M Ahmed

Established in the UK since 2006, an Emerging Technology Vendor collaborating multifunctional business sectors covering; Skye Cloud (Cloud & Data Centre Hosting, Analytics, BI & CRM Solutions), Skye Direct (Consumables Distribution), Skye Recruit (Technology Contract Outsourcing), Skye Communication (IP Telephony, Voice & Data Solutions), Skye Vision (Digital Marketing, Web Design, Branding, SEO & Web Security/Analytics).

Regional Sales Manager - MENA
• Greenfield role working directly with the CEO in consulting on go to market strategies for the MENA region with a focus on Y1 GCC market expansion plans, Y2 regional office & defined MBO plans.
• Executed expansion & business plans for Skye Cloud / Communications / Vision business portfolios into new markets focusing on multiple target sectors from SMB to the Enterprise markets.
• Responsible for overall B2B sales, channel development, strategy & execution of plans including financial objectives covering revenue & partner profitability.
• Directed market coverage business model & product segmentation by regions, including channel capacity planning to support regional budget.
• Managed & created business plans within a 2 Tier channel & direct sales environment.
• Developed & managed relationships at C level understanding of the business goals, strategy, messaging & objectives, overall presenting the ROI in reducing organizational CAPEX & OPEX.
• Demonstrated ability to win new business, develop both existing & new partnerships, and to overall execute effective sales & marketing programs.
• Managed the overall the sales cycle sale, leveraging expertise & understanding of the full channel eco-system by attainment & buy in at all levels within both the partner and end customer environment.
• Educated partners on vertical messaging across the group portfolio to maximize revenue streams, including cross selling & upselling opportunities across the production network.
• Ensured full compliance of operations with the group, adhering to bid process, deal registration & facilitation requirements.
• Excelled in all defined KPI’s, presented monthly & quarterly sales forecast, ensuring board director transparency & measurement of MBO’s & KPI’s.
• Revenues achieved in excess of $3.5 Million USD within Y1.

• Identified, qualified, captured & closed tactical sales opportunities with strategic alignment through the channel & end-user verticals across complex network environments within the Data Centre, Enterprise, Telco/Service Provider, Government, Travel, Education, Energy & Banking sectors.
• Worked directly with the end customer & channel creating go to market strategies & structured quarterly / annual business plans across geographic territories.
• Commanded & managed the full deal life cycle to closure, with a significant increase in FY12/13 revenues.
• Created incremental pipeline for FY14 across MEA & SAARC regions.
• Developed business strategies & solutions for complex & multi-faceted customer problems working alongside technology vendors within Ethernet Switching, Routing, Firewalls & Monitoring/Security Tool vendors within APM, CEM, DLP, Forensics, Security IDS, Network Analyzers, Packet Capture, Web & SAS Security tool space.
• Supported overall growth strategy for driving Gigamon business activities into the emerging regions with accountable responsibility for the sales of company’s products across the territory.
• Achieved sales target by the growth & development of new accounts into a formerly non-active, non-managed revenue region.
• Managed & developed database of prospective customers, opportunity pipeline, commits & regular forecasting reviews within SalesForce CRM reporting to VP of EMEA.
• Managed & attended key trade shows, aligned with vendor roadshow events, channel/end user awareness seminars & presentations. Collaborated with product managers, sales engineers on presentations, product POC demonstrations, with frequent travel for customer & partner sites across the region.
• Developed short & long-range strategies for product expansion; assessed potential application of Gigamon products to meet customer needs & prepared product specification detail for the development, implementation & customization of customer solutions.
• Represented sales group on cross-functions interfacing with R&D, production & manufacturing to develop new products & enhance existing products or product lines.
• Researched & analyzed into core GCC revenue territories & further expansion markets, gauging competition level & product mix.
• Utilized a wide application of complex principles, theories and concepts applied in the customer field negotiating at C Level in presenting ROI calculations, overall reducing end customer CAPEX & OPEX expenditures.
• Engaged, recruited & managed country specific channels & distribution to promote Gigamon technology as a complimentary solution to their existing vendor portfolio lines.
• Developed opportunities & directly managed vendor relationship joint solutions.

• Responsible for the planning & execution of a broad range of channel activities associated with the development of a Tier 2 vendors fit within the Core Technology Division, managing & developing the core vendor product business lines (Gigamon).
• Worked as part of a team, utilizing resources within marketing, product management & technical pre-sales to further the vendor objectives within target markets.
• Achieved & managed monthly margin targets, MBO’s and KPI’s for assigned territories and verticals.
• Worked closely with Vendors, VAR’s & End-Users in order to maintain a profitable business relationship & to ensure that the supply chain remained robust & proactive.
• Managed responsibility of direct engagements with Gigamon to agree focus & activities culminating in the development of business plans, pipeline & ensuring target execution on a monthly review cycle.
• Planned sales & marketing activities working with vendor executives & channel decision makers across MENA markets, engaged in Network & Security Trade Shows, delivering End-User & Partner awareness enablement seminars & cross-technology partner roadshows.
• Worked closely identifying & developing relationships across key VAR’s & Systems Integrators to maximize pro-activity levels, focus & alignment to the key vendor solutions.
• Managed objectives within the team to ensure regional vendor goals had been satisfied across all assigned distribution territories throughout EMEA.
• Provided commercial sales training & technology presentations to the key channel partners & target end users.
• Developed & managed core GTM strategy in-line with emerging vendor objectives to align the correct channels to develop & drive new & incremental business in the region. Closed & managed contractual agreements for the channel across MENA with a focus within GCC revenue markets.
• Signed agreements & strategic GTM business plans for key VAR’s, ensuring focused activity plans & country specific coverage through Pan-Gulf and NA focused partners.
• Managed & delivered increase in revenues on behalf of vendors with no former presence in the region through a direct touch business model & partner enablement account mapping strategy.

• Directed company into the formation of a regional office & expansion into MEA markets providing IT infrastructure, security/networking solutions & professional services on behalf of global IT vendors.
• Targeting & working within the Finance/Banking, Telco/Service Provider, Energy, Government, Healthcare & Education verticals.
• Created & managed logistics supply chains, systems infrastructure, business process management, tailored CRM systems, financial processes & regional legal agreements for deal facilitation.
• Negotiated contracts & managed direct relationships at board level at each field within 3 Tier channel.
• Generated revenue sales in excess of USD5million within the 1st year’s trade within GCC market.
• Diversified company to adapt from local market & global economic challenges targeting more profitable revenue streams, developing import & export distribution chains into emerging markets.
• Increased revenue turnover to over USD12 million by 3rd year within MENA.
• Created business plans & strategic partnerships within channel, controlling supply chains to emerging regions within MEA.
• Imported & exported volume scale IT hardware, creating forward buying trends, brokering currency rates & managing fluctuations from source to delivery.
• Developed & created recruitment / contracting arm of the business establishing processes, guidelines & documentation for the full sales cycle working in conjunction with the UK office launch.
• Consulted international organizations & vendors expanding into the region advising into processes for company formation on Branch Subsidiary, LLC, FZC & FZE basis.

Established in 2005 part of the Integrated Group, a corporate training & consultancy brokerage firm offering a fully outsourced managed training solution covering all areas of personal development, technical, IT and professional skills curriculum with partnerships across the board to the corporate, enterprise & SME markets.
Director of Managed Training Services:
• Directed management & integration of multi-vendor training programs within EMEA & APAC for blue chip organizations.
• Consulted on implementation of client in-house training programs, technology & system upgrades, maintained ongoing training development plans with key decision makers managing all user requirements from Administrative Personnel, Sales, IT, Facilities, HR, Finance, Director & Board level.
• Directed training services ranging from instructor led, public schedule, on-site rollouts, floor walking and closed bespoke client programs.
• Recruited & contracted freelance consultants representing the company/vendor for client-site learning, developing & supporting bespoke in-house systems & creating courseware supporting bespoke applications.
• Directed & implemented new business model strategy combining purchasing power of major organisations to develop & negotiate revised pricing contracts for greater ROI.
• Created Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) and contracts from channels cross-selling services and IT solutions across multi sectors.
• Managed and maintained control of company accountability and P/L activities.
• Increased revenue turnover from GBP500k 1st year to GBP2.3Million by 3year.
• Coordinated merger acquisition with market leader.