Chris Johnson

Experience

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  Libraries for the Future

  Feb 2005 - Feb 2008

  I joined Libraries for the Future to launch a $5M Gates Foundation grant program for public libraries and was promoted to oversee the program division.Libraries for the Future fosters innovation and investment in public libraries, focusing on literacy, community health, and aging. My responsibilities at Libraries for the Future included strategic planning, fundraising, and program evaluation.I was responsible for 8 grant programs, 10 staff, and a multimillion-dollar budget. I served as an Executive Team member and reported to the CEO. Show less

  • Vice President

    Jul 2006 - Feb 2008

  • Director

    Feb 2005 - Jun 2006
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  Better World Books

  Feb 2008 - Jan 2014

  After meeting Better World Books at a conference, I conceived of, pitched, and ultimately joined the company to build a new business line that is still one of its largest revenue drivers. When I left the company, I was responsible for the Sales and Customer Success teams and 64% of revenue. During my time at Better World Books, the company increased its revenue from $15M - $64M and consistently surpassed aggressive sales goals.I served as an Executive Team member and reported to the CEO.Better World Books has received many awards, including Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies and Business Insiders Digital 100: The World’s Most Valuable Startups. Show less

  • Vice President of Sales

    Jan 2011 - Jan 2014

  • Director of Sales

    Jun 2010 - Jan 2011

  • Founder of Drop Box Program

    Feb 2008 - Jun 2010
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  Georgia-Pacific LLC

  Jan 2014 - Jan 2022

  At Georgia-Pacific, I brought the KOLO™ Smart Monitoring Solution from concept to commercialization, was responsible for the customer lifecycle, and trained a 100+ person sales force to scale sales.The KOLO System uses wireless sensors in restroom dispensers to send product, traffic, and cleaning alerts to custodial teams and facility managers via mobile and desktop applications. After commercializing the KOLO System, I was directly responsible for the teams that sold and supported our Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings.Marquee KOLO customers include SoFi Stadium, the Sphere, Gillette Stadium, Sage Reality, and Brown University.For my last year with the company, I was also responsible for Solution Sales for Georgia-Pacific's Professional Division.In February of 2019, I received the Presidents Club award.The KOLO Smart Monitoring System has received many awards, including CBRE’s ‘Most Innovative Healthy Workplace Solution’ of 2020. Show less As a founding New Venture Development team member, I was tasked with building new businesses, business models, and categories for Georgia-Pacific’s Professional Division. My responsibilities included: - Identifying, framing, and sizing new and emerging business opportunities - Assessing key risk and success factors- Securing support and resources to test and pilot new business opportunities - Commercializing and developing go-to-market strategy for successful ventures Show less

  • Senior Director of Connected Solutions and Solution Sales

    May 2021 - Jan 2022

  • Senior Director of Connected Solutions

    Aug 2019 - May 2021

  • Director, Connected Solutions

    Aug 2015 - Jul 2019

  • Director, New Venture Development

    Jan 2014 - Jul 2015
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  Disruptive Technologies

  Jan 2022 - Jul 2024

  Vice President of the Americas: Sales, Product, Strategy, Customer Success, Operations

  I built and led Disruptive Technologies' headquarters in the Americas. Based in Norway, Disruptive Technologies has developed a wireless sensor solution for numerous applications, from energy optimization to leak detection.Key accomplishments from my time at Disruptive Technologies include:- Built sales, customer success, and operations teams- Oversaw all the work required to establish an American headquarters, from developing employee stock option agreements to leasing office space- Commercialized wireless Cold Chain Monitoring and Workplace Space Optimization solutions- Optimized hardware, applications, and integration capabilities for new commercial solutions- Iterated on and refined our Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) pricing models- Developed channel sales capability, including partner identification, partner sales, onboarding, and co-selling- Added a direct-to-end-user sales capability to complement channel sales - Won seven-figure enterprise deals with Fortune 500 Companies; marquee companies include Walmart, Google, and RaceTrac- Led a cross-functional team that authored Disruptive Technologies’ 2030 strategic plan- Partner with fellow Executive Team members to raise additional capital to grow the business - Handed over the operation of the US business to our new investors this July, 2024- Served as an Executive Team member and reported to the CEODisruptive Technologies has received many awards, including the 2023 CES Innovation Award and the 2022 IoT Breakthrough Awards: Sensor Company of the Year Show less

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  Scale

  Sept 2024 - now

  Founder

  Product-Market-Fit and Go-to-Market Advisory Services for Start-Ups and Scale-Ups

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  DDR

  Jan 2025 - now

  Senior Advisor
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  Ecolab

  May 2025 - now

  Head of Go to Market Strategy and Sales, RushReady

  Built with Microsoft and the Boston Consulting Group, RushReady maximizes restaurants' profitability and guest satisfaction with AI insights and expert coaching. RushReady compiles and analyzes siloed restaurant data and provides daily recommendations and reports to General Managers to optimize labor, sales, and speed of service. Taking both a high-tech and high-touch approach, Ecolab Performance Coaches help managers build data-driven strategies to improve their operating income by 5 - 10%. Show less