From Revenue Leader to CEO: What Boards Actually Look For
From Revenue Leader to CEO: What Boards Actually Look For
Why do so few Chief Revenue Officers become CEOs?
Revenue leaders are often the closest executives to growth, customers, and execution, yet only a small percentage make the leap to the top job. What separates the CROs who stay functional leaders from the ones boards trust to lead entire companies?
Join the Global Revenue Network for an exclusive panel discussion with two former revenue leaders who successfully made the transition to CEO. We’ll unpack the realities behind the path from revenue leadership to enterprise leadership, including what boards actually evaluate, the capabilities most CROs underestimate, and how to position yourself for the CEO seat.
This conversation will explore:
Why many CROs are overlooked for CEO roles
The leadership gaps boards commonly perceive
How to evolve from “head of sales” to enterprise operator
Building credibility beyond revenue performance
Strategic, financial, and organizational skills CEOs must demonstrate
What aspiring CEOs should do now to prepare for the next step
Whether you’re a CRO, VP of Sales, founder, board member, or executive operator, this session will offer candid insights into one of the most important and least understood career transitions in business leadership.
Executive Speakers
Marlis Morin, Cbairperson
Marlis spent nearly three decades at Partners Group, one of the world's largest private markets firms, rising to Partner and most recently serving as Advisory Partner. Since 2017, she has chaired the board of Partners Group (Luxembourg) S.A., giving her a front-row seat to how boards assess executive leadership at the highest levels.
Through Fore.Sight Advisory Services, she now invests in and advises growth-stage ventures across Asia and Europe.
In this session, Marlis shares the boardroom perspective on CEO succession: what directors genuinely assess when a revenue executive puts their hand up for the CEO role, the qualities boards look for beyond commercial performance, and the signals that distinguish strong operators from leaders trusted to run an entire company.
Norman Deery, CEO, DreamsEdge
Norman has spent more than two decades leading commercial organizations across Asia Pacific, including nearly 12 years at IBM, leadership roles at Red Hat across APAC and Japan, and more than six years as Vice President of Sales at Wolters Kluwer Health.
Today, he serves as CEO of DreamsEdge, a healthcare technology company focused on improving safety and efficiency in aged care.
In this session, Norman shares his firsthand experience of moving from revenue leadership to the CEO role. He will discuss what boards looked for beyond commercial success, the capabilities he needed to develop to lead an entire business, and the mindset shifts that proved critical in making the transition successfully.
Hosted by the Global Revenue Network