VP Sales / CRO
Leads the revenue function: sales strategy, team hiring and management, revenue predictability and growth execution.
Why this hire matters.
This is the executive hire with the highest failure rate in scale-ups — nearly one in two doesn't last 18 months — and one of the most expensive when it fails: a year of growth lost, a disorganized team, a pipeline to rebuild. The main cause: hiring the VP of an established machine (a big-vendor 'scaler') when you still need a builder who sells personally, writes the playbook and hires the first AEs — or the reverse. Chosen well, the VP Sales turns an artisanal motion into a predictable machine: hiring performing AEs, reliable board forecasts, moving upmarket and execution discipline. Calibrate the profile to your exact stage, verify their past teams' real numbers (not their own), and talk to AEs who worked for them — the best reference check there is.
Key missions.
- Define sales strategy (segments, pricing, motion)
- Hire, structure and manage the sales team
- Build the sales playbook and keep it alive
- Deliver a reliable forecast to the exec committee and board
- Drive quotas, territories and compensation
- Develop sales managers
- Support strategic deals alongside the teams
Skills.
Technical skills
- Building sales organizations
- Data-driven forecasting
- Compensation design
- Complex B2B selling
- AE hiring
Expected qualities
- Leadership
- Standards and tempo
- Board communication
- Resilience
Common stack
Salaries 2025-2026
| Level | Experience | Annual gross base | Annual gross package |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head of Sales | 8-12 yrs | 70–100 k€ | 100–150 k€ |
| VP Sales | 12+ yrs | 90–140 k€ | 120–250 k€ |
| CRO / CSO | 15+ yrs | 145–210 k€ | 280–400 k€ |
Paris market ranges, 2025-2026.
Sources : Smile Talent 2026 · Lity 2026 · Michael Page Executive 2026
Grilles parisiennes maintenues en full-remote
Hiring this profile.
Typical background
An exceptional AE turned manager then director, with a verifiable track record of growing teams at your stage. Stage experience beats logo prestige.
When to hire
When founders have proven the motion and the team passes 5-8 salespeople — Series A/B. A builder Head of Sales first, a VP/CRO later.
Career path
Head of Sales → VP Sales → CRO → CEO or Operating Partner.