John Connell

Enterprise AI Automation at Zapier | Sales, RevOps & Enablement

Canada

About

There is nothing more fun in business than building, selling, and coaching. I used to say that I was "tech sales", but over the past few years I've realized that I have had three interweaving responsibilities throughout my career: To build GTM programs, to close revenue, and to coach sales reps. I will always weave between building, selling, and coaching because those are all work-related responsibilities that feel like play to me. It is convenient for me that those three functions are requisites for building a truly great company. I joined a scrappy startup called Fiix in 2017 as an SDR thanks in large part to my affiliation with the Venture for Canada network. Here, I built and sold, built and sold, and built and sold. In 2017 I was the top performing SDR, which quickly gained me a promotion onto the Account Executive team. It took time for me to develop into the effective and efficient Account Executive I set out to become, but I proved that the time invested in my development was worth it in 2019 when I became the top performing new business AE in the business. Following Fiix's acquisition from Rockwell Automation in 2020, I was once again promoted into a newly developed role called Regional Business Lead, where I managed channel sales and partnerships for Fiix and Rockwell Automation. I stepped away from Rockwell Automation in 2022 to join an early stage startup and build all functions of Go-To-Market (GTM). Once again I found myself building, selling, and coaching as we built the business, acquired new revenue and added reps. I had an offer to rejoin Fiix by Rockwell Automation after stepping away from my startup position one year later. In November 2023, I rejoined the new leadership team at Fiix to build GTM playbooks and coach the sellers. I'm grateful to have found work that often feels like play. Feel free to connect if you also love to build, sell, and coach.

Experience

  • Enterprise Account Executive at Zapier
    Jul 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 1 mo

  • Manager, Revenue Enablement & Operations at Rockwell Automation
    Sep 2023 - Jul 2024 · 11 mos

    • As the Manager of Revenue Enablement & Operations at Rockwell Automation's SaaS & Software division, I was responsible for building sales and business development playbooks across 6 sales and business development teams globally. • I spent most of my time coaching sales and business development representatives and implementing best-in-class sales training programs and methodologies. • I also contributed to key sales initiatives including account targeting, deal strategy and day-to-day operational excellence within the business.

  • Head of Revenue at MarketBox
    Aug 2022 - Aug 2023 · 1 yr 1 mo

    • At MarketBox, a seed-stage startup with a small team of dedicated builders, I was responsible for commercializing a mobile scheduling application for on-the-go businesses. • I built and executed the new-business acquisition motion, a customer onboarding motion, and an account management motion which included upsells and expansion. • Along with building these motions I was responsible for executing our prospecting and selling motion to achieve our revenue targets.

  • Fiix by Rockwell Automation (5 yrs 6 mos)
    • Partner Sales Manager
      Mar 2021 - Aug 2022 · 1 yr 6 mos

      • Acquired by Rockwell Automation - ROK (NYSE). • The Partner Sales Manager role was also titled "Regional Business Lead" at Rockwell Automation. • I led all channel and partnership responsibilities including onboarding, enablement, and sales engagements across Fiix and Rockwell Automation in Canada. • Developed the highest pipeline total at Fiix across strategic Rockwell Automation channel partners in the smallest North American region (Canada)

    • Account Executive - SMB, MM, ENT
      Feb 2018 - Mar 2021 · 3 yrs 2 mos

      • I spent just over 3 years as an Account Executive covering the Small-Medium sized Business (SMB), Mid-Market (MM), and Enterprise (ENT) segments at Fiix Software. I sold into a variety of stakeholders from front-line operations to the top of the C-suite. • #1 performing new business Account Executive (2020) • 152% quota attainment (2020) Enterprise • 106% quota attainment (2019) Mid-Market • 97% quota attainment (2018) Mid-Market • 100% ramp quota attainment (2018) SMB

    • Sales Development Representative
      Mar 2017 - Feb 2018 · 1 yr

      • As an SDR/BDR I was responsible for qualifying inbound leads and outbound prospecting in key accounts. I prospected into key Small-Medium sized Businesses, Mid-Market and Enterprise accounts. • 139% quota attainment split between the SDR and BDR roles (2017) • Top performing SDR/BDR (2017)

  • Fellow '17 at Venture for Canada
    Dec 2016 - Jun 2019 · 2 yrs 7 mos

    Venture for Canada is a national not-for-profit that recruits Canada’s highest potential graduates to work at innovative Canadian startups in need of talent, with the mission of fostering entrepreneurship. I was selected from a pool of over 1000 applicants for the two-year fellowship.