ZVRK

Enterprise Account Executive

Valued Contributor

Founding AE leaves - Should I worry?

Our CRO, who was also the "Founding AE", left abruptly after disagreement with the CEO.

When I say abruptly, I mean we find out on Wednesday, he`s gone on Monday.

After much drama, uncertainty, accounts re-assigning etc.. we`re now in a kind of a leadership vacuum as he was also heading the sales team.

By the time we have a new VP Sales/CRO, the CEO is taking a more active role in leading the sales team.

We`re now been asked for feedback if we (the sales team) would like to have a new people manager assigned from outside, or maybe wait for someone within to rise to the opportunity..

Honesty, I have no experience with a situation like this so I~m turning to you savages - Has anyone been in a situation like this before? How did it go? What`s the best possible scenario here we should aim towards?

For context, I work in an HR Tech Enterprise SaaS company in the 5-10M ARR. It is(was) a pretty flat org - CEO and CRO and then the sales team (AEs, SDRs, Presales.. ), with no formal mid-management.

🏋️‍♀️ Leadership

13

22 comments

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poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

5

☕️

If they didn't already have someone in mind from the internal ranks, then don't waste time and go find someone from the outside.

Leaders are not picked from a field, they are developed over time.

ZVRK

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

I thing this is true, especially in sales.. I mean how could someone who hasn`t sold what we`re selling lead us to sell more, right?

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

0

☕️

I think we crossed up here, I am saying that they should go find an external hire.

ZVRK

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

I see now :) I mean there are some who might be eligible to lead but I guess if no one steps up any time soon we might as well reach outside..

CadenceCombat

Tycoon

4

Account Executive

Definitely not a good sign.

ZVRK

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

Jeez, def not a comment I wanted to see😅

CuriousFox

WR Officer

1

🦊

Sorry sweetie

SoccerandSales

Big Shot

2

Account Executive

I definitely wouldn't say it is a positive thing in any way, especially if they were all the way up at CRO. If y'all were still smaller and he/she was still an AE, could attribute to wanting to start fresh. But a disagreement leading to someone leaving means that there was a huge issue for them, which should be dug deeper into.

ZVRK

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

I have some insight as to what this disagreement was about, but it`s not something that concerns me (or us in sales) directly, I`d say it was more personal. That being said, really caught us by surprise...

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

2

Sales Rep

Was the founding AE well liked? Were they good as the CRO?

Whenever leadership leave its almost always a bad sign unless if they were not liked

ZVRK

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Definitely well-liked by the sales and marketing team, he was the hiring manager too, so most of the hires in the team are his direct hires..

Pachacuti

Politicker

2

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Seems pretty straight forward - who do you want to managed by: one of your own or someone new? Is there someone currently working there who’d make a good people manager or would you prefer to role the dice with someone from outside the company.

It’s kinda like a Choose Your Own Adventure story.

ZVRK

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

Yeah.. you`re right, any choice will be an adventure really :)

While I`m not sure what`s the right answer, I kinda feel like anyone coming from the outside might be difficult to fit in. Saying this because we`re in a pretty niche industry, and there have to be only a handful of candidates out there...

It`s a tough situation and still a bit shellshocked tbh.

oldcloser

Arsonist

2

💀

I'm seeing this as neutral. Think most here would agree that first time sales managers suck pucks at very best. Make a founding seller a CRO? Not sure how that ends well, ever. Keep head down. It's got nothing to do with you. They still need to sell shit... and you do that. So... carry on.

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

2

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

I have been here a couple of times. Usually it’s the magic word or phrase is used and the bridge is burned. Just expect someone to come in from an existing relationship to take over. It might not work out, and that will result in a shitty environment for a while. Those leaders also bring their teams with them. So I would be interviewing, or just putting out feelers to protect yourself.

CPTAmerica

Opinionated

2

President/CRO

Sounds like growing pains. Without knowing the real cause it’s tough to say if it’s a good or bad sign. At least your CEO is including y’all in the decision of how to proceed. That’s a decent sign to me.

ZVRK

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Yeah, that’s decent of him 👌

Sunbunny31

Politicker

2

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Is it a bad sign? Depends on what the disagreement was about.

ZVRK

Politicker

1

Enterprise Account Executive

All I know, it was around equity, compensation, plus some personal relations…

detectivegibbles

Politicker

0

Sales Director

Any desire to take on some leadership responsibilities?

ZVRK

Politicker

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Been there before, took a sales manager role AND kept an individual quota. I ended up being too stressed to sell and to distracted by selling to take full guidance of the team. I would only take a leadership role if it makes sense money-wise and if I don’t have a personal quota on my back.

Maximas

Tycoon

0

Senior Sales Executive

I guess it would be a great opportunity for any of you to jump over it,just feel free to name someone you may think of that he/she would be a good fit for it,if you don't think so, then it needs to be from outside no other option!

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