Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Certification
Technical & Platform Skills
Soft Skills & Leadership
Timeline
Generic

Haneesha Kandala

Katy

Summary

Experienced Account Executive with 8+ years in B2B SaaS and cybersecurity sales, with a strong focus on cloud, data-in-motion (Kafka), and security solutions. Skilled in building pipeline, leading CXO conversations, and driving revenue through partner channels like AWS and GCP. Recently completed a Cybersecurity Diploma from Texas McCombs, deepening expertise in security frameworks and threat awareness. Known for turning complex tech into business value and trusted client relationships. Ready to turn insight into impact in my next sales role. Legally authorized to work in the U.S. under an active Employment Authorization Document (EAD).

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Consulting and Upskilling (Personal Sabbatical)

.
01.2023 - Current
  • Underwent stem cell transplant and recovered fully
  • Cybersecurity Diploma – Texas McCombs (Feb 2024): Trained in threat intelligence, security frameworks, and packet analysis
  • Aug 2023- Nov 2023: Business Consultant at Confity Capital Partners
  • Feb 2023 - Aug 2023: Technical Recruiter – Polar IT Services: Placed Software Engineers and Product Consultants in mid-size firms

Commercial Account Executive – India

Confluent, Inc.
01.2022 - 12.2022
  • Owned full sales cycle for 100% greenfield territory targeting SaaS, EdTech, Gaming, and FinTech companies
  • Achieved 119% of new revenue quota of $1M ARR (byQ4 2022) by driving Kafka adoption across digital-native accounts
  • Managed quota-carrying book of business via direct and partner channels (AWS, GCP), leading to high ACV wins
  • Conducted technical demos and PoCs in collaboration with Engineering to boost Pay-Go consumption
  • Enabled developer engagement through workshops and strategic content, increasing pipeline velocity
  • Led cross-functional coordination during complex deal cycles, ensuring clear communication and fast execution
  • Maintained accurate pipeline hygiene and sales forecasting using Salesforce and MEDDPICC methodology

Lead GCP Cloud Consultant - UK & Ireland

Searce, Inc.
02.2021 - 11.2021
  • Drove $20M in new pipeline and achieved 110% revenue (ACV: $5M ARR) through targeted campaigns and consultative selling to Financial Tech and Manufacturing clients (80% greenfield)
  • Led co-branded webinars and fireside chats with Google Partner Marketing Managers to engage cloud-native prospects
  • Executed cross-sell and upsell strategies, expanding wallet share from existing client accounts
  • Collaborated with Google PSMs, FSRs, and internal GTM teams to qualify and prioritize leads using BANT framework
  • Created scalable sales enablement content including messaging guides and case studies; mentored junior sales staff on consultative selling techniques
  • Represented Searce’s AI and cloud consulting services, including proprietary products such as Invoize and HappierWork
  • Supported GTM alignment with GCP Sales reps

Account Executive - North America

Akamai Technologies, Inc.
03.2018 - 01.2021
  • Promoted to Account Executive within 14 months based on quota achievement and customer success impact
  • Mar 2018 – Jan 2021 | Account Executive;
  • Mar 2018 – May 2019 | Account Executive Associate
  • Managed a quota-carrying book of business across FinTech, Retail, and SaaS clients, driving upsell and cross-sell via direct and partner channels (AT&T, IBM)
  • Led quarterly business reviews (QBRs), customer briefings (CBRs), product trainings, and PoCs, resulting in higher customer retention
  • Partnered with Security Engineering teams to position Akamai’s Web & API Security solutions as strategic add-ons to core CDN deployments
  • Forecasted and tracked pipeline using Salesforce CRM, including MEDDIC qualification, close plans, and sales activities
  • Supported 40+ successful customer on-boardings and complex integrations across emerging e-commerce and SaaS businesses
  • Developed a scalable account transition process, improving customer experience and cross-team communication
  • Achieved 100%+ quota attainment three consecutive years (2018–2020) with strong renewal rates and net expansion
  • Awards & Recognition:
    2020: MVP (Q2), 101% quota, 100% retention, highest emerging customer case studies
    2019: 100% quota, led 30+ integrations, highest customer engagement (webinars, events)
    2018: MVP (Q2), 100% quota, highest GMRR growth in e-commerce segment



Customer Success Manager (North America and LATAM)

Akamai Technologies, Inc.
10.2016 - 02.2018
  • Served as trusted advisor for 70+ accounts, managing post-sales success, customer onboarding, escalation resolution, portal enablement, and QBRs across FinTech, Retail, and SaaS clients
  • Facilitated cross-functional collaboration with Support, Product, and SE teams to resolve issues quickly and deliver tailored success plans that improved customer satisfaction, retention, and product adoption.
  • Analyzed usage trends and CLV to uncover upsell and expansion opportunities for Sales and SE teams
  • Led China CDN Revenue Recovery Project, identifying and mitigating ~$5M at-risk revenue due to policy shifts
  • Improved forecasting by monitoring usage anomalies and risks
  • Awards: Best CSM (Q1 & Q4 2017) and Best Extended Account Team (Q1 2018)

Home Franchisee Owner and Part Time Art Teacher

Konsult Art & Design Academy
01.2014 - 12.2016

Marketing and Sales Associate (India - South)

KLSR Urban Properties Pvt. Ltd
06.2015 - 07.2016

Sales Associate (India- South)

Pleomorph Estates Pvt. Ltd.
06.2014 - 07.2015

Summer Intern

Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles Private Limited
04.2013 - 07.2013

Education

Diploma - Cybersecurity

Texas McCombs University
02.2024

MBA - Marketing and Sales

Alliance University
06.2014

Bachelor of Science - Electrical & Electronics

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
05.2012

Skills

  • SaaS & Cloud Consultative Selling
  • Full-Cycle Sales: Prospecting → Demos → Negotiation → Close
  • New Business Development & Pipeline Generation
  • Account Expansion & Renewal Management
  • CXO & Multi-Stakeholder Engagement
  • Sales Forecasting & Opportunity Management (Salesforce CRM)
  • Go-to-Market Strategy Execution
  • PoC & Pilot Program Coordination
  • Partner & Channel Sales (AWS, GCP, IBM, AT&T)
  • Security Solution Selling (Zero Trust, CDN, WAF)

Certification

  • Leadership Principles Certification from Harvard Business School Online (2020)
  • Product Management Certification from upGrad (May 2019- Oct 2019)

Technical & Platform Skills

  • Cybersecurity Awareness (NIST, MITRE ATT&CK, ISO 27001)
  • SSL/TLS Analysis, Network Security Basics, Social Engineering Defense
  • Data-in-Motion Concepts (Kafka), CDN & Cloud Security Fundamentals
  • Cloud Platforms: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), AWS (basic)
  • Microsoft Office 365 Suite (Excel, Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint)
  • Sales Tech Stack: Salesforce CRM, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Outreach.io
  • Collaboration Tools: Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom

Soft Skills & Leadership

  • Sales Mentorship & New Hire Enablement
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration (Marketing, SEs, Product, CS)
  • Customer Relationship Building & Retention
  • Communication & Storytelling for Technical Topics
  • Adaptability, Empathy, and Executive Presence
  • Project Coordination & Escalation Management

Timeline

Consulting and Upskilling (Personal Sabbatical)

.
01.2023 - Current

Commercial Account Executive – India

Confluent, Inc.
01.2022 - 12.2022

Lead GCP Cloud Consultant - UK & Ireland

Searce, Inc.
02.2021 - 11.2021

Account Executive - North America

Akamai Technologies, Inc.
03.2018 - 01.2021

Customer Success Manager (North America and LATAM)

Akamai Technologies, Inc.
10.2016 - 02.2018

Marketing and Sales Associate (India - South)

KLSR Urban Properties Pvt. Ltd
06.2015 - 07.2016

Sales Associate (India- South)

Pleomorph Estates Pvt. Ltd.
06.2014 - 07.2015

Home Franchisee Owner and Part Time Art Teacher

Konsult Art & Design Academy
01.2014 - 12.2016

Summer Intern

Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles Private Limited
04.2013 - 07.2013

MBA - Marketing and Sales

Alliance University

Bachelor of Science - Electrical & Electronics

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Diploma - Cybersecurity

Texas McCombs University

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