The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
VP of Sales (Global or Large Business Unit)
Transitioning from a direct sales leadership role, usually after 15-20+ years in sales, where you've experienced the challenges of enablement first-hand and developed a passion for solving them at scale.Skills to master
- Strategic planning, P&L management, large-scale team leadership, executive communication, cross-functional influence, and a deep understanding of sales operations and enablement technology.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistent track record of exceeding multi-million-pound revenue targets in complex sales environments.
- Proven ability to build and scale high-performing sales teams across multiple regions.
- Demonstrated leadership in implementing new sales methodologies or technologies within a sales organisation.
- Strong relationships with C-suite peers and a reputation for strategic thinking beyond just sales execution.
- 2
VP of Revenue Operations (Global)
Often after 15-20+ years building and leading global RevOps functions, where you've focused on the systems, processes, and data that underpin revenue generation, and now want to own the human performance aspect.Skills to master
- Deep analytical skills, process optimisation, CRM and enablement tech stack architecture, data governance, and the ability to translate operational insights into human performance strategies.
You're ready to move on when
- Successful implementation and optimisation of enterprise-level CRM, sales enablement, and BI platforms.
- Track record of improving sales efficiency, forecast accuracy, and operational scalability.
- Strong collaboration with sales leadership to drive performance through process and data.
- A clear vision for how operational excellence translates into human capability development.
- 3
Chief Customer Officer (CCO) or VP of Customer Success (Global)
After 15-20+ years leading global customer success or post-sales organisations, bringing a strong customer-centric perspective to enablement and understanding the full customer lifecycle.Skills to master
- Customer retention and expansion strategies, customer journey mapping, post-sales enablement, and a deep understanding of how customer experience impacts revenue.
You're ready to move on when
- Demonstrated success in driving high customer retention and net revenue retention rates at scale.
- Proven ability to build and lead large, global customer success teams.
- Strong advocacy for the customer voice within the executive team.
- A strategic understanding of how enablement impacts customer lifetime value.