Akshay Shankar
Chennai
Summary
Regional Sales Leader with over 7 years of experience in driving international SaaS growth across diverse markets including MEA, Japan, Korea, ANZ, ASEAN, India and Europe.
Expertise in building and scaling high-performing sales teams, successfully opening new regions, and consistently exceeding revenue targets in commercial, mid-market, and enterprise segments.
Currently leading international sales at Profit.co, scaling revenue through outbound-led growth and strategic partnerships, while enabling organizations to execute strategy with OKRs and performance management systems.Achieved recognition as a 2x President’s Club winner at Freshworks, demonstrating a strong track record in new business development and account management.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Regional Sales Manager, International
Profit.co
Chennai
08.2025 - Current
- Leading international revenue growth across multiple regions for Profit.co’s strategy execution and OKR platform
- Owning pipeline generation, deal execution, and regional GTM strategy for mid-market and enterprise accounts
- Partnering with marketing, product, and leadership teams to refine ICP focus, outbound motion, and sales playbooks
- Driving executive-level conversations with CXOs, Strategy Heads, and PMOs on OKRs, performance management, and execution discipline
- Building scalable outbound and partner-led motions to accelerate global expansion
Regional Sales Manager (International)
Freshworks
Chennai
06.2025 - 08.2025
- Consistently exceeded regional growth targets for international commercial, mid-market, and enterprise revenue across MEA, Japan, Korea, ANZ, ASEAN, India, and EU.
- Built and led high-performing cross-regional sales teams to enhance forecasting accuracy and quota attainment.
- Cultivated executive relationships with CXOs and IT leaders to establish Freshworks as a strategic long-term partner.
Regional Sales Lead
Freshworks
Chennai
03.2023 - 06.2025
- Collaborated with multiple partners to enhance the brand visibility of Freshworks across Japan and Korea, effectively expanding market reach.
- Successfully onboarded multiple enterprise clients in 2023, surpassing the sales target achieving 180%, thereby significantly boosting regional revenue.
- Led the product team in implementing strategic modifications to enhance the user experience for Japanese and Korean markets, ensuring better product adaptability and customer satisfaction.
- Successfully led a team of 6 members, surpassing the annual deployed target achieving 106%, resulting in revenue over 1 million dollars.
- Established the Outbound and Channel business in the MEA region, contributing significantly to the Commercial Business.
- Achieved a substantial growth of over 40% YOY for the region from 2022 to 2023 to 2024. The average growth in target was 30% YOY.
Associate Sales Lead - Commercial Sales ANZ, ASEAN, Japan, Korea & MEA
Freshworks
Chennai
01.2023 - 03.2023
- Undertook the additional responsibility of initiating the Commercial Business in ANZ, ASEAN, Japan, Korea, and MEA regions, demonstrating leadership and strategic planning skills.
- Managed a team of 6 members, fostering teamwork and enhancing productivity.
- Exceeded the Q1 target by achieving 103%, thereby ensuring a successful kickstart for the Commercial Business in these regions.
Associate Sales Lead - Account Management Middle East and Africa
Freshworks
Chennai
06.2021 - 01.2023
- Managed a team of 11 members, overseeing account management in the Middle East and Africa region, and was responsible for a portfolio exceeding 2 million dollars.
- Surpassed the set target 2021, achieving an expansion attainment of 104%.
- Increased the expansion attainment by 25% year-on-year in 2022, reaching 103% of the set target.
- Initiated and led various programs such as Focus Groups and CIO roundtables to enhance cross-selling, up-selling, and customer retention.
Senior Strategic Account Manager - Middle East and Africa
Freshworks
Chennai
04.2021 - 06.2021
- Managed an individual portfolio exceeding $300K, demonstrating strong financial acumen and strategic planning.
- Surpassed Q1 2021 targets by 80%, achieving 180% of the set goal, showcasing exceptional performance and dedication.
Strategic Account Manager - Middle East and Africa
Freshworks
Chennai
04.2019 - 04.2021
- Initiated account management for the Middle East and Africa region, starting with a portfolio of $60K.
- Successfully expanded the portfolio to over $150K by the end of 2019, achieving an attainment of 209%.
- In 2020, effectively doubled the portfolio growth, single-handedly meeting the regional account management target of over $720K, culminating in an attainment of 262%.
Account Executive - Middle East and Africa
Freshworks
Chennai
06.2018 - 04.2019
- Initiated my role as an Account Executive (Hunter) at Freshworks, focusing on new client acquisition.
- Exceeded the set target in 2018, achieving 120%.
- Assumed full responsibility for managing South Africa, the largest POD, and successfully achieved 140% of the set target.
Business Development Intern
Freshworks
Chennai
01.2018 - 03.2018
- Collaborated with the Deals Desk team at Freshworks, where I played a crucial role in reviewing Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) from January 2018 to March 2018.
- Enhanced the efficiency of the team by creating a Knowledge Base, which served as a reference for various document templates.
Customer Service Specialist
TongueStun Food Network Pvt Ltd
Chennai
07.2017 - 09.2017
Education
Bachelor of Engineering - Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering
12.2018
High school or equivalent -
Bhavan's Rajaji Vidyshram
12.2014
Skills
- Team Management
- Pipeline generation
- Deal execution
- Regional GTM strategy
- Account Management
- New Business Acquisition
- Negotiations
- Customer Retention Initiatives
- Outbound sales strategy
- Customer relationship management
- Market expansion
- Sales strategy development
- Negotiation skills
- Executive communication
- Team leadership
Certification
- Persuasive Selling, LinkedIn, 11/19, Present
- John Barrows Sales Training Session, 12/18, Present
Timeline
Regional Sales Manager, International
Profit.co
08.2025 - Current
Regional Sales Manager (International)
Freshworks
06.2025 - 08.2025
Regional Sales Lead
Freshworks
03.2023 - 06.2025
Associate Sales Lead - Commercial Sales ANZ, ASEAN, Japan, Korea & MEA
Freshworks
01.2023 - 03.2023
Associate Sales Lead - Account Management Middle East and Africa
Freshworks
06.2021 - 01.2023
Senior Strategic Account Manager - Middle East and Africa
Freshworks
04.2021 - 06.2021
Strategic Account Manager - Middle East and Africa
Freshworks
04.2019 - 04.2021
Account Executive - Middle East and Africa
Freshworks
06.2018 - 04.2019
Business Development Intern
Freshworks
01.2018 - 03.2018
Customer Service Specialist
TongueStun Food Network Pvt Ltd
07.2017 - 09.2017
Bachelor of Engineering - Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering
High school or equivalent -
Bhavan's Rajaji Vidyshram