Ray Conner

About Ray Conner

As a Senior Director at Microsoft, I lead the Small Medium Enterprises & Channel (SME & C) Global Sales Excellence team, focusing on driving sales growth, improving seller productivity and increasing customer satisfaction. With over 15 years of experience in sales leadership roles, I have a proven track record of delivering results and building high-performing teams. Creating a culture where employees can do their best work is a strong passion of mine and fundamental to my ethos. Adherence to diversity, equity and inclusion ensures we are able to attract the best talent while helping the entire organization achieve their career goals through opportunity and support. My expertise lies in executing strategic sales plans, managing complex sales cycles, and fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders. I am passionate about leveraging technology to enhance customer experiences and drive business outcomes. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Affairs from the University of Puget Sound, complemented by a one-year study abroad experience at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.I was recently invited to join the Vital Voices Northwest Council, a global organization that invests in women\'s leadership and advocacy, co-founded by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I have also volunteered for Youth for Understanding, an intercultural exchange program for high school students. I continue to mentor early in career individuals and provide interview/career coaching for students at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, the University of Puget Sound Business Leadership Program (BLP), Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, and as a guest speaker for the University of Arizona. My husband and I also strongly support the arts and have regular season tickets to Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. I was also a former volunteer for the Seattle Symphony. Finally, I performed for nearly ten years with the Tacoma Concert Band (alto saxophonist) and ran their annual High School Student Soloist Concerto contest for several years.

Experience

1. Senior Director, Sme & C (Small Medium Enterprises & Channel) Global Sales Excellence Director

   Microsoft

   Mar 2022 — Present · Redmond, WA, US

Education

• University of Puget Sound

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), International Relations and Affairs

  1984 — 1988

• Waseda University

  International Relations and Affairs

  1987 — 1988

Skills

• Business Strategy
• Demand Generation
• Multi-Channel Marketing
• Management
• Strategy
• Business Development
• Software as a Service (Saas)
• Project Management
• Strategic Partnerships
• Program Management
• Enterprise Software
• Lead Generation
• Vendor Management
• Saas
• Cloud Computing
• Sales Enablement
• Crm
• Microsoft Crm
• Business Alliances
• Business Intelligence
• Software Industry
• Partner Management
• Product Management
• Solution Selling
• Customer Relationship Management (Crm)
• Channel Partners
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership