Strategic Account Executive
Salesforce
2016 - Current
David Runkle
Summary
AI sales professional with 20+ years sales experience and 10+ years consecutive quota attainment. Proven ability to build strong client relationships in the Telco & Media sector. Adept at strategic account management, reliable, adaptable, and focused on delivering results.
Accomplishments
2025 - 151%, #3 Agentforce AE, Peak Performers Club
2024 - 287%, #2 Strategic Accounts AE, Peak Performers Club
2023 - 916%, #1 Global AE, Salesforce MVP Award, Chairman's Club
2022 - 101%, Strategic Accounts AE Achievers Club
2021 - 108%, Enterprise AE Achievers Club, Accelerate Sales Academy
2020 - 187%, Top 5 Enterprise AE, Peak Performers Club
2019 - 218%, #1 Mid-Market, AE of the Year Award, Peak Performers Club
2018 - 124%, Top 10 Mid-Market AE, Sales Leadership Academy
2017 - 189%, #1 SMB AE, Broke SMB ACV Record. Peak Performers Club
2016 - 149%, Small Business Top Rookie for Marketing Cloud
Work History
Strategic Account Executive, Telco & Media
Salesforce, AI & Agentforce
2025 - Current
- Spearheaded deployment of over 20 successful AgentForce projects across call center and sales operations for major national telecommunications and media companies.
- Facilitated joint collaboration between technology and business stakeholders to define operational models and AI COEs.
- Formulated demand strategies and consumption forecasts to enhance alignment with customer AI value projections.
- Achieved third largest AI AOV for a territory in inaugural year.
Strategic Account Executive, Telco & Media
Salesforce
2021 - 2024
- Led efforts with call center & marketing executives to transform subscriber experience and customer engagement at a 9 billion dollar national media company. Ultimately resulting in a 24% reduction in churn and 11% increase in subscriber engagement.
- Grew the customers AOV from less than $100k to $50 million+ over a 3 year time period.
- Negotiated a 5 year strategic partnership over 200 Million dollars by cultivating executive relationships, defining mutual success criteria, and quantifying incremental business value.
- Organized account team efforts across 5 different clouds, uniting over two dozen supporting resources on common goals and objectives for the account & opportunity strategy.
Sr. Account Executive, Marketing Cloud
Salesforce
01.2016 - 2020
- Salvaged a broken relationship to help a 100-year-old, $15B global appliance company develop a digital marketing strategy to drive sales in a new direct to consumer revenue model valued at over $1 Billion.
- Developed and executed a road map of 5 cloud solutions to a global automotive aftermarket holding company over a period of 2 years. Enabled a repeatable data management, CRM, and marketing strategy across their 20 brands and 2000+ franchise locations that eliminated over $5 million in technical debt & inefficiencies that tripled customer digital engagement.
- Organized two account teams across 2 clouds to win a highly competitive RFP from a national sports league. Created a customized RFP response, proposal, demo within a 20-day timeline.
Enterprise Sales Director
Emerging Strategy
2015 - 2016
- Worked with a CSO of a leading LMS SaaS company to identify key data points needed to justify an expansion to the BRICK nations which had a multi-billion-dollar market value estimation.
- A boutique market intelligence firm based in Shanghai. Emerging Strategy serves enterprise clients in the education industry who need strong primary research and insights from the opaque and BRICK nations.
Regional Sales Manager
Century Resources
01.2008 - 2015
- Hired, trained, coached and managed a region of 10 fundraising consultants to deliver over 8 Million dollars in annual revenue, and 7 Million dollars to the schools and students.
- Develop executive relationships with high value Principals, Athletic Directors, Board Directors, & Superintendents to maintain their business on a year-to-year basis.
- Leaders in the niche K-12 fundraising industry. Century Resources works with schools across the nation to raise funds for the ongoing betterment of their institution and students.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Business Communications
Anderson University
Anderson, IN2006
Skills
- Strategic Account Management
- New Business Development & Retention
- Account Team Leadership
- Complex Contract Negotiations
- Public Speaking & Presenting
- C-level Presentations & Communications
- Cross Functional Relationship Building
- Deal Cycle Management
- Territory Management
- Contract & Deal Negotiations
- Teamwork and Collaboration
Timeline
Sr. Account Executive, Marketing Cloud
Salesforce
01.2016 - 2020
Regional Sales Manager
Century Resources
01.2008 - 2015
Strategic Account Executive
Salesforce
2016 - Current
Strategic Account Executive, Telco & Media
Salesforce, AI & Agentforce
2025 - Current
Strategic Account Executive, Telco & Media
Salesforce
2021 - 2024
Enterprise Sales Director
Emerging Strategy
2015 - 2016
Bachelor of Arts - Business Communications
Anderson University
Community
- Chapel Church, Board Member
2016 to Present
- Indy Premier Soccer Club, Coach,
2016 to 2022