About
I've sat in the seat you're in.
I spent 18 years in B2B SaaS technical sales and FinTech, close to 10 of them leading teams at companies like Tableau, Salesforce, and PandaDoc. Today I coach leaders of customer-facing technical teams full time, in my own practice and on the Mento platform .
The job you have now is the job I had. That changes what our conversations can get to, and how fast.
The operator years
From first SE job to global leadership
I joined Tableau as a Commercial Solutions Engineer when the company had 1,200 people and left Salesforce, after the acquisition, as a Senior Director. Along the way I was named Americas Solutions Engineering Leader of the Year, built Presales Academy (a year-long technical and soft-skills program every Commercial SE went through), and led a team supporting a $300M renewal book plus more than $50M in net new ARR.
At PandaDoc I ran global Solutions Engineering and restructured a team that was carrying both pre-sales and implementation. Win rates improved by double digits, and the SE-Sales relationship went from adversarial to one where Sales sees SEs as essential to closing deals.
I've led through hypergrowth, an acquisition, reorgs, and layoffs. Most of what my clients are navigating, I've navigated with my own name on the org chart.
Before tech
A winery, and a layoff that taught me more
Before tech, I co-founded and ran a boutique winery in Washington State. It taught me to be comfortable as a beginner, to make decisions with incomplete information, and how much rides on clear communication, whether you're talking with your team, your executives, or your customers.
And in 2008 I graduated into a management consulting job I thought was my dream, then got laid off with every other new hire when the recession hit. Rebuilding from that, including a pay cut years later to enter tech in what most people treated as a new-grad role, shaped how I think about careers: they're long, they bend, and the setbacks carry more useful information than the wins.
Why coaching
I've been the client too
I've had coaches in my corner for years, through Salesforce, through deciding what came after, and through the biggest career call I've made. I know what a good coaching hour feels like from the other chair: someone who listens closely, notices what you're not saying, and asks the question that gets you to your own answer.
That's the standard I hold my own practice to. I'll share from my experience directly when it helps, and stick with questions when the value comes from you getting there yourself.
Beyond work
Milwaukee, a corgi, and a running habit
I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with my wife and our corgi, Darby. You'll find me out for a run, on the rower in the winter, or learning Spanish and putting it to use traveling around Central and South America.
Staying active, always learning, and experiencing new cultures are what keep me grounded and the stress in check.
Next step
Let's talk about where you're headed
An intro call is free, 30 minutes, and pressure-free. Bring the thing you've been turning over, and we'll see if this partnership fits.