Jesse Read

Head of Renewals, APAC · Zendesk

Jesse Read

Building high-performing renewals teams and the AI tools that make them faster, sharper, and more accountable.

📍 Sydney, Australia · SaaS & Customer Success

01 · About

The short version

As the leader of the APAC Renewals team at Zendesk, I have a proven track record of exceeding targets, building high-performing teams, and driving significant revenue growth. I'm passionate about developing and implementing strategic renewals processes that focus on customer retention, expansion, and creating win-win outcomes, and I thrive on complex negotiations and collaborative stakeholder relationships in fast-paced environments.

More recently, I've been pioneering the use of AI within Renewals, building a renewals bot and vibecoding internal dashboards that pull data from multiple sources to drive efficiency and accountability across the team. With a strong background in customer success and a passion for the SaaS industry, I'm always eager to connect with industry leaders and explore new ways to make a positive impact.

02 · Experience

Where I've been

Senior Manager, Head of Renewals, APAC

Zendesk · Hybrid, Sydney

Mar 2026 – Present · 5 mos

Manager, Head of Renewals, APAC

Zendesk · Hybrid, Sydney

Jul 2023 – Mar 2026 · 2 yrs 9 mos

Senior Renewals Manager

Zendesk

Sep 2021 – Jul 2023 · 1 yr 11 mos

Renewals Manager

Ansarada · Sydney

Feb 2019 – Sep 2021 · 2 yrs 8 mos

Customer Success Manager

Ansarada · Sydney

Dec 2017 – Mar 2019 · 1 yr 4 mos

Client Service Executive

Ansarada · Greater Sydney Area

Sep 2016 – Dec 2017 · 1 yr 4 mos

Co-Founder / Owner, J&T Espresso Bar

Self-employed · Sydney

Jul 2015 – Sep 2016 · 1 yr 3 mos

Started J&T's Espresso Bar with my best mate (Jesse & Tim). Ran social media marketing and co-ran the cafe, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. As rewarding as it was difficult.

03 · Skills

What I bring

Renewals & Leadership

  • Renewals Management
  • Negotiation & Closing
  • Account Management
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Salesforce
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Leadership & Team Development

AI & Innovation

  • AI Renewals Bot Development
  • Vibecoding Dashboards & Tools
  • Process Automation
  • Multi-Source Data Integration
  • AI-Driven Efficiency & Accountability

04 · AI & Innovation

Pioneering AI in Renewals

🤖

Renewals Bot

Building an AI-powered bot to support the renewals process, surfacing risk, automating routine steps, and freeing the team to focus on customer conversations.

📊

Vibecoded Dashboards

Designing and building internal dashboards that pull data from multiple sources into one place, giving the team real-time visibility they didn't have before.

Efficiency & Accountability

Using AI tooling to raise the bar on team efficiency and accountability, turning manual, error-prone processes into something faster and more reliable.

05 · Recommendations

In their words

A few words from people I've worked with

“Jesse's ability to manage internal stakeholders is nothing short of remarkable... His leadership is characterized by empathy, integrity, and a relentless pursuit of betterment, making him not just a manager, but a mentor and a role model.”

Garey LopesDirector, Deal Desk & APAC Revenue Operations

“I worked with Jesse as a virtual team member where he delivered outstanding value by turning mundane renewals into new sales opportunities and deeper commitments... a person with strong values and principles and a 'yearning for learning'.”

Andrew LeeTechnology Partnerships

“Jesse was an instrumental part in the success of the Zendesk APAC Renewals team from its inception... created amazing collaboration with stakeholders and had an approach in finding win/win outcomes with customers while staying positive. A real pleasure to work with and a top bloke.”

David O'CallaghanManaged Jesse directly

“Jesse has been invaluable in helping shape our early adopter process. He brings his extensive sales experience to every conversation and offers actionable suggestions... If you're looking to sharpen your sales approach - look no further than Jesse.”

Jeff KwokCo-founder at Fieldbook

“He has such a great understanding of our business strategy and processes. His incredible work ethic and negotiation skills allow him to drive excellent results and achieve the best outcome for both the customer and the company.”

Zachary PhuaBusiness Operations Manager, Zendesk

“Jesse worked to establish and define renewals for the company from the ground up; he was critical to the long-term development of the company and an indispensable part of the team. Anyone would be lucky to have Jesse join their organisation!”

Avinesh PasupatiSales & Business Development

“Jesse's strongest skill is being able to speak with anyone and everyone and leave a positive impact. His ability to solve problems and remain cool, calm and collected throughout is something else!”

Fadim TondeAPAC Manager, Customer Support

“As bright, high-performing and charismatic as he is, he is equally empathetic and emotionally intelligent, with a very genuine willingness to learn from others... he gets no greater satisfaction than helping others succeed.”