Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Additional
Executive Profile
Timeline
Generic

CHRISTY SAPONE

Buffalo,NY

Summary

Dynamic, results-driven executive with over 20 years of global leadership experience in strategic growth, business development, client engagement, and operational excellence across the experiential marketing, event production, and B2B industries. Proven track record scaling revenue, streamlining operations, and leading cross-functional teams in high-pressure, demanding environments. A powerful relationship builder, recognized for bridging internal and external stakeholder priorities, managing multi-million-dollar portfolios, and driving international expansion across EMEA, APJ, and North America.

Overview

14
14
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Vice President, Strategic Growth

RES Exhibits
Rochester, NY
12.2024 - Current
  • Initiated and scaled a fully functional pipeline from no leads in 2024, laying the foundation for future sales success.
  • Rebuilt and implemented a scalable, KPI-driven sales process that improved forecasting and team efficiency.
  • Developed marketing plan and relaunched cold outreach strategy leveraging modern CRM tools and audience segmentation to boost lead conversion.
  • Drove alignment between sales, marketing, and production to improve pipeline velocity and shorten sales cycles.
  • Created robust performance dashboards to track pipeline health and inform market expansion strategy.

Founder & Author

Cici Sapone, Inc.
Buffalo, NY
10.2019 - Current
  • Developed branding and marketing strategies for local businesses.
  • Authored and launched bst you, a guided journal for personal reflection and growth.

Vice President, Account Direction

Sparks (a Freeman Company)
Buffalo, NY
10.2024 - 12.2024
  • Managed $32M in annual client revenue as part of Freeman’s top-tier agency team.
  • Oversaw project delivery, team performance, and client satisfaction for Fortune 500 accounts.
  • Ensured integration of pricing strategy across Agency, Logistics, and AV production teams.
  • Managed high-level stakeholder relationships to facilitate effective communication and collaboration.
  • Oversaw budget planning and resource allocation for various departmental initiatives.
  • Provided oversight of all departments in order to ensure smooth operation of daily activities.

Senior Account Director

Sparks (a Freeman Company)
Buffalo, NY
07.2023 - 10.2024
  • Led $20M in corporate event portfolios, maintaining gross margin integrity while improving client retention.
  • Partnered across teams to meet aggressive timelines and elevate client event experiences globally.

Business Development Senior Director

Freeman
Buffalo, NY
01.2023 - 07.2023
  • Identified and cultivated strategic accounts; increased qualified leads through revamped go-to-market strategy.
  • Collaborated with Creative, Strategy, and Operations to improve solution delivery and profitability.

Senior Director, Corporate Client Solutions

Freeman
Buffalo, NY
10.2021 - 01.2023
  • Directed a national team of 10 CSMs, delivering $60M+ in annual revenue.
  • Implemented mentorship and training programs to elevate account delivery and team morale.
  • Liaised across business units to ensure seamless execution and revenue optimization.

Vice President, Client Engagement

GES
Buffalo, NY
01.2012 - 11.2019
  • Managed $35M portfolio, leading event strategy from ideation through execution.
  • Created long-term strategic plans aligned with profitability targets and organizational goals.
  • Expanded client programs across corporate events, trade shows, and permanent installations.

Education

B.S. - Business Management Administration, Political Science

Hartwick College
Oneonta, NY
Oneonta, NY

Skills

  • Strategic Planning
  • Revenue Growth
  • Global Sales Leadership
  • P&L Management
  • Experiential Marketing
  • Tradeshow & Event Strategy
  • Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Client Retention
  • Operations Optimization
  • Contract Negotiation
  • Talent Development
  • CRM & KPI Implementation
  • Strategic planning
  • Pipeline management
  • Customer relationship management
  • Budget planning
  • Project delivery
  • Team leadership
  • Problem solving
  • Effective negotiation
  • Operations management
  • Business development
  • Global operations
  • Cross-functional team coordination
  • New business development

Additional

Canada, EMEA (UK, Europe, Middle East), APJ (Asia, China, Japan), 100 – 350,000 attendees, Salesforce, HubSpot, MS Dynamics, Asana, ZoomInfo, Slack, Public speaker, Author, Mentor to rising sales and account professionals

Executive Profile

Dynamic, results-driven executive with over 20 years of global leadership experience in strategic growth, business development, client engagement, and operational excellence across the experiential marketing, event production, and B2B industries. Proven track record scaling revenue, streamlining operations, and leading cross-functional teams in high-pressure, demanding environments. A powerful relationship builder, recognized for bridging internal and external stakeholder priorities, managing multi-million-dollar portfolios, and driving international expansion across EMEA, APJ, and North America., Strategic Planning, Revenue Growth, Global Sales Leadership, P&L Management, Experiential Marketing, Tradeshow & Event Strategy, Cross-Functional Leadership, Client Retention, Operations Optimization, Contract Negotiation, Talent Development, CRM & KPI Implementation

Timeline

Senior Vice President, Strategic Growth

RES Exhibits
12.2024 - Current

Vice President, Account Direction

Sparks (a Freeman Company)
10.2024 - 12.2024

Senior Account Director

Sparks (a Freeman Company)
07.2023 - 10.2024

Business Development Senior Director

Freeman
01.2023 - 07.2023

Senior Director, Corporate Client Solutions

Freeman
10.2021 - 01.2023

Founder & Author

Cici Sapone, Inc.
10.2019 - Current

Vice President, Client Engagement

GES
01.2012 - 11.2019

B.S. - Business Management Administration, Political Science

Hartwick College

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