Derek Risley

Chief Revenue Officer | Driving AI-Led GTM & Services Transformation | P&L Leadership | Global GTM Sales Leader

United States

About

Dynamic, passionate SaaS Executive with 20+ years of global sales leadership experience driving GTM strategy and sales transformation, revenue growth, and operational turnarounds. Proven record of leading a $250M Global revenue teams and transforming underperforming enterprises into profitable growth engines, and securing landmark enterprise and government contracts. Recognized for building customer-centric, high-performing teams that deliver sustainable, scalable results. 𝗙𝗒𝗖𝗨𝗦 & π—£π—›π—œπ—Ÿπ—’π—¦π—’π—£π—›π—¬ I am a passionate, people-first leader who believes the most sustainable growth comes from investing in two core assets: your customers and your employees. When companies empower their peopleβ€”through culture, clarity, and accountability, they unlock the kind of engagement that drives innovation, loyalty, and market differentiation. Customer success doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it’s a direct outcome of how we support and enable the teams behind it. I’ve seen firsthand that when organizations prioritize both customer value and employee growth, they consistently outperform their competition. 𝗖𝗒π—₯π—˜ π—–π—’π— π—£π—˜π—§π—˜π—‘π—–π—œπ—˜π—¦ GTM Strategy ⬩ Sales Leadership ⬩ EBITDA Turnarounds ⬩ Market Expansion (NA/EMEA/APAC) ⬩ Revenue Operations ⬩ Post-Acquisition Integration ⬩ Enterprise SaaS ⬩ Cross-Functional Alignment ⬩ Growth Enablement

Experience

  • Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Resolve Tech Solutions
    Nov 2025 - Present Β· 9 mos

    As Chief Revenue Officer and GTM transformation executive, I focus on accelerating growth by aligning strategy, sales execution, and customer value. In my new role with RTS, I’m helping lead the company into its next chapter by advancing AI-led Cloud and Managed Services and bringing innovative platforms like Juno.Ai and AppForge to market. Together, these agentic AI solutions empower organizations to modernize faster, operate smarter, and unlock measurable business outcomesβ€”positioning RTS and our clients to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven economy.

  • CEO - CRO at Rizing
    2023 - Aug 2025 Β· 2 yrs 8 mos

    Led 300 person global team in reselling and delivering Cloud Transformation with SAP SuccessFactors suite to Large Global companies across NA, EU, and APAC. Achieved 33% EBITDA improvement through operational restructuring and streamlined sales processes. Drove 24% year-over-year revenue growth, resulting in bookings increase of 25% and over $63M in generated revenue. Enhanced revenue predictability by increasing enterprise deals exceeding $10M by 50%. Eliminated regional silos through implementation of integrated go-to-market strategies and shared services model.

  • Senior Vice President Sales, Americas at yellow.ai
    2021 - 2023 Β· 2 yrs

    Achieved ARR growth from $150K to $10M in under two years through effective GTM strategy. Built and scaled a cross-functional revenue team of over 30 across North America. Secured strategic partnerships with Google, Microsoft, and SAP to enhance market credibility. Developed comprehensive US infrastructure including sales, HR, payroll, forecasting, and technology stack.

  • Regional Vice President, Large Enterprise at Yext
    2017 - 2021 Β· 4 yrs

    Transformed Midmarket sales to high performing Large Enterprise sales motion by driving Sales Execution, Pipeline development and Forecasting methodologies such as MEDDIC. Achieved status as #1 global sales region, generating over $25M ARR. Drove three consecutive years of performance exceeding 100%, securing multiple Presidents Club honors. Introduced scalable processes and forecasting systems to enhance sales execution.

  • Regional Vice President, Northeast at SAP
    2012 - 2017 Β· 5 yrs

    Built first Strategic/Large Enterprise Sales team for SuccessFactors after 2012 acquisition in the NE and MidAtlantic. Achieved 42% year-over-year growth with $31 million total contract value through strategic account execution. Grew business by 27% year-over-year in 2016, reaching $42.5 million total contract value across enterprise verticals. Exceeded quota attainment from 143% to 459% across multiple fiscal years. Earned Global Winners Circle and Top Performer Awards for outstanding performance.