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Read more about the article Jay Wolff / SVP Revenue at KERV

Jay Wolff / SVP Revenue at KERV

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Jay Wolff is currently the Senior Vice President, Revenue at KERV Interactive leading revenue and partner growth for the world’s first AI shoppable and seamless commerce video advertising company. Jay…

Continue ReadingJay Wolff / SVP Revenue at KERV
Read more about the article Evan Rutchik / Founder & CEO of Localfactor

Evan Rutchik / Founder & CEO of Localfactor

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Evan Rutchik is the Founder and CEO of LocalFactorGroup. Built on the vision that advertisers and publishers can leverage a cookie-less proprietary data set generated from cross channel local content merged with…

Continue ReadingEvan Rutchik / Founder & CEO of Localfactor
Read more about the article Matt Schuster / Executive Adtech Sales Leader

Matt Schuster / Executive Adtech Sales Leader

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Matt Schuster is a veteran of the Ad-tech sales industry with over 15 years of experience. In his most recent role, he was Chief Revenue Officer at Vistar Media where…

Continue ReadingMatt Schuster / Executive Adtech Sales Leader
Read more about the article Joe Marino / Managing Partner & Head of C.S.O. at Madhive

Joe Marino / Managing Partner & Head of C.S.O. at Madhive

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Joe Marino is the Head of the Client Success Organization at MadHive, an enterprise software platform that powers modern media. MadHive’s customers include advertisers and agencies that leverage MadHive’s next-generation…

Continue ReadingJoe Marino / Managing Partner & Head of C.S.O. at Madhive
Read more about the article Lupe Feld / Chief Revenue Officer / S&P Data

Lupe Feld / Chief Revenue Officer / S&P Data

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S&P Data Digital drives revenue growth for leading brands dedicated to the exceptional customer experiences that elevate the CX Journey. By combining digital technology with expert sales operations, they provide…

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Read more about the article How CROs can use Negotiation Skills to Build Aligned Organizations – with Sanjay Yadav

How CROs can use Negotiation Skills to Build Aligned Organizations – with Sanjay Yadav

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In this episode of The CRO Spotlight Podcast, Warren Zenna welcomes Sanjay Yadav, expert negotiation and sales training consultant, to the podcast. With over 26 years of corporate experience across…

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Read more about the article Brand Safety, AdTect and the death of the Cookie with Joe Zappa

Brand Safety, AdTect and the death of the Cookie with Joe Zappa

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Join Warren Zenna, founder and CEO of the CRO Collective, in another episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast. This week, Warren engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Joe Zappa, founder…

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Read more about the article CR-Oh No: Why You’re Wrong About CROs with Warren Zenna

CR-Oh No: Why You’re Wrong About CROs with Warren Zenna

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Continue ReadingCR-Oh No: Why You’re Wrong About CROs with Warren Zenna
Read more about the article Why You Need a CRO to Drive the Revenue Engine with Warren Zenna, CEO and Founder of The CRO Collective

Why You Need a CRO to Drive the Revenue Engine with Warren Zenna, CEO and Founder of The CRO Collective

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Read more about the article BeelerCast Episode: 101 – Beeler talks with Warren Zenna

BeelerCast Episode: 101 – Beeler talks with Warren Zenna

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The CRO Collective

The Evolution of the CRO & Revenue Efficiency Metrics with Christopher Semain and Sean Ryan

The Chief Revenue Officer role has outgrown its origins as a glorified head of sales. In this episode, Warren Zenna sits down with Christopher Semain and Sean Ryan from the ...Alexander Group to dissect how the CRO position has fundamentally shifted. They explore why modern revenue leaders must move beyond a "growth at all costs" mindset to master cross-functional operations and true portfolio management across the customer lifecycle.

A critical point of discussion centers on the shifting metrics of success. While acquiring new logos once dominated the conversation, the focus has now permanently pivoted toward revenue efficiency, customer acquisition costs, and net revenue retention. Christopher and Sean break down why a successful CRO today must be fluent in the language of finance, emphasizing the absolute necessity of a seamless alliance with the CFO.

The conversation also addresses the systemic environment required for a CRO to thrive. It is not enough to hire a unicorn candidate; the organization itself must be primed for integration. The guests outline when a company should realistically bring a CRO on board, what founders need to understand about the role's scope, and how revenue operations functions as the crucial backbone connecting marketing, sales, and service.

Finally, the episode tackles the immediate impact of AI on the revenue engine. The guests provide a grounded look at how artificial intelligence is moving past basic productivity hacks into agent-driven workflows that directly challenge traditional headcount scaling. Listeners will gain practical insights into how the most effective revenue leaders are utilizing data science to refine targeting and secure profitable growth.[+] Show More
The Evolution of the CRO & Revenue Efficiency Metrics with Christopher Semain and Sean Ryan
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The Evolution of the CRO & Revenue Efficiency Metrics with Christopher Semain and Sean Ryan
The Chief Revenue Officer role has outgrown its origins as a glorified ...
The Chief Revenue Officer role has outgrown its origins as a glorified head of sales. In this episode, Warren Zenna sits down with Christopher Semain and Sean Ryan from the ...Alexander Group to dissect how the CRO position has fundamentally shifted. They explore why modern revenue leaders must move beyond a "growth at all costs" mindset to master cross-functional operations and true portfolio management across the customer lifecycle.

A critical point of discussion centers on the shifting metrics of success. While acquiring new logos once dominated the conversation, the focus has now permanently pivoted toward revenue efficiency, customer acquisition costs, and net revenue retention. Christopher and Sean break down why a successful CRO today must be fluent in the language of finance, emphasizing the absolute necessity of a seamless alliance with the CFO.

The conversation also addresses the systemic environment required for a CRO to thrive. It is not enough to hire a unicorn candidate; the organization itself must be primed for integration. The guests outline when a company should realistically bring a CRO on board, what founders need to understand about the role's scope, and how revenue operations functions as the crucial backbone connecting marketing, sales, and service.

Finally, the episode tackles the immediate impact of AI on the revenue engine. The guests provide a grounded look at how artificial intelligence is moving past basic productivity hacks into agent-driven workflows that directly challenge traditional headcount scaling. Listeners will gain practical insights into how the most effective revenue leaders are utilizing data science to refine targeting and secure profitable growth.[+] Show More
CRO Longevity & Navigating Organizational Transformation with Susan Rothwell
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CRO Longevity & Navigating Organizational Transformation with Susan Rothwell
In this episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast, Warren Zenna speaks with ...
In this episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast, Warren Zenna speaks with Susan Rothwell, Chief Revenue Officer at Simpli.fi. With a rare track record of longevity in the notoriously high-turnover ...CRO role, Susan unpacks her journey leading revenue organizations across multiple stages of evolution. She details how the CRO position has shifted from a glorified sales leader to a vital driver of operational excellence and corporate strategy.

Susan breaks down the mechanics of transforming legacy businesses, sharing actionable steps from her experience transitioning print-heavy models into integrated digital strategies. She emphasizes the importance of data-driven restructuring, specifically highlighting her approach to unifying siloed Go-to-Market teams. By verticalizing sales efforts, she demonstrates how to align complex organizational structures to better serve customers.

A core focus of this conversation is the critical alliance between the CEO and the CRO. Susan provides an honest look at her long-standing partnership with Simpli.fi CEO Cali Tran. She explains how initial friction evolved into a highly effective working relationship built on mutual trust, rigorous feedback, and complementary skill sets, offering a blueprint for revenue leaders seeking to establish strong alignment with their C-suite.

Finally, the discussion shifts to the integration of artificial intelligence within revenue operations. Susan advocates for leaning into AI to enhance productivity, streamline CRM systems, and eliminate administrative bottlenecks, while maintaining the essential human element in sales. This episode delivers a strategic playbook for current and aspiring CROs looking to drive sustainable growth and navigate complex organizational change.[+] Show More
Reality of Your First CRO Role & Funding Growth Through Savings with Eric Steele
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Reality of Your First CRO Role & Funding Growth Through Savings with Eric Steele
Warren Zenna is joined by Eric Steele, CRO at SIB, to pull back the ...
Warren Zenna is joined by Eric Steele, CRO at SIB, to pull back the curtain on the often-chaotic reality of stepping into your first Chief Revenue Officer role. Eric shares ...why these initial appointments are rarely "sexy" and often come with significant organizational challenges that others might avoid. They discuss the mental shift required to move from a sales leader to a true executive, treating the first role as a critical lab for learning.

The conversation digs into the paramount relationship between the CRO and the CEO, which Eric describes as the ultimate unlock for success. He explains how to build a foundation of trust that allows for healthy disagreement and strategic alignment. By positioning yourself as an integrator of the CEO’s vision rather than just a department head, you can secure the autonomy and resources necessary to navigate the high-pressure environment of private equity.

Eric also highlights the strategic necessity of financial fluency, emphasizing that a CRO must speak the language of the CFO to be taken seriously. They discuss the common friction point of Revenue Operations and why this function must report to the revenue leader to drive growth rather than just board reporting. Eric argues that alignment on EBITDA and margins is just as important as hitting sales targets when you are operating at the C-suite level.

The episode concludes with a look at how SIB uses AI-driven "spend ontologies" to help companies find hidden capital. Eric describes how their SpendBrain technology identifies deep errors in invoices—from waste hauling to logistics—allowing CEOs to fund new hires and technology through recovered savings. By combining human expertise with "kinetic cost control," Eric shows how modern CROs can impact the bottom line by turning the tables on a spend-more world.[+] Show More
What Actors and Sales Reps Have in Common with Miya Mee-Lee Dias
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What Actors and Sales Reps Have in Common with Miya Mee-Lee Dias
In this episode of the CRO Spotlight, Warren Zenna sits down with Miya ...
In this episode of the CRO Spotlight, Warren Zenna sits down with Miya Mee-Lee Dias, Co-Founder of Beyond The Script, to discuss a transformative approach to sales training. Miya shares ...her unique background blending health science with performance arts, explaining how traditional methodologies often fail because they ignore the human element. She introduces the concept of the "sales gym," where reps practice role-plays like actors preparing for a scene, stripping away bad habits to build authentic character and confidence in their delivery.

Warren and Miya dive deep into the parallels between professional acting and high-performance sales. They explore the idea that every salesperson brings personal "baggage" and history that influences their communication style. Miya explains that true proficiency isn't about memorizing lines but about internalizing the script to project a genuine persona. The conversation highlights the importance of adaptability, showing how top performers maintain a "beginner's mind" and remain open to molding their approach regardless of their experience level.

A critical portion of the discussion centers on the elusive trait of coachability. Miya reveals her methods for identifying whether a rep is truly ready to learn, often spotting resistance through subtle cues like tone of voice and body language. The dialogue challenges Revenue Leaders to look beyond metrics and address the holistic human factors driving performance. They discuss the necessity of understanding a rep’s intrinsic motivations and personal history to unlock their full potential and drive sustainable behavioral change.

As technology automates more transactional aspects of business, Warren and Miya argue that human connection and emotional intelligence are becoming the ultimate competitive advantages. They emphasize that modern CROs must develop the "muscle" to have difficult, personal conversations with their teams to foster trust and growth. The episode concludes with a look at the intersection of creativity and business, encouraging leaders to embrace a coaching mindset that empowers their organizations through genuine human development.[+] Show More
How Smarter Buyers are Forcing a Go-To-Market Evolution with Guy Rubin
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How Smarter Buyers are Forcing a Go-To-Market Evolution with Guy Rubin
In this live episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast, Warren sits down ...
In this live episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast, Warren sits down with Guy Rubin to discuss the recent acquisition of Ebsta by Fullcast and what it signals for the ...market. Guy explains the strategic reasoning behind the consolidation, highlighting how the current landscape of disparate point solutions is becoming unsustainable. He argues that the future belongs to unified revenue platforms that connect data across the entire lifecycle, moving from a fragmented tech stack to a cohesive "plan to pay" model that drives true efficiency.

The conversation shifts to the broader Go-To-Market environment, where the cost of building tech is dropping while the cost of selling rises. Guy points out that while AI tools are exploding, they often create more noise than value when isolated. He predicts a massive consolidation where businesses move away from traditional CRMs requiring manual entry toward intelligent data lakes and AI agents. This shift requires leaders to learn how to ask the right questions of their data rather than simply managing administrative forms.

Warren and Guy also explore the dramatic shift in buyer behavior, illustrated by how AI empowers customers to conduct deep research before ever speaking to a human. With buyers capable of building their own business cases, the role of the seller must evolve from a gatekeeper of information to a consultative partner. They discuss why this dynamic forces organizations to lean heavily into partner ecosystems and community validation, as buyers increasingly bypass traditional sales pitches to seek out trusted peer networks.

Finally, they dig into strategies for CROs and Private Equity firms looking to audit their revenue engines. Guy introduces "Revenue Insights as a Service," a method of connecting to historical data to generate an immediate "X-ray" of the business before implementing new tech. This allows leaders to identify root causes of inefficiency—like bad data hygiene or territory imbalances—and present concrete, data-backed roadmaps to the C-suite for rapid improvement without waiting months for a new system implementation.[+] Show More
Sales Transformation & Customer-Centric Revenue with Dr. Grant Van Ulbrich
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Sales Transformation & Customer-Centric Revenue with Dr. Grant Van Ulbrich
In this episode, Warren speaks with Dr. Grant Van Ulbrich, the world’s ...
In this episode, Warren speaks with Dr. Grant Van Ulbrich, the world’s first doctor of Sales Transformation. They discuss a critical gap in the modern revenue landscape: while other business ...functions have deep academic rigor, sales education has remained largely stagnant since the 1980s. Grant explains why traditional "tips and tricks" no longer work on informed buyers and why a shift from transactional interactions to genuine value alignment is necessary for business survival.

The conversation dives into the psychology of change and Grant’s "Scared So What" methodology. Most leaders manage operations, not emotions, yet sales is fundamentally an act of imposing change. Grant breaks down how understanding personal reactions to change allows revenue leaders to move from simply telling teams what to do to empowering them through transformational leadership. This approach helps teams navigate the fear of new strategies and structures.

Grant shares insights from the global cruise industry, revealing how shifting focus from internal agendas to customer needs dramatically improved sales effectiveness. He highlights the dangers of "product dumping" and the importance of co-creation. By treating sales as a coaching opportunity rather than a coercion tactic, organizations can align internal culture with the external customer experience to ensure a consistent brand promise across all channels.

Finally, the discussion offers actionable advice for CEOs and CROs on navigating organizational restructuring. They explore why high-performing individual contributors often struggle in leadership roles without the right psychological tools. This episode is essential for executives looking to modernize their go-to-market strategy, foster a culture of ownership among their teams, and utilize science-backed frameworks to drive sustainable revenue growth.[+] Show More
Balancing an AI-Native Strategy with Human Connection with Amy Osmond Cook
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Balancing an AI-Native Strategy with Human Connection with Amy Osmond Cook
In this episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast, Warren Zenna sits down ...
In this episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast, Warren Zenna sits down with Amy Osmond Cook, Co-Founder and CMO at Fullcast, to tackle the pressing challenge of balancing AI innovation ...with authentic human connection. As revenue leaders race to adopt AI-native strategies, the risk of losing trust through impersonal automation grows. Amy shares her perspective on why technology should enhance, not replace, the creative human element in Go-To-Market motions, setting the stage for a discussion on modern leadership.

Amy details the evolution of Fullcast into a comprehensive Revenue Operations platform through strategic acquisitions like Ebsta and Copy.ai. She explains how these moves allowed the company to build a fully AI-native sales performance management solution. By integrating territory planning, forecasting, and analytics, Fullcast aims to solve the fragmented tech stack issue. Amy outlines the vision behind merging these capabilities to support mid-market and enterprise revenue teams effectively.

Integrating multiple companies is a complex operational challenge. Amy discusses the nuances of merging distinct cultures and leadership styles into one cohesive organization. She emphasizes the importance of clear communication, defined playbooks, and celebrating wins to align distributed teams. Her insights provide a practical blueprint for leaders managing growth through acquisition while striving to maintain a unified company identity and shared purpose across international borders.

Finally, the dialogue covers the evolving landscape for revenue leaders. Warren and Amy examine the pressure on CROs to adopt AI strategies while relying on experience to guide decision-making. Amy explains how Fullcast meets customers where they are, offering flexible solutions for their specific needs. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the skills required to lead in the current market and how to navigate the intersection of data and intuition successfully.[+] Show More
Vetting the CRO Role & Avoiding the "VP of Sales" Trap with Mike Price
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Vetting the CRO Role & Avoiding the "VP of Sales" Trap with Mike Price
In this episode, Warren Zenna sits down with Mike Price, CRO at DTEX ...
In this episode, Warren Zenna sits down with Mike Price, CRO at DTEX Systems, to explore the critical evolution from a functional salesperson to a holistic business leader. Mike shares ...his unique journey, influenced by an entrepreneurial upbringing, and discusses why successful CROs must view themselves as business executives first. He argues that while sales skills are foundational, the ability to understand the broader mechanics of an organization is what truly defines the modern revenue leader.

A significant portion of the conversation is dedicated to the art of vetting a potential CRO opportunity. Mike provides actionable advice on how to interview the CEO, specifically regarding the company’s readiness for a true Chief Revenue Officer. He warns against accepting roles that are merely "VP of Sales" with a different title and emphasizes the importance of asking why the organization believes it needs a CRO right now. This advice is vital for executives ensuring they enter an environment ready for strategic change.

The discussion also delves into the paradox of ambition and control. Mike explains that true executive maturity involves the willingness to cede control to a specialized team rather than being the smartest person in the room. He draws a compelling parallel to professional sports, noting that one must love the entire "game"—including practice and preparation—not just the moments of individual glory. This mindset shift is essential for leaders who want to build autonomous, high-performing teams.

Finally, the dialogue covers the necessity of experimentation and reframing failure as a necessary step toward innovation. Mike shares insights on creating an environment where strategic risks are encouraged to drive growth. To close, he outlines his current work at DTEX Systems, addressing the "last frontier" of cybersecurity: insider risk management. He explains how understanding human behavior within an organization is key to protecting intellectual property and ensuring long-term business resilience.[+] Show More

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