Considering demo automation? Test drive Demoboost for free!
Start Your Trial
Presales rising star

Presales Rising Star

Meet the WINNERS
2024
Winners
Ashley

Ashley Smith, CTB

Sr. Solutions Engineer
Freight Tech

Ashley, a standout Sales Engineer, consistently excels with a track record of top performance, contributing to 36% of closed won ARR in her first year. Her innovative approach, including replacing sandbox environments with guided tours, significantly impacted major closed deals. Notably, she secured 'Best in Show' awards at FreightWaves Live Demos twice, showcasing her exceptional presentation skills and industry expertise. Ashley's proactive collaboration and commitment to continuous learning make her an invaluable asset to our team.

Dorian

Dorian Evans,CSCP

Solution Consultant
Ivalua

Dorian's journey from managing multimillion-dollar projects for the U.S. Navy to leading supply chain transitions sparked his discovery of presales as the perfect fusion of his passions. In just ~18 months in presales, he's achieved remarkable milestones, including exceeding $900k in ARR in 2023, leading the company's first non-profit organization closure, and spearheading the transformation of the invoicing solution through cross-functional collaboration. His proactive approach to turning failures into operational enhancements, such as driving a complete redesign of the homepage, showcases his commitment to continuous improvement. Dorian's exemplary skills as a listener, collaborator, and trusted advisor make him a true rising star in presales, earning admiration from colleagues and leadership alike.

Eoin

Eoin Kavanagh

Lead Sales Engineer
Gong

Eoin is driven by the pursuit of customer "ah-ha" moments, aiming to inspire that reaction in everything he does. His impact speaks volumes: with $5.8m ARR won, a 54% win rate across 158 deals, and two Presidents Club accolades. Eoin's contributions extend beyond sales figures; he implemented new reporting dashboards, introduced SE forecasting on opportunities, and identified a new market for Gong. His exceptional performance is not only evidenced by numbers but also by his recognition as a top Sales Engineering Voice and commendations from VP Sales Engineering, cementing his status as a transformative force within the company.

Jack

Jack Pidgeon

Sales Engineer
Quinyx

Jack's fervent dedication to empowering software operators drives his mission as a pre-sales professional: ensuring mutual success for customers and implementation teams. As a key liaison between European operations and the US market, he's authored competitive intelligence collateral, ensured compliance, and developed enablement programs and self-paced demos. Praised for his collaborative approach and invaluable expertise, Jack's leadership extends to thought leadership through hosting the company's podcast and continuous professional development.

Jenny

Jenny Nguyen

Solutions Engineer
Absorb Software

Jenny's remarkable achievements within just six months of becoming a solutions engineer excite us about her future trajectory. Despite being the contestant with the least experience among the winners, her impact is undeniable.Jenny's passion for problem-solving, learning, and storytelling drives her as a solutions engineer. She's built strong partnerships with AEs, shaped strategic conversations for APAC, and took ownership of the shared demo environment to enable the APAC Sales Team to efficiently showcase the product.

Melanie

Melanie L. Flores

Solutions consultant
2X TedX Speaker

Melanie's passion for puzzles and storytelling found its match in Presales, where she guides people to see possibilities and connect emotionally with tech solutions. Joining SymTrain with no prior Tech Sales experience, she led transformative initiatives, shaping processes from buyer journey maps to sales enablement content. Under her leadership, SymTrain saw remarkable growth, with ARR increasing by 270% and new logos by 4x within 2.5 years. Glowing client testimonials commend Melanie's expertise, dedication, and collaborative spirit, setting her on an exciting path for her next adventure.

Ryan

Ryan Krueger

Sr Enterprise Sales Eng
Vic.ai

Ryan's journey to presales was transformative, aligning his personal and technical skills in a career he loves. Achieving over $2.5 million in Y1 ACV, securing contracts with publicly listed and Fortune 150 companies, and establishing a successful sales engineering internship program, he's left a significant impact. Notably, his ability to learn from failures, such as turning a significant loss into the largest deal in company history, speaks volumes. Recognised as the 2023 Sales Engineer of the Year, Ryan's influence extends to keynote presentations, industry events, webinars, and mentorship initiatives, making him a respected voice in the sales engineering community.

Runners
Danny

Danny van Dijk

Channel Solution Engineer
AvePoint
Dennis kirr

Dennis Kirr

Senior Solution Consultant
Unit4
Logan O neil

Logan O’Neil

Senior Solutions Consultant
Firstup
Luca

Luca Giorlando

Account Cloud Engineer - Presales
Oracle
Nitish

Nitish Davey

Solution Engineer APAC | Sales
The Qt Company
Rajasekaran

Rajasekaran Radhakrishnan

Lead Solutions Engineer (Southeast Asia)
Paypal
Samer

Samer ALjazzar

Principal Solutions Architect
Oracle
Syed

Syed Junaid Ahmed

Senior Manager Presales
Cloud-Tribe
Tim

Tim O’Connell

Senior Sales Engineer
Deloitte

Unveiling the Essence of Presales Excellence

Insights from the Jury
Explore the concrete criteria and insights from our jury members as they reveal what truly defines presales excellence and what made the winners stand apart. Gain actionable perspectives on the essential attributes that set the standard for success in presales.
Natasja Bax
  • Customer-centricity
  • Going the extra mile for the team/company
  • Inventing something new
  • Embracing AI
Natasja Bax
Founder, Trainer & Coach
@ The DemoScene
Patrick Pissang
  • Humble/ non-arrogant approach
  • Knowledge and understanding of their product, industry and how it helps the buyer
  • Social presence
  • Storytelling & Creativity
Patrick Pissang
CEO, Founder, Lead SE Trainer
@ Sales Hero GmbH
Peter Cohan
  • Glowing references from all stakeholders
  • Rapid Career progression
  • Unique and original approach to presales work
  • Evidence of going above and beyond just the standard job description
Peter Cohan
Founder & Principal
@ The Second Derivative- Great Demo!
Masaru Someya
  • Focusing on industry trends, technology shifts, and discovery, not only product/technology champion
  • A global approach that overcomes cultural differences
  • Solid Social Presence
  • A creative and unique perspective on the Pre-sales profession along with technology shift (e.g., GAI)
Masaru Someya
President, CEO
@ WorldArx Co., Ltd.
Talks to Sales