Blog Classic

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.