Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic

Kristie A. Helton

Bloomfield Hills,MI

Summary

Accomplished business leader with 25 years of experience in commercial and marketing roles. Skilled in developing and implementing business strategies, fostering innovation, and seizing growth opportunities on a global scale. Recognized for leading, motivating, and mentoring high-performing teams to achieve exceptional results. Proficient in business development, strategic planning, contract negotiation, team leadership, sales enablement, go-to-market strategy, sales process optimization, financial management, and building strong professional relationships.

Overview

26
26
years of professional experience

Work History

Director of Global Strategic Growth

Pall Corporation
10.2023 - 05.2025
  • Developed and executed customer-centric strategies, embedding our products into customer licenses, specifications, and end-user process designs,
  • Developed a forward-looking technical pipeline that identifies emerging needs and cultivates strategic partnerships.
  • Enabled strategic plan execution through market visibility and funnel development, creating a go-to-market strategy to position the organization for sustainable growth.
  • Aided priority project wins, delivering $80M in annual orders, exceeding the 2024 target by 80%.
  • Improved associate engagement by implementing targeted team enhancements and fostering a high-performance culture.
  • Developed standardized work processes, including a cross-functional RACI, account plans, customer rubric, KPI bowler, and specification storage and mapping.
  • Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
  • Facilitated cross-functional collaboration for improved decision-making processes within the organization.

Director of Global Vertical Marketing

Pall Corporation
07.2022 - 10.2023
  • Spearheaded market intelligence initiatives to analyze regional business unit growth, market trends, unmet customer needs, and total/serviceable addressable market values, shaping data-driven strategic planning.
  • Developed standard processes to guide cross-functional teams in the creation and execution of the business unit's strategic plan.
  • Led the team through new product development marketing stages within the Product Planning Group, exceeding all NPD funnel KPIs.
  • Identified high-potential applications and market expansion opportunities, and developed business cases for prioritization and resourcing.
  • Leveraged Danaher Business System (DBS) tools to drive business success, including problem-solving, voice of customer, key account management, channel management, customer segmentation, change management, and launch excellence.
  • Established a culture of continuous improvement by fostering open communication channels and empowering employees to voice their ideas.
  • Optimized associate performance by designing comprehensive training programs tailored to individual needs.

Director of Business Development, Key Accounts & Technical Support

Pall Corporation
01.2021 - 07.2022
  • Operationalized commercial solutions, securing new high-value specifications with licensors, end-users, and OEMs.
  • Identified innovation opportunities by aligning internal and external stakeholders, driving the development of industry-wide solutions.
  • Developed customized solutions tailored specifically to individual client needs, leading to an increase in repeat business engagements.
  • Led the team to exceed 2022 top-level KPIs, achieving $10.3M in orders against an annual goal of $4M (stretch goal: $10M), earning the President’s Award for outstanding performance.
  • Expanded product offerings to reach a more diverse customer base, boosting overall sales figures.
  • Directed the Americas Key Account team through regional and global supply programs, securing strategic long-term partnerships and increasing market share. Delivered incremental order growth 50% above goal in 2021, with FY22 incremental growth actuals exceeding target by $6M.
  • Implemented standardized processes for commercial support teams to enhance customer engagement, drive consistency in service, and increase project win rates.
  • Managed a 23-person technical support team (technical inside sales, subject matter experts, and application engineering), providing expertise to close new business, resolve customer challenges, and deliver tailored technical solutions.
  • Led onboarding, professional development, engagement initiatives, and career progression programs.
  • Expanded commercial training programs to enhance customer and associate education, reinforcing technical expertise and sales effectiveness.
  • Developed customized solutions tailored to individual client needs, leading to increased repeat business engagements.evenue, ensuring strategic sales execution and customer satisfaction.

Director of Commercial Sales for Eastern North America

Pall Corporation
01.2020 - 01.2021
  • Managed commercial sales team in Eastern North America, responsible for a $75M revenue portfolio across BU market spaces, driving growth and expansion.
  • Led implementation, adoption, and training for funnel management within the team, enhancing forecast accuracy and operational efficiency.
  • Established a technical inside sales team to support end-user sales success for small account growth.
  • Guided North American go-to-market strategy development and execution, leading channel management improvements, and optimized contract execution for all U.S. distributors.
  • Participated in OpCo strategic planning cycle, leading swim lanes and voice of customer requirements.
  • Led associate development, including onboarding, coaching, and creating career development opportunities.
  • Implemented annual pricing strategy, which delivered pricing uplift of greater than two times the stretch goal.
  • Supported DBS training and bench strength improvement through structured coaching and feedback cycles.
  • Served as a core team member for the global commercial Growth Room and Engagement action plan.
  • Managed budgets effectively to ensure optimal use of resources while maintaining financial stability.

Manager of Vertical Sales

Pall Corporation
02.2018 - 01.2020
  • Led Americas Vertical sales team, oriented across priority markets, driving business expansion through partnership contract development and regional execution, achieving 9% core growth.
  • Developed and implemented market execution strategy, knowledge transfer optimization, and market opportunity identification to increase win-rates for our direct and channel partner sales teams.
  • Served as a core Team member for L1 Policy Deployment, enhancing customer satisfaction and commercial engagement initiatives, contributing to an on-time delivery (OTD) of 92%, achieving the PD goal.
  • Supported the business unit innovation funnel growth, helping shape future product and market opportunities.
  • Managed and motivated employees to be productive and engaged in work.

Global Key Account (GKA) Manager, Regional GKA Leader

Pall Corporation
08.2012 - 02.2018
  • Led strategic global partnerships and key account initiatives, resulting in contract execution, revenue growth, and long-term customer success.
  • Secured and executed contracts with Dow, Dow Corning, and Axalta, strengthening business relationships.
  • Managed Regional Strategic Account implementation across 20 Global Key accounts, overseeing a $23M revenue portfolio and delivering double-digit annual sales growth, consistently exceeding growth targets.
  • Drove communication with internal and external stakeholders with ownership of account plans, strategy, deliverables, and contractual KPIs.

General Sales Manager, In-Plant

Pall Corporation
08.2006 - 08.2012
  • Led a sales team across in-plant markets covering automotive, aerospace, water OEM, and general Industrial markets, overseeing a $13.5M business unit through a direct team of five and distribution channel partners.
  • Motivated team members to meet and exceed objectives by setting goals, tracking performance daily, and implementing improvement strategies.
  • Developed a high-performing sales team delivering consecutive years of revenue expansion, tripling the team's previous average growth rate.

General Sales Manager, Automotive

Pall Corporation
08.2002 - 08.2006
  • Drove double-digit annual growth in North American Automotive sales through strategic market development and execution.
  • Developed local sales strategy, focusing on key account growth, contract negotiations, and strategic partnerships to expand market share.
  • Trained, coached, and motivated distributor network, aligning sales plans and key deliverables to drive project wins, maximize ROI, and strengthen customer relationships.
  • Handled customer relations issues, enabling quick resolution and client satisfaction.

Market Sales Manager

USF Filtration & Separations
07.1999 - 08.2002
  • Delivered over 20% annual growth in direct Michigan sales while consistently exceeding profit targets.
  • Led business development for key accounts, including Dow, Ford Motor Company, and Wacker Silicones, driving strategic partnerships and revenue expansion.
  • Developed and executed territory business plans, ensuring alignment with broader strategic initiatives to maximize market opportunities.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Environmental and Civil Engineering

Michigan State University
Lansing, MI

Skills

  • Sales & Business Development
  • Go-to-Market Strategy & Execution
  • Business Analytics & Performance
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Strategic Selling & Planning
  • Client & Industry Engagement
  • Market Insights & Brand Positioning
  • Mentorship & Talent Development
  • Sales Process Optimization
  • Forecasting & Pipeline Management
  • Leadership in CRM & Data Analytics
  • Territory Design & Strategy

Accomplishments

  • Project manager for Change Management (2023)
  • Commercial BU Engagement Sponsor (2022)
  • OpCo Mentor (2021-2025)
  • L1 Policy Deployment for OTD (meeting goal) (2019)
  • Havard Business School Credential for Readiness (CORe) (2017)
  • Maximizing Leadership Performance Program (2016)

Timeline

Director of Global Strategic Growth

Pall Corporation
10.2023 - 05.2025

Director of Global Vertical Marketing

Pall Corporation
07.2022 - 10.2023

Director of Business Development, Key Accounts & Technical Support

Pall Corporation
01.2021 - 07.2022

Director of Commercial Sales for Eastern North America

Pall Corporation
01.2020 - 01.2021

Manager of Vertical Sales

Pall Corporation
02.2018 - 01.2020

Global Key Account (GKA) Manager, Regional GKA Leader

Pall Corporation
08.2012 - 02.2018

General Sales Manager, In-Plant

Pall Corporation
08.2006 - 08.2012

General Sales Manager, Automotive

Pall Corporation
08.2002 - 08.2006

Market Sales Manager

USF Filtration & Separations
07.1999 - 08.2002

Bachelor of Science - Environmental and Civil Engineering

Michigan State University

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Kristie A. Helton