Chris Simmons

ChrisSimmons

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Chris Simmons, CP APMP Fellow (Class of 2013)

Founder & Principal
Rainmakerz Consulting LLC

Bio

Consultant; Rainmaker; BD Expert; Featured Speaker; Award-Winning Author; Trainer; Coach; Reputation for passionate, entertaining, practical, and content-rich presentations

Frequent APMP presenter and author; Former APMP NCA Vice President and Membership Chair; First John Elder APMP Journal Award Winner (How to Create Winning Proposal Themes); NCA Mentor of the Year; Former NCA LinkedIn Group Manager
Founder and Principal Rainmakerz Consulting LLC (www.rainmakerz.biz); 200+ customers; Tens of billions in new contract awards
Consulting Magazine’s Top 25 Consultants (nominee)
Deloitte Consulting Partner; CGI Senior Principal
MBA, Information Technology, University of Massachusetts (Amherst)

What does being an APMP Fellow mean to you?

It is the highest recognition in the capture/proposal industry achieved by ~100 out of 20,000 members since the program was established in 2001.

What's your best memory from attending an APMP event?

2013 Bid & Proposal Con, where I received both the Fellows recognition and the John Elder APMP Journal Award for "How to Create Winning Proposal Themes."

What advice do you have for a proposal professional entering our field?

Work hard, play hard, be thankful for the opportunity, communicate, work/life balance.

Anything else you would like to share?

APMP has been directly responsible for helping me grow personally and professionally.

The Executive Summary is the key element of each proposal, literally the most important part of the response next to the price – this is why my focus was on this micro certification. Understanding the principles of Deal-Strategy, Win-Strategy, Competitor-Analysis, Ghosting, Persuasive Writing, Features/Benefits/Discriminators, and many more is essential and beneficial for so much more than just the Executive Summary.

Florian Lamisch, CF ES-M APMP

My experience, combined with the APMP Body of Knowledge, helped me obtain both the APMP Foundation exam and the Practitioners exam within a week.

Sonal Bhatnagar, CP APMP, PMP

Achieving certification sends a message to the world that I’m dedicated and accomplished as a proposal manager. I feel proud of earning this title and I encourage others to join our ranks.

Jessica Davis, CF APMP

APMP has provided an incredible platform for seasoned individuals from the Proposal and Bid Management profession and young professionals who want to start their careers in this field.

Mayura Ravishankar, Proposal Associate

The Executive Summaries Micro-Certification exam was easy to follow and clear in what was required. I found the learning materials to be very informative, and they will be a great tool to use while in the exam and for future executive summary tasks.

Sarah Chapman, CP ES-M APMP

APMP certification is the gold standard for the industry. For me, accreditation is formal recognition of my commitment to the profession, as well as an avenue for improving my performance and bid outcomes by training in APMP principles.

Tuck Ailsa Photo Cropped

Ailsa Tuck, CP APMP

APMP has been instrumental in my success and has given me a framework in which to coach and mentor the bid and proposal stars of the future.

Mescall Ceri Photo

Ceri Mescall, CPP APMP

Being an active APMP certified practitioner allowed me to recognize my hidden potential multifold (40u40, BPC Awards, BPC Speaker) and give back to the profession through the APMP community.

Karthik Koutharapu, CP APMP

Without APMP, I would not have the tools or knowledge of the industry to have the career I have today and the success I have experienced.

Liz Megli, CF APMP

Receiving Practitioner-level certification boosted my confidence and validated my experiences and professional growth in the bid and proposal industry. The badge is something that I see each day, and it motivates and encourages me to keep networking, learning, and elevating others in our combined professional development goals.

Kim Ruff, CP APMP