Categories: Tech & Society

Groupon Loses Top Sales Exec Lee Brown

Groupon has confirmed that its head of national sales Lee Brown is leaving the company, closely following other recent sales departures.

The announcement was made internally today in a memo distributed to staff, which was obtained by Reuters.

Separately, a Groupon spokesperson confirmed his departure, adding that Raj Ruparell, who has been in the sales organization for the past four months, will replace Brown.

When Brown joined Groupon in December 2010, Kara Swisher reported that he was considered a top-notch recruit from Yahoo.

But even before Brown joined the team, Groupon had some success in selling deals to both Nordstrom Rack and the Gap, which helped to raise awareness of the company and enlist new customers. But the number of high-profile promotions had started to dry up recently, with fewer and fewer offers gaining that kind of traction.

One source suggested that Brown’s departure was the result of Kal Raman, the newly appointed SVP, going through every department with a “fine-tooth comb” and cleaning house.

There have also been reports of staff departures in recent weeks. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Jayna Cooke, another top salesperson at Groupon, had left the company.

Brown was credited with the creation of Groupon’s National Sales team, which arranges nationwide deals, rather than local offers.

“Under Lee’s management, the team has secured a number of key customers, and I’d like to personally thank Lee for his contributions and wish him the best in his next opportunity,” Raman wrote in the memo.

Ruparell, who is taking over the National Sales team, previously headed Groupon Goods, the company’s fast-growing consumer products business, Raman added.

“Raj will report to Chris Muhr, SVP of Sales, and will be immediately focused on getting to know the team and delivering on our Q3 forecast,” Raman added.

Prateek Panda

Prateek is the Founder of TheTechPanda. He's passionate about technology startups and entrepreneurship and enjoys speaking to new founders every day. Prateek has also been consistently regarded as one of the top marketing experts in the region.

Recent Posts

Why everything is a subscription now & what it means for your wallet

In the last decade, purchasing and accessing products and services have undergone a radical transformation.…

23 hours ago

Mumbai students win big at robotics championship in Chicago, headed to world finals

In an exceptional achievement, Mumbai-based high school robotics team Sigma 9692 has won the prestigious…

1 day ago

Indian gaming shifts from audience to creator “given India’s mobile-first gaming capabilities”

The Indian gaming industry is sitting on an industry explosion in the near future as…

2 days ago

Transforming modern business operations: How Microsoft 365’s AI Integration is automating HR workflows & enhancing employee experiences

In today's fast-paced business world, when employee fulfillment and efficiency are crucial, technology has become…

2 days ago

Outbound & inbound: India attracts businesses from UK, China & US while expanding to Middle East

The Tech Panda takes a look at how India has been attracting foreign businesses from…

3 days ago

UPI value & volume surpass records in March

India’s digital payments ecosystem achieved a record high in March, with UPI transactions reaching INR24.77…

3 days ago