Executive Identity Development for Chief Revenue Officers

Stay relevant, ready, and top of mind

The role of Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) is reshaping how companies approach growth and profitability, while simultaneously transforming the career landscape for revenue leaders.

This strategic shift not only redefines the expectations and demands placed on current CROs but also creates new opportunities for those aspiring to the role.

This shift not only redefines the expectations for today’s CROs but creates opportunities for those positioning themselves to grow into the role. The Redick Group’s services help CROs and future revenue leaders align their career story with what boards, investors, and executive search firms like Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles, and Russell Reynolds actually value—making it easier to communicate the credibility they’ve worked hard to build.

The rise and evolution of the Chief Revenue Officer

Originating in tech and SaaS in the late 1990s, the role of CRO gained traction in the aftermath of the 2008 recession. Over time, the role expanded into sectors such as finance, healthcare, retail, and traditional manufacturing, while becoming increasingly close to fellow C-suite members, particularly the CEO, CFO, and CMO.

In early 2023, LinkedIn listed the CRO as “the fastest-growing job in the United States over the previous five years” in its Jobs on the Rise report. A McKinsey analysis, “How CROs are propelling growth from the C-suite,” revealed that “Fortune 100 companies with a CRO-like role demonstrate 1.8 times higher revenue growth than their peers.”

Meanwhile, in 2024, a Harvard Business Review article entitled, “The High Costs of Chief Revenue Officer Turnover” stated that “it’s no coincidence that CRO tenure continues to contract,” given the difficulty of sustaining a company’s revenue.

When do companies hire their first CRO?

What remains constant for now is the stage at which companies typically bring on a CRO—known interchangeably as Head of Revenue. Here are those corporate milestones:

• Revenue Threshold: Often when organizations hit $20-30 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).

• Growth Stage: During the go-to-market growth phase, as companies scale from startup to established enterprise.

• Organizational Complexity: As revenue-generating functions require more strategic alignment.

The Redick Group’s CRO client profile:

Our CRO clients are typically based in San Francisco, New York, Boston, London, Seattle, Singapore, and Sydney. They have advanced degrees, cross-functional revenue leadership experience, and experience across:

• Early-stage ($20M–100M ARR): Building foundational infrastructure

• Mid-stage ($100M–$1B ARR): Creating predictability and growth

• Late-stage ($1B+): Repositioning for scale, exit, or new opportunity

They’re thinkers and doers—many of whom have pioneered revenue enablement, adopted AI strategies long before they became trendy, and led through inflection points.

How we help

We work side-by-side with current and aspiring revenue leaders to help them hash through their next career steps and enhance their professional growth. Our intensive, tailored approach for revenue leaders in transition focuses on:

• Exploring leadership dimensions prioritized by future audiences

• Identifying, quantifying, and narrating all aspects of their relevant leadership experience

• Crafting compelling, revenue-focused executive résumés, bios, and LinkedIn profiles

• Ensuring they can effectively communicate their value verbally.

Thinking about a career move? Choose an entry point.