changing landscapes, causing business evolution to be data-driven.Fosters innovation in providing client solutions, with consideration of organizations’ nuances, specifications, margins, and custom needs.

• • across data management solutions with strong product portfolio differentiation and leadership, knowledge of capabilities, and infrastructure functionality to generate license and professional services revenue.
    • in proponent of client success.
  • or deals that have become problematic or in need of mission-critical attention, resulting in account retention and IBM achievement of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) compliance.
  • to IBM’s business development and sales (across process development, review of current policy, and improved quality compliance), enhancing organizational effectiveness.

Sales Technical Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Team Lead   (10/2012 – 12/2016)

Led team of 6 Engineers throughout Mid-Atlantic market. Controlled fluidity and success of daily operations to ensure pivotal support of Storage Sales with Technical staff.

• . Provided technician teamleadership, and individual direction, mentoring and development opportunities. Maintained positive environment to support strong team relations and collective goals.
  • achievement of 100% or greater of quota, for consecutive years.
• , providing them with real-time customer feedback on storage interface and direction of platform to assist with proactive identifying of potential issues.
• such as user group communities, executive briefings, and learning events, to help increase sales. Built trusting relationships with current and target customers for consultative partnering, rather than just transactional.
  • and the importance and gravity of impact, maintaining reliability in data storage has on business profitability.
    • to internal & external customers.
    • on products within IBM and Netapp.
• Directors and Vice Presidents, providing informative status on accounts and deals to be won.

Sales Technical Specialist, Competitive Accounts   (1/2011 – 10/2012)

Delivered technical leadership on all IBM storage products and our competitors.

• to research competitive intelligence, create robust sales strategy and actionable tactics roadmap to win business across the challenging arena of competitive accounts.
• , including presentations, account management, and assisting with evaluations and benchmarks, system configurations and installations. Provided on-site problem resolution as needed.

• for achievement of organizational shared goals, and readily shared knowledge to advance others’ success.
• , influencing IBM’s success in commitment to stay ahead of emerging data storage technologies and formulation of novice enterprise data management solutions.
  • on IBM.com and Developer’s Works sites.

East Region Technical Sales, NAS Specialist   (6/2008 – 1/2011)

Administered technical sales support of NAS products at IBM for Eastern US region.

• , via providing technical expertise and managing execution of pre-sales and post client acquisition onsite and remote demonstrations of products, architecture of solutions, technical and executive briefings, account management, and product marketing.
• . Stayed active within relevant networks and became reputed as a NAS SME.

NSeries Product Field Engineer  (12/2005 – 6/2008)

In 3-year role tenure, gained strategic solutions-finding and hands on technical systems expertise, providing global customers with tier two support to IBM OEM NSeries systems.

• from phone/email support, root cause analysis, lab recreates, off-hours on-call, technical writing, interfacing with teams / vendors and escalating cases into Netapp (OEM Partner).

Experience Prior to 2005

• Martin Marietta Materials, Raleigh, NC | Network Administrator
• Identify Software, Inc., Raleigh, NC | Senior Systems Engineer / IT Administrator
• Strategic Resource Solutions, (a Progress Energy Company), Raleigh, NC | Manager of Client Services; Project Manager; Systems Engineer
• Forsyth County MIS Department, Winston Salem, NC | PC Technician
• Leonard Buildings and Truck Accessories Inc., Mount Airy, NC | Network Administrator

Education

Bachelor of Science, in Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Master of Business Administration, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC (Graduate 12/2023)

Certification in Leadership, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Certification in Marketing, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Awards

IBM Honors:

Volunteerism

Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Troop 226,Apex, NC, (100 Scouts)

Board Member; Committee Chair; Den Leader

2014 – Present

(Fundraising, Membership Campaigns, Budgetary Management, Volunteer Coordination & Training)

Town of Cary (TOC),

Head Baseball Coach,

2019 – Present

East Cary Baseball Club

Head Baseball Coach and founder

2022 – Present

(National Alliance for Youth Sports Certified Coach)

Technical Skills