Business Development Executive - Palo Alto Networks

Accelerate your career. Join the organization that's driving the world's technology and shape the future. 

Ingram Micro is a leading technology company for the global information technology ecosystem. With the ability to reach nearly 90% of the global population, we play a vital role in the worldwide IT sales channel, bringing products and services from technology manufacturers and cloud providers to business-to-business technology experts. Our market reach, diverse solutions and services portfolio, and digital platform Ingram Micro Xvantage™ set us apart. Learn more at www.ingrammicro.com

Come join our team where you’ll make technology happen in surprising ways. Let’s shape tomorrow - it’ll be a fun journey!

Primary Focus:  

The Business Development Executive is focused on driving depth and breadth across a category solution and existing partner base utilizing data insights to identify growth opportunities to deliver on Ingram Micro's goals and outcomes across a category/vendor(s). Your focus will be on cultivating strong relationships with partners and vendors, identifying new business opportunities, and executing sales strategies to retain and expand market share. This role requires a deep understanding of the platform industry, exceptional negotiation skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve category objectives.  

Key Responsibilities:  

• Category Strategy: Develop and execute a category strategy to drive growth and new business development within the category. Identify emerging trends, customer needs, and potential market opportunities to shape the category's success. 

• New Business Opportunities: Identify and pursue new business opportunities within existing partners, including strategic partnerships, alliances, and end-customer acquisition motions, to expand the category's offerings and market reach. 

• Vendor and Partner Relations: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key vendors and strategic partners. Negotiate and secure favorable terms and conditions to ensure mutual success and accelerate category growth. 

• Market Analysis: Conduct in-depth market research and analysis to stay ahead of market trends, competitor activities, and emerging opportunities. Utilize data-driven insights to make informed decisions and guide category acceleration efforts. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with various internal teams, including sales, marketing, product management, and operations, to align strategies and accelerate new business development.  • Customer Engagement: Engage directly with key existing customers to understand their unique needs and challenges. Leverage Customer feedback to drive product improvements and deliver exceptional Customer experiences. 

• Product Portfolio Expansion: Work closely with the product management team to identify opportunities for product expansion or development to meet existing customer demands and capitalize on market trends. 

•Xvantage Expertise: Drive insights and actions for reseller partners and vendors. Identifies opportunities to increase usage of the Xvantage platform for both reseller partners and vendors. 

• Solution Selling: Focused on a category / portfolio of vendors to build a full solution (vs a specific vendor); Assigned to a vendor, group of vendors and/or accounts.  

What experience, knowledge and skills does a BDE need?  

• Strong understanding of strategic selling principles, order management, project management, and operations.

• Advanced knowledge of Ingram Micro’s solutions, products, services, and value proposition. 

• Proven success in growing and maintaining year-over-year sales results. 

• Skilled in negotiations, closing sales, coaching associates in high performance culture, and order management. 

• Effectively able to manage profit and loss concepts and forecasting. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to present in both technical and non- technical terms to large and small audiences. 

• Ability to: demonstrate business and financial acumen, use influence effectively to drive ideas and initiatives with internal and external partners, multi-task, respond to rapid change, manage projects, manage detail, manage relationships and resources, and set realistic and achievable goals/objectives and timelines.  

• Ability to travel is required - conduct in person customer engagements on regular basis. 

Typically, the level of experience and education required to demonstrate these key elements of knowledge/skills/experiences are:   

A high school diploma (or equivalent) requ