Chris O'Connell

Director of Product Marketing | AI SaaS, Developer Tools, GTM Strategy & Sales Enablement

Austin, Texas, United States

About

I am a strategic B2B SaaS product marketing leader with 15+ years of experience driving go-to-market strategy, product positioning, and commercialization for high-growth enterprise software and developer platforms. I’ve helped companies launch AI-powered and developer-focused solutions, expand into new markets, and enable sales teams with the tools they need to win. At SugarCRM, I lead global product marketing for AI-driven automation and analytics, driving adoption in 50+ countries, securing leadership placement in Gartner and Forrester reports, and improving competitive win rates by 20%. My earlier roles at LogicMonitor, IDERA, ScienceLogic, Nimsoft, and BMC Software built my expertise in developer experience, observability, and enterprise SaaS. What sets me apart is my ability to translate complex AI and SaaS technologies into clear, compelling customer narratives that resonate with developers, platform teams, and executives alike. I thrive at the intersection of Product, Sales, and Marketing — building alignment, pricing models, and positioning strategies that drive measurable revenue impact. 🔑 Core strengths: Product Marketing Leadership · Developer Tools & Infrastructure · AI SaaS GTM · Competitive Intelligence · Sales Enablement · Analyst Relations · Product-Led Growth

Experience

  • Director of Product Marketing at Epicor
    Jan 2026 - Present · 7 mos

  • Senior Director Product Marketing at SugarCRM
    Nov 2019 - Dec 2025 · 6 yrs 2 mos

    Senior Director, Product Marketing | Nov 2022 – Dec 2025 Director, Product Marketing | Nov 2019 – Nov 2022 Lead global product marketing strategy for SugarCRM’s SaaS platform, shaping positioning, messaging, and packaging across multiple product lines. Define go-to-market (GTM) strategy and launch execution for AI-powered automation, predictive analytics, and CRM intelligence products, achieving adoption in 50+ countries. Partner with Product on pricing and packaging models that expand deal size, improve ARR predictability, and drive double-digit upsell growth. Direct competitive analysis and quarterly field enablement, improving win rates by 20% against Salesforce, HubSpot, and other key competitors. Build and scale sales enablement programs (playbooks, battlecards, customer stories) adopted by 200+ sellers worldwide. Represent SugarCRM in analyst briefings, securing leadership placement in Gartner and Forrester industry reports.

  • SaaS GTM Consultant at iQuate & Firescope
    Nov 2018 - Nov 2019 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Designed SaaS product-led growth (PLG) strategies that transitioned clients from legacy on-premises to subscription models, driving early ARR growth in the double digits. Built GTM plans that expanded adoption into financial services and managed services verticals, while developing pricing frameworks and positioning that enabled sales expansion across North America.

  • Snr. Director of Marketing at IDERA Software
    Mar 2017 - Nov 2018 · 1 yr 9 mos

    Owned global marketing for TestRail and Ranorex Studio (SaaS + on-premises), driving 80% YoY sales growth for TestRail through improved trial conversion and channel partnerships. Negotiated a strategic Atlassian partnership that delivered 30% of new customer acquisition, and led the go-to-market launch of the TestRail–Ranorex Studio integration, streamlining QA team workflows.

  • VP Marketing at LogicMonitor
    2016 - 2017 · 1 yr

    Created and led an MSP Advisory Council and developed vertical GTM playbooks, driving deeper penetration in managed services and financial services markets. Designed and delivered a comprehensive sales enablement suite (corporate deck, playbooks, case studies, and competitive battlecards) that accelerated sales readiness and shortened the average sales cycle by two weeks.