From a very young age, Michael DeGagne yearned to experience life and travel the world. Growing up in a small town in a lower-middle-class family, he didnt find much inspiration for where his life could take him or what he might aspire to become, but he knew he wanted an exciting life. An American Express commercial showcasing a businessman traveling internationally gave him his first glimpse of what business was like, and he said it forever changed the trajectory of his life.
This drive to have simply the opportunity to experience life with self-determination has been the biggest motivator for me to strive for excellence and consistently outwork my peers and competitors in the pursuit of being a businessman, said DeGagne. Ive dabbled in real estate, crypto, venture capital, invested in and worked at startups, reached top-performer status at mega-corporations, received my MBA and traveled to over 70 countries.
DeGagne now serves as the chief revenue officer at Liftlab where he has developed and executed sales strategies, achieving impressive revenue targets while building the sales function from the ground up.
Liftlab operates at the forefront of the marketing technology sector, offering unparalleled, real-time insights into marketing and media profit and loss. The firms solutions are designed to optimize spending performance and fuel revenue growth through advanced media attribution and holistic measurement strategies.
Prior to joining Liftlab in 2023, DeGagne held tenures at Moat, Oracle Data Cloud, Experian, and Forrester, consistently ranking in the top 1% to 5% of global organizations. In his leadership role at quantilope, his strategic direction led the organization to grow to over 300 individuals globally with staggering growth in ARR bookings.
DeGagne served as a mentor at SV Academy and holds an advisory role at Vimachem, a pharmaceutical process automation company. He was also the founding member and board member of the 5 Boro Pizza Charity Race from 2014 to 2020.
According to DeGagne, the most important attributes of successful leaders in the software, technology, and SaaS space are adaptability, empathy, and visionary thinking. Leaders who can pivot quickly and embrace change are the ones who keep their organizations ahead of the curve, he said. Whether its adopting new technologies or navigating unexpected market shifts, the ability to adapt is a game-changer.
As a leader, DeGagne said he has a fostered attitude of positivity and a general belief that if you work on a problem, things will improve over time through hard work. The glass isnt half full or half empty its full of possibility, depending on how you look at it, he said.
