CRO Report: Exec Hiring Returns, Fastly’s IPO Architect Joins Forward Networks, and Partex.AI’s Life Sciences Bet
Sales exec hiring surges 79% to 118 roles, Bobby Condon brings his $2M-to-$480M Fastly playbook to network digital twin pioneer, and why Partex.AI’s CRO search signals big pharma’s AI tipping point
Happy Holidays everyone. While you were (hopefully) unplugging, I built a new resource for all of you: thecroreport.com
It’s a companion to the newsletter. Think of it as the always-on version of what we do here every week.
You’ll find a searchable job board with every VP+ Sales role I’m tracking, salary benchmarks by seniority and location, and market intel on what companies are actually looking for right now: buzzwords, sales methodologies, and other stuff.
I also added GTM tool reviews. The Artisan vs AiSDR comparison is live, more coming throughout the year. If there’s a tool you want me digging into, reply or comment below.
Paid subscribers still get the deep stuff: full compensation breakdowns, company spotlights, the analysis. The site gives everyone a starting point.
This has always been about making the exec sales market less opaque. I hope the new site helps with that. Let me know what you think.
📊 The Sales Executive Market
90-Day Snapshot
118 active roles, up 79% from last week’s 66. The largest single-week surge since the pandemic recovery.
What just happened? After the holiday lull crushed openings down to 66, hiring desks came back online with a vengeance. The 90-day chart tells the story: steady decline through December, a holiday floor, and now an explosive rebound that puts us back in territory we haven’t seen since early Q4.
5-Year Context
118 openings puts us at 73% of the 2022 peak (162 openings). We’re not back to the highs, but we’re no longer in the doldrums either.
The trajectory since mid-2022 has been relentless contraction, from 162 down to the 100-110 range that defined most of 2024 and 2025. This week’s surge suggests Q1 budgets are unlocking and companies are serious about filling leadership gaps before the year gets away from them.
What This Means
Employed leaders: The window just opened. After months of nothing, this is the first real sign of life. Start those conversations now. Companies are actually in hiring mode again.
Job seekers: More openings means more interviews, but also faster timelines. If you’re in active discussions, expect things to move quick. Competition just got real.
Hiring companies: That leverage you had at 66 openings? Gone. Close fast on strong candidates before they see their options multiply.
Signal to watch: Hold above 110 through mid-January = genuine inflection point. Drop back below 80 = holiday anomaly.
🚀 Who’s Moving
Bobby Condon → Forward Networks as Chief Revenue Officer
Previously: CRO-level leadership at Fastly (scaled revenue from $2M to $480M, led successful IPO); earlier at Dyn (acquired by Oracle), Xerox, and Oracle
🎯 Company Deep-Dive
Partex.AI is hiring Chief Revenue Officer | $230K-$400K base | Remote/US | Reports to: CEO
First-of-its-kind AI-powered drug asset manager with 50+ biopharma clients including Sanofi and Fortress Biotech, 650 terabytes of proprietary data, and 200+ specialized AI models. But they’re seed-stage, burning cash to build category, and this is their first dedicated CRO.
The opportunity: Build the commercial engine for a company at the intersection of AI and life sciences, the hottest space in enterprise tech right now. The question is whether they can monetize pharma’s AI appetite before the runway runs out.
💼 This Week’s Board Update
118 active roles across approximately 95+ unique companies this week.
89% VP-level, 8% C-Level, 3% SVP-level. Remote roles lead with 60%+ of postings. Salary transparency continues improving, with roughly 70% of roles now disclosing compensation ranges.
Notable patterns: Heavy concentration in healthcare, financial services, and education sectors. Technology hiring remains subdued relative to 2021-2022 levels.
Want the full intelligence? Upgrade for complete CRO movement analysis, detailed company spotlight, full compensation breakdowns, and access our full hiring database.
