Key Consulting Services Metrics
As a metrics-driven leader, I focus on operational excellence and predictable delivery. Here are six proven outcomes I will bring to Palo Alto Networks' SASE Consulting Services:
A strategic blueprint for standardizing SASE service offerings, reducing backlog, and accelerating customer Time-to-Value—based on my track record of PS transformation.
As a metrics-driven leader, I focus on operational excellence and predictable delivery. Here are six proven outcomes I will bring to Palo Alto Networks' SASE Consulting Services:
Rather than reinvent what works, I'd optimize how you deliver your existing offerings to drive faster Time-to-Value and higher utilization
Dedicated • Dedicated Plus • Security Operations Focus
Small • Medium • Large • Extra Large
QuickStart (FedRAMP, GlobalProtect, SD-WAN) • Deployment Service - Essential • Prisma Access Agent
SUPPORTING SERVICES
(Industry-Wide, Not PANW-Specific)
Optimizing delivery of your existing service portfolio
Customers love QuickStart speed (2-4 weeks) but struggle with post-deployment expansion. They complete the initial deployment but then wait weeks/months for follow-on services to add remote networks, ZTNA connectors, or additional security policies.
Advanced Deployment Services (Small/Medium/Large/XL) have variable delivery timelines because 'Core Options' and 'Feature Options' can be interpreted differently. A 'Medium' deployment for one customer takes 8 weeks, for another takes 14 weeks, creating forecast inaccuracy and customer expectation mismatches.
After 12-month Extended Expertise (Dedicated/Plus) ends, customers often struggle with transition. They've become accustomed to having a dedicated consultant and don't know what CS can/can't help with. This leads to: renewal pressure, escalations, or customers feeling 'abandoned.'
"Palo Alto Networks has built an excellent SASE service portfolio. My focus won't be reinventing offerings—it'll be ensuring we deliver them faster, more predictably, and with better customer outcomes.
The gap isn't in your service catalog; it's in operational discipline: utilization, forecast accuracy, and customer self-sufficiency post-delivery."
After 12+ years transforming PS organizations and 500+ job applications in 2024 with zero interviews, I could've gotten bitter. Instead, I got focused.
I spent the last two weeks:
What got me excited wasn't just the technology—it's the mission. You're not just selling security; you're enabling organizations to operate securely anywhere. And Consulting Services isn't a cost center at Palo Alto—it's the bridge between 'compelling demo' and 'we can't imagine working without this.'
| PANW Needs (from Job Description) | What I Bring |
|---|---|
| Lead & grow high-performing Consulting Services team | Scaled PS teams from 3 to 50+ engineers across US/EMEA/APAC with 93% retention |
| Standardize repeatable service offerings | Built 7 service packages generating $6M+ revenue with 70% gross margin |
| Focus on SASE security solutions delivery | Currently pursuing Prisma Access certifications; delivered 150+ API integrations |
| Align with Customer Success on strategy | Partnered with CS leadership driving 15% churn reduction, 35% expansion revenue |
| Drive customer adoption post-implementation | Achieved 85% self-sufficiency rate, 70% customers building autonomous workflows |
| Implement KPIs for delivery quality/utilization | 92% forecast accuracy, 75% utilization, <5% rework rate, 88% CSAT |
| Champion AI/ML tools for optimization | Pioneered ML integration reducing operations by 40% |
| Recruit, onboard, retain world-class talent | Reduced onboarding 87% (3 months → 30 days), 88-93% retention across roles |
| Cross-functional collaboration | Led 25+ concurrent initiatives across Product, Security, Platform teams |
| Based in EST time zone (Plano, TX role) | Austin, TX (Central) with full flexibility for EST business hours |
| Embody strong leadership | Servant leadership philosophy: transparency, data-driven decisions, execution excellence |
Common industry challenges with proven solutions
| The Trap | Why It Happens | My Fix | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utilization stuck at 60-70% | Engineers sit on bench waiting for 'the right project' | +10-point lift in 90 days through skill-based matching, bench compression, and calendar discipline | More revenue per headcount |
| Time-to-Value drags to 60+ days | Every engagement is custom, nothing is repeatable | <30 days from kickoff to first Prisma Access deployment using standardized playbooks | Faster customer wins, better capacity |
| Forecasts are always wrong | Scope creep, integration surprises, unclear exit criteria | ±10% accuracy with weekly variance reviews and scope change log | Trust with Sales/CS leadership |
| Customers stay dependent on services | We build for them, not with them | 70-85% self-sufficient through 'Build-With-Us' enablement | Reduced ongoing dependency |
Engineers sit on bench waiting for 'the right project'
+10-point lift in 90 days through skill-based matching, bench compression, and calendar discipline
More revenue per headcount
Every engagement is custom, nothing is repeatable
<30 days from kickoff to first Prisma Access deployment using standardized playbooks
Faster customer wins, better capacity
Scope creep, integration surprises, unclear exit criteria
±10% accuracy with weekly variance reviews and scope change log
Trust with Sales/CS leadership
We build for them, not with them
70-85% self-sufficient through 'Build-With-Us' enablement
Reduced ongoing dependency
Three proven transformations directly applicable to PANW's SASE business
At LogicMonitor, I inherited a PS org losing $300K/year. In 12 months:
Directly applicable to accelerating Palo Alto's SASE backlog retirement and margin targets
At FirstUp, I paired implementation with enablement. Result:
Critical for ensuring Prisma Access customers become independent builders, reducing ongoing dependency
I understand API-first architectures because I've lived it:
Aligns with Palo Alto's SASE API-first philosophy for integrations and automation
A phased approach to baseline current state, productize delivery, and prove measurable impact
Detailed execution plan including stakeholder interviews, metrics frameworks, and weekly milestones
Baseline → Productize → Prove Impact
Baseline current state, identify blockers, implement operational discipline
Then I'll prove we can deliver a system
Finally, I'll show the business impact
More billable hours without adding headcount = better margin
Predictability = trust with Sales/CS, smarter capacity planning
Faster wins = happier customers, more capacity for new deals
Customers who build independently don't need ongoing support
Quality delivery = fewer do-overs, higher CSAT scores
Happy customers become references and expansion deals
More billable hours without adding headcount = better margin
Predictability = trust with Sales/CS, smarter capacity planning
Faster wins = happier customers, more capacity for new deals
Customers who build independently don't need ongoing support
Quality delivery = fewer do-overs, higher CSAT scores
Happy customers become references and expansion deals
Quantifying the impact of operational improvements
Headcount × 13 weeks × 40 hours × ΔUtilization × Blended Rate
Hours saved/week × Loaded rate × #Teams × 52 weeks