Convergence Technology Council - CTC

Vice President, Sales
Nortel Networks

Bill Woods began his career in software development writing software for Data Select Systems, but even in those early days of the Internet, Woods was savvy enough to realize the future growth potential in networking. Accordingly, he left that software writing position to work for networking powerhouse, the formerly Thousand Oaks-based Xircom, a Dirk Gates-founded company that was later sold to Intel for $780 million.

After leaving Xircom, Woods moved into the even more red-hot LAN switching and security industry, taking a position with Cabletron, which ultimately led him to Santa Barbara-based Occam Networks, a next generation access equipment firm, where Woods took on his biggest responsibility yet: starting and overseeing Occam’s entire sales organization. At Occam, Woods took the company from start-up mode to become a healthy and growing organization that did extensive infrastructure deployment work with Amgen and Countrywide, among others.

However, after wearying of the constant travel that the position entailed, Woods moved over to Nortel Networks, where for the last three years he has ran the local sales team. At Nortel, Woods maintains responsibility for the firm’s large corporate accounts (often state and local governments), as well as the channels between Nortel’s service team and its distributors. Additionally, Woods is responsible for the company’s internal services organization. In many ways, he serves as a general manager, mapping the firms’ strategy in the Los Angeles region and working with its technical engineers.

At Nortel, Woods has reshaped and re-focused the firm’s sales team by making interesting hires and not just being content to hire your average salesmen. In that vein, he has leveraged local universities to bring in people with unusually strong educational backgrounds and talent.

Woods lives and is based in Westlake Village, but also helps to maintain Nortel’s regional briefing center in El Segundo. He holds a business degree from California State University, Long Beach and a Masters of Science and Technology from Pepperdine University.