Salesforce, Azure, CRM systems, MS Office, Proposal/Bid Tools, WordPress, Octiv, AI Tools
Celeste J. Higgins
Strategic Alliances, Partnerships & Customer Success
Johannesburg,GP
Summary
Senior commercial technology and advisory leader with over 25 years of experience in enterprise IT, pre-sales, and customer success. Recognized for securing multimillion-dollar contracts and driving significant revenue growth. Proven ability to enhance customer experience and retention, highlighted by improving NPS from 2 to 10 and increasing retention by 30%. As the founder of a strategy and customer success consultancy, expertise includes developing partnerships, operating models, governance frameworks, and growth strategies. Committed to fostering team collaboration and adaptability to meet evolving market demands while consistently achieving sales targets through strategic planning and effective negotiation.
Overview
2027
2027
years of professional experience
6
6
Certifications
2
2
Languages
Work History
Founder / Consultant
OrdAos Consulting / Executive Strategy & Customer Success
01.2023 - Current
- Established a consultancy advising on partnerships, operating models, governance, and growth strategy for multiple clients.
- Increased client onboarding velocity and retention through revamped onboarding processes; developed partner enablement blueprints adopted by multiple clients.
- Delivered governance frameworks, growth strategies, and digital product development support for client engagements.
- Client portfolio includes: Momentum, SASDC, Small Construction Companies, Carl Ballot Foundation, BeingMe Yoga
- Developed strong partnerships with other businesses to allow for collaboration and more significant opportunities for growth.
- Implemented efficient operational processes to optimize productivity and resource allocation.
- Created organization's mission and vision statements for use by employees.
- Delivered exceptional customer service by addressing client concerns promptly and effectively resolving issues.
- Developed key operational initiatives to drive and maintain substantial business growth.
- Led the strategic planning process to define business goals and ensure alignment across all departments.
- Ensured compliance with industry regulations while maintaining ethical business practices at all times.
- Introduced advanced technology solutions into daily operations which led to increased productivity levels throughout the company.
Senior Sales Lead – PSE
Microsoft MEA
04.2022 - 11.2022
- Directed integrated sales strategies across commercial segments to accelerate enterprise adoption of Microsoft solutions.
- Enhanced stakeholder relationships and coordinated go-to-market activities with partner teams to amplify impact.
- Achieved 78% of the 2022 annual quota (~USD 780k) and progressed to 90% of the 2023 quota (~USD 2.3M) before departure.
- Developed sales forecasts and account plans to convert high-value opportunities and optimise pipeline health.
- Maintained a deep understanding of product offerings and industry trends to serve as a trusted advisor to both clients and internal stakeholders during key decision-making processes.
- Delivered comprehensive sales presentations that showcased product value propositions effectively while addressing prospect concerns or objections.
- Increased market share through strategic account management and targeted prospecting efforts.
Senior Technology Seller
IBM South Africa
12.2014 - 02.2022
- Secured $5M in high-value contracts in 2021, contributing significantly to annual revenue targets and expanding strategic accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Exceeded 2020 sales target with $9M in revenue (122% of target); delivered $6.5M in 2019 (120% of target).
- Led cross-functional deal teams (8-15 members) to develop high-quality proposals, accelerating deal closure and improving win rates.
- Managed strategic client relationships, promoting new-logo revenue and driving retention improvements across the region.
- Collaborated with regional executives to align go-to-market plans and ensure stakeholder buy-in for enterprise initiatives.
- Developed customized solutions for clients'' unique needs, resulting in improved satisfaction and loyalty.
- Responded to customers' complaints regarding service and product quality to solve issues.
Previous Roles
IBM
- IBM Client Solutions Executive (Sub-Saharan Africa): Led complex IT solutions sales; achieved targeted revenue growth.
- IBM Consulting Bid Manager: Managed cross-functional bids; closed high-value deals; improved deal velocity.
- IT/Telecom Roles: Channel support, account management, and pre-sales alignment; delivered measurable process improvements and revenue impact. Key deal win (DHA Seat Management Services R121m) and measurable improvements.
Education
Strategic Business Management - Distinction
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa03-2022
Bachelor of Bibliothecologiae - Information Science
University of The Western Cape
Cape Town, South Africa03-1995
Skills
Strategic alliance, partnership & account management
Forecasting and pipeline management
Effective negotiation skills
Engaging executive stakeholders
Salesforce/CRM, data analytics, Power BI, MS Office, Proposals/Bid Tools, Azure, WordPress, Octiv
Consultative sales techniques
Leadership development
Accomplishments
- Global Winners Circle Award (2020–2021): Secured a $1.2M software deal
- Global Gold Star Award (2020): Improved Net Promoter Score from 2 to 10
- IBM Manager’s Choice Awards (2013–2019): Recognized for outstanding leadership and performance
- IBM Hundred Percent Club Award (2011): Achieved 100% performance milestone
- Siemens IT Solutions: CEO Performance Excellence Award (2007)
- DHA Seat Management Services: Contract renewal achieving Bronze to Gold support; increased seat cost to R427 per seat; delivered enhanced service delivery and infrastructure management; transformed account profitability (2009)
- SAB-Miller: Contract renewal valued at R119M (2012)
- TowerCo ERP (Bharti Airtel): Signing value of $3M (2011)
Additional Information
Content Writing
Web Design
Marketing Collateral Creation
Governance Documentation
Software
Certification
IBM Selling Certification - Level I & II, 2021
Core Skills
Account Management, Enterprise Sales, Channel Sales, Partner Enablement, Bid Management, Pre-Sales, Salesforce, Azure, CRM, MS Office, Power BI, Proposal/Bid Tools, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Planning, Governance, Operating Models, Change Management, Customer Success, Retention & Expansion, NPS Improvement, Customer Journey Mapping, Cross-functional Leadership, Executive Stakeholder Engagement, Negotiation, Marketing
Earlier Experience
- IBM Client Solutions Executive (Sub-Saharan Africa), Led complex IT solutions sales; achieved targeted revenue growth.
- IBM Consulting Bid Manager, Managed cross-functional bids; closed high-value deals; improved deal velocity.
- IT/Telecom Roles, Channel support, account management, and pre-sales alignment; delivered measurable process improvements and revenue impact., Key deal win (DHA Seat Management Services R121m) and measurable improvements.
Technical Tools Platforms
- Salesforce
- Azure
- CRM systems
- MS Office
- Proposal/Bid Tools
- WordPress
- Octiv
- AI Tools
- Trello
- Slack
- Pricing Tools
Awards
- Global Winners Circle Award, 2021, $1.2M software deal
- Global Gold Star Award, 2020, NPS improvement from 2 to 10
- IBM Manager's Choice Awards, 2013-2019
- IBM Hundred Percent Club Award, 2011
- Siemens IT Solutions CEO Performance Excellence Award, 2007
Timeline
Founder / Consultant
OrdAos Consulting / Executive Strategy & Customer Success
01.2023 - Current
Senior Sales Lead – PSE
Microsoft MEA
04.2022 - 11.2022
Senior Technology Seller
IBM South Africa
12.2014 - 02.2022
Previous Roles
IBM
Strategic Business Management - Distinction
University of Cape Town
Bachelor of Bibliothecologiae - Information Science
University of The Western Cape