Lesley Sarkesian
Austin
Summary
Strategic Growth & Transformation Executive with extensive experience in driving digital transformation for global enterprises. Specializes in analyzing client landscapes and addressing pain points to achieve desired outcomes. Committed to leading innovative strategies that enhance competitive advantage across diverse industries.
Overview
37
37
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Lecturer- Department of Management
UT at Austin I McCombs School of Business
Austin
08.2023 - Current
- Achieved exceptional course evaluation scores through dynamic instructional strategies and commitment to real-world applications.
- Implemented innovative teaching methods, utilizing AI, to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
- Delivered global business expertise to undergraduate students at McCombs School of Business.
Sr. Principal Enterprise Account Executive
iCIMS
Austin
03.2022 - 07.2023
- Established and launched division to target top 50 global enterprise organizations, resulting in $7.5 million in new pipeline.
- Secured $2.8 million in revenue from three tier 1 prospective clients through strategic engagement.
- Directed technology implementation to enhance organizational efficiencies by 32%, streamlining operations.
Channel & Enterprise Global Account Executive
Tradeshift
Austin
03.2020 - 03.2022
- Reduced average sales cycle by 62 days and increased win rate twofold.
- Secured new global CPG logos through collaboration with two BPO channel partners.
- Developed go-to-market strategies to strengthen BPO channels for post-COVID growth.
Strategic Solutions Sales Executive
SAP
Austin
03.2018 - 02.2020
- Established consultative relationships with BPO channel partners, generating a $1.585 billion pipeline.
- Developed collaborative business pursuit process with SAP Ariba, TAP Value Engineering, and S/4 teams, securing Phase I procurement business within three months.
- Achieved top rookie status on sales team by closing over $500k in first six months and quadrupling pipeline.
Regional Vice President
Vistage
San Diego
12.2014 - 12.2016
- Ranked nationally as top for net CEO member growth and chair satisfaction for two consecutive years.
- Contracted top talent as Vistage chairman, establishing and launching CEO groups that exceeded year-over-year growth outcomes.
- Led high-performing Vistage chair groups to strengthen brand integrity and improve member experiences.
- Built strong relationships among Vistage chairs and corporate executives through strategic decision-making coaching, enhancing collaboration and decision-making effectiveness.
- Enhanced time-to-market and increased sales efficiencies for client companies, surpassing growth expectations through targeted initiatives.
Founder & CEO
Sarkesian Ventures LLC I CHAOS Cocktails
Austin
06.2010 - 01.2015
- Generated $700k in accelerated sales within 12 months by executing research-driven go-to-market strategies.
- Implemented brand positioning strategies with integrated digital marketing across all communication platforms to drive customer engagement.
- Accelerated time-to-market while maintaining low operational costs through strategic partnerships with suppliers.
- Established strong brand identity through ongoing improvement of business processes and product development to align with market demands.
- Developed key sales assets by collaborating with distributors, brokers, brand ambassadors, and partners to enhance market presence.
Client Managing Director I Sr. Vice President
Xerox Global Services I Conduent
Stamford
03.2006 - 06.2010
- Led global pursuit and delivery of client services and strategy teams for digital transformation initiatives.
- Strengthened client relationships, resulting in increased revenue and enhanced support for organizational transformation.
- Built $723 million global P&L, achieving 20% year-over-year growth through targeted process improvements.
- Positioned BPO strategies to incorporate SaaS, aligning talent and processes with technology for improved market engagement.
Area Vice President
Dun & Bradstreet
Austin
01.2002 - 03.2005
- Drove $100 million revenue growth and 32% profit increase through change management systems implementation.
- Led regional sales pursuit teams targeting national and global clients to expand business opportunities.
- Directed award-winning patented processes that enhanced overall company performance.
- Integrated organizational design with big data analytics to boost operational efficiency.
- Developed innovative strategies to optimize brand value and storytelling initiatives.
- Developed marketing assets using research-based content and compelling narratives to elevate brand visibility.
- Fostered collaboration across multicultural, cross-generational, and virtual teams to drive effective change management.
- Utilized consultative strategic enterprise sales communication to enhance client relationships and improve engagement.
Managing Vice President, Worldwide Sales
Gartner
Stamford
01.2000 - 01.2002
- Launched Gartner Emetrix, a global startup delivering SaaS measurement solutions, driving market entry and customer acquisition.
- Achieved growth, profit, and market share goals through strategic planning and execution.
- Surpassed start-up sales expectations by securing long-term contracts with IBM, Dell, and BT, contributing to sustained revenue growth.
- Successfully penetrated a $1 billion market niche by piloting and delivering new products.
- Established a division that enhanced market presence by leveraging existing corporate branding and aligning product offerings.
Director, Worldwide Enterprise Technical Consulting
Dell
Austin
01.1999 - 01.2000
- Achieved 40% annual revenue growth by securing $20 million storage services contract with BPO channel partner EDS at NMCI-US Census Bureau.
- Executed disruptive leadership strategies in new market, increasing market share for Dell enterprise products and services.
- Facilitated strategic business planning to implement segment-specific initiatives and strengthen market positioning.
Regional Vice President | General Manager
Xerox Business Services
Chicago
12.1989 - 01.1999
- Reached $1 billion milestone by transforming brand identity and managing division transition to business services.
- Spearheaded financial, sales, marketing, and operations for $250 million BPO document management and large format printing business.
- Achieved top national performance by developing and executing relationship matrix that strengthened collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
- Delivered record-breaking results through strategic planning, effective delegation, and decisive decision-making that enhanced overall performance.
Education
Executive MBA - Business Administration And Management
Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
Evanston, IL06-1992
Bachelor of Arts - Communications
Purdue University
West Lafayette, INSkills
- Digital transformation
- Strategic planning
- Change management
- Sales leadership
- Consultative and value selling
- Challenger approach
- Impactful presentations
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Stakeholder engagement
- Team building
- Negotiation skills
- Data analysis
- CRM and BI tools
- Lean Six Sigma
- Multi-industry expertise
- Channel partnerships
- Global acumen
- Dynamic storytelling
- Business process outsourcing
- AI proficiency
Certification
- Certified Green Belt Lean Six Sigma
- SHRM-SCP Certification in Process
- Steven Covey Leadership
- Vistage Worldwide Facilitation & Coaching
- Continuing Board Education (CBE)
- Miller Heiman Consultative Selling
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Texas Real Estate License
- International TEFL Certification
Accomplishments
- Transformed digital business platform for multi-billion client global solutions, contributing to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award., MM/DD/YY
- Created & executed a BPO go-to-market managed digital print solution, building a $723 million global P&L., MM/DD/YY
- Launched personal spirits brand in Austin, TX, raising $750K capital and disrupting the spirits industry., MM/DD/YY
Leadership Awards,Honors, & Activities
Professional: 16 President’s Club/Winner Circle Awards - Xerox, Dell, Gartner, D&B, Xerox Global Services/Conduent, SAP, 2016 Purdue University Old Master, 2015 Class Chair, INFLUENCE San Diego - LEAD San Diego, 2013 CHAOS COCKTAILS Triple Gold Medal Award - Beverly Hills World Spirits Competition, 1997 Xerox Global Services Delegate, National Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award,
2010 Outward Bound, 2008 Cast Finalist Survivor, 2007, 2018, 2019 Marathon Finisher, 2006 Half Ironman 70.3 Finisher, 2025 Favorite Professor Keynote Speaker – Zeta Tau Alpha, 2024 Induction Keynote Speaker - Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma, 2024 Entrepreneurial Presentation - Epsilon Nu Tau, Phi Chapter, The University of Texas at Austin, 2023-2024 Strategic Advisor for the Business Professionals of America (BPA) Longhorn Chapter at The University of Texas at Austin, 2023 Faculty Honoree, Zeta Tau Alpha, 1990-2022
Timeline
Lecturer- Department of Management
UT at Austin I McCombs School of Business
08.2023 - Current
Sr. Principal Enterprise Account Executive
iCIMS
03.2022 - 07.2023
Channel & Enterprise Global Account Executive
Tradeshift
03.2020 - 03.2022
Strategic Solutions Sales Executive
SAP
03.2018 - 02.2020
Regional Vice President
Vistage
12.2014 - 12.2016
Founder & CEO
Sarkesian Ventures LLC I CHAOS Cocktails
06.2010 - 01.2015
Client Managing Director I Sr. Vice President
Xerox Global Services I Conduent
03.2006 - 06.2010
Area Vice President
Dun & Bradstreet
01.2002 - 03.2005
Managing Vice President, Worldwide Sales
Gartner
01.2000 - 01.2002
Director, Worldwide Enterprise Technical Consulting
Dell
01.1999 - 01.2000
Regional Vice President | General Manager
Xerox Business Services
12.1989 - 01.1999
Executive MBA - Business Administration And Management
Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
Bachelor of Arts - Communications
Purdue University