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Robert Schrage
Director, Sales Engineering at Altice USA
Professional Background
Robert Schrage is a distinguished expert in technology services and sales engineering, boasting a career that showcases an impressive array of roles across several leading companies in the telecommunications and IT sectors. Currently serving as the Director of Sales Engineering at Altice USA, Robert has made significant contributions to enhancing customer experiences and driving technical sales strategies in this dynamic environment. His expertise lies in solutions architecture, network design, and engineering management, all of which have positioned him as a vital player in the fast-paced landscape of technology services.
Before his tenure at Altice USA, Robert held the role of Vice President of Solutions Engineering at Perseus, where he spearheaded innovative engineering solutions and optimized technical processes. His proactive approach and thorough understanding of client needs were instrumental in establishing effective solutions that addressed complex challenges in the technology domain.
Robert's compelling career path began with impactful experiences at notable companies such as NTT America, where he served as Senior Director of Technology Services. In this role, he led teams to leverage cutting-edge technology to improve service offerings and operational efficiency, illustrating his firm commitment to excellence.
Contributions to Telx as both Director of Solutions Architecture and Director of Product Development & Strategy further exemplify Robert's prowess in aligning technical capabilities with business strategies to foster growth and provide clients with top-tier solutions. His tenure at Telx underscored his ability to integrate product development with market needs, thereby ensuring the delivery of robust products and services.
Adding to his wealth of experience, Robert also spent a significant period at Reuters, where he held the positions of Head of Network Architecture and Standards, as well as Global Head of Network Architecture. His leadership at Reuters was marked by critical advancements in network systems and architecture, empowering the organization to navigate complex network challenges while adhering to industry standards and best practices.
Education and Achievements
Robert Schrage graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University, College of Business, equipping him with a solid foundation in business principles that complement his technical expertise. His academic background, coupled with hands-on experience, has played a pivotal role in shaping his career trajectory and establishing him as a sought-after leader within the engineering and technology sectors.
Throughout his career, Robert has been recognized for his ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and business objectives. His keen understanding of how technology drives business growth allows him to craft solutions that maximize value for stakeholders. Furthermore, Robert's strategic insight aids in managing complex projects that require a blend of technical proficiency and business acumen, solidifying his reputation as a leader who inspires innovation and operational excellence.
Notable Achievements
Robert's career is characterized by notable achievements that reflect his dedication to professional growth and his passion for technology solutions. As a Director of Sales Engineering at Altice USA, Robert has implemented strategies that not only enhance technical sales but also prioritize customer engagement and satisfaction. His leadership has resulted in significant increases in service efficiency and product offerings, showcasing his ability to adapt to market demands.
At Perseus, his role as Vice President of Solutions Engineering allowed him to innovate solutions that streamlined operational processes, enhancing the capability of various engineering teams. His strategic initiatives have invariably led to improved customer satisfaction and operational success.
Robert's impactful contributions during his time at NTT America and Telx have led to advancements that remain influential in the industry, particularly in the realms of solutions architecture and product development. His methodologies have fostered environments in which technical teams can thrive and efficiently meet client needs.
In summary, Robert Schrage represents a blend of business and technical expertise, empowered by a solid educational foundation and a proven track record of leadership in technology services. His substantial background in engineering management, solutions architecture, and sales engineering uniquely positions him to navigate complex challenges in today’s tech-driven landscape. As he continues to leverage his extensive experience to drive innovation and operational success, Robert remains an invaluable asset to the organizations he serves.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.