President, Arena Enterprises

Jill Arena is an accomplished Business Development Expert and Mergers and Acquisition Intermediary. She has enjoyed an award-winning Business Development career for more than 25 years. Her extensive experience working with small to medium-sized businesses as well as large corporations has enabled her to assist executives and business owners reach their respective organic and acquisition marketing goals for close to three decades.

Arena is adept at consultative selling, an expert on strategic alliance development, prospecting, turn-around projects and business brokering. She has recruited sales professionals, built top-producing sales teams, helped organizations pioneer new areas for revenue generation, trained sales professionals on her branded sales methodology and developed programs for organizations to exceed their organic growth goals.

In 2011 Arena added Buy-Side Intermediary services to her offerings, working with Investment Banks, Private Equity Groups, Strategic Buyers and Individuals providing search, analysis and deal structure services to regional and national buyers.

Jill Arena is a 2011 recipient of the SMEI Distinguished Sales & Marketing Award®. She was recognized as an outstanding sales and marketing professional with unparalleled standards of sophistication and skill in her industry. The award was given to recognize, promote, and honor Jill's excellence, professionalism, and outstanding achievement in sales and marketing. Earning this award illustrates Jill's high standards, experience, training, and commitment to excellence. 

Arena has served on several boards including the YWCA of Greater Cleveland where she was instrumental in helping the organization develop and launch programs related to racial equality, domestic violence and programs assisting young women as they age out of the foster care system. 

In addition to volunteering at numerous non-profits around Cleveland, Arena has been a Hospice Volunteer with Hospice of the Western Reserve since 2006. She is a vigil volunteer helping patients and their families cope with terminal illness.   

Born in Rochester New York, Arena began her career at Paychex.  Prior to founding Arena Enterprises in 2000, Jill was a top-producing Sales Representative with Paychex. After moving to Cleveland in 1994, Arena spent five years in sales leadership roles at ComDoc/McHale Us Connect (now Xerox ) where she earned President's Club distinction each year, and 7 years with the VAR CompuCom. Arena is passionate about "all things Cleveland" and facilitating economic growth in this region. Arena is a self-proclaimed aficionado on museum-quality fine art, the NY State Finger Lakes region, yoga and kindness. Arena runs a blog called She Is She Was and has an affinity for women’s entrepreneurial opportunities. She is active with various groups such as  ACG, Women in Finance and the Solon Rotary.