Reflection has its place, but execution is what determines who succeeds — and who gets replaced. This article explores why high-performing executives must reset every year, plan intentionally, protect their energy, and deliver results consistently, especially in investor-backed environments. A practical perspective on performance, pressure, and longevity at the executive level.
Not every search firm protects candidates and companies the way they should. In this article, Patty Sipes explains why integrity is the foundation of great executive search — and why Alder Brooks refuses to place top operators into toxic or unethical environments. Strong leaders deserve strong environments, and the right search partner should defend both.
The strongest Commercial leaders aren’t defined by their résumé — they’re defined by how they think when the pressure hits. This blog breaks down the four thinking modes that predict whether a leader can operate, stabilize, and make sound decisions inside a high-stakes Life Sciences environment. Pressure doesn’t change leaders — it reveals them.
Many top sales performers think management is the next logical step in their career — but few understand what the job actually demands. This article breaks down the financial tradeoffs, mental shift, and daily responsibilities that come with leadership. Before chasing the title, know what you’re really signing up for.
The best leaders don’t try to do it all themselves — they build teams filled with people who are better than them in key areas. In this article, Patty Sipes shares how high-growth CEOs and Founders scale faster by building complete teams, not heroic individuals. This mindset shift is what separates elite leaders from the rest.
Executive searches often prioritize pedigree over performance — but that’s a mistake. This article breaks down how Year-1 scorecards help CEOs focus on what matters: the outcomes the business actually needs in the next 12 months. When you define success upfront, you hire leaders who can deliver.
Even great leaders fail in the wrong environment. Here's how to define fit—and make your next executive hire succeed.
Not Every A-Player Is Your A-Player Why Executive Searches Fail Without Context Top candidates fail when companies focus on charisma instead of fit. This blog breaks down how CEOs and Investors in Life Sciences can improve executive hiring by aligning leadership with context, outcomes, and execution style. Learn how to build a Success Profile that attracts leaders who deliver oversized growth.
AI has moved from hype to execution in Life Sciences and Healthcare. Investors are backing AI driven platforms that make diagnostics data more actionable for BioPharma, fueling precision medicine and premium valuations. The companies that will win are those pairing great science with Commercial leaders who know how to execute.
Speed isn’t about rushing — it’s about clarity, focus, and execution. Learn how Alder Brooks helps CEOs and Investors align on what they really need before delivering high-impact Commercial leaders in record time.
The role of Commercial leadership is evolving fast. In today’s AI-driven market, Life Sciences companies need leaders who start with Marketing—not Sales. Here's why more CEOs and Investors are flipping the title to “VP of Marketing & Sales”—and what that means for hiring.
Most companies hire Commercial leaders based on what they can see—résumés, titles, and interview polish. But real leadership fit runs deeper. This post breaks down why surface-level hiring (Phenotype) often fails—and how to assess the underlying traits, drivers, and behaviors (Genotype) that actually predict success. Includes a framework for reducing bias and expanding your access to diverse, high-performing talent.
Hiring a Chief Commercial Officer, VP of Sales, or VP of Marketing isn’t about instincts and interviews. It’s about structure. This post breaks down how to identify, benchmark, and hire Commercial leaders who actually drive growth in Life Sciences.
Investors and CEOs of Life Sciences companies aren’t looking for transactional recruiters — they want a partner who understands the pressure, the pace, and what’s at stake. This blog unpacks what they truly value and how Alder Brooks aligns with that mindset.
Great Founders know when to lead from the front — and when to bring in a commercial leader who’s done it before. This post explores the mindset shift required to grow from building the product to building the team — and how that one decision changes the trajectory of Life Sciences companies.
A candidate can have a great resume, tell a strong story, and still fail to deliver. This post explains why even the most experienced CEOs and Investors need a structured evaluation process — and how retained search firms go deeper than contingent firms when the stakes are highest.
Resumes show experience. Interviews test communication. But neither tells you who a leader really is. This blog breaks down the difference between competencies and traits — and explains why evaluating both is essential when hiring Sales and Marketing executives in Life Sciences.
Executive hiring often overemphasizes interviews and resumes — and underemphasizes how a leader actually performs. This blog explains how Life Sciences companies can make better decisions by focusing on evidence of leadership, adaptability, and real results.
Some commercial leaders can sell. But the best build scalable systems — the kind that keep generating revenue long after the quarter ends. This post breaks down what to look for in system-builders and why they’re the key to sustainable growth in Life Sciences.
Hiring a commercial leader who succeeded at a competitor can feel like a safe bet — but it’s not always the right one. This blog explains why success doesn’t always translate across companies and what CEOs and Investors can do to assess real fit.
When a company outgrows its VP of Sales or Head of Marketing, many CEOs ask: should we promote them — or bring in a new CCO? This blog outlines how to evaluate internal commercial talent objectively and know when it’s time to make a change.
Many Sales and Marketing leaders in Life Sciences can drive numbers — but struggle to coach their teams to do the same. This blog explains why strong coaching is the key to scalable growth, and how to identify it when hiring your next commercial leader.
Product knowledge is valuable — but it only tells part of the story. Many Life Sciences companies overweight a candidate’s “Phenotype” (their background) and miss the deeper insight: “Genotype” — how they lead, what drives them, and whether they’ll succeed in your environment.
Life Sciences companies used to wait until commercialization to build out Sales and Marketing leadership. Not anymore. Today, CEOs and Investors are hiring commercial leaders earlier — often pre-revenue — to shape the strategy and drive valuation. Here’s why that shift is accelerating.
Hiring a leader from a well-known competitor can feel like a smart move — but it can easily backfire. The mistake isn’t hiring someone from a competitor. The mistake is stopping at the surface. This blog breaks down how to assess both the candidate’s “Phenotype” and “Genotype” to avoid the Big-Name-Competitor Trap.
Sometimes your commercial leader isn’t failing — they’re just no longer the right fit for where the business is headed. This blog explores the quiet gap between “good” and “what we need now,” and how CEOs and Investors can make the right call without hesitation or drama.
The Life Sciences market has shifted — and so has the commercial leadership playbook. In this environment of economic uncertainty and longer sales cycles, great CCOs and VPs of Sales are adapting fast. Here's what they’re doing differently — and why it matters to CEOs and Investors.
Gut instinct will always play a role in executive hiring. But when it comes to recruiting a Chief Commercial Officer or VP of Sales, companies improve their odds by using a more objective, structured process. This blog explains how benchmarking candidates leads to stronger outcomes — and fewer costly mistakes.
Sometimes your commercial leader isn’t failing — but they’re no longer fueling growth. This post explains how to spot when your VP or CCO is holding the business back, even if they’ve been strong in the past.
Most commercial executive searches in Life Sciences fall short — not because of a talent shortage, but because of a broken process. In this article, we break down the most common mistakes and share how CEOs and Investors can hire Commercial leaders who drive real growth.
When hiring a Chief Commercial Officer, VP of Sales, or VP of Marketing in Life Sciences, retained search from a boutique firm that specializes in commercial leadership consistently outperforms contingency. This blog explains why — and what CEOs and Investors should expect from a true partner.
Hiring the wrong Chief Commercial Officer or VP of Sales can cost far more than salary and severance. In this article, we break down the hidden costs of a commercial mishire — from lost revenue to missed milestones — and how CEOs and Investors can avoid it.
Too many companies hire Commercial leaders based on gut instinct. A Success Profile gives CEOs and Investors a structured way to define what success looks like before recruiting a CCO, VP of Sales, or VP of Marketing. Here’s how to build one.
How do you know when your VP of Sales or CCO is no longer the right fit? This post walks through warning signs, performance patterns, and market signals that CEOs and Investors should watch for — before revenue starts to flatline.
Strong individual contributors don’t always make strong leaders. In this post, we explore the key traits that set exceptional Chief Commercial Officers, VPs of Sales, and VPs of Marketing apart in Life Sciences — and how CEOs and Investors can recognize the difference before making a critical hire.
Many CEOs and Investors start with a VP of Sales & Marketing — it’s leaner and faster in early stages. But as the business grows, the question becomes whether that leader can grow with it. This post explores when a VP can step up to the CCO role — and when it’s time to level up.
