Laura Howton

Commander
DISC Type : D

Director, Strategic Vertical Growth at Carahsoft

Reston, Virginia, United States

Overview

Laura Howton is the Director of Strategic Vertical Growth at Carahsoft, where she previously managed a team of over 50 professionals generating $275 million in annual revenue. A graduate of Christopher Newport University, she is a multi-year CRN Women of the Channel honoree and architect of Carahsoft’s company-wide Customer Nurture program.

Outside of her strategic growth role, Laura has a background in media. Colleagues describe her as energetic, conscientious, and hardworking, noting she is personable and fun to work with. She also has an interest in insights from organizations like McKinsey & Company and Harvard Business Review.

Unique fact: Laura has worked on TV and film projects as an on-air talent and once stepped in as an actor when a cast member dropped out.

Personality Overview

Impact-Driven

Risk-Taker

Candid & Clear

More than the product, they care about the effectiveness of the product.  They are very proud of what they do. They respond well to strong and respectful communication.

Topics They Care About

Customer Nurturing
She is the architect of Carahsoft's company-wide Customer Nurture program, which focuses on adoption, retention, and expansion.
Channel Development
Her previous role involved managing relationships with over 215 channel partners and 50 technology vendors, driving significant revenue.
Sales Team Leadership
As a former sales director and current corporate trainer, she has extensive experience coaching and developing large sales teams to success.

Media Appearances

7 Carahsoft Execs Make Annual Women of the Channel List. Featured in ExecutiveBiz

See Now

Seven Carahsoft Executives Featured on CRN’s 2022 Women of the Channel List. Featured in EIN Presswire

See Now

Seven Carahsoft Executives Featured on CRN’s 2022 Women of the Channel List. Featured in Carahsoft

See Now

Work History

1-2026
Director, Strategic Vertical Growth at Carahsoft
5-2019 - 12-2025
Director, Sales at Carahsoft
11-2015 - 5-2019
Team Lead, Tableau Public Sector at Carahsoft
3-2014 - 10-2015
Tableau Account Manager at Carahsoft
2-2013 - 2-2014
Government Account Representative--Innovative Intelligence Solutions Team at Carahsoft

Education

2008 - 2012
Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Christopher Newport University
2004 - 2008
Advanced Diploma from Robinson Secondary School

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : N/A Location : Reston, Virginia, United States Job Level : N/A Designation : Director, Strategic Vertical Growth at Carahsoft
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Laura

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • When negotiating terms, help them build an impression that they are the ones calling the shots
  • Use phrases like ‘it’s your decision’, ‘strategic impact’ etc.
  • Help them weigh the risks by sharing objective proof points without becoming too analytical

DONT's

  • Don’t take too much time in sending them information if they ask for any
  • Avoid being a storyteller and don’t try to oversell
  • Don’t be in a rush to invite them for a social meet and greet

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Laura is

  • Confidence in impact is paramount to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Laura

  • If they decide not to go ahead, they will say no without hesitation.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Laura move?

  • They can take decisions very fast if you manage to convince them.
  • Can Laura take some risk or not?

  • The risks don’t matter much to them.

You And Laura

Personality Compatibility


Other Carahsoft Employees

Explore more public profiles from related professionals at the same organization.

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.