Will Thompson, J.D. – Talent Advisor and Recruitment Leader

VMware (Palo Alto, CA)

Talent Acquisition Team Lead – Proactive Recruitment/Events Lead, GTM | 1/2022 – 10/2023 |

Senior recruitment professional working closely with GTM division leadership across all product lines utilizing an events model approach as a recruitment partner.

• Assigned team leader (2 direct reports) leading team utilizing the events recruitment model focusing on critical areas within GTM Division(s) recruiting multiple net-new headcount needs in the areas of Subscription Renewals, Customer Success, Field Sales, Inside Sales, Solution Architects and Delivery Consultants across all VMware product offerings.
• Work with Sr. Leadership across GTM divisions and GTM recruitment leadership to understand business objectives and diagnose crucial hiring needs required to meet said objectives.
• Create, implement, and lead a timeline/KPI driven Recruitment Event Model Approach to insure said hiring needs are met within required time frame. Current IC Initiatives include:
  • Driving Hiring Process and Strategy for newly created Matrixed Strategic SaaS Transformation Team(s) focused on driving Subscription-Based Customer conversions / grow VMware’s product foothold within Strategically selected Enterprise / Commercial / FED/SLED Customers. (By close of Q2 to include 10+ US Based Strategic Renewals Account Managers, 10 SaaS Transformation Senior Analysts and Management/Support Personnel.)
  • Driving Hiring Process and Strategy for newly formed Customer Success Executives / Project Management Team for newly Released Service offering “Success 360”. (By close of Q2 to include 8+ Costa Rica based Customer Success Executives and Management/Support Personnel.)
• Active project team contributor focused on TA wide Initiative creating / implementing VMware’s “Proactive Recruitment Model” across TA Org.
• VMware Global Talent Acquisition Inspire – Leadership Award recipient for 2022.

Senior Talent Advisor | 06/2019 – 01/2022 |

Dedicated Senior Recruiter for VMware’s Global Events Team supporting the BOLT / COLT organizations under the Recruitment Events Model and lead on Special Projects.

• Assigned to assist MAPBU (Tanzu, VMware’s Containerization Product) in meeting expanded headcount growth needs for Product Managers, Platform Services Engineers, Containerization Consultants and Solutions Architects.
• Averaging 12-14 Hires per quarter / 2 Tandem Recruitment Events within 30 Days:
• January 2021: 14 Net New Headcount hires including 1 Principal Architect – Federal (TS Clearance w/ Full Scope Poly), 7 Solution Architects – Federal (TS Clearance) and 6 Platform Services Engineers – Enterprise Team. 57% Diversity Hires (Female/URM) / 8 Diversity Hires out of 14 Total.
• Led Special Project RH20 (Red Hat Recruitment Project) in Q1/Q2 of 2020 with weekly line of sight updates to CEO Pat Gelsinger. Successfully brought on 60 Hires from Red Hat’s OpenShift Division to create backbone of Tanzu / MAPBU Solutions Unit.

VEEAM SOFTWARE (Atlanta, GA)

Senior Talent Acquisition Partner  | 01/2016 – 05/2019 |

Dedicated recruiter for Veeam North America’s Field Sales (West NA), Renewals and Customer Success and Inside Sales, Sales Acceleration (Training), Sales Engineering and Sales Operations divisions for North America.

• 188 requisitions filled in 2018. 61 requisitions filled in Q1 2019.
• Awarded Global Recruitment Excellence Award (2016, 2017); Top Global TA Partner in total hires (2017, 2018).
• Rotational recruiter for North America’s Field Sales (Commercial, Enterprise, Cloud – East NA), Inside Sales Engineering, Field Sales Engineering, and GTM Planning and Operations Divisions.
• Led Highly successful Implementation for Veeam Software’s first ever OnRamp College Recruitment Program for North America sales and renewals in 2019.
• Deep understanding of Enterprise Software Manufacturer / Channel Partner / Distributor / Alliance Partner Ecosystems.
• Technical Power User / North America TA Partner for Smart Recruiters ATS Implementation in Q1 2019 (Team of 8).

ARROW ELECTRONICS, INC. (Boulder, Colorado)

Project Manager – Talent Acquisition Team |03/2015 – 01/2016 |

RPO Contract through Adecco’s RPO Arm, Pontoon Solutions. Managing the operations and implementing the total sourcing strategy for the Recruitment & Hiring Division, NORAM Region of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (Fortune 130 Global IT Distributor of Enterprise level components, hardware & software.)

• Define & implement QSC Sourcing Program and 7 Streams Pipeline Programs for NORAM region sourcing strategy.
• Decreased LinkedIn Recruiter Costs by $75,000 per annum by implementing new Entelo Enterprise Sourcing Solution across the sourcing and recruiting operations
• In 6 months achieved 18 Day New Hire Process average (cradle to grave), cutting 26 days off previous New Hire Process Timeline average of 44 days in process, with a 12-month expected average of 12 days.
• Hiring and training of sourcing operations team, oversee team operational approach and management of day-to-day achievements, metrics and ROI of the Arrow Electronics, Inc. sourcing teams of Atlanta, GA and Manilla, Philippines (9 Direct Reports).

KFORCE INC. (Tampa, Florida)

IT Technical Executive Recruiter | 08/2014 – 03/2015 |

Talent Recruitment Representative focusing on contract and permanent placement in IT roles with KForce’s Atlanta-Based Top Fortune 500 Companies including The Home Depot, Cisco, UPS, McKesson, Lexis Nexis, Delta, Voya Financial (ING), ADP, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Cumulus Media and others.

• In January 2015, Will Thompson was recognized by Kforce Leadership for his successful recruitment efforts as an “Account Breaker” by being the first Kforce executive recruiter to successfully recruit for Voya Financial (Formerly ING Financial). Will Thompson Successfully placed the Program Manager for Voya and multiple Project managers, creating the PMO leadership team in 2015 for Voya Financial.

LUCAS GROUP (Atlanta, Georgia)

Executive Recruiter | 12/2012 – 08/2014 |

Will was an executive recruiter with the Sales & Marketing division of Lucas Group, North America’s premier executive search firm.

• Assisted with 3 party CPG Recruitment Team, training, and process directive creation for team members.
• Clients included Jarden, Colgate-Palmolive, Hershey, Reckitt Benckiser, Kimberly Clark, Nestle, Diageo, Mars, Dannon Company, etc;