Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Paul Cantwell

Great Falls

Summary

Sales executive with proven track record in driving revenue growth and developing high-performing teams. Strong focus on collaboration and adaptability, ensuring reliable performance in dynamic environments. Skilled in strategic planning, market analysis, and relationship management, consistently delivering results aligned with organizational goals.

Overview

28
28
years of professional experience

Work History

Yorktel (One Equity Partners)
01.2020 - 01.2025
  • In January 2020, joined Yorktel as the company reported $90 million in annual revenue for 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in March 2020, prompted a major operational transition with the workforce moving to a remote work model.
  • A comprehensive review of the customer base revealed that four customers accounted for 90% of Yorktel’s profitable revenue, while approximately 120 accounts were identified as unprofitable, representing 10% of the customer base but consuming excessive resources.
  • Yorktel responded by creating and deploying a Gold Standard ideal customer profile. The strategic focus shifted to Fortune 1000 companies and large government entities with multi-site operations and diverse service needs. This approach prioritized repeat business and annuity contracts, resulting in a significant reduction in transactional customers.
  • Service offerings were refined and elevated, attracting new customers who appreciated Yorktel’s value proposition. The company gradually raised prices to match market rates and systematically removed unprofitable accounts, which led to better service delivery and increased customer satisfaction.
  • The sales team was expanded with a focus on hiring professionals experienced in managing large, complex accounts. Executive-level relationships with customers were established to strengthen Yorktel’s market position.
  • These strategic efforts drove topline revenue growth to $185 million and increased gross profit to over 24%. The number of top-performing customers (those contributing more than $1 million annually) rose from four to thirty-two. Yorktel reached a key milestone with its acquisition by private equity in October 2024.

Vice President of Sales for Corporate, Education, and Government sectors

Harman International (Samsung)
01.2015 - 01.2020
  • As Vice President of Sales for Corporate, Education, and Government sectors, built a direct-touch sales organization designed to drive revenue growth and increase brand loyalty. He successfully grew annual bookings from $60M to $215M, with a targeted focus on expanding the company’s customer base and strengthening relationships.

PFCANTWELL Consulting, LLC
01.2013 - 01.2015
  • PFCANTWELL Consulting, LLC specializes in helping executives enhance their sales operations and channel management strategies. The firm develops channel strategies by analyzing channel economics, segmenting customers, and designing vertical market projects to optimize channel programs. Strategic recommendations are provided for realigning sales organizations and channel strategy requirements. The consultancy identifies opportunities to improve sales force efficiency and develops compensation and incentive programs to maximize employee performance. Recommendations on sales capabilities are paired with the implementation of sales and marketing strategies across organizations.

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Optivor Technologies
01.2011 - 01.2013
  • As Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Paul Cantwell was recruited to rebuild the sales and marketing functions for an Avaya Platinum System Integrator. He expanded unified communication solutions to include VOIP, video conferencing, help desk, wireless, structured cabling, and call centers. Territory sales, pre-sales engineering, and marketing personnel were recruited to support this growth. Revenue and gross margins were increased in a declining market by offering expanded data and video teleconferencing solutions to traditional voice communications customers. Teaming relationships were established with major system integrators to deliver large enterprise voice, data, and video solutions. Numerous new accounts were secured with the Department of Defense, civilian agencies, intelligence agencies, healthcare, and higher education customers.

Vice President of Public Sector

Lifesize Communications (Logitech)
01.2010 - 01.2011
  • As Vice President of Public Sector, Paul Cantwell was hired to expand the company’s presence in the Public Sector and Large System Integrator market, traditionally dominated by Polycom, Tandberg, and Cisco. He built the sales, pre-sales engineering, and marketing organization, and achieved rapid growth by capturing new accounts with the Department of Defense, civilian agencies, and large system integrators, growing the business from zero to $4.5 million.

Vice President Americas Channels

Tandberg (Cisco)
01.2007 - 01.2010
  • Serving as Vice President Americas Channels (US, Canada, Latin America), Paul Cantwell designed and executed the channel strategy, recruited top talent, and led the team to deliver integrated solutions for global enterprise accounts. He managed a team of 42 professionals overseeing a complex portfolio of 1,200+ resale partners across the region. He analyzed processes, developed and implemented growth strategies for the visual communications channel, and rebuilt the organization, which subsequently contributed 95% of all revenue in the Americas.
  • The partner program was right-sized, initially reducing the number of partners to improve margins, then recruiting new partners to accelerate revenue growth by 72% over two years (2007/2008). He managed global resale responsibilities for major accounts such as Hewlett Packard, Dimension Data, AT&T, and Verizon. In 2009, revenue reached $470 million—a 33% increase during a recession—while maintaining a flat headcount and operating within budget. Days sales outstanding (DSO) were reduced by 14 days by requiring partners to maintain current payment status to qualify for quarterly incentive benefits, achieving 100% compliance in six months.

Vice President of Sales & Marketing

Northrop Grumman Information Technology
01.2005 - 01.2007
  • As Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Paul Cantwell was recruited to restore profitability to the Sales, Marketing, and Technology Partner Alliance organizations. He led teams selling IP communications, enterprise computing, security, and storage solutions to customers worldwide, including federal, state, local, and commercial clients. In FY05, he delivered $800 million in revenue, built a new leadership team, and right-sized the 190-member global organization to focus on solutions selling and winning new customers in all market segments. He cultivated major partnerships with Cisco, SUN, HP, IBM, and EMC, returning the business to profitability.

Global Sales Vice President – Small & Medium Enterprise (SME)

Avaya
01.2001 - 01.2004
  • As Global Sales Vice President – Small & Medium Enterprise (SME), Paul Cantwell revitalized a stalled, channel-driven division for this voice and IP telephony IPO, with products sold to the global SME market. He built the sales, marketing, and business development organization, consisting of 125 professionals. By focusing on small enterprise customers, the division quickly grew market share and doubled business in the first year. He developed global sales plans that achieved 200% growth in SME business, reaching $375 million in 2004 through 1,600 channel partners.

Director of Sales – US Service Provider Channels

Cisco Systems, Inc
01.2000 - 01.2001
  • Managed 185 channel sales managers and system engineers responsible for enterprise sales through service provider channels. He expanded the channel’s role by focusing on provisioning service providers’ core networks for enterprise and SMB customers, driving service provider revenue to $4.5 billion—a 100% year-over-year increase. He achieved $1.2 billion in first-year incremental revenue by launching a product resale initiative with SBC, Exodus, and Verizon, and developed resale business plans for network service providers resulting in $650 million in sales.

Director of Sales – Public Sector Channels

Cisco Systems, Inc
01.1997 - 01.2000
  • Built Cisco’s Public Sector channel program from the ground up, hiring 45 channel sales managers and system engineers to support 850 resellers, distributors, system integrators, and service providers. Drove 95% of total Public Sector business ($750 million), securing significant communications contracts with Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, EDS, MITRE, and SAIC. Enhanced partner profitability by training over 2,500 engineers to develop services around product resale.

Education

Master of Business Administration -

Widener University
Chester, PA

Bachelor of Science - Finance

Mount Saint Mary’s University
Emmitsburg, MD

Skills

  • Strategic Planning
  • People Management
  • Global Partnerships
  • P&L Ownership
  • Budget Management
  • Data-Driven Decision Making
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Organization Restructuring
  • Process Improvement
  • Coaching & Mentoring
  • Contract Negotiations
  • Revenue & Profit Growth
  • Deal closing
  • Sales pipeline management

Timeline

Yorktel (One Equity Partners)
01.2020 - 01.2025

Vice President of Sales for Corporate, Education, and Government sectors

Harman International (Samsung)
01.2015 - 01.2020

PFCANTWELL Consulting, LLC
01.2013 - 01.2015

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Optivor Technologies
01.2011 - 01.2013

Vice President of Public Sector

Lifesize Communications (Logitech)
01.2010 - 01.2011

Vice President Americas Channels

Tandberg (Cisco)
01.2007 - 01.2010

Vice President of Sales & Marketing

Northrop Grumman Information Technology
01.2005 - 01.2007

Global Sales Vice President – Small & Medium Enterprise (SME)

Avaya
01.2001 - 01.2004

Director of Sales – US Service Provider Channels

Cisco Systems, Inc
01.2000 - 01.2001

Director of Sales – Public Sector Channels

Cisco Systems, Inc
01.1997 - 01.2000

Bachelor of Science - Finance

Mount Saint Mary’s University

Master of Business Administration -

Widener University

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