CRO Report: Exec Hiring Explodes 50%, Vectra AI's Cybersecurity Bet, and King Arthur's 235-Year-Old Sales Challenge
Sales exec hiring surges 50% to 156 roles, just 4% below all-time highs, Claroty's CRO joins Vectra AI, and why America's oldest flour company is searching for a new CSO
📊 The Sales Executive Market
90-Day Snapshot
156 active roles, up 50% from last week’s 104. The largest single-week surge we’ve tracked—ever.
What just happened? After bouncing between 94 and 135 throughout December, the market exploded. The 90-day chart tells the story: months of flat-lining around 108, a holiday dip to 94, a rebound to 135, a pullback to 104, and now this historic surge to 156.
5-Year Context
156 openings, just 4% below the 2022 peak of 162. We’re approaching territory we haven’t seen in over three years.
The trajectory since mid-2022 has been relentless contraction, from 162 down to the 107-112 range that defined most of 2024 and 2025. This week changes that narrative entirely. Whether it’s year-end budget flush, backfilling ahead of Q1, or genuine market recovery remains to be seen. But the numbers are undeniable.
What This Means
Employed leaders: This is the best market since 2022. If you’ve been waiting for signs of life, they’ve arrived. Start conversations now before Q1 hiring slows.
Job seekers: 50% more roles overnight means more options—but also faster competition. Move quickly on strong opportunities; companies hiring this week are serious.
Hiring companies: The leverage you had at 94 openings is gone. You’re now competing with 156 open seats. Close fast or lose candidates to the surge.
Signal to watch: Sustain above 150 through January = genuine market recovery. Drop back below 120 = holiday anomaly.
🚀 Who’s Moving
Derek Phillips → Vectra AI as Chief Revenue Officer
Previously: CRO at Claroty (2024-2025); Deputy CEO/CRO at Kudelski Security; SVP Sales at Deloitte
🎯 Company Deep-Dive
King Arthur Baking Company is hiring Chief Sales Officer | $225K-$325K base | Remote | Reports to: CEO
America’s oldest company (founded 1790), 100% employee-owned ESOP, certified B Corp with ~$193M revenue and 322 employees—but the current CSO has only been in seat since 2023, and this replacement search raises succession questions.
The opportunity: Build commercial strategy for an iconic brand with genuine mission alignment and exceptional culture (4.1 Glassdoor). The question is what’s driving turnover in a company that prides itself on employee ownership.
💼 This Week’s Board Update
156 active roles across 75 companies. 89% VP-level, 8% C-Level, 3% SVP-level.
Top title variations: 34 roles at “Vice President of Sales,” 13 at “VP of Sales,” 12 at “Vice President, Sales Executive - Oracle Tech.”
60% salary transparency. Remote roles lead with 93 postings (60% of total); Texas markets show strongest regional concentration with 22 roles.
Notable patterns: WFS Group posting VP Sales across 31 markets at $240K-$400K signals aggressive national expansion. Deloitte’s 20 technology practice VP roles indicate consulting sector appetite for enterprise sales leaders.
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