EVP · Forward Deployed Engineering

Mark
Wakelin

Building the bridge between cutting-edge AI products and the enterprises brave enough to use them first.

700+
Engineers led
20+
Years building
10k+
Org at peak
Explore my work
Current role
Forward
Deployed
Engineering
at Salesforce

As EVP of Forward Deployed Engineering, I built and led an elite 700-person engineering team operating at the crossroads of product, engineering, and customer value realisation.

The team works directly with enterprises at the frontier of AI adoption — stabilising new products in production, closing the gap between what a product can do and what a customer actually needs, and feeding hard-won field intelligence back into the product roadmap.

Most recently driving Agentforce at global enterprise organisations leveraging agentic transformation to drive business value — building the playbooks and proof points that make the next wave of adoption possible.

Agentforce AI Deployment Forward Deployed Engineering Enterprise AI Customer Value Product Feedback Loops
Career
2022 – now
EVP, Forward Deployed Engineering
Salesforce
Built an elite 700-person engineering team at the crossroads of product, engineering, and customer value realisation. Driving Agentforce adoption at scale across 20+ enterprise customers.
2018 – 2022
EVP, Global Head of Professional Services
Salesforce
Led a global organisation of ~10,000 people across delivery, enablement, and practice. Scaled enterprise deployment capability across Salesforce's full product portfolio.
Pre-2018
Serial Entrepreneur
Multiple ventures
Founded and scaled multiple companies, each acquired. Developed zero-to-one product and GTM instincts across SaaS, services, and technology platforms.
Writing & thought leadership
Personal Series · Part 1
What's All the Noise About? Making Sense of AI and Generative AI
LinkedIn · Apr 2023
Personal Series · Part 2
Generative AI and Professional Services: How AI is Reshaping the Future
LinkedIn · May 2023
Personal Series · Part 3
The New Era of Project Management: New Models for Governance
LinkedIn · Jul 2023
Foreword
The Forward Deployed Playbook
Precursive · 2024
Webinar · Salesforce & Forrester
Navigating the AI Landscape: Insights from Industry Leaders
Salesforce · Mar 2024
Salesforce Press
How Businesses Should Approach AI Adoption
Salesforce · Dec 2023
Wall Street Journal
Prioritizing People in AI Strategy, and Why it Matters
WSJ · 2024
Salesforce · Featured Q&A
The 3 Keys to Navigating the 'Last Mile' of AI Adoption
Salesforce · Jan 2026
Salesforce Blog
What Should Be First on Your Company's AI Agenda?
Salesforce · Jan 2024
Salesforce Blog
Build Trust with Your Customers in the Age of AI
Salesforce · Sep 2023
Salesforce Blog
AI Innovation Is Here to Stay: How to Keep Up
Salesforce · Jul 2023
Salesforce Blog
AI is Coming — Here's How to Get Ready
Salesforce · Jul 2023
Salesforce Blog
3 Steps to Strategic AI Adoption
Salesforce · Jun 2023
Salesforce Blog
How to Accelerate Your Success in the Age of AI
Salesforce · Jun 2023
CIO Magazine
The CIO as Chief Integration Officer
CIO · 2023