Lee Dawson

About Lee Dawson

I’m the President & CEO and Founder of Firebird Sign Company, with more than a decade of experience in the architectural signage industry across sales, operations, and executive leadership.I\'ve spent 15 years in the sign industry in roles ranging from sales and regional leadership to COO and CEO. That experience shaped a practical, relationship-driven approach grounded in real projects, collaboration, and follow-through. I was honored to be in the International Sign Association\'s Elite Class of 2019 as an emerging leader and served on ISA\'s Direct National Steering Committee in the past. Today, I lead a private equity-backed platform focused on executing complex signage programs with clarity and accountability, while staying true to the craftsmanship and partnerships that matter to clients and designers.I’m a laid-back, humble leader by nature, and I enjoy working closely with clients, designers, and teams who value trust, clear communication, and doing the work the right way.

Experience

1. President & CEO, Founder

   Firebird Sign Company

   Aug 2024 — Present · Raleigh, NC, US

   Founded Firebird Sign Company following a private equity-backed asset purchase, establishing a standalone platform focused on complex architectural signage programs- Represent the business in investor-facing settings, preparing materials, contributing to financial modeling, and participating in fundraising and strategic planning conversations- Built Firebird’s brand and organizational identity from the ground up, aligning the team around a clear customer focus, shared standards, and a consistent way of showing up in the market- Defined and implemented a clear Ideal Customer Profile that focuses the business on customers with strong brand standards, complex needs, and long-term partnership potential, guiding sales strategy, hiring decisions, and how the team spends its time- Developed a bottom-up forecasting model integrating pipeline, predictive sales, and backlog to guide decision-making around cash flow and profitability, alongside implementing Pipedrive to provide clear visibility and discipline across sales planning and execution.

Education

• Wake Technical Community College

  Associates of Science, College Transfer

  2005 — 2007

• North Carolina State University

  Bachelor's of Science, Business Management - Marketing

  2009

Skills

• Marketing
• Sales
• Marketing Strategy
• Customer Service
• Strategic Planning
• Time Management
• Management
• Team Building
• Crm
• Business Development
• Consulting
• Retail
• Leadership
• Training
• New Business Development
• Advertising
• Salesforce.com
• Graphic Design
• Account Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Marketing Communications
• Customer Relationship Management (Crm)