Ron Kjelden

Pioneer
DISC Type : dis

Director of Solutions Consulting at Nextiva

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area, United States

Overview

Ron Kjelden is a technology executive leading the solutions consulting team at Nextiva, specializing in CX and CCaaS. With a long tenure at Cisco driving digital transformation in retail and finance, he has deep expertise in AI, SaaS, and networking. He holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of North Dakota and certifications in AWS and Generative AI.

Outside of his technology career, Ron is a dedicated family man who resides with his family in Minneapolis, MN. He is described by colleagues and friends as a hardworking and outstanding individual who is devoted to his family and friends, balancing a demanding professional life with his personal commitments.

He has a track record of creating new go-to-market security solutions for major enterprise platforms.

Personality Overview

Driven But Considerate

Dynamic But Sincere

Friendly But Fast

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 They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders)

Topics They Care About

AI in Customer Experience
His career at Nextiva, LivePerson, and Cisco focuses on using AI and automation to transform how companies connect with customers, as highlighted in his professional headline.
Retail Technology
As a leader at Cisco, he authored articles and was quoted on using technologies like IoT, RFID, and AI to innovate the retail and hospitality industries.
Digital Transformation
A core theme throughout his career, he has focused on creating cross-architecture solutions and go-to-market strategies to help businesses adopt new technologies and drive growth.

Media Appearances

Ron Kjelden – Author Page. Featured in Cisco Blogs

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Nextiva Aims to Inspire, Educate. Featured in NoJitter

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Work History

3-2026
Director of Solutions Consulting at Nextiva
8-2024
Senior Director, Solutions Consulting & Partner at LivePerson
8-2022 - 4-2024
Global Director-Solution Architecture & Business Development, Cross architecture solutions at Cisco
2-2020 - 8-2022
Global Director, Solution Architecture at Cisco
7-2016 - 2-2020
Global Director, Sales and Solution Architecture at Cisco

Education

1988 - 1994
Bachelor of Science (BS) from University of North Dakota

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 19 Location : Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director of Solutions Consulting at Nextiva
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Insights For Selling To Ron

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Showcase existing customers and use case-studies to grab their attention
  • During followups, use calls or text if needed, they should be fine
  • Use phrases like ‘your decision will’, ‘you will impact’ etc.

DONT's

  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly
  • Don’t be very informal during the early interactions even if they are being so themselves
  • Don’t be too verbose or overly friendly; a little bit, however, is fine

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ron 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 Ron

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

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ron move?

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

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

You And Ron

Personality Compatibility


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