Cloud, AI | Sales | Tech Leader

GABOR
SCHONEKKER

Portrait of Gabor Schonekker

Cloud & AI Transformation Leader

Results-driven Cloud Deal and Commercial Leader with 15+ years across EMEA in scalable cloud migrations, CX / CCaaS / Contact Centers, and AI-powered transformation. Full ownership of pricing, liability, SLA, and compliance from business development through execution.

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15+ Years EMEA Cloud & CX
$127M+ Total Achievements
Telco • Aviation • Public Sector • Banking Multi-Sector Delivery

Executive Profile

11+ years in UAE, Dubai Golden visa holder.

Driving AI-first growth, cloud modernization, and commercial acceleration across aviation, banking, telco, and public sector.

  • GRAIA.AI — Regional sales & commercial director (cloud & AI), MEA (2025)
  • AVAYA — Cloud deal & commercial director, EMEA (2017–2025)
  • GLOBAL BILGI (TURKCELL GROUP) — Lead enterprise architect, Türkiye (2006–2008)
Cloud Migrations CCaaS Transformation AI Virtual Assistants Pricing & Compliance SLA & Liability Executive Negotiation Partner Ecosystems

Key Achievements

EMEA Region

$43M Public Sector

Private-cloud contact center + staffing model

$60M Aviation

AI powered CCaaS transformation, legacy CC migration to private cloud with custom SLA, and aviation-grade private-cloud contact center

$15M BPO Services

On-prem to private cloud, hybrid ops

$7M Telco

Digital channel hybrid-cloud

$2M Banking

Hybrid cloud + omnichannel CX

Commercial momentum in a fast-paced leadership session

Commercial Momentum

Accelerate enterprise growth through disciplined execution, commercial rigor, and executive alignment across complex, multi-stakeholder programs.

Leadership team in a fast-paced strategy session

Strategic Negotiations

Align executive teams to accelerate complex commercial decisions.

Executives collaborating in a dynamic business meeting

AI Powered Growth

Drive enterprise growth with AI use-cases applying a coordinated execution.

Team in a dynamic office strategy session

Scalable & Architecture

Build robust and flexible enterprise architecture dricing business growth across aviation, banking, telco, and public sector with AWS, Azure, GCP and Public/Hybrid/Private Cloud.

Executives collaborating in a modern office meeting

Commercial Leadership

Structure complex deals with full ownership of pricing, T&Cs, liability, SLA, and compliance to accelerate AI-powered regional growth.

Professional Background

Career Trajectory

- Graia.AI

2025
Regional Sales & Commercial Director (Cloud & AI) — MEA

Early-stage AI and cloud solutions startup focused on conversational intelligence and scalable CCaaS deployments across MEA.

Leading business development and market entry as one of the first senior hires, driving Graia’s brand visibility and go-to-market execution in the MEA region.

  • Built an indirect sales and partner strategy to accelerate onboarding and enterprise reach.
  • Developed cloud-based pricing and contracting frameworks aligned with regional compliance and client expectations.
  • Defined go-to-market plans for AI-powered customer experience and migration solutions, laying the foundation for regional growth.

- Avaya

2017 – 2025
Cloud Deal & Commercial Director — EMEA

Global leader in Cloud, AI, and Customer Experience solutions.

Led large-scale cloud and AI transformation programs across EMEA, evolving from technical architecture to full commercial ownership of multimillion-dollar CCaaS and hybrid-cloud deals.

  • Achieved 100%+ of targets (2022–2024) in high-value CCaaS and hybrid-cloud opportunities.
  • Improved deal profitability by 20–30% through commercial optimization, risk mitigation, and agile delivery.
  • Negotiated complex terms (liability, SLA, data security) ensuring faster deal closure and minimized delivery risk.
  • Pioneered AI-based virtual-assistant integrations with measurable ROI, driving C-level adoption.
  • Led enablement programs and knowledge-transfer sessions for EMEA presales and sales teams.

- Avaya

2010 – 2017
Advanced Solutions Senior Architect — EMEA
  • Drove 200% Professional Services revenue growth to $8M by selling and delivering transformative solutions.
  • Created $5M incremental revenue through optimization and change management.
  • Applied TOGAF and agile frameworks to elevate design and execution standards.

- Avaya

2008 – 2010
Services Presales Regional Lead — MEA
  • Achieved 100% of annual $4M professional services targets.
  • Led A–Z technical-to-commercial transition, from solution design to successful client delivery.

- Global Bilgi (Turkcell Group)

2006 – 2008
Lead Enterprise Architect — Istanbul, Türkiye

One of the region’s largest telecommunications and BPO providers, specializing in digital contact-center and CX outsourcing services.

  • Built and led the enterprise architecture department from the ground up.
  • Introduced process and system efficiencies generating $5M+ annual savings.
  • Delivered CRM and contact center integrations enhancing operational scalability.

Earlier Career

Early Roles
  • DK Telecom — Division Head
  • EDS Group — Business Consultant

Expertise

  • Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, Customized Private Cloud
  • Frameworks: TOGAF, Agile, CI/CD, ITIL, Six Sigma
  • AI/Automation: Conversational AI, Chatbots, Agentic AI, Vibe Coding
  • CX Platforms: Avaya, Verint, Genesys, Graia
  • Commercial: Deal Structuring, Pricing, T&Cs, Liability
  • Tools: Salesforce, Siebel, MS Dynamics, Docker, Kubernetes, Wallarm, Kong, Red Seal, Zerofox

Communication

  • EnglishFluent
  • HungarianNative
  • TurkishConversational

Hobbies

  • Cycling
  • Photography
  • Music
  • Travel
  • Casual coding and AI

Education, Certifications & Courses

  • M.Sc. in Management & Corporate Finance - Corvinus University of Budapest
  • Negotiation Mastery — Harvard Online
  • Cloud Economics & Business Value — AWS Training
  • Conversation Design & AI Strategy — LinkedIn Learning
  • Cognigy.AI Developer & Foundation
  • TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Practitioner
  • Six Sigma Black Belt Principles
  • Microsoft Certified IT Professional — Lync/Teams

Webinars

Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership Recording

The CX Empathy Gap: How AI Leaders Are Winning Back Customers

Every enterprise loses customers it never notices. Not to competitors, but to indifference. This roundtable uncovers how data-driven empathy stops silent churn, turning AI from a cold tool into a loyalty engine.

  • The revenue leak you can’t see, but feel every quarter — and how MENA leaders detected invisible churn.
  • Myths that keep CX leaders playing defense, with proof that AI can make service more human.
  • A hybrid empathy blueprint that blends automation scale with human depth.

Thought Leadership Recording

Why AI Projects Fail: What the Winners Finally Figured Out

Most AI initiatives don’t collapse from lack of talent or tools. They collapse from unseen assumptions. This session shows how overconfidence, rushed readiness, and missing experience drain value before anyone notices.

  • The overconfidence trap that kills AI before it starts, and how leaders rebuilt readiness signals.
  • Why upskilling alone doesn’t create capability — real maturity comes from iterative delivery.
  • The iteration blueprint behind successful AI transformation through disciplined experimentation.

FAQ

Nationality

Hungarian

Family status

Married. Two children attending universities.

Availablity

Please send me a message using the contact form

Top Five
  • Cloud migration and modernization (public/multi/hybrid/private cloud etc.)
  • Customer Experience (CX) & Contact Center transformation and modernization
  • AI-powered CX and Agentic AI strategy and roadmap
  • Commercial deal structuring (pricing, T&Cs, SLA, liability, compliance etc.)
  • Enterprise architecture and transformation leadership

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