Where I started Sales, service, and entrepreneurship.
A decade of selling, leading, military service, and running my own hometown gym.
Section 01 / 07 Cover
Thor Draper Jr · Walking Deck 01 02 03 ~/career/elevator-pitch.sh
A seller's instinct, rebuilt on technical depth.
Senior Security Solution Engineer, MicrosoftCharlotte, NC
Career signal
I loved sales enough to rebuild the technical depth around it.
A deliberate reinvention from sales into security — earning the associate's and bachelor's while working full time.
The reinvention MSP by day, cyber instructor by night.
Sold the gym before the pandemic and rebuilt deliberately around security depth.
Microsoft, fueled by curiosity A.A.S. at the door. B.P.S. while in the seat.
CPCC Cloud and Virtualization opened Azure Networking Rapid Response. A SANS B.P.S. in Applied Cybersecurity, earned on nights and weekends, pulled me into the Security STU.
Thesis
Sales judgment, now backed by technical depth.
I can connect the customer problem to the full Microsoft story.
Section 02 · The Human Behind the Headline
The person behind the resume.
Charlotte native, back in uptown two blocks from the Belk Theater. Sports junkie: Panthers, Hornets, Yankees. Married my wife in Banff on 7/11 (her birthday plus mine). Our adopted mutt Lloyd handles the household charisma.
Section 03 · What I Bring
I connect the full customer picture.
- I earn trust and carry the story.Sales taught me to hear the business problem, connect value across the portfolio, and move a decision forward.
- I go deep without losing the room.Security is my deepest technical lane. I've also built range across cloud, AI, and business applications.
- I own the outcome.Leading teams, carrying a P&L, and running work end to end taught me to stay accountable for the result.
Section 04 · How I Built the Range
Each chapter added something I carry into the next seat.
Select a chapter to see what I learned.
Sales taught trust. Ownership taught risk. Teaching taught clarity. Microsoft is where they compound.
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01/ 03 Sales, Ownership, Service 2010 - 2019A decade of selling, leading, and serving.
▲ Ability Unlocked Trust at Scale + Led a 40-plus Enterprise branch teamEnterprise branch leadershipPaychex B2B sellingGym ownership and P&LArmy National Guard serviceA decade in sales and service: Enterprise Branch Manager at the largest non-airport location, Paychex seller, hometown gym owner, and Army National Guard infantryman. The through-line was operating discipline: customers first, team development, growth, then profit.
- Enterprise Branch Manager: 40-plus team at largest non-airport location
- B2B and B2C across Enterprise, Paychex, and gym ownership
- Four-prong approach: customers, employees, growth, profits
service Army National Guard E-4 Specialist, 11B Infantryman education Returned to education Re-engaged on degrees and certs -
02/ 03 Pivot to Tech 2019 - 2021Sold the gym, picked up the MSP, and taught the bootcamp by night.
▲ Ability Unlocked Teach to Sell + Explain it without jargonSold business before pandemicMSP role and cert stackCPCC A.S. in Cloud and VirtualizationCyber bootcamp instructorSold the gym just before the pandemic. Took an MSP role and started studying IT certifications at the front desk. Earned an Associate of Science in Cloud and Virtualization from Central Piedmont Community College in July 2021. By night I taught a cybersecurity bootcamp, which forced me to explain the work without jargon.
- MSP by day, cybersecurity bootcamp instructor by night
- CPCC A.S. in Cloud and Virtualization, July 2021
- Stacked industry certifications between client tickets
education CPCC A.S. Cloud and Virtualization, July 2021 career Bootcamp instructor Cybersecurity, by night, in front of cohorts -
03/ 03 Microsoft + Range 2021 - nowBuilt the technical depth on purpose so the next sales seat compounds everything.
▲ Ability Unlocked Compounded Range + Sell with deep technical credibilityMicrosoft contractor, Apr 2021FTE, Oct 2021Security STU + SANS B.S.Senior Security Solution EngineerContractor in April 2021 on Azure Networking Support. FTE that October into Azure Rapid Response and Support Escalations. Now Senior Security Solution Engineer with a SANS B.S. in cybersecurity. Doubled down on technical depth on purpose so the move back to sales lands with credibility, not a learning curve.
- Azure Networking Support (contractor, Apr 2021) -> Rapid Response + Support Escalations (FTE, Oct 2021)
- Senior Security Solution Engineer + SANS B.S. in cybersecurity
- Built range across security, identity, cloud, and AI
education SANS B.S. Cybersecurity career AE-ready Next: Account Executive in the AI era
Sales taught trust. Ownership taught risk. Teaching taught clarity. Microsoft is where they compound.
Section 05 · Recognition
Recognition from my time in the Security SE seat.
Section 06 · Voices Around the Work
Credibility compounds when other people say it for you.
Sphere recordings. Captured from Microsoft leadership, sales peers, and cross-org partners.
Thor consistently operates at the next level, demonstrating strong judgment and independence in complex, ambiguous environments. He translates emerging requirements into scalable, repeatable mechanisms that drive measurable impact across teams. His cross-functional influence and ability to create clarity where none exists elevate both execution and strategy.
Erfan SetorkSr Solution Engineer MgmtIt is a privilege to work with Thor Draper as my Sr. Solution Engineer. Thor has excelled in his role as a Senior Solution Engineer specializing in security. Thor consistently demonstrates a deep understanding of complex security challenges and offers innovative solutions that deliver measurable results. His technical expertise is complemented by exceptional communication skills, allowing him to effectively translate technical concepts to stakeholders at all levels.
Chad KrantzSr. Security SpecialistYour technical knowledge, easy-going personality and dependability — I know that if I reach out to for help with a customer of mine, you'll make yourself available to engage as needed. And likewise, I know that you have no hesitation in reaching out to me when you're seeking my input or opinion on a customer matter.
Kevin UyPrincipal Cloud Solution ArchitectA Sales seat, then sales leadership.
AE is the seat I want most. I want to carry Microsoft's full story, connect customer priorities across the portfolio, and own the commercial outcome. I'm also confident I can perform in Security, Cloud & AI Platforms, or AI Business Solutions specialist roles. That range also prepares me to be a stronger AE.
- NowSenior Security SE
- Target seatAccount Executive
- Specialist rangeSecurity · Cloud & AI · Business Apps
- ThenSales leadership