RICK SWAN

SUMMARY:

• Over 20 years of business experience, most of that with software organizations with training, coaching or mentoring being a central requirement.
• Eight years of SAP experience as a technical and functional Portals trainer. Developed curriculum for most SAP Portals products. 
• Responsible for presentation of training for all SAP Portals courses – System Administration, Portal Content, R/3 Unifier, Unification Servers, Knowledge Management and Overview.  Target audience includes sales staff, consultants, and project managers, development staff of SAP, partner organizations and customers.  Responsible for implementation and delivery of special trainings to prospects and customers.
• Coached and trained internal sales teams, including inside sales; customer sales and engineering teams of OEM, VAR, and other partners via sales presentations, information gathering techniques, negotiating and closing. Demonstrated and/or taught end-users the navigation or use of products as required.
• Sold a broad range and depth of high tech products for startup and mid-size companies: networking, document management, Web-based training management and Internet email software as well as remote access, communication and wireless server hardware.
• Built rapport, influence and affinity with customers at Vice President and Director levels in F1000 companies such as Bank of America, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and Unisys. Entered relationships with cold calls; presented my company's vision; supported the customer in conveying this message internally; and closed the deals.
• Negotiated agreements (including legal role, under guidance of company counsel when required;) implemented OEM and VAR programs; wrote effective RFP and RFI responses and presented complex solutions simply to diverse audiences.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE:

• Architecture: Knowledge of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), middleware and programmatic relationships allows rapid acquisition of new knowledge regarding Web server applications and client requirements
• Software: Communications (SNA, TCP/IP, X.25, HTTP, FTP, POP, IMAP, CIM), Operating systems (UNIX, DOS, Win 3.x/95/XP), SAP software (Portals, Visual Composer, NetWeaver), other applications (MS Office Word, PowerPoint, Excel, contact management, browser, email, document management systems, training management systems and communication gateways).
• Hardware: Personal computers, servers (wireless LAN, remote access, communications & terminal), routers and bridges.

EXPERIENCE:

• Advisor, Business ByDesign, SAP Palo Alto, CA, (2006 - Current)
• SCC Regional Team, Americas. Mentored Field Service in Go Live Experience. As Customer Advocate, managed escalation process between field and BYD development and hosting.

• Knowledge Expert, SAP Palo Alto, CA, (2004 - 2006)
• Member of Heart Tap, then Solution Office, both under NetWeaver Initiative. Delivered TechEd and ASUG workshops on eSOA, Discovery System and Visual Composer. Worked with consultants and customers to bring selected customers to Showcase status. Developed workshops and white papers to fill white spaces, notably around High Availability Architecture, Visual Composer, and Discovery System. For the Discovery System, I also managed a virtual team of 40 writing documentation and recording videos for SDN.

• Technical Trainer, SAP Palo Alto, CA, (1999 - 2004)
• Scope: Design, implement and deliver solutions for SAP's Enterprise Portal products.
• Training/Coaching: Developed curriculum for most SAP Portals products.  Presently responsible for presentation of training for all SAP Portals courses – System Administration, Portal Content, R/3 Unifier, Unification Servers, Knowledge Management and Overview.  Target audience includes sales staff, consultants, and project managers, development staff of SAP, partner organizations and customers.  Responsible for implementation and delivery of special trainings to prospects and customers.

• Major Accounts Manager, The Saratoga Group, Sunnyvale, CA, (1998 - 1999)
• Scope: Developed and marketed Web-based training management software and computer-based Information Technology courseware.
• Training/Coaching: Developed company presentations; trained others to deliver to customer's senior management and / or engineers via the Internet, telephone or face-to-face.
• Business Development: Negotiated license agreements with end-users and VARs, including 3Com and HP.

• VP Business Development, Swan Associates, Palo Alto, CA (1997-1998)
• Scope: Consulted to develop and market a customizable knowledge management system.
• Training/Coaching: Designed and implemented presentations for this technology; trained others in delivery.
• Business Development: Worked with major PDA vendors including Palm and Sharp to implement solutions using their hardware.

• Director of Sales, CommTouch Software Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (1996-1997)
• Scope: Develops and markets Internet email applications.
• Training/Coaching: Developed company presentations, trained others in delivery.
• Business Development: Negotiated license agreements with end-users and VARs including Boeing, Bell Atlantic, MCI, and Prodigy.

• Regional Sales Manager, Windata., Inc., Littleton, MA (1994-1995)
• Scope: Developed and marketed LAN-speed wireless LAN servers and clients.
• Training/Coaching: Developed company presentations, trained VAR sales and engineering forces of customers (e.g., Anixter, Cabletron, Kent Electronics) to deliver presentations or correct implementations to diverse audiences.
• Business Development: Acquired resellers and conducted trainings to make them effective with company products.

• Regional Sales Manager, Centrum Communications, Inc., San Jose, CA, (1993-1994)
• Scope: Developed and marketed remote (dial-in) access servers with support for multiple protocols (TCP/IP, NetBIOS, IPX/SPX, AppleTalk).
• Training/Coaching: Developed company presentations, trained OEM channel to deliver to diverse audiences (e.g., Attachmate, Boeing, Data Comm, WRQ).
• Business Development: Acquired resellers, developed channel agreements and negotiated special terms to fit unique situations.

• OEM Sales Manager, Wall Data Incorporated, Redmond, WA, (1992-1993)
• Scope: Developed and marketed innovative enterprise solutions that improve the productivity and decision-making ability of business PC users to transition to new network desktop platforms, while continuing to leverage their legacy host and systems.
• Training/Coaching: Developed sales presentation; trained prospects in use of software.
• Business Development: Created and implemented OEM programs for sales to UNIX platform providers including HP and Sun Microsystems.

EDUCATION & RELATED BACKGROUND:

• University of Santa Clara, MBA, Marketing
• San Jose State University, BS, Finance
• Prior experience in Finance to CFO level
• U.S. Marine Corps, Intelligence Specialist, top secret crypto clearance