As we prepare for an exit, we are consolidating our VP of Marketing and VP of Sales seats into a single Chief Revenue Officer seat to present a unified front to buyers. Both of our current leaders want this new seat, and neither wants to report to the other. How do we make this structural decision without losing one of our top revenue generators?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Consolidating marketing and sales into a single Chief Revenue Officer seat is a smart move for exit readiness, but it always triggers executive egos. To resolve this without losing either leader, you must rely on the core EOS principle: design the structure first, then place the people. Sit down with both leaders and explain that a unified revenue seat is necessary to eliminate silos and maximize enterprise value for a clean sale. Show them the newly defined Chief Revenue Officer seat with its five key roles. Run an objective GWC check on both individuals for this new, consolidated seat. If one leader clearly GWC's the seat better than the other, make the decision and communicate it directly. For the leader who did not get the seat, you must offer a clear alternative that respects their talent. They can remain in a specialized seat, such as Head of Enterprise Sales or Head of Brand Strategy, reporting to the new Chief Revenue Officer. If their ego cannot handle reporting to their former peer, you must accept that they may choose to leave. Do not compromise your organizational structure to appease an executive's ego, as a broken structure will cost you far more during due diligence.