Rhonda Edwards Email & Phone Number

United States

Strategic market development for emerging digital technologies.majoring on Industry 4.0 #IIOT #opensource #blockchain #analytics #machinelearning #mobile #datascience #AI Unique contributor with a high level of comprehension and skill across a variety of disciplines including product evolution, market development and industry influencers. Particularly adept at finding ways to involve interests from across the spectrum and am instrumental in finding the return-on-investment for all involved parties. Projects include: Gas Activated Systems, Oracle, LifeData, IBM, VMware, Hallmark Innovation, PreScouter, Equinix, Klarrio

San Francisco Bay Area

Marketing Strategy & Execution, Media & Analyst Relations, Product Creation

Head of Strategy & Execution along with Business Development for the portfolio of unique client solutions developed from IBM Emerging Technologies, and delivered via consultative selling, for industries including Energy, Healthcare & Sports. As the champions of rapid transformation for clients on the cognitive journey, the team delivers business value to clients while showcasing the process and value of technologies pre-market. The transformative technologies have been applied to some of IBM’s most noteworthy clients in recent years: Bernhardt Furniture, USA Cycling, Water Mission, SilverHook PowerBoats, The SETI Institute, US Speedskating, GameStop, Digital Water, more. Technologies discovered and applied to client applications prior to the IBM adoption and branding thereof including Cloud Technologies such as Platform-as-a-Service (IBM Bluemix), Spark Analytics, Data Science Experience, Internet of Things, Mobile Applications, Cognitive Computing, Machine Learning, Conversational Computing and more. IBM brand coordination of the ‘one IBM’ architecture messaging in communications delivery mechanisms via coordinated efforts across corporate resources including sponsorship, legal, individual brands, media & analyst relations, advertising, channel development and more. Focused on developing and driving IBM jStart's business growth strategy, plans and initiatives, managing marketing strategy, branding communications, alliances and business insights/analytics. Continual multi-faceted approach to evangelism of IBM Emerging Technologies internally and to the marketplace to unveil the ‘next big thing’ at IBM.

Partners, Startups And Academics

Enabled partner network boosting IBM software clothing rates across brands & industries over a portfolio of outreach programs including: Growth Initiatives, Global Entrepreneur Program and Academic Initiatives. Stretch Assignment: Higher Education Technology Commercialization program creation. Results include rapid adoption and 310% lift of the SaaS #Bluemix platform through both direct recruitment and programmatic approach.

Product Management, Sales Channels, Digital Content

Managed strategic partnership between IBM software and hardware brands and Oracle’s acquisition brands including PeopleSoft, Siebel, and Oracle Retail. Delivered joint offerings and integrated solutions, channel and direct sales enablement, and sizing tools/technical support. Champion of first ever programmatic, third-party business partner online marketing enablement. Launched first ever Social Media campaigns. Special Projects included: Growth Initiatives, Global Entrepreneur Program and University Relations (Academic Initiative). State of Nevada Higher Education Technology Commercialization.

Sales Channels, Business Partners & Client Activation

Championed IBM technical and marketing relationship with PeopleSoft and Siebel CRM. Identified key plays and developed strategic guidance for sales teams. Oversight of Client Demonstration Center at PeopleSoft, Pleasanton. Marketing channels, sales enablement and client activations.

Routes-To-Market, Offering Development, Marketplace Delivery

On Special Assignment to the Communications Sector GM, built engagement-led global customer and business partner relationships to drive recovery of IBM Software Group clothing rates in Telecommunications industries. Business planning for IBM's ValueNet partner channel: developed assets, test & demonstration lab facilitation, technical marketing, sales education & awareness, channel enablement and partner-executive status reporting. Created and executed strategic alliance and business plan with Cisco’s Advanced Technology Group. Market delivery of a joint hosted e-commerce solution. Program yield > $50M

Market Segmentation, Competitive Landscape, Strategic Partnerships

Launched new Segment with the Telecommunications Industry at IBM: Internet Service Providers. Strategy creation for IBM's entrance into the Service Provider marketplace including product requirements and sales programs. Business Case development including segmentation plan, portfolio gap analysis, competitive landscape, insertion strategy and long range winback scheme. Worldwide account planning, technology and strategic partnerships developed including Software.com, Portal, Real Networks, UUNet, Interliant, Verio, BT, Global Crossing, Cable& Wireless, France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom. Performed portfolio gap analysis and sought market requirements for the identification of key global ISV relationships in IBM’s Net Generation space. Even while IBM still held its Networking Hardware Division, brokered strategic sell-thru bundled offerings via Cisco's Service Provider LOB. Program yield >$150M

Startup Principal & Evangelist: Netwave Technologies, launched state-of-the-art wireless LAN technology to emerging markets. Built and executed Marketing Plan including oversight of Product Management, Systems Engineering & Tech Support and Communications. Led Technical Sales and Applications Engineering worldwide including Anaylst Evangelism. Enabled two-tier distribution sales channels, established technology partnerships and strategic alliances including Intel, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Toshiba and Fujitsu. Championed earliest wireless installations and worldwide wins including Florida Hospital, John Muir Medical Center, US Army, Ford Motor, MCI, USWest, Southern California Edison, Southwest Airlines and Carnegie Melon. Co-founded the Wireless LAN Alliance (WLANA), a cross-competitive technology organization chartered with educating the industry on the value and ROI of wireless LAN technology. WLANA Treasurer. IEEE 802.11 standards contributor.

Xircom Wireless LAN Division: Product Management/Applications Engineering/Technical Marketing. Managed sales & technical support; global sales quota. Negotiated and supported technology partnerships. Authored technology whitepapers, users manuals, researched and compiled market data and competitive analysis. Outlined product and customer requirements to engineering. Knowledge of client/server networking products, PCMCIA standards and networking devices, mobile computers, TCP/IP, Novell NetWare, Microsoft Windows, and Macintosh operating systems

(Formerly Trw Avionics & Surveillance)

Digital Signal Processing Engineer on the Transformation Team: Entrepreneurial team selected to identify consumer-based uses for traditionally defense and space technologies. Performed feasibility studies, target market analysis, technology selection, product requirements, pricing models and sales strategies for the commercialization of government technologies. Performed customer installation, training and technical support for a line of high speed digital data capture and analysis equipment. Managed customer support. Developed systems integration guidelines and procedures for turnkey manufacturing process. Managed systems integration and engineering test groups.Security Clearances Held.