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RESUME

I AM

...an entrepreneurial and innovative professional with extensive experience in business development, global sales, market analysis, sales strategies, and marketing plans within numerous start ups. I am an analytical leader with expertise in business process improvements, SaaS strategies, enterprise software, training and development, strategic planning, and problem-solving.

 

In one of my previous roles, within a span of seven years, I developed and executed sales and marketing strategies that transformed Siteimprove into a nimble, cost-effective entity. I expanded a $10 million SaaS company into an $85 million recurring revenue powerhouse while maintaining an impressive 92% revenue retention year over year for seven consecutive years. My efforts also extended our global presence, reaching into Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Moreover, I played a pivotal role in securing a $55 million investment from Summit Investment Partners.

 

So, what do I bring to the table? I bring a proven knack for innovation and collaboration, fortified by my extensive experience and training in business transformation and leadership. My track record showcases a consistent ability to tackle challenges, mitigate risks, and deliver tangible results. Some of the most demanding situations in my career have allowed me to rally teams around a shared vision and goals, resulting in elevated performance levels. I have the capability to swiftly elevate an existing team and push them beyond their comfort zones.

 

Now, you might wonder, why are entrepreneurial skills so valuable within an organization? In today's rapidly evolving digital economy, organizations require leaders like me who possess entrepreneurial skills. These skills transform organizations into incubators for fresh business models, fostering innovation, experimentation, and opportunity exploration.

 

My leadership is geared towards crafting actionable strategies that ensure organizations remain vibrant and relevant.

 

Finally, you might be curious about how my extensive international experience has influenced my approach to running a business. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working across numerous countries, cultures, and with diverse groups of people. These experiences have instilled in me the realization that there are myriad approaches beyond what we're accustomed to at home. I've come to appreciate the power of cultural diversity in problem-solving, the significance of virtual management, and the necessity of venturing beyond one's comfort zone. I firmly believe that adaptability and a willingness to embrace new environments are the cornerstones of successful business leadership.

 

I am a graduate of Clarke University, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations and Advertising.

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Roger J Fuhrman

Executive Sales & Marketing Leader

Minneapolis, MN

 

Phone:

612-964-4441

Email:

fuhrmaro@hotmail.com 

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EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
January 2024 - Present
Director of Sales
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April 2023 - January 2024
Independent Consultant
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NORTHERN LIGHTS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Northern Lights Technology Development is an innovative global technology firm specializing in Information Technology and Business Process Support. We alleviate the strain of technology management from businesses that face challenges in talent acquisition, budget constraints, or lack of infrastructure to support robust IT systems.

NLTD is part of the Taylor Corporation.

I am responsible for the GTM Strategies for NLTD offering.   Manage a staff of BDR's, Account Executives, and Marketing Coordinator.

This position reports to the President.

RJF, LLC

I bring a proven knack for innovation and collaboration, fortified by my extensive experience and training in business transformation and leadership. My track record showcases a consistent ability to tackle challenges, mitigate risks, and deliver tangible results. Some of the most demanding situations in my career have allowed me to rally teams around a shared vision and goals, resulting in elevated performance levels. I have the capability to swiftly elevate an existing team and push them beyond their comfort zones.

I assist enterprises in staying at the forefront of innovation as they develop and implement their Sales and Marketing Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies.

 

Among my clients are esteemed organizations such as Interlog USA, Vettigo, Mibit, and Enable Interactive Technologies.

October 2022 - April 2023
EVP of Sales and Marketing
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SKYKIT

Skykit provides digital signage solutions and workplace experience tools to businesses around the world. Our software is running on tens of thousands of screens across the globe, simplifying employee communications, enabling businesses to attract new audiences, and providing the eye-catching displays needed to engage with existing customers.  I sell in to, Fortune, SMB, Government, Retail, Healthcare, Financial Institutions, Higher Education, Legal, Manufacturing, Logistics, etc.

As an EVP of Sales & Marketing, I am responsible for scaling and meeting key SaaS metrics to achieve growth and valuation goals. Lead all aspects of revenue generation teams, including direct and channel sales.

Responsibilities include but not limited to;

● Drive marketing leadership to create and execute winning marketing strategies to drive growth.

● Maintain a customer-first focused organization.

● Effectively resolve issues at the marketing/sales and customer success functions – be comfortable with conflict, address issues, and solve problems practically and healthily

● Build a winning sales team and organization through hiring and inspiring team members.

● Develop strong channel relationships and channel strategies, and cultivate channel partnerships.

● Work closely with the business development team in structuring proposals (including offers, pricing, legal and operational implications)

● Develop and contribute to our partner strategy, strategic account plans, and key executive relationships including growth opportunities, action planning, and business growth forecasting.

● Assist Product Development with feedback from the Direct and Channel Sales teams and Skykit clients and prospects with regard to product capabilities (current, planned, and desired).

March 2020 - October 2022

Vice President of Sales

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February 2019 - March 2020

Vice President of Sales

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2011-2019

Executive Vice President

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V.P. of Sales & Marketing
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Director of Sales & Marketing
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Additional/Relevant Information

GROWTHZONE

GrowthZone Association Management Software and ChamberMaster Member Management Software help member-based organizations grow and retain membership, generate revenue, engage and communicate with members and prospects, and streamline their day-to-day operations.
 

SALES
• Develop Strategies for growing business and achieving the company's sales goals
• Lead, inspire, train and motivate the sales team to help them achieve their sales plans and activities
• Ensure that the team has the knowledge, skills and developmental plans to overachieve in their assigned quotas
• Ensure that all sales opportunities are accurately recorded to enable accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue forecasts.

• Increased Revenue 80% year-over-year for two (2) consecutive  years

• Grew Sales Headcount from five to 20 in two years

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
• Working with the team on problem solving, coaching on specific opportunities/issues, sharing sales techniques and best practices
• Enhance cross-functional relationships with key business partners -- Marketing, Sales, and Support teams to successfully collaborate on new campaigns, optimize business processes for efficiency, and ensure your team has a deep understanding of GrowthZone offerings
• Maintain 97% Revenue Retention

Contracted to develop and streamline sales and marketing processes to create a Enterprise Sales Team to proactively increase revenue. 

 

Hired remote staff to support our company objectives.  Drive sales negotiations, craft sales positioning and presentation approach, assist with proposals and pilots, and help drive the pipeline for high-profile “strategic” accounts.

 

Create, improve upon and audit sales processes and support resources (e.g., tip cards, talk tracks, FAQs) through formal training programs and management coaching.  As a result, the company was acquired by Crawford Technologies. 

SITEIMPROVE

Directed the day to day sales efforts of Siteimprove (a comprehensive cloud-based Digital Presence Optimization (DPO) software company), including business development, sales strategies, operations, training and development, and client satisfaction.

  • Created and implemented a new Operations Department and Partnership Channel Team, including providing business and operational process improvements to increase efficiencies, streamline processes, and ultimately increase revenues

  • Spearheaded the procurement and implementation of SalesForce.com, a Customer Relationship Management tool (CRM) providing increased visibility, sales planning, account management, and business development tools

  • Increased sales in excess of 55% year over year consecutively for six consecutive years

  • Led the training and development of office associates including customer satisfaction, policies and procedures, sales techniques, account management and business development resulting in an increase of office employees from 155 to 180

Executed business development strategies to build comprehensive sales and marketing teams in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and the UK to ensure that the organizational and sales goals of the organization were met. Reported directly to the CEO.

  • Assisted in the growth of the office team from 36 associates to 155

  • Served as an active member in the Executive Management Team, directing the planning and strategic sales and marketing direction for the company ensuring maximum impact on sales while providing world-class customer service to our clients

  • Recognized by management for operational excellence and a keen focus on strategic development, business process improvements, and client satisfaction

Developed and implemented front-end business processes that improved sales and operational sales functions within the organization.

  • Created and actualized Omni—channel marketing strategies that aligned with organizational sales objectives and resulted in increased ROI (Return on Investment)

  • Collaborated in the interviewing, hiring, and training and development of new associates which increased the office from 7 associates to 36

  • Optimized sales processes, technologies and effectiveness through gap assessments and process re-engineering which resulted in a significant increase in sales and profitability

INTERLOG USA, Director of Sales & CX

1 EDI SOURCE, Director of Sales (Consultant)

PLATO LEARNING, Director of Sales

PAISLEY SOFTWARE, Director of Sales

THOMSON REUTERS, Inside Sales Manager

PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION
EDUCATION

"I had the pleasure of working with Roger for 4+ years. Roger brought Siteimprove to new heights, building a strong sales team and creating the fun/welcoming culture that we are known for. He helped me grow as a sales person - teaching me to dive deeper and uncover the why. Roger is a rare find!"

Elise Hinkemeyer - Account Executive (USA)

"Having worked closely with Roger for 7 years, I have always been impressed at how he manages to make everyone around better at what they do. Roger achieves this by being an exceptional leader with a strong sense for what motivates the individual and inspires whole groups."

Bo Vejgaard - Software Developer (Denmark)

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"Roger is hands down the best leader I have ever worked with. He has the ability to make everyone in an organization feel like a valued member of the team. My time at Siteimprove was amazing for so many reasons, but I walked away from that experience knowing what a great leader looks like. And I owe that all to Roger."

MacKenzie Porwoll - Recruiter (Agency)

"Roger is one of the most memorable people I have ever met in my life. Having the pleasure of working directly with him for two years, I was able to see first hand how he was able to motivate, constantly find solutions in the face of adversity and was never too busy to take time to help someone in need. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for Roger"

Mike Cart - Country Manager (Canada)

"I have had the pleasure of working with him over the past seven years at a global managerial level– building Siteimprove from a small startup organization to the Global company it is today. I will always be in awe of Roger’s ability to relate to his staff – regardless of his own title and position, and the investment he makes in individuals to encourage and support them, and to transfer his knowledge to ultimately forward their development."

Kate Sygrove - Director of Product (Denmark)

"Every once in a while, you have the chance to work with someone who is so genuinely enthusiastic, passionate, and focused that they uplift the the engagement and performance of everyone around them. Roger is that person, and he helped guide the Siteimprove sales organization to new heights."

Scott Baker - Executive Vice President (Partner)

"Roger’s professional and refined approach makes his work much more valuable to clients. He also has a great way of keeping everyone updated on any changes he has made to his initial recommendations. Most importantly to us, Roger always indicates the practical applications his work has for our organization and future revenue generation"

Manoj Ramnani - CEO (Client)

“What is encouraging are the examples of teamwork that I continue to hear about. Teamwork within the AE team, teamwork between AEs and SDRs, the teamwork that occurs between sales and onboarding, Sales, and product, etc. The effort within sales to land the right customers at the right time is very appreciated!”

Scott Juranek - CEO (USA)

“Your humility and diligence as an EVP of Sales is the most unique and commendable that I have ever seen in my history of working for software companies!  I have worked for six software companies and over 20 VP Sales and you are unique!” 

Tamara Larsen - Head of Implementation Services (USA)

"Roger vast sales experience has provided us with endless ideas, plans and projects that can boost the sales of our organization. He is passionate for this field and possesses excellent communication skills that have benefited us in numerous ways"

Cory Gallagher - Vice President of Operations (Client)

AWARDS & RECOGNITION
CLIENTS
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2023 - CIO Today - Highly Acclaimed Tech Leader of the year 2023

2022 - Industry Era Publication - Top 10 Admired Leaders of 2022

2021 - Prism Events, Inc. - Top 100 Tech Innovators and Influencers Award

2019 - Intercon - Top 50 Leaders in Technology

2019 - American Association of Inside Sales Professionals - Top 25 Sales Leaders (Nomination)

2015 - 2021 - Clarke University - Distinguished Alumni Award (Nomination)

2017 - Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce - Best In Business (Break-Out Business of the Year)

2016 - Minneapolis/St Paul Business Journal- Titans of Technology

2013 - 2016 - Star Tribune Top Places to Work in Minnesota

2014 - 2017  - Minneapolis/St Paul Business Journal - 100 Best Companies to Work for - MN

2012 - 2017 -  Minnesota Business Magazine - 100 Best Companies to Work for - MN

Speaking Engagements

2024 - Speaker/Panel at Emblaze Annual Revenue Summit - Real Stories of Revenue Leadership

2023 - Speaker/Panel at AA-ISP Leadership Summit - Optimizing Inside Sales/Funnel Selling

2022 - Speaker/Presented - Encouraging the Heart - The Leadership Challenge

2022 - Speaker/Panel at AA-ISP Leadership Summit - Coaching Essentials for Remote Teams

2021 - Speaker at Sales Secrets Summit - Seamless AI

2019 – Speaker/Panel at 8x8 – Eliminating Silos Through Workplace Collaboration

2019 – Speaker/Panel at Intercon Annual Conference – Value of Migrating to a SaaS Model

2018 – Speaker at Midwest Contact Center’s Association – Value of Customer Service

2018 – Speaker at Kentico Annual Conference – Improving the Value of your Website

2017 – Speaker at Legal Marketing Annual Conference – Value of Web Analytics

2017 – Speaker at National Association of Government Webmasters – Why Accessibility Matters

2016 – Speaker at the United Nations – Digital Inclusiveness

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SKILLS
SKILLS

CRM Implementation - Siebel, SFDC, HubSpot, ACT!, Goldmine

Expert within Startups

Expert in planning, sourcing, project management

EXPERTISE
EXPERTISE
I LOVE WHAT I DO!

I am an entrepreneurial, innovative professional with demonstrated success in business development, market analysis, sales strategies, and marketing plans within diverse sectors and markets.

 

I’m an analytical leader skilled in business process improvements, SaaS strategies, enterprise software, training and development, strategic planning, and problem solving. Flexible and adaptable with excellent interpersonal and communication skills to foster change, incorporate innovation, and implement strategies throughout all levels of the organization.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Seven years of International Experience. Including but not limited to; Denmark, Canada, Ireland, UK, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland, and Australia.

Vertical Competencies include but not limited to; Higher Education, Healthcare, Legal, Fortune, K12, Non-Profit, Local, State and Federal Government, Hospitality, Retail, e-Commerce, Manufacturing, Finance, Software/Technology.

BOARD MEMBER/ADVISOR

Currently a Board Member of the Midwest Contact Centers Association and serve as a Customer Experience Program Advisory Board Member for the University of Minnesota, Mankato.

CONTACT
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