Available for Partnerships • Speaking • Roundtables • Podcasts

Federal & Defense Technology Sales Executive

Federal & Defense | OT/ICS Security | DIB | DOE/NRC | TS Clearance | USMC Veteran | Author of "Ghost Code Selling."
Currently: Waterfall Security Solutions · Exodigo · EnerKnol

20+ years driving enterprise revenue across IT security, OT/ICS, and SaaS. Closed a $27.5M ACV deal with the U.S. Department of Energy and averaged 191% of quota over the last three years. Author of "Ghost Code Selling."

20+
Years Experience
$827M
Book of Business
$27.5M
DOE ACV Deal
191%
3-Yr Avg Quota
382%
Peak Quota
Jay Nichols
USMC Veteran • TS Clearance • Greensboro, NC
Latest Insights

Experience

Schweitzer Engineering Labs
Cyber services for OT/ICS environments, protecting electric utilities, nuclear facilities, and Defense Industrial Base contractors.
Cyber Services Sales Manager
  • DOE, DoD & NRC OT/ICS security and compliance
  • NERC CIP, IEC 62443 & CMMC L2+ guidance for DIB
  • Partnering with Dragos, Nozomi, Palo Alto & Fortinet
Destinara Travel
AI-powered travel platform combining intelligent technology with human curation for personalized journey discovery.
CEO / Co-Founder
  • AI-powered travel platform startup
  • Combining intelligent tech with human curation
  • Building personalized journey discovery
AMDT (AUVESY-MDT)
Industrial data management and OT cybersecurity solutions provider specializing in version control, backup, and disaster recovery for manufacturing.
Key Account Director (Contract)
  • Ford, Boeing, Magna, Dana, O-I Glass & Lhoist accounts
  • OT version control, backup & CVE surfacing
  • Exceeded quota every year, finishing above 175% of plan
Unit 221B
Elite cybersecurity firm specializing in offensive security, red team operations, penetration testing, and managed threat intelligence.
Director of Sales (Contract)
  • Red Team, Purple Team & Pen Testing services
  • Managed Threat & Incident Response
  • Federal red team assessments & threat intel
Global leader in AI-powered cybersecurity, using machine learning for autonomous threat detection and response across enterprise networks.
Key Account Director
  • AI-driven cyber threat defense
  • Enterprise anomaly detection
  • C-level executive engagement
Global leader in application delivery and cybersecurity solutions for virtual, cloud, and software-defined data centers.
Strategic Account Director
  • $27M annual strategic account portfolio
  • Finance, Insurance, Manufacturing verticals
  • Expanded business by 180%
Spin.AI
SaaS data protection platform providing ransomware protection, backup, and security for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
Strategic Account Specialist
  • $10.2M in new enterprise business
  • $25M+ pipeline development
  • 5 major Google Cloud reseller partnerships
Premier Google Cloud partner providing advisory, migration, and managed services for Google Workspace and Google Cloud Platform.
Strategic Account Executive, Google Cloud
  • 22 strategic accounts, $827M annual revenue
  • Google Cloud ecosystem advisory
  • Multi-year enterprise agreements
Global enterprise software leader providing ERP, analytics, cloud, and business technology solutions for organizations worldwide.
Technology Leader, Cloud Platform CoE
  • Exceeded target by 178% ($1.6M)
  • SAP Jam & Social Learning integration
  • Western USA & Canada presales SME
Enterprise software and IoT company, formerly a mobile device pioneer, now focused on cybersecurity and embedded systems.
Regional Sales Manager
  • Grew territory from $22M to $70M+
  • AT&T carrier partnership
  • Top Sales Performer award
U.S. State Department
Federal agency responsible for international relations, diplomacy, and foreign affairs of the United States.
Contractor: Helicopter Crew Chief & Gunner
  • 2-year deployment in Afghanistan
  • Rotary-wing flight operations
  • Security and transport missions
U.S. Marine Corps
Elite amphibious military force responsible for power projection, expeditionary operations, and rapid response worldwide.
CH-46E Weapons & Tactics Crew Chief
  • Top Secret security clearance
  • Presidential airlift support
  • FAA Airframe & Powerplant certified

Education & Certifications

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Concentration in Marketing, Minor in Management.
B.S.B.A., Marketing (2004)
  • Bryan School of Business & Economics
  • Foundation in marketing, strategy & management
Industry Certifications
Active certifications spanning information security, cloud security, industrial control systems, CUI protection, and the Dragos, Nozomi Networks, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks security platforms.
CISSP · CCSP · CCSK · GICSP · ISA/IEC 62443 · NIST 800-171 · Dragos · Nozomi · Fortinet · Palo Alto
  • CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional
  • CCSP: Certified Cloud Security Professional
  • CCSK: Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge
  • GICSP: Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GIAC)
  • ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Specialist (ISA)
  • NIST SP 800-171 Fundamentals certification
  • Dragos: Technical and Partner certifications
  • Nozomi Networks: Technical and Partner certifications
  • Fortinet: Technical and Partner certifications
  • Palo Alto Networks: Technical and Partner certifications

Skills

🎯 Sales & Business Development

Strategic Account Management Enterprise Sales Territory Planning Complex Negotiations C-Level Engagement Solution Selling Pipeline Generation Revenue Growth Partner Development Channel Sales Quota Attainment Sales Forecasting Contract Negotiation RFP/RFI Response Customer Success Account Expansion

🔒 Cybersecurity & Compliance

OT/ICS Security CMMC FedRAMP NIST 800-171 NIST CSF NERC CIP Zero Trust Architecture Penetration Testing Red Team Operations Purple Team Threat Intelligence Incident Response Vulnerability Management SIEM/SOAR EDR/XDR Network Security Identity & Access Management Data Loss Prevention Ransomware Protection Cloud Security Application Security Security Awareness Training

🏭 Industrial & Critical Infrastructure

SCADA Systems PLC Security HMI Protection DCS Security OT-SDN Industrial Firewalls Asset Inventory Network Segmentation Anomaly Detection Substation Protection Smart Grid Security Manufacturing Security Energy Sector Water/Wastewater Oil & Gas Transportation

☁️ Cloud & Enterprise Technology

AWS Microsoft Azure Google Cloud Platform Google Workspace Microsoft 365 SaaS Security Cloud Migration Hybrid Cloud Containerization Kubernetes DevSecOps CI/CD Security API Security Microservices

🤖 AI & Emerging Technology

AI/ML Solutions Generative AI LLM Applications AI-Powered Security Autonomous Threat Detection Behavioral Analytics Predictive Security AI Sales Tools Prompt Engineering AI Integration Automation RPA

🏛️ Federal & Defense

DoD Sales Defense Industrial Base ITAR Compliance DFARS FISMA CJIS IL4/IL5/IL6 Security Clearances Government Contracting GSA Schedule SEWP Military Operations Intelligence Community Civilian Agencies

💼 Enterprise Software

SAP SAP SuccessFactors SAP HANA HCM Solutions ERP Systems CRM Platforms Salesforce ServiceNow Workday Digital Transformation Business Process Automation Enterprise Integration

📡 Networking & Infrastructure

Software-Defined Networking Network Architecture Firewall Management VPN Solutions Load Balancing DDoS Protection WAF DNS Security SSL/TLS Network Monitoring Packet Analysis Wireless Security

✈️ Aviation & Aerospace

FAA A&P License Rotary Wing Aircraft Fixed Wing Aircraft Aircraft Maintenance Flight Operations Avionics Aerospace Manufacturing Defense Contractors Commercial Aviation Helicopter Operations

What People Say

"Jay defines the word 'professional' in his work. Hardworking perfectionist - detail oriented, energetic, independent and smart. If you need a highly committed team player, Jay is the right person."

Jeremy Greene Global Head of AWS Alliance, NetApp

"Jay has an unparalleled ability to establish a casual and fun atmosphere, while maintaining a very high level of professionalism and effectiveness. He is such a great relationship builder."

Timothy Brooks, MBA Sales Director, Placer.ai

"Jay consistently delivered on customer expectations for software and service delivery and was able to build strong relationships within the SAP Ecosystem. Jay is a class act!"

Keith Pate Senior Account Executive, AWS

"Jay is a take-charge person who is able to present creative ideas and communicate the benefits. He has successfully developed many key business relationships that have resulted in increased revenue."

Tim McCurry Sales Director SLED, AT&T
Ghost Code Selling

Ghost Code Selling

How to Command Your AI Intern and Annihilate Your Quota

In today's high-stakes sales world, time is the most valuable weapon. Ghost Code Selling is your mission playbook for deploying AI as your invisible co-pilot. Learn the C.R.A.F.T. Method and covert AI strategies to engineer leverage in every stage of your career.

"The future belongs to those who train their ghost."
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Agencies and Industries Served
Westinghouse Delta Chevron U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Navy Department of Defense Raytheon U.S. Space Force Department of Justice
Westinghouse Delta Chevron U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Navy Department of Defense Raytheon U.S. Space Force Department of Justice

Let's Connect

Interested in discussing cybersecurity strategy, sales leadership, speaking engagements, or potential opportunities? I'd love to hear from you.

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