Senior Global Event Manager

Summary

Join Palo Alto Networks as a Senior Global Event Manager to lead the strategy, design, and execution of proprietary global conferences and user conference series. This role requires a strategic thinker and operational expert with a proven track record of delivering large-scale global events. You will own and evolve the global conference strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and regional teams. Responsibilities include developing event roadmaps, managing resources, leading execution across live, virtual, and hybrid strategies, and working with executives and stakeholders to define agendas and content. The role also involves managing key audiences, accelerating sales pipelines, and driving marketing-influenced bookings. Success will be measured by awareness, engagement, and pipeline acceleration metrics, along with validating event investment versus ROI.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in event management, with at least 5 years leading large-scale, global user conferences
• Demonstrated success managing executive-level programs and high-touch experiences
• Experience leading sponsorship programs with revenue accountability
• Exceptional project management, communication, and stakeholder alignment skills
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, global environment with multiple stakeholders
• Ability to travel internationally as needed (estimated 30–40%)

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the Proprietary Global Conference strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, brand, and regional teams
• Serve as the central point of coordination across regions to ensure consistency in experience, messaging, and execution
• Develop and manage event roadmap, timelines, and resource plans to deliver high-quality experiences
• Strategically plan and lead the execution of our events across the Global Events portfolio with a live, virtual and hybrid strategy
• Work closely with executives, senior leaders and stakeholders to define agenda, speakers, training, content strategy, etc
• Work closely with Go To Market (GTM) partners and cross-functional marketing teams to develop repeatable content, tools, systems, processes and guidelines to drive scale and impact
• Manage key audiences, accelerate sales pipeline and drive marketing-influenced bookings for all events
• Partner closely with the broader marketing teams to ensure there is consistency of messaging across all aspects of events
• Have a true strategic cross collaborative approach when working with different business units
• Lead the development of content strategy, including breakout tracks, hands-on workshops, and CxO-level programming
• Drive a customer-first mindset across all aspects of event planning and execution
• Implement best practices from world-class user conferences to elevate the Ignite experience
• Build a differentiated CxO program to scale executive attendance and deepen relationships
• Curate exclusive content, networking, and hospitality experiences for senior decision-makers
• Create and scale a global sponsorship program that drives revenue and partner value
• Collaborate with product marketing, sales, and partner teams to develop meaningful sponsor activations
• Lead a cross-functional team of internal leads, vendors, and regional partners
• Manage direct reports, fostering growth, accountability, and collaboration
• Partner with leadership on KPIs, reporting, and post-event analysis
• Maintain a budget for events and closely track spend against targets
• Set success criteria, measure and report out the impact of each major event on awareness, engagement and pipeline acceleration metrics
• Validate event investment versus the ROI driven from each major event
• Develop strong cross-functional relationships to ensure involvement and input on event strategy from product, customer success, and sales

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in tech, SaaS, or B2B enterprise events
• Familiarity with event tech platforms (e.g., Cvent, Splash, Swoogo)
• Strong storytelling and customer experience design sensibilities
• Data-driven mindset with a focus on outcomes and ROI

Benefits

• FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees
• Mental and financial health resources
• Personalized learning opportunities
• Restricted stock units
• A bonus