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GTM Leadership

Leaders who've scaled it before.

CROs, VPs of Sales and Heads of Revenue who know what good looks like at your stage — and can build the motion, the team and the forecast to get you to the next one.

2,000+GTM placements
70%+repeat business
20+ yrsspecialist SaaS GTM
5 daysto first shortlist
The role

The hire that builds the machine

A GTM leader sets the strategy, builds the team, owns the number and installs the operating rhythm that turns activity into predictable revenue. At the right moment it's transformational. At the wrong one — or with the wrong person — it's the most expensive mistake an early-stage company can make.

The hardest part is stage fit. A leader who scaled a function from £20m to £80m often can't build one from £2m; they've forgotten how, and they need a machine you don't have yet. The best early-stage leaders are hands-on builders who can carry a bag and coach a team at the same time. Finding them — and telling them apart from polished operators who only manage up — is a specialist search.

When to hire

Signs you're ready for a GTM leader

What we screen for

The signals that actually predict success

Twenty years and 2,000+ placements have taught us the traits that separate a hire who performs from one who churns. Here's what we test for.

Stage-relevant scaling

They've built from a base like yours — not just managed an already-scaled org.

Player-coach

They can still sell and coach hands-on, not only manage up.

Systems builder

They install forecasting, pipeline discipline and a hiring bar that outlasts them.

Talent magnet

Strong people follow them — a leader who can't attract talent can't scale a team.

Commercial honesty

They forecast straight and tell you what's not working early.

Where founders get it wrong

The mistakes that cost you six months

Over-scaled hire

A leader from a much larger org who needs a machine you don't have yet. Stage fit is everything.

Leader before motion

Hiring a VP to 'figure out sales' before there's a repeatable motion — an expensive way to discover it.

Manages up, not down

Polished in the room, absent on the front line. We screen hard for hands-on builders.

What they cost

What GTM leadership costs

Illustrative UK ranges for SaaS companies from Seed to Series C. Actual packages vary by stage, location, vertical and deal size — we benchmark your specific role against live market data.

£120k–£160k base
VP Sales / Head of Revenue · £220k–£300k OTE + equity
£150k–£200k+ base
CRO · £300k+ OTE + meaningful equity
Retained
Senior leadership searches run as confidential retained engagements

These are general guide ranges, not a quote — we give you a precise, benchmarked figure for your specific role. Packages can run well above these in high-value verticals such as fintech and legaltech, where deals are large and multi-year. We charge our fee on base salary and guaranteed earnings — never on inflated OTE or commission.

How we deliver

A partner, not a fee-chaser

Talk to us about your leadership hire →
FAQ

Questions founders ask us

Should we hire a VP Sales or a CRO?

It depends on stage and scope. A VP Sales typically owns the sales function; a CRO owns the whole revenue engine — sales, CS, often marketing. Most Seed to Series B companies need the former first. We'll give you a straight read.

When is it too early for a GTM leader?

Before you have a repeatable motion. Hiring a senior leader to discover sales from scratch usually ends in an expensive reset — a founding AE often comes first.

How do you run leadership searches?

As confidential, retained engagements — discreet approaches to people who aren't looking, with company identity disclosed only at the right stage.

How are you different from a contingency headhunter?

We're a retained partner who backs the hire with a replacement guarantee up to 12 months at senior tiers, and we charge on base and guaranteed earnings, never inflated OTE.

What does a VP of Sales cost in the UK?

Typically £120k–£160k base with £220k–£300k OTE plus equity; a CRO carrying the whole revenue engine commands more. Senior leadership searches usually run as confidential retained engagements.

Should we hire a VP of Sales or a Head of Sales?

The title varies by company and scope. What matters is stage-relevant scaling experience and whether they're a hands-on player-coach — not the label on the job.

When is a fractional GTM leader better than a full-time hire?

When you need senior experience a day or two a week to build the motion before committing to a full-time leader. We can introduce a fractional VP Sales or CRO for exactly that.

More specialisms

Every GTM hire, covered

Hiring your next GTM person?

Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a feasibility read and a shortlist plan — usually same day.

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