Chris Wakely Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

Stockholm, Stockholm County, Se

The founders and I established this role to properly create and accelerate Benify's International sales growth, setting up a completely new MNC segment from scratch including product definition - enabling significant company value growth for shareholders of this PE (Vitruvian Partners) backed company - leading, growing and enhancing the Benify International Sales Team across its 12 global offices and now 50 people over all aspects including direct sales, channel, client service, new markets and marketing. International Sales is now the key growth driver for Benify and very well placed for continued 50% growth YoY and company value creation.

London, London, Gb

This role involved leading and developing Thomsons direct sales, inside sales and bid management teams both in the UK and across EMEA. Further developing sales in European markets through direct sales and our partner channel. At the time I joined the team it was not firing on all cylinders, losing to competitors where we shouldn't and morale was in the toilet. It needed sharpening up and a refocus together with some clear leadership from the trenches to get firing again - we saw those results within 6 months.Thomsons was acquired by a large American HR consulting and broking corporation called Mercer for 8 x revenue in December 2016 - After 13 years of saying "never buy software from a broker - they will have a different agenda to you" - I couldn't keep my integrity and stay ! So It was time to look for the next challenge in an agile, fast growth independent software company.A Fantastic Journey though !

London, London, Gb

Post an investment by ABRY Partners (Boston based PE) My role here was to drive company value creation and multinational sales in a new segment - 2.5 year placement involving setting up a new office in Silicon Valley, building a sales and marketing team from scratch and entering a completely new market where we only had a handful of clients.. We built sales in Enterprise to over $30 million within 2.5 years. Massive value creation for Thomsons Online Benefits as we transitioned to a global SaaS company from UK advisory firm. Value build of £100 million valuation with ABRY to £256 million Valuation and Exit to Mercer in 4 years. Recruited then handed over to new USA Sales leader to focus on EMEA as next phase..

London, London, Gb

This was a hugely sucessful role at Thomsons in essence driving significant pension commissions using our technology as the sales hook and advising our clients on their benefit strategy with some clear aims :1) Helping clients to maximise benefit engagement.2) Streamlining their benefit administration.3) Look at ways in which we can help reduce costs.4) Providing all the regulated guidance and advice on all benefits around the changing legislation regime.Post the Retail Distribution Review where commissions were effectively outlawed for brokers it became time to build Thomsons into a valuable global SaaS company and I became the tip of that spear alongside founder Chris Bruce.

Redmond, Washington, Us

Working within the Global Accounts team to help our partner channel in EMEA/APAC manage complex accounts in the Business Solutions Division. Mainly focussed on the HR and Finance Market.

This role was being responsible for driving PWA payroll and HR sales into the enterprise sector and pushing the company boundaries. The result was a successful exit to Microsoft through their Business Solutions Divisions (Great Plains)

Roseland, New Jersey, Us

My Role was to sell the ADP payroll solution to prospective clients

My Role was to support the National Accounts Team in selling Automated Catering Systems to large clients with locations across the UK including Marks and Spencers and Next Retail.