James Drew
Chesterfield,Derbyshire
Summary
Experienced Sales Director and Enterprise Account Manager specialising in IT Core Infrastructure Solutions & Services. With over 13 years of expertise, Results-driven with a strong track record in SaaS sales and Private & Public Sector engagement. Proven ability to win new logo business and expand strategic accounts through a consultative, solutions-led approach. Skilled in leveraging channel partnerships and managing complex sales cycles, with experience accessing C-level stakeholders. Adept at driving digital transformation conversations around Cloud, SaaS, and resilience strategies.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
6015
6015
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Strategic Account Director
Kuiper Technology
Birmingham, West Midlands
02.2025 - Current
- Developed strong, strategic relationships with key accounts to enhance business growth, by onboarding new technologies specific to industry trends such as VMware/ Broadcom
- Executed account strategies for new revenue streams in Public Sector, utilising FinOps and Veeams new SaaS go to market.
- Led successful brand initiatives by coordinating with marketing and sales teams.
- Identified potential upselling opportunities with rigorous data analysis - Tussell spend reports for Public Sector.
- Negotiated contracts with clients, resulting in mutually beneficial agreements, Such as a new Nutanix rebuild for an existing customer managed by the UKs leading reseller.
- Implemented innovative solutions for complex client issues such as increased commercials with VMware and consolidation from Veeam as a silver partner.
- Secured sales growth by leveraging leads and existing customer base.
Account Director
Cisilion
London, City of London
04.2024 - Current
- Lead and manage key public sector and commercial accounts, focusing on Cisco and Microsoft solutions.
- Pursuing new business opportunities by forging strong networks and contacting prospects.
- Delivered £188k Margin in first 8 months.
- Developed £2.3M pipeline and growing.
- Secured sales growth by leveraging leads and existing customer base.
- Pursued new business opportunities by forging strong networks and contacting potential buyers.
- Determined strategic direction of organisation based on industry knowledge and market research.
- Opened up new markets and revenue streams through industry experience and knowledge/ focus.
Sales Director / Key Accounts
COOLSPIRiT
Chesterfield , Derbyshire
03.2021 - 01.2024
- Established and maintained positive, profitable customer relationships through superb communication.
- Managed a team of three Account Managers across commercial and public sector verticals.
- Achieved and exceeded sales targets, leveraging trends in customer industries to shape value-added solutions.
- Delivered effective sales demonstrations and presentations, articulating compelling value propositions for various solutions.
- Led and closed the largest individual deal for the company in 2023 with a global oil & gas company, revising and packaging a managed service centred around Commvault.
Head of Business Develpment & Frameworks
COOLSPIRiT
Chesterfield , Derbyshire
11.2017 - 03.2021
- Managed a team of three Business Development Managers, generating business over the phone and surpassing targets.
- Developed and executed marketing plans and public relations strategies to support department objectives.
- Managed company submissions for Government Frameworks, including G-Cloud 11 & Technology Products.
Account Management Executive
COOLSPIRiT
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
01.2014 - 11.2017
- Led strategic account planning initiatives, boosting revenue through targeted client engagement.
- Cultivated strong rapport with customers and stakeholders to support long-lasting partnerships.
Internal Account Manager
COOLSPIRiT
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
03.2012 - 12.2013
- Developed and executed strategic account plans, resulting in profitability growth within the company customer base.
Operations Coordinator
Mentor FLT Training
Chesterfield , Derbyshire
05.2010 - 03.2012
- Provided direction and guidance to sales teams in order to achieve targets through strong Instructor skillsets.
- Scheduled meetings for the senior management team and booked suited Instructors to complete work.
- Ensured compliance with all company standards and procedures encourages health & safety guidelines.
Education
Diploma of Higher Education - Travel & Tourism
Chesterfield College
Chesterfield 08/2004 - 05.2007
High School Diploma - Public Services
Chesterfield College
Chesterfield 09/2002 - 07.2004
GCSEs - All academics
Springwell Community College
Chesterfield 08/1997 - 05.2002
Skills
- Enterprise Sales & Stakeholder Management: Over 13 years of experience working with some of the UK's largest brands for Retail, Oil & Gas & and Public Sector organisations Proven ability to build trust and inspire clients, backed by deep relationships with key public sector stakeholders across the UK
- Business Development & Contract Acquisition: Demonstrated success in winning new government contracts in highly competitive environments, with a strong track record in shaping and securing multiple opportunities across the public sector
- Public Sector Frameworks Expertise: Extensive experience navigating and working within national and local Public Sector frameworks, ensuring compliance and maximising opportunities within these structures
- IT, Digital & Data Strategy: Strong understanding and appreciation of IT, digital, and data requirements within Enterprises Adept at aligning these with organisational drivers to deliver impactful solutions
- Technology Proficiency: Experienced in leveraging Data Centre, SaaS and Cloud technologies/ Services to meet the specific needs of public sector clients, ensuring robust and scalable solutions
- Strategic Planning & Communication: Proven planning, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to develop comprehensive business cases and pricing models through effective benefits management
- Customer Focus & Professional Services Orientation: Dedicated to delivering exceptional service with a strong customer focus, consistently achieving high levels of client satisfaction and loyalty
Accomplishments
- Upsold additional products to the existing account base, increasing yearly revenue by 51% in the first year (2021/2022).
- Consistent year-on-year growth, turning an existing £2.6M account base into £5M+ in revenue and £538k profit into £1M+.
- Mentored the top-performing account manager in 2023, helping them exceed their individual target by 58%.
- Sales Director of Year 2023 - Exceeding individual & team target.
- Expert in Government contracts, leading to SMB company's direct service offerings on Crown Commercial Services G-Cloud for SMB.
- Achieved £290k margin through Cisco and Microsoft selling in 8 months of employment in 2024
- Onboarded x5 new logos in first 5 months at Kuiper and growing.
Certifications
- Commvault Sales Certified - (10 years selling experience)
- Rubrik Certified - (2 years selling experience)
- Arcserve Certified - (11 years selling experience)
- Barracuda SaaS - (5 years experience)
- Nutanix - (NCSX, NPSR Level 1-3 - 7 Year Experience)
- HPE Storage - (Compute, Nimble & Switching - 10 year experience) Pure Storage (3 year experience)
- Cisco UCS - (3 year experience)
- NetApp - (10 year experience)
- IBM - (2 year experience)
- Microsoft License/ Azure Consumption Services - (4 Months Experience)
- LTO Media (Multi generational & vendor experience - (12 years selling experience)
- Cloud & SaaS based technologies - (Multi-Vendor, 5 year selling experience)
Sales Methodology Skills
- Huthwaite SPIN Selling Accreditation.
- Remit IT Technical Sales Accreditation.
- Natural Training - Sales Management Course (Purpose, Values, Behaviour & Brand).
- Natural Training - Presentation Skills Training.
- Gavin Ingram - IAM10 Training.
I'm always keen to learn new styles and methodologies which contribute towards further development. Over the years I have also utilised my own methodologies, adaptable to the persona I interact with to establish strong rapport and customer relationships.
Timeline
Strategic Account Director
Kuiper Technology
02.2025 - Current
Account Director
Cisilion
04.2024 - Current
Sales Director / Key Accounts
COOLSPIRiT
03.2021 - 01.2024
Head of Business Develpment & Frameworks
COOLSPIRiT
11.2017 - 03.2021
Account Management Executive
COOLSPIRiT
01.2014 - 11.2017
Internal Account Manager
COOLSPIRiT
03.2012 - 12.2013
Operations Coordinator
Mentor FLT Training
05.2010 - 03.2012
Diploma of Higher Education - Travel & Tourism
Chesterfield College
08/2004 - 05.2007
High School Diploma - Public Services
Chesterfield College
09/2002 - 07.2004
GCSEs - All academics
Springwell Community College
08/1997 - 05.2002
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