Clay Sumner

Observer
DISC Type : ic

Chief Financial Officer at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Menlo Park, California, United States

Overview

Clay Sumner is the Chief Financial Officer at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, bringing extensive experience from both the public and private sectors. His career includes managing an $8 billion renewable energy loan portfolio for the U. S. Department of Energy and senior roles at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He holds an MBA from Georgetown University.

Clay is a U. S. Army veteran and a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. This background suggests a foundation of discipline and leadership that has complemented his extensive career in finance and strategic investment.

Unique Fact: He transitioned from analyzing enterprise IT hardware as an equity researcher to overseeing financial operations for premier national science laboratories.

Personality Overview

Example Seeker

Assertive

Curious

They ask a lot of questions and rely heavily on information and collaterals.  They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince. They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.

Topics They Care About

Renewable Energy Finance
Managed an $8 billion loan portfolio for renewable energy projects at the U. S. Department of Energy and held senior finance roles at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Public Sector Finance
Has built a significant portion of his career leading the financial operations of major U. S. national laboratories, including SLAC and NREL.
Strategic Investment
His background as a senior equity research analyst and his portfolio management at the DOE indicate a deep understanding of complex investment analysis and strategic financial planning.

Media Appearances

Clay has no verified media appearances

Work History

3-2025
Chief Financial Officer at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
6-2022 - 3-2025
Deputy Chief Financial Officer at National Renewable Energy Laboratory
5-2014 - 12-2022
Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at National Renewable Energy Laboratory
3-2009 - 5-2014
Senior Portfolio Manager at U.S. Department of Energy
6-2004 - 12-2008
Senior Vice President, Equity Research at FBR Capital Markets & Co

Education

1998 - 2000
MBA from Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Texas A&M University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 21 Location : Menlo Park, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Financial Officer at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Clay

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘clear proof that’, ‘data shows’ etc.
  • Ask them questions to understand their needs better while staying affable
  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later

DONT's

  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously
  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first
  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Clay is

  • Proven value, strong testimonials are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Clay

  • They are practical yet friendly, don’t expect a clear no very often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Clay move?

  • They like to analyze well and then make their decisions.
  • Can Clay take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Clay

Personality Compatibility


More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.