Chris Cicconi

Chris Cicconi Inc

Fraction sales, leadership and business development.

Helping founders and early stage sales orgs build repeatable and scalable processes.

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Founder & Head of Sales

ARC Roasters

We make speciality coffee fun and accessible.

Co-Founder & Chief Caffeination Officer 

Unicrn

Founding Team Member & Jr Partner
Unicrn is a hand-selected collective of the best freelance sales, marketing, revenue operations, and enablement professionals from the world’s fastest growing companies.

Our mission is to quickly and seamlessly connect growing businesses with the right fractional talent to help everyone get farther, faster. Our GTM Pod system matches business needs with proven industry experts who strategize, document, and execute the GTM motion.

Head of Business Development

983 Media Productions, LLC

Working with 983 Media's founder to build partnerships with both potential clients, as well as other vendors, venues etc in an effort to deliver an exceptional eSports experience to all game developers and players.
Taking a leading role in helping 983 launch it's publishing arm - 983 Interactive. 
On air experience:
Host of "The Frontline" The Official Kards Podcast as well as all Official eSports events (a game by 1939 Games)
Gwent Qualifier Caster and Gwent Partner (a game by CD Projekt RED)
Production assistant for the Parallel World Championships

VP of Partnerships

Replicant

Led a team of 7 business development representatives selling an AI powered contact center automation tool to 5 core industries.
Generated over $48M in pipeline so far this fiscal year.
Promoted 2 BDRs to AE roles

Director of Business Development

Visier Inc.

Implemented a "Pipeline Acceleration Plan" to dig out of a pipeline deficit to meet the $59m OKR for the year, 3 months early.
This included growing the team from 6 to 12 BDRs and 2 BDR leads while implementing improved onboarding & framework to help them see success quickly.
The team set a record for the most pipeline generated in the 10+ year history of the company in July.

Senior Manager, Business Development

HRWize

Within this role, I not only handled the full sales cycle, but also hired, trained, developed and lead the full cycle sales team. HRWize is an HRIS system focus on small and medium size businesses of any industry, mainly within Canada, but with no limit to partner globally.

Sales Manager

Aerotek

While continuing to partner with my clients to deliver the highest quality of talent and service, I also manage our Professional Services division in Montreal. This entails both building out strategy and managing, coaching and developing our team of 10 account managers and recruiters to assure that we provide access to the quality candidates you need to support your business.

Continued to grow the divison to over $13M in revenue

Practice Lead - Professional Services

I became the first Account Executive for Aerotek's Professional Services Division in Canada. 
My role entailed business development and management of the fulfillment team for the Professional Services division. 
Lead a team of up to 6 individuals (recruiters & account managers) and grew the division from scratch to over $8M in revenue.
Archived 5 "President's Clubs" and multiple "Million Dollar Clubs".
Won the Director's Award in 2017

Account Executive - Professional Services

I specialized in technical staffing through Aerotek CE® (contract engineering), a division of Aerotek.

Technical Recruiter

Aerotek® Inc. is a leading provider of technical, professional and industrial recruiting and staffing services. We are part of Allegis Group® Inc., the second largest staffing company in the United States.

Sourcing Specialist

Sports Experts

I was responsible for training employees on the technical aspects of products, supervise them, open and close the store and register.

Keyholder

Paying it Forward 👉 One Day at a Time

Salesperson 💸 --> Coach ✍️ --> Leader 🙋‍♂️
Sometimes a content creator 🎥 - always a goofball 【ツ】

I love building things, but not physical things.

I have a passion for building teams, networks, processes, procedures and revenue but most importantly people. 

This had led me to helping founders pivot from founder led sales to a sustainable and scalable sales engine.

Hit me up if you want to talk sales, fractional leadership, 👟or ☕️.
--------------------
I was once given an opportunity that has allowed me to build my wonderful career.
I want to make sure others have the same chance.
#payitforward

Content Creator

Host of "The War Room: The Kards Pre-Game Show" by 983 Media (a game by 1939 games)
Host for all Kards Official eSports events, including the World Championship Series
Host of "The Frontline" The Official Kards Podcast by 983 Media
Gwent Qualifier Caster and Gwent Partner (a game by CD Projekt RED)

Chris 🦄 Cicconi

I don't like picking at bad cold outreach.

It's very rarely the reps fault and usually a leadership/coaching problem.

However, every once and a while I get outreach that really makes me scratch my head. 

Can anybody make sense of this? 

The first message I get it aimed at William.
Ok sure, it's a template, he forgot to change the name, it's sloppy, but it happens.

I respond, playfully saying, I'll check with William.

He replies and says "That would be so great"

I am left with a few questions like WHO IS WILLIAM!?
And why does he think I am a gatekeeper to this William person?

Is he just not paying attention?
Is it AI?
Am I going crazy?
(ok, I am but I don't think I am in THIS situation specifically) 

Help me understand this, please 😆

Building Sales @ KnowledgeNow | Still Fixing GTM. Still Roasting Bad Takes.

I'm really excited to be included in Flowla's Sales Almanac for 2025 

It's an amalgamation of posts and trends that have moved the needle this year....

And oh boy have there ever been changes in 2025.

I personally think we're at a point where we need to come back to fundamentals, but that's a tough battle to fit when AI exists.

In any case, highly recommend checking it out, you can get a free copy of the almanac with the link in the comments!

This has got to be some of the dumbest 💩 I've heard...

And I know it's not a typically sales video I'm reacting to, but I couldn't let this one slide.

For those who can't watch the video, the general premise is:
"Why get in shape in your 30s? There's no football tryouts or trophies"
AND (even worse)
"if you have kids and you're getting in shape, you're running away from your responsibility" 

☠️ 

I might be biased being 39, having just gotten into the best shape of my life and have a kid, but it's a lovely reminder not to take advice from two boneheads sitting in their mother's basement trying to host a podcast.

It is NEVER too late to:
-Get in shape
-Learn something new
-Go back to school
-Change careers 
-OR ANYTHING ELSE.

and getting in shape when you have kids is not about running away from responsibility, it's about being able to run after your kid. 

It's about being healthy and living a long enough life to see them grow up, get married, have their own kids (if they so choose).

It's never too late, you are never told old and NEVER listen to people on the internet.

While this photo might not be overly flattering.

Joe Fontana 🐘 = Ted Lasso of sales. 

I mean, I'm not sure if he brings biscuits to sales meetings, but I'm fairly certain he does carry a "BELIEVE" sign everywhere he goes

It just so happens that Joe is looking for his next gig.

Joe's playbook includes:
-Building and leading high performance sales orgs from the ground up
-Mastering about every sales methodology known to humanity
-Act as a coach, mentor and bad joke teller, on any team.

Feel free to hit him up directly, or happy to introduce you if you'd like.

I hate New Year's Resolutions.

Saying "I want to get fit" is easy, it costs nothing. 
Committing is different, it requires skin in the game. 

So far I've signed up for:
2 Hyrox Series Quebec events (one singles, one doubles) 
1 HYROX doubles event in Ottawa 
1 Spartan race 

and I'd like to add a Half Marathon to that and maybe another HSQ Event to that.

The difference to me? 
"I want to get faster" is a hope. 
A race registration is a promise.

You don't need a New Year's Resolution to make a change.
You need to put your money where your mouth is. 

Stop Resolving. Start Committing.

Most founders I work with have it backwards.

They think figuring out what to say is the hard part.

So they write a “value prop”, automate the 💩 out of it and call it GTM. 

But GTM has a hierarchy of needs, just like Maslow’s.
And at the very bottom isn’t automation or AI.

It’s identity. 

Too many teams skip the most important question:
Who am I actually talking to?

If you can’t confidently answer:
“Who is this person?”
“Where do they work right now?”
“Is this actually the right person to talk to?”

Then everything above it breaks. 

That’s something that really clicked for me after adding Common Room’s Person360 to my tech stack.

One profile per person. 
Signals, enrichment, job changes → all resolved to an actual human. 

I know who my prospects are, where they actually work and what their reality is.
I get to immediately address the problems we solve for them in my outreach. 

Instead of staring at my CRM trying to figure out whether I should be talking to:
Jonathan Smith
Jon Smith
John Smith
Or Jon Smyth 

If you want to see how Person360 works, I’ll put a link in the comments

Brand partnership • Building Sales @ KnowledgeNow | Still Fixing GTM. Still Roasting Bad Takes.

Little Talent Group, LLC

As an Executive Career Coach, I empower high-achieving professionals and visionary women in leadership to transcend their current successes and scale new heights in their careers.

➥ You are driven, knowing well that past strategies need to evolve for future triumphs.

➥ Despite being a stellar performer, you're navigating the "earn your stripes" mantra from leadership.

➥ You deliver exceptional results but find yourself on the sidelines in critical boardroom conversations.

➥ You observe peers advancing through influential networks, while you strive to forge meaningful connections.

➥ Leading your team diligently, you're searching for balance to prevent burnout and foster trust.

➥ You ponder if your academic leadership skills are equipped for executive challenges.

➥ Eyeing a promotion may seem daunting, but you're poised for that leap.

As your coach, here's my commitment:

➥ I'll guide you in crafting strategic alliances and articulate your value in complex workplace dynamics.

➥ I'll aid in developing a robust professional brand that resonates within your industry.

➥ Together, we'll spotlight your expertise to position you as a thought leader and prime candidate for promotions.

Leaders' testimonials on my coaching reveal transformative outcomes:

See Recommendations. 

Envision your leadership transformation:

➥ Post our coaching engagement, your command of non-verbal cues, composed demeanor, and strategic engagement will enhance your influence.

➥ You'll navigate decision-making with conviction and align teams with your vision.

➥ Utilizing success frameworks, you'll cement your excellence in your current and future roles.

➥ You'll cultivate authentic connections across the organizational spectrum.

➥ You'll be strategically positioned for lucrative promotions, with the potential to significantly boost your compensation.

Founder & CEO | Executive Career Coach

Creator Authority

Strategic Advisor 

Bond

In my role as a fractional Vice President of Human Resources for Bond Security, a burgeoning startup in NYC, I provide strategic recruitment and advisory services. My work focuses on enhancing organizational capabilities and driving growth through tailored HR solutions.

Here's a glimpse of my contributions:

➥ I advise on the refinement of recruitment processes, improving efficiency and aligning with industry best practices for a dynamic startup environment.

➥ I offer insights into talent acquisition strategies, focusing on attracting top-tier talent and ensuring a cultural fit that supports Bond Security's innovative ethos.

➥ I contribute to leadership development initiatives, mentoring promising individuals and supporting a culture of internal growth and professional advancement.

➥ I consult on the design and implementation of performance management systems, fostering a high-performance workplace that thrives on continuous improvement.

➥ I guide the development of diversity and inclusion programs, helping to cultivate an inclusive company culture that values varied perspectives and experiences.

➥ I assist in strategic HR planning, collaborating with leadership to ensure talent management aligns with the company's ambitious growth plans.

➥ I offer recommendations on employee retention strategies, enhancing job satisfaction and loyalty within the team.

➥ I facilitate connections with educational institutions, aiding in the creation of a talent pipeline that brings fresh, skilled professionals into the organization.

➥ I advocate for the use of HR analytics, promoting data-driven decisions that support strategic HR initiatives.

➥ My leadership and advisement are acknowledged as instrumental in bolstering Bond Security's stature as an attractive and forward-thinking employer.

Vice President, Human Resources (Fractional/Contract)

In an accelerated ascent to leadership within Bond Security, a forward-thinking startup in NYC, I was rapidly promoted to Vice President of Human Resources after just 9 months. My strategic approach to talent acquisition, leadership development, and organizational culture was instrumental in this transition. I took the helm to steer the HR department, aligning it with the burgeoning needs of a rapidly scaling company.

Here’s how I excelled in this role:

➥ I orchestrated the restructuring of the HR department to align with strategic business goals, resulting in a 40% increase in operational efficiency.

➥ I designed and implemented a comprehensive benefits package that enhanced employee satisfaction by 30%, aiding in a 15% improvement in retention rates.

➥ I led the development of a leadership training program that prepared high-potential employees for executive roles, contributing to a 20% increase in internal promotions.

➥ I played a critical role in developing a performance management system that saw a 25% improvement in employee productivity metrics.

➥ I initiated a company-wide diversity and inclusion program, which improved the diversity hiring rate by 45% and fostered an inclusive workplace environment.

➥ I navigated the company through a period of significant growth, scaling the workforce by 50% without compromising on hire quality or cultural fit.

➥ I established a talent management framework that reduced turnover by 18% and enhanced employee engagement scores by 22%.

➥ I was pivotal in negotiating strategic partnerships with educational institutions, resulting in a talent pipeline that increased the influx of qualified candidates by 35%.

➥ I drove the adoption of HR analytics and data-driven decision-making, which led to a 28% reduction in hiring costs and a 15% shorter time-to-fill for vacancies.

Vice President, Human Resources

As the Director of Talent Acquisition at Bond Security, a dynamic startup in NYC, I was instrumental in building the backbone of the company through strategic hiring. My focus was on identifying and nurturing leadership talent, which played a pivotal role in driving the organization's rapid growth. I successfully balanced the dual demands of maintaining a high-quality candidate pool and meeting aggressive hiring timelines.

Here’s how I made a transformative impact:

➥ I spearheaded the talent acquisition strategy, achieving a 35% increase in leadership hires within the first year, significantly expanding our executive and managerial teams.

➥ I executed a comprehensive recruitment plan that resulted in a 50% growth of the organization’s workforce, laying a strong foundation for future scalability.

➥ I introduced innovative sourcing techniques that enhanced candidate quality by 25%, ensuring a robust pipeline of high-caliber professionals.

➥ I championed a company-wide initiative to promote diversity in hiring, increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in leadership roles by 40%.

➥ I negotiated and managed vendor relationships that reduced recruitment costs by 20% while maintaining a steady flow of top talent.

➥ I leveraged data-driven recruitment metrics to decrease the average time-to-hire by 30%, streamlining the hiring process.

➥ I fostered a culture of continuous improvement, implementing training programs that increased our in-house recruitment team’s efficiency by 15%.

➥ I crafted and enforced a strategic employer branding campaign that elevated our market presence, resulting in a 60% increase in unsolicited quality candidate applications.

Through these efforts, I not only met but exceeded recruitment targets, positioning Bond Security as a competitive player in the tech security industry.

Director of Talent Acquisition

L3Harris Technologies

L3 Harris Technology is an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider.

I learned much about the organization, which can be explored at: www.l3harris.com 
In my role as a Senior Talent Acquisition Manager, I led 13 director reports, driving strategic hiring initiatives and promoting a high-performance culture. My leadership highlights include:

➥ I managed 7 recruiters across 4 sectors, enhancing efficiency and cutting agency reliance while reducing time-to-fill metrics. I also recruited for all Executive positions. 

➥ I built and nurtured a team of 6 onboarders, who reduced new hire onboarding times from 3 weeks to an impressive 2 weeks.

➥ I championed LinkedIn campaigns to boost our visibility, ensuring our recruiters' strong online presence and a diverse talent pipeline.

➥ I collaborated with executive leadership to meet critical staffing needs, aligning with ramp and AOP goals.

➥ I innovatively saved over $100k in advertising by optimizing hiring leaders' budgets through strategic communication.

➥ I oversaw 200+ requisitions, with a standout time-to-fill average of 40 days, showcasing a significant improvement in operational efficiency.

➥ I successfully developed strategies to fill 50 engineering roles in 90 days, showcasing our team's agility and capability.

➥ I streamlined interviews to quicken hiring while maintaining a high caliber of talent acquisition.

➥ I forged partnerships with colleges for a steady flow of candidates for operational roles.

➥ I focused on recruiter development, enhancing strategies for challenging vacancies and achieving diversity targets.

➥ I implemented a 15-day holding process for slates to reach our D&I and gender parity goals.

➥ My team's excellence was recognized with one promotion and two 'Recruiter of the Quarter' awards in 2021.

➥ I earned the RISE award for outstanding talent acquisition services, reflecting my dedication to recruitment excellence.

Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition

As the Manager of Talent Acquisition, I directed a team of recruiters to drive accountability, shape strategies, align teams, and support department-wide growth and development, thereby promoting a cohesive departmental culture amongst the recruiting team. I worked with HR executives in approving and establishing the department's strategies, goals, and procedures.

I oversaw the budget for virtual hiring events, partnerships, and job boards. I also conducted weekly presentations for key executive leadership to provide recruitment-related updates and recommendations.

Among my duties, I was accountable for managing the ‘Aged Job Club’ to strategize enhancements to requisition aging. I also mentored junior department personnel to support their professional growth.

Here are some of the ways I made significant and positive contributions to business growth:

➥ I strategically balanced and prioritized recruiting department resources to meet constantly evolving business needs.

➥ I consistently exceeded the internal goal of 7 monthly hires by averaging 10+ monthly hires for the team.

➥ I achieved an average time-to-fill metric of 40 days per position, a 47% improvement over the organization’s goal of 75 days.

➥ I successfully filled an unexpected surge of 30 critical business openings in an extraordinary 60 days.

➥ I was honored with the ‘2020 Rise Award’ for excellence in talent acquisition service.

➥ I led a team that produced 2 senior executive promotions and one ‘Recruiter of the Quarter’ awardee in 2020.

Manager, Talent Acquisition 

As Senior Specialist in charge of Talent Acquisition, I set recruitment requirements by examining the firm’s business plans, goals and growth targets. I took ownership of talent sourcing, candidate identification, networking and relationship building while introducing and refining recruitment best practices. 

I leveraged reliable applicant sources by reaching out to community services, colleges, employment agencies, recruiters, media and websites to promote the organization by providing information on opportunities and benefits. I also set applicant requirements by scrutinizing each job description and qualifications, and by conducting comprehensive intake calls with hiring leaders.

I regularly placed job advertisements, worked with recruiters, scheduled interviews and prepared and extended offers; examining candidate qualifications via interviews, references, applicant responses and other due diligence.

➥ I exceeded monthly hiring goal of 7, averaging 11 hires per month for FY19 and 10 hires per month for FY18.

➥ I exceeded Diverse Professional Hiring goals for females at 50%, and POC’s at 28% for FY19.

➥ I averaged production of 4 cleared hires per month. 

➥ I averaged time-to-fill metric of 50 days per position, a 17% improvement over our 60-day goal. 

➥ I achieved interview goals with a ratio of 2:1.

➥ I served as team lead for a successful Recruitment Marketing Material project.

➥ I designed candidate email templates to automate the communication process.

➥ I was promoted after just 10 months of service in recognition of dynamic results.

Sr. Specialist, Talent Acquisition

WilsonHCG

As a Senior Specialist in Talent Acquisition and Training Lead at Wilson Human Capital Group, I was instrumental in spearheading recruitment initiatives and devising training programs for new hires.

➥ I pioneered talent-sourcing efforts, utilizing a mix of community services, educational institutions, and online platforms to strengthen the company’s presence and attract a diverse candidate pool.

➥ I implemented rigorous candidate evaluation processes by analyzing job descriptions and qualifications in detail, which allowed for more informed discussions with hiring managers during intake calls.

➥ I consistently exceeded monthly hiring goals by efficiently managing the recruitment lifecycle from job advertising to offer extension, with a track record of surpassing the target of 8 new hires.

➥ I led diversity hiring initiatives, successfully reaching 45% female hires and 32% hires from POC communities in FY19.

➥ I maintained an impressive record of 6 cleared hires per month, showcasing my adeptness in fulfilling roles requiring security clearances.

➥ I improved the time-to-hire metric to just 45 days per position, demonstrating a 25% enhancement compared to the previous benchmark.

➥ I achieved an efficient interview-to-hire ratio of 3:1, which speaks to the effectiveness of our refined interview process.

➥ I took charge of a key Recruitment Marketing Material project, significantly boosting the company’s branding and appeal to high-caliber candidates.

➥ I innovated the candidate engagement workflow by creating automated email templates, which greatly improved communication timelines and effectiveness.

➥ I led the development and facilitation of robust training programs for new hires, ensuring their successful assimilation into our corporate culture and promoting ongoing professional development.

➥ I was recognized for my exceptional performance and outcomes in talent acquisition and training with a promotion after just 10 months of service.

Engineering Recruiter & Training Lead (UTC)

Grand Canyon University

As Talent Acquisition Specialist for Grand Canyon University, I worked with hiring managers to proactively identify recruitment needs and staff for all positions, from entry-level to PhD adjunct faculty. 

I served as site leader for recruitment, managing the full scope of hiring duties for a site of 800+ staff. I was accountable for setting interview and selection criteria, including call screenings, assessments and in-person interviews. I continually assessed candidate applications using our internal Applicant Tracking System.

I sourced resumes, pre-screened candidates, conducted interviews and assisted leadership with critical hiring decisions, applying the proven DDI interview model with multiple layers of interviews. I also trained new recruiters, developed job descriptions and interview questions that reflected each position’s requirements, led employer branding initiatives, and organized job fairs and recruitment events.

➥ I designed effective hiring strategies for a range of unique positions, including the Teacher Education Specialist and Doctoral Studies positions; resulting in fully staffed and capable teams during high-growth periods.

➥ I accurately forecasted quarterly and annual hiring needs by department; strategically sourcing candidates to prepare a streamlined succession planning pipeline.

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Cielo Talent

Adecco

Certified Executive Coach (ICF) | I help women leaders amplify their performance + presence to become Executives | Wife & Mom of 3 | Exec Group Coaching Program launching in Aug 2024 | Book a call today ⬇️

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The Battle

Chris 🦄 Cicconi

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The Battle

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April Little

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

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