RÉSUMÉ

Zia Shaikh

AI/SaaS Business Development | GTM | Partnerships | AI Adoption

Senior commercial professional with 20+ years across business development, sales, partnerships and account growth, plus hands-on experience shaping and launching AI/SaaS products.

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20+years of commercial experience

≈8franchise openings supported

18+team members recruited, trained and supervised

Career snapshot

Founder & Commercial Lead

AccessLayerAI

Ontario, Canada

Apr 2026–Present

Built and launched an AI/SaaS access-control platform, leading product direction, customer experience, pricing, positioning and go-to-market execution.

Business Development & Sales Consultant

Independent Sales Consulting

Remote · Ontario, Canada

Jan 2023–Mar 2026

Managed full-cycle consultative sales across coaching, digital products, real estate and service-based offers.

Director of Sales & Account Management

2324918 Ontario Ltd.

Independent consulting & contract assignments · Greater Toronto Area

Jan 2014–Mar 2020

Led sales, account management and commercial support across multiple industries, balancing new-business development with client growth and team coaching.

Business Development & Operations Manager

Ze-Xperience

Greater Toronto Area, Ontario

Sep 2002–Dec 2013

Managed business development and operations across salon and franchise environments, supporting approximately eight openings and teams of more than 18.