Chris Huffman
About Chris Huffman
Chris Huffman serves as the Vice President of Sales at Canonical, where he has worked since 2016. He has extensive experience in sales management and technology, having held various positions at companies such as Microsoft, Citrix, and Nokia.
Work at Canonical
Chris Huffman has served as Vice President of Sales at Canonical since 2016. In this role, he manages multi-billion Total Contract Values (TCVs) and ensures 100% forecast accuracy. His leadership has contributed to the sales team's consistent overachievement of targets by 200-300% year-over-year. Huffman's expertise encompasses a broad knowledge base in Cloud solutions, including AWS, Azure, and Google, as well as SaaS licensing and Open/Linux Solutions.
Previous Experience in Sales Management
Prior to his tenure at Canonical, Huffman held various sales management positions. He worked at Microsoft from 2008 to 2013, serving as Solution Sales Manager for Enterprise, Major, and Global Accounts. He also worked as Director of Sales & Professional Services at Citrix from 2013 to 2015 and as Major Account Director at Nokia from 2015 to 2017. His experience in these roles has equipped him with skills in pipeline forecasting and market expansion.
Educational Background
Chris Huffman studied at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois Chicago. His educational background has provided him with a strong foundation in the technical and business aspects of sales, contributing to his effectiveness in various roles throughout his career.
Expertise in Technology and Sales
Huffman possesses extensive expertise in High Performance Computing (HPC), Managed Services, Security, and Datacenter Hardware. He specializes in OpenStack, Private & Public Clouds, and Application & OS Virtualization, including Containerization technologies like Kubernetes and Docker. His knowledge spans Direct Sales, Sales Team Leadership, and CRO Operations, making him a versatile leader in the technology sales sector.
Military and Early Career Experience
Chris Huffman's early career includes service in the United States Air Force as a First Lieutenant from 1989 to 1991. He also worked at the United States Department of Defense and SAIC in various IT roles from 1991 to 1995. These experiences laid the groundwork for his later success in technology and sales management.