Ray Stephenson

Pioneer
DISC Type : Dis

Director, Cloud AI Developer Relations at Qualcomm

Rancho Santa Fe, California, United States

Overview

Ray Stephenson is the Director of Cloud AI Developer Relations at Qualcomm, focusing on AI inferencing workloads. His extensive career includes incubating emerging technologies like blockchain and AI at Microsoft and leading developer relations engineering at Cisco. Colleagues describe him as thoughtful, empathetic, and an outstanding team manager, and he holds a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He has a keen interest in the practical application of technology, stemming from an early career in software architecture and e-commerce systems. This is complemented by certifications in the Go programming language and deploying ML models in production.

Unique fact: Ray served as an industry reviewer, providing editorial suggestions for the introductory computer programming textbook "Simply C++. "

Personality Overview

Decisive But Friendly

Driven But Considerate

Friendly But Fast

They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders)  If they are convinced, they can become very strong champions for your product They combine a unique set of diverse traits where they are fast and friendly but can slow down to be thorough when needed

Topics They Care About

Cloud AI Inference
His current role is dedicated to developer relations for Qualcomm's Cloud AI products, with a focus on AI inferencing workloads for enterprise scenarios.
Developer Relations
He has a long and successful career leading developer advocacy and relations engineering teams at major tech companies like Qualcomm, Cisco, and Microsoft.
Enterprise GenAI
He actively explores and writes about practical, real-world use cases for Generative AI in enterprise settings, moving beyond consumer-focused applications.

Media Appearances

Ray has no verified media appearances

Work History

3-2025
Director, Cloud AI Developer Relations at Qualcomm
7-2021 - 11-2024
Head of Developer Relations Engineering at Cisco
9-2018 - 5-2021
Senior Director, Industry Innovation at Microsoft
8-2007 - 8-2018
Director, New Technology Incubation, Digital at Microsoft
8-2006 - 8-2007
Regional Manager, Asia Pacific at Microsoft

Education

BBA from University of Wisconsin-Madison

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 18 Location : Rancho Santa Fe, California, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director, Cloud AI Developer Relations at Qualcomm
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Insights For Selling To Ray

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Mostly stick to your standard pitch and qualifying script, but add some stories or anecdotes to it
  • Build a trustworthy relationship while keeping the product center-stage
  • Use phrases like ‘your decision will’, ‘you will impact’ etc.

DONT's

  • Don't lean very heavily into providing too much information, sharing whitepapers etc.
  • Don’t hesitate from asking questions or pushing them, but take a formal approach
  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ray is

  • Nothing less than a strong combination of proof of results, relationship and high levels of professionalism is effective with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ray

  • They can say no while staying friendly, but can also be pursuaded to reconsider

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ray move?

  • They are generally fast movers and can take quick decisions
  • Can Ray take some risk or not?

  • They have high risk-appetite but can get ahead of themselves once in a while. Observe carefully

You And Ray

Personality Compatibility


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