Eric Gardner

About Eric Gardner

That experience changed me. It taught me how to lead with empathy, stay grounded under pressure, and think long-term—lessons I still apply today. But perhaps most importantly, it taught me how to be a. When you\'re helping raise kids while balancing school and work, you learn how to adapt quickly, communicate clearly, and make the best decisions with the information you have.Those same skills now guide how I show up for my clients. As a 9+ and 15+ years across presales engineering, channel strategy, and as an enterprise end-user, I help enterprise and government clients solve complex problems around cyber resiliency, data protection, and digital transformation.I’m known for turning complexity into clarity, building trust with C-level decision-makers, and delivering solutions that create long-term value. My 360° perspective helps me connect technical teams and business goals in a way that drives real outcomes: Exceeded 217% of sales quota in most recent role at Dell Generated $13M+ in annual revenue through strategic selling Ranked Top 5 in district, helping drive territory to 115% of goal Led cross-functional solution campaigns integrating hardware, software, and services Built strong relationships with C-suite and technical stakeholders by simplifying complex topics “” : I help people make better, more confident decisions, whether it\'s a company navigating transformation or a team working through uncertainty. That mission started at 20, and it’s what continues to fuel me today.Let’s connect. 🤝

Experience

1. Data Protection Account Executive

   Dell Technologies

   Jun 2022 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   As a trusted advisor to enterprise and public sector clients, I drive strategic sales of Dell EMC Data Protection and Cyber Resiliency solutions across both acquisition and established accounts. I partner closely with portfolio account teams, solution engineers, and ecosystem partners to deliver business-aligned outcomes that protect critical data and reduce cyber risk. & :• Surpassed 145% of quota in H2 2024 through disciplined pipeline management, high-impact outreach, and complex solution selling• Generated and maintained 3x pipeline coverage by executing targeted demand generation activities and leveraging the full Dell EMC portfolio• Applied the Integrated Sales Cycle to ensure alignment with Dell EMC processes, policies, and best practices across the full sales funnel• Built and sustained relationships with C-suite and technical stakeholders, translating complex data protection challenges into actionable solutions• Led cross-functional sales campaigns that integrated hardware, software, and services, helping clients strengthen their overall cyber posture• Maintained strong technical fluency across Dell EMC’s Data Protection and Cyber Resiliency offerings, knowing when to engage SEs and when to lead independently• Initiated and managed complex sales cycles with tough-to-penetrate accounts, often leading or mentoring others through high-stakes pursuits• Leveraged Challenger Sales methodology to reframe client assumptions, uncover latent needs, and position data resiliency as a strategic enabler

Education

• Western Michigan University

  Aviation Technology

  1997 — 1998

• Davenport University

  Computer and Information Sciences, General

  1998 — 2000

Skills

• Disaster Recovery
• Vmware Esx
• Voip
• Data Center
• Dns
• Virtualization
• Security
• Administration
• Mobility Management
• Sccm
• Network Administration
• Hyper-V
• Scom
• Palo Alto Networks
• Network Security
• System Deployment
• Servers
• Windows
• Team Management
• Wireless Networking
• Backup & Restore
• Troubleshooting
• Citrix
• Active Directory
• Cisco Meraki
• Infrastructure
• Windows Server
• Information Security
• Hardware
• Networking
• Citrix Metaframe
• Budgeting
• System Administration
• Office 365
• Dfs
• Computer Hardware
• Windows Server 2008
• Vpn
• Cisco Technologies
• Vmware