Rafael Perez

Presales Leadership at the Intersection of Customer Success and GTM Outcomes | iPaaS · AI · Orchestration

United States

About

The best presales organizations don’t just support deals. They set the standard for how a company earns trust with its customers. It’s about building a team that customers actually want to work with; because they know their time is respected, their problems are understood, and the people across the table are there to help them win. I’ve spent my career building toward that. From enterprise accounts at Microsoft and Box, to leading the Solutions Architecture team at Workato; my operating belief has stayed consistent: customer success is the true north. When a presales org honors that at the core, qualifies hard, moves fast, and partners intentionally across Sales, Product, Professional Services, and the partner ecosystem; the outcomes take care of themselves. Revenue isn’t something you chase. It’s what happens when you consistently do right by your customers and your team. That means no unnecessary gates, no processes built to impress internally. Build something that delivers value today, improve it tomorrow. And always, always invest where it actually counts. That’s the culture I care about building. And the standard I hold myself and my teams to.

Experience

  • Workato (4 yrs 9 mos)
    • Head of Pre-sales Solutions Architecture, Enterprise
      May 2025 - Present · 1 yr 3 mos

      - Led the Solutions Architecture team supporting the full AMER Enterprise org, helping deliver 134% of ARR target; the first time in Workato’s Enterprise history the team hit their number, with 110% YoY growth and 48 new logos. - As part of the core Enterprise Leadership team, helped shape and execute the go-to-market strategy for a record Q4 at 177% of target and 242% YoY growth; contributing through stronger Sales partnership, sharper qualification discipline, and removing the friction that slows deals down. - Redesigned the SA coverage model by implementing regional alignment across 3 territories within 2 months, replacing a fragmented structure that limited sales partnership and deal visibility. Integrated the SA team into weekly territory and forecast cadences alongside Sales leadership, establishing accountability and deal prioritization across the org. - Coached and developed multiple SAs through deliberate career investment, maintaining high team retention through a period of significant organizational change.

    • Solutions Architect
      Nov 2021 - May 2025 · 3 yrs 7 mos

      - Consistently ranked among the top 3 performing Solutions Architects in the Enterprise org. - Took on informal team leadership responsibilities beginning March 2025 following departure of presales manager, stabilizing the team and maintaining performance continuity during a period of significant organizational change. - Recognized as a subject matter expert in enterprise automation and integration, frequently engaged on strategic accounts and complex technical evaluations.

  • Principal Pre-Sales Technical Consultant at UiPath
    Jun 2021 - Nov 2021 · 6 mos

    Principal Pre-Sales Technical Consultant supporting enterprise RPA and automation sales cycles, contributing to technical evaluations and solution positioning across strategic accounts.

  • Box (4 yrs 7 mos)
    • Product Strategist
      Jan 2020 - Jun 2021 · 1 yr 6 mos

      - Collaborate with executive leadership and product teams, driving innovation in the development of product features that support and enhance the needs of our customers, with a strong focus on identifying repetitive high value opportunities. - Participate in product advisory boards, delivering roadmap presentations and gathering feedback directly from strategic customers, to identify opportunities for product improvements and features for consideration into our roadmap. - Serve as strong “voice of our customers” in working with internal stakeholders, handling strategic escalations and driving these to correct outcomes. - Work with account teams, marketing, and the product organization; identifying new ways to derive value and market differentiation from our existing set of capabilities.

    • Solutions Engineer and Global Compete Lead
      Dec 2016 - Jan 2020 · 3 yrs 2 mos

      - Support the company’s global sales effort as a trusted customer advisor for both strategic and at-risk accounts, helping achieve and exceed multimillion dollar revenue targets globally through a consultative approach. Leading discovery sessions, executive briefings, and solutions architecture workshops. With a strong focus on maximizing value and deriving positive business outcomes from our customers' existing and future investments, by leveraging and integrating Box across their respective technology stacks. - Implement and lead Competitive Engineering program, consisting of 15 technical experts across the globe. Define program charter and enablement plan, train resources, and work with organizational leadership to establish engagement model. - Work directly with executive leadership, go-to-market teams, and product management, in helping them understand the competitive landscape. Channelling trends from the field and feedback from customers, to establish clear product and messaging differentiation.  

  • Microsoft (6 yrs 7 mos)
    • Senior Technology Solutions Professional (TSP) - Productivity and Cloud
      Jun 2010 - Dec 2016 · 6 yrs 7 mos

      - Deliver solutions architecture guidance encompassing Dynamics 365 and Office 365 to several of Microsoft’s global accounts, including 3 of the Fortune 10 companies. - Support the district’s global account teams, by growing market share through customer adoption of new and/or leveraged investments in Microsoft technologies while driving customer transitions to a full User Subscription Licensing (USL) model. - Assist the sales desk, Microsoft service division (MCS), and partners, in building Solution Proposals to effectively communicate the value of Dynamics 365 and Office 365 in alignment with the customer’s strategic initiatives. - Responsible for delivery of technical briefings, architectural design sessions, and proof-of concept workshops; driving product adoption across one of Microsoft’s more profitable regions

    • Enterprise Productivity Solutions Specialist
      Oct 2013 - Oct 2014 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Responsible for strategy and positioning of Microsoft's Enterprise Productivity Solutions at some of Microsoft's largest accounts in the Oil and Gas sector, including the discovery and ownership of 25 million dollars worth of Productivity solution opportunity revenue.

  • Senior Technology Specialist at K2
    Apr 2015 - Jan 2016 · 10 mos

    - Helping businesses improve operational efficiency, and get to quicker results via no-code/low-code app development, and automation of business processes. - Engage with potential and existing customers to identify BPM needs and solution deployment opportunities, growing market share of the K2 platform and increasing customer ROI. - Partner with Business Development Managers and the K2 partner channel to achieve sales and revenue targets..