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About the Company

In a report on trends in data management, the firm G2 predicted that in 2021 data-driven leaders will prioritize investments in scalable data platforms to effectively secure, govern, and analyze data across business functions through a single unified platform. These platforms will provide greater control over and allow seamless access to their data, irrespective of where it resides, ultimately helping them gain valuable insights and make better business decisions.

Our client is a venture-capital-backed start-up with an innovative, highly intuitive way for people to collaborate and for data to operate. Their software creates a data environment that provides centralized access via a single, unified view of an organization’s data that inherits access and governance restrictions, irrespective of the data’s format or location. They deliver transformative value to their clients, which include major corporations across multiple vertical markets.

While our client’s technologies have been described by customers as the future of data management, collaboration and centralization, their approach is innovative and non-traditional. Thus, effectively framing, educating and communicating the power and potential of their technologies to an ever-changing market is key for the firm to realize its full market potential. The sales aspects of this collective task will be the responsibility of the Vice-President Sales.

This is an outstanding opportunity that features:

• Explosive industry and company growth;
• Disruptive technology;
• Committed leadership and investors;
• An opportunity to make a real difference.

Scope of Position

Reporting to the CEO, the VP of Sales will be responsible for developing, directing and executing the firm’s overall sales strategy.  Working as a ‘player/coach’ the VP of Sales will drive top-line results while building an effective and scalable sales organization.

The VP of Sales is a key contributor to achieving our client’s near-term and long-term objectives. The VP of Sales works closely with other members of the executive team to deliver technologies that will be highly successful in the marketplace.

Functional Tasks

• Develop specific plans and strategies for market capture to achieve the company’s aggressive revenue and profit objectives.
• Take a major role in key account relationships, closing complex deals and building ongoing relationships.
• Hire, train, organize and effectively deploy a high-performing sales organization. Architect the team, ensuring that it has the resources, processes and operational capabilities by which to outperform and scale.
• Establish sales metrics and KPIs.
• Develop and implement enhanced sales processes to monitor sales funnels and forecasts. Establish a repeatable sales model incorporating a strong value proposition for the different client markets and geographies.
• Focus the team on accelerating and driving the growth of the business, new market development, sector leadership and profitability.
• Maintain, improve, and create senior-level relationships with existing customers with a view to driving additional revenues.
• Ensure operational milestones are met on time, with high quality – and that they meet the cost objectives that are established.
• Remain abreast of the industry, competitors and trends.
• Report regularly and proactively to senior management on results and plans going forward.
• Adapt business model to capitalize on evolving customer needs and new competitive offerings.
• Participate in the company’s strategy planning sessions bringing forward innovative ideas and plans in an attempt to bring the company to the next level.
• Assist with corporate positioning and competitive analysis, customer segment selection and penetration plans, and related product positioning.
• Foster close relationships with all key market constituents (customers, non-customers, analysts and competitors) to validate product strategy.

Key Performance Deliverables

In light of the identified responsibilities, the following are specific deliverables that the position is designed to achieve.

• Specific measures of performance will be discussed and agreed upon with the successful candidate. They will, however, likely include new customer revenue growth, total revenue growth, customer diversification, number of new enterprise accounts.

Competency Profile

The following competencies listed below define the role of VP Sales at our client:

Results Orientation

Focuses strongly on achieving agreed-upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives to achieve them.

Strategic Approach

Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long-term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far-reaching ideas.

Planning & Objective Setting

Systematic in approach to work. Produces action plans in which objectives are defined, and steps for achieving them are clearly specified. Plans by breaking down a large task into subtasks. Develops plans that anticipate obstacles. Is realistic about time-scales and builds in appropriate checkpoints, milestones and controls in order to ensure that desired results are realized.

Communication

Expresses ideas in a clear, fluent and concise manner. Written and oral arguments are compelling and responsive to the needs of the audience. Comprehends communications from others and responds appropriately.

Customer/Client Orientation

Strives to provide customers/clients with personalized and efficient service. Anticipates customers’/clients’ needs. Quickly follows up on customer/client contacts and complaints. Monitors and acts on measures of customer/client satisfaction.

Team Skills

Helps to create a sense of team spirit and harmonious relations through cooperation and support. Balances personal goals with those of the team. Fosters collaboration among team members.

Innovation

Generates new ideas. Challenges existing assumptions. Goes beyond the status quo. Recognizes the need for new or modified approaches. Brings various perspectives and approaches together, combining them in a creative fashion to implement effective improvements.

Drive
Adopts an energetic approach. Works towards goals and willingly tackles demanding tasks. Demonstrates capacity for sustained effort and hard work over long periods of time, even in the face of adversity.

Preferred Experience / Education

The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field required; MBA, preferred.
• Knowledgeable of data-related technologies is an asset– databases, data warehousing, data lakes or related.
• Experience in early-stage organizations preferable.
• A strategically minded, results-oriented sales executive with superb communication and interpersonal skills and a willingness to roll-up his/her sleeves.
• 10+ years building and leading high-performing revenue organizations focused on driving consistent, aggressive revenue growth.
• A driving management style that leverages the strengths of the team while stretching and motivating them in attaining breakthrough results.
• Proven track record of success selling enterprise-level enterprise software. Demonstrable experience earning the trust, respect and confidence of the appropriate customer community.
• Proven track record of establishing and implementing repeatable, scalable sales processes with measurable metrics and KPIs.
• Flexible and adaptable style appropriate for a firm with disruptive technology experimenting with approaches to customers and markets.
• A team player with a ‘bias for action’ and a proactive, ‘own it, solve it’ mindset. Competitive by nature with a burning desire to win.
• A charismatic, inspirational leader rather than manager.
• A self-starter with the ability to work with minimal supervision.

Remuneration & Benefits

• Highly competitive compensation package structured to the needs of the successful candidate.

If interested, please contact:

Robert Hebert StoneWood Group Bus: 416-365-9494 Ext. 777 [email protected]

Natália Scodino StoneWood Group Bus: 416-365-9494 Ext. 221 [email protected]