Chris Blankenship Email & Phone Number

Tazewell, Va, Us

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States

Lead the Solution Architectures for the 5G & Enterprise Systems Integrator and Hyperscaler Teams, with responsibility for delivering innovative business solutions to enterprise clients. These include strategic networking, managed services, communications & collaboration, security, IoT & PS solutions, all powered by Verizon’s global and award-winning network. Chris works to build deep partnerships to unlock a wide range of transformative applications that leverage the advanced capabilities of Verizon’s 5G Network & MEC platform. My talented team of Solution Architects will help enterprises create overarching solutions architecture and evolution for our clients digitization journey. This includes network modernization with application based platforms such as: NaaS, UCC, UCX, VNF, SDN, Security, CDN, IOT, Managed Services, CPE and advanced network engineering.

Roanoke, Virginia, United States

• Effectively manage a team of Solutions Architects supporting Systems Integrators and Hyperscaler space. Focused on driving strategic revenue by working with customers on technical challenges to enable transformational business activities for our customers and partners. • Review and analyze current technology infrastructure and align training, skillset and career growth to develop a team capable of supporting strategic corporate objectives. Identify and propose specific strategies, initiatives and remedies necessary to align technology infrastructure with corporate objectives and customer business drivers.• Build and communicate the value proposition of the end to end solution to client executive and drive transformational business activities. Translate customer business issues/opportunities into technical solution/business requirements.• Support Verizon cross-functional sales teams through the sales, implementation, and support lifecycles. Partner with cross-functional Prof. Services teams to develop integrated end-to-end solutions for customer. • Lead strategic architectural planning to achieve goals by prioritizing initiatives and coordinating the evaluation, deployment, and management of current and future solutions.

Roanoke, Virginia Area

• Responsible for supporting 42 Fortune 500 accounts in the northeast generating over 600 million in annual billing. Team of 13 engineers ensured Pre and Post Sale Engineering support for customer base, responsible for all design and engineering of solutions leveraging Verizon’s product and services along with partners such as Cisco, Juniper, Adtran, and Microsoft. Network Engineering team also provided WAN, LAN, and WLAN design support, operational support and performance monitoring of customers critical networking and communication elements.

Roanoke, Virginia Area

• Successful supported and increased revenue for 3 years running in UC&C space for Verizon. Ensured team was delivering on solutions that resulted in meeting customer communications challenges while also improving Verizon’s financial performance in the communications space. Team was responsible for Enterprise and Government Verticals in the Southeast Region of the US which included international based design elements. • Lead winning complex bid responses, technical proposals and SOW development for project success. Conducted employee and customer technology educational briefings along with Senior Level Presentations and Briefings.

Charleston, West Virginia Area

Management of Sales Engineering Team Supporting WV and Western VA. • Managed and developed team of engineers delivering complex solutions support and ongoing technical support to Government, Higher Education, Health Care and K-12 account verticals. Successfully protected and grew existing revenue stream of $100 million in annual revenue along with ensuring expense plans and staffing levels were keep to profitable levels. • Successfully lead direct reports and partners to provide complex life cycle network based and hardware based solutions to address customer challenges. o Resulted in successfully positioning Verizon as the lead Networking Partner for Voice and Data Solutions via many RFP responses resulting in 150 Million dollar contract with 8 year term. o Required parternship and continued interface and coordination with Verizon Engineering teams, Professional Service Teams and Manufacturing Solutions Partners and Equipment Manufactures to provide complete solutions. .

Charleston, West Virginia Area

Sales Engineering Support for the State of WV account. • Supported the State of WV and VA as a Network Specialist delivering Data & Voice Solutions. Responsible for introducing the State of WV to an MPLS and Ethernet based Network Topology replacing traditional Layer 2 Frame Relay and ATM solutions. Responsible for successful bid response resulting in an 8 year contract with the State of WV for an MPLS based core leveraging traditional TDM and Ethernet edge connectivity while also providing access to VoIP based trunking solutions. • Introduced State of WV to Hosted based Voice Solutions and established the first Hosted Cloud based Voice trial for Verizon with the State of WV which was successful and helped roadmap Verizon’s UCCaaS offering.

Roanoke, Virginia Area

• Account Manager with successful track record of finishing in Top 10 in Sales and as high as 3rd at 337% of quota in 1995. • Technical resource for Account Executive teams and Customer base.• Provided Pre and Post sale project coordination and increased customer satisfaction.• Managed Customer Service Advisors and increased customer satisfaction results delivered by the team. • Successfully managed group responsible for switching translations and programming of switching units to complete and route calls within the State of WV and some parts of TN.