
Growing Together: A Public Sector Sales Director’s Take on Leadership, AI, and Paying It Forward
Salesforce Careers
January 21, 2025

From Bartender to Career Builder
Chris Moffatt’s Salesforce story starts in an unexpected place: bartending on weekends while selling commercial cleaning services by day. When a friend referred him to a Business Development Representative (BDR) role at Salesforce nearly a decade ago, he didn’t let go of his side hustle right away—“just in case this Salesforce thing didn’t work out.” Spoiler alert: it worked out.
Today, Chris is a Senior Director of Sales Development for the AMER Public Sector. He leads a team of BDRs and reflects on how transformative the role was for him: “This opportunity changed everything—my career, my trajectory, and my family’s life. That’s why I’m passionate about giving others the same chance to grow.”
For Chris, leadership is about paying it forward: “We’re a talent development organization first and a pipeline generation organization second.”
Building a People-First Culture, Rooted in Development
Paying it forward became Chris’s guiding principle. Over the years, he has celebrated 170 team members earning promotions under his leadership — a number he proudly highlights. “That’s 170 people who’ve launched careers and built lives they’re excited about,” he says.Chris’s leadership is rooted in a people-first philosophy. “If your team believes you have their best interests at heart, they’ll deliver their best work,” he emphasizes. His approach combines competency-based hiring with best-in-class onboarding, coaching, and development strategies.
For Chris, leadership at Salesforce is about more than hitting targets — it’s about unlocking potential. “At Salesforce, growth isn’t just about promotions; it’s about helping people discover what they’re truly capable of,” he says.
A firm believer in using every resource available at Salesforce to grow, Chris encourages everyone on his team (and everyone reading this!) to take advantage of his most-recommended tool: a quarterly IDP, or Individual Development Plan.

The IDP lets anyone “map what you’re doing to what you want to do.” Once you determine the next step you want your career to take over the next quarter, Chris breaks down what the IDP should answer:
- What are the top three skills you need to develop to get to the next level? (for a BDR, that’s getting promoted to an Account Executive role)
- Where are you now with those three skills?
- What steps do you need to take to get to where you want?
Stick to this plan, Chris advises, and each year you’ll be on track to achieving your goals.
High-Performing Teams Use High-Performing Prompts

Chris champions the integration of AI into daily workflows, driving productivity and sparking innovation. “Learning how to write the right prompts for AI tools is key,” he explains, highlighting a foundational skill for modern teams.
Under his leadership, inspired by an idea from his managers, Chris’ team developed and scaled a prompt library for Salesforce’s public sector BDR. This resource simplifies account research, streamlines email creation, and enhances sales coaching — ultimately enabling his team to perform at a higher level. “Empowering our teams with the right tools frees them to think creatively and deliver exceptional results,” Chris says.
Chris also envisions the larger potential of AI. “Imagine a future where every interaction with a government agency feels as seamless as your best customer experience,” he says. “We’re not just selling technology; we’re helping governments improve how they serve their citizens.”
Take a page out of Chris' playbook: learn more about writing AI prompts now.
Scaling Leadership and Sharing Success
Chris didn’t initially aim for a leadership role, but he quickly discovered a passion for it. “I fell in love with leadership because I love seeing people succeed,” he shares. As his responsibilities expanded — from managing local teams to overseeing AMER Public Sector and Education teams across North America and beyond — so did his ability to make a meaningful impact.
“Leadership is not just about achieving promotions or revenue goals,” Chris explains. “It’s about creating opportunities for others to thrive and making a lasting difference in their careers.”
Chris’s leadership style highlights Salesforce’s culture of continuous learning and adaptability. “The resources and culture here enable us to navigate non-linear career paths,” he says. “That flexibility [to explore a new role or gain new experiences] is one of Salesforce’s greatest strengths.”
A Bright Future at Salesforce
Looking to the future, Chris is energized by the possibilities at Salesforce. “It’s exciting to think about the potential of Agentforce and how my team is going to lead the transformation to build the future of business in our government. We’re helping them better serve the public. The future is bright, and the opportunities are endless,” he says.

His focus remains on driving meaningful change — for his team, his clients, and the broader Salesforce community. “We have a unique opportunity to position ourselves for success in the next phase of our career as Salesforce is pioneering this next phase of AI with Agentforce.”
“Whether you’re starting as a BDR, are an experienced Account Executive, or leading a global team, success comes down to how you show up for others,” Chris says. “That’s how we grow together.”
Ready to take your career to the next level by working with leaders like Chris? Explore our open roles today!