Search Outcome: Filling a VP of Sales Role for a Large MRO Distributor
Location:
Denver, CO
Industry:
Distribution
Position Title:
VP of Sales
Client Testimonial
“Dan, I wanted to reach out and thank you again for helping us find Valerie. She has been everything we hoped she would be.”
Challenge:
A large MRO distributor needed a Vice President of Sales to lead its Rocky Mountain Region.
The role carried responsibility for three Sales Directors who collectively oversaw roughly 45 sales professionals across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Eastern Washington.
This was a confidential replacement search.
The existing Vice President had been with the company for several years and was well-liked internally. During that time, the region had gradually lost momentum. Revenue growth slowed, and market share declined. Leadership believed the territory was capable of far more.
The company wanted a leader who could raise expectations, spend time in the field, develop managers, inspect activity, and bring stronger sales discipline to the region.
The compensation structure added another layer of complexity. Several large competitors in the region offered higher base salaries for similar leadership roles. Our client's compensation plan was built differently. Base pay was below many competing opportunities, but incentive compensation was significantly stronger for leaders who could drive production.
The company needed a candidate who believed in performance-based compensation and was motivated by building a winning region rather than maximizing guaranteed income.
Solution:
Because this was an Executive Search, SalesFirst offered a 12-month guarantee.
The search required a 30% down payment and full exclusivity. With that structure, SalesFirst became accountable for the outcome of the hire regardless of the candidate source.
That meant we evaluated external candidates, internal referrals, and internal team members from other divisions. We effectively served as the company’s internal recruiting department for this search.
The client wanted someone from a large competitor known for high standards, strong field leadership, and rigorous sales management. We focused on leaders from organizations where metrics were inspected consistently, ride-alongs were routine, and managers were expected to work just as hard as the reps they led.
Candidates were evaluated on regional leadership experience, ability to lead through Directors, sales coaching discipline, field visibility, forecasting, talent development, and executive communication.
The search itself was straightforward. We contacted roughly 80 leaders from competitors and companies from adjacent industries. We built a process to collect internal referrals and interviewed internal candidates from other divisions who were interested in a cross-division promotion.
Outcome
- ▸ In the end, we recommended 5 finalists. Three candidates were identified through direct outreach. One was referred by an internal leader. One was an internal candidate seeking a cross-division promotion.
- ▸ The client ultimately hired one of the candidates SalesFirst found through the external search.
- ▸ The new VP brought the field-first leadership style the region needed. She was decisive and fair, and she created a culture with clear expectations. Managers knew where they stood. Reps knew what was expected. Strong performers earned autonomy. Underperformers were coached, developed, or moved out.
