The High Performance Sales Leader
"Actionable Insights from Inspiring Tech CROs & VPs" dives deep into the world of sales leadership within the dynamic technology sector. Join us for 20-30 minute candid conversations with distinguished sales leaders—from nimble startups to global powerhouses—as they share their personal journeys, strategies, and secrets behind their remarkable results. Whether you're an aspiring sales leader or a seasoned expert looking for fresh insights, this podcast offers a treasure trove of real-world wisdom, actionable takeaways, and lessons learned from the front lines of tech sales.
E43: How to Hire Great SDRs Using MAGIC: The Scorecard for Spotting Raw Talent with Josh English
Have you ever felt like your career path doesn’t quite fit the traditional mold?
Maybe you've considered transitioning into a new role but felt limited by hiring criteria that seem too rigid. If so, this episode is for you!
Josh English, former Head of Sales Development for Australia at Salesforce and APAC Sales Development Manager at Procore, shares invaluable insights on hiring SDRs from unconventional backgrounds. From comedians to teachers to pilots, Josh has built high-performing teams by recognizing potential beyond the resume.
E...
E42: Why Sales Leaders Fail – And How to Win Instead with Bart Fanelli
Are you a sales leader struggling to consistently hit your revenue targets?
Do you feel like something is missing in your approach, but you can’t quite pinpoint what?
If so, you’re in for a treat. In this episode, we sit down with Bart Fanelli, CEO and co-founder of Skillibrium. With a rich history that includes being CRO at OutSystems and VP of Field Success at Splunk for seven years, Bart has seen it all when it comes to sales leadership—both the successes and the failures.
Jo...
E41: From Super Seller to Team Builder: Mastering the Four Sales Leadership Personas with Jason Leonidas
Join us today as Jason Leonidas sits down with us to share his insights on coaching and mentoring sales managers, promoting talent from within, and building high-performing sales teams. Jason, the APAC RVP at New Relic, brings decades of experience in the software industry. In this episode, he dives into his innovative framework for developing sales leaders using the four sales personas: the Super Seller, the Business Manager, the Evangelist or Thought Leader, and the Team Builder.
Episode Highlights:
The Super Seller: A Double-Edged SwordThe Thought...E40: The Quiet Strength of Introverted Sales Leaders with Fabian Calle
Have you ever wondered how your personality influences your leadership style?
In this episode, Pree Sarkar sits down with Fabian Calle, Managing Director of SAP Concur, to discuss his 15-year journey in leadership. Fabian shares insights on leading as an introvert, shaping culture through personal values, and navigating the demands of both professional and personal life.
Episode Highlights:
When choosing roles, Trust Your Gut with People (Even When The Tech Sounds Dull)Leadership Isn’t Glamorous—It’s a Lot Like Jiu JitsuCultur...E39: The Happiest Man Alive, Camino Treks and Cycling Italy: Get Smarter and Stronger through Sabbaticals with David Hope
David Hope, an APAC SVP with a 40-year career in Asia, shared his transformative sabbatical journey. Starting in Nepal, he trekked solo to Everest base camp and spent three nights in a monastery with a Buddhist Guru, learning meditation techniques. He then walked 260 km on the Camino trail in Portugal to Santiago, reinforcing his relationship with his wife. David also explored historical sites like Gallipoli, Ephesus, and Crete, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and authentic leadership. He advocates for everyone to take a sabbatical to return stronger, richer, and wiser.
...
E38: How Role-Playing with AI Creates Super Sellers with Sriharsha Guduguntla
In today's episode, we dive deep into the revolutionary world of AI-driven sales training with Sai, the co-founder and CEO of Hyperbound.ai, a virtual sales gym designed to elevate GTM functions, sales, customer success, pre-sales, and much more. Hyperbound.ai is turning heads in the tech world, and sales leaders are raving about its ability to deliver real-world simulations and role-playing training at scale.
Sriharsha Guduguntla, a graduate of Y Combinator's Summer Cohort 2023, takes us through the evolution of Hyperbound, from its beginnings as an email automation platform to its current...
E37: Scaling from $5M to $38M: The Unreasonable Path to Startup Success with Russell Evans
Russell Evans, former CRO at Dubber, discussed his transition from large corporations to startups, highlighting Dubber's growth from $5 million to $38 million ARR in five years. Key drivers included partnerships with Cisco and Microsoft, the unified communications as a service (UCaaS) market's 18-22% annual growth, and a partner-only go-to-market strategy. Evans emphasised the importance of cultural fit, data-driven decision-making, and maintaining a high-energy, partner-centric approach. Challenges included building a global team and ensuring partners were genuinely aligned with Dubba's vision. Evans also stressed the need for unreasonable expectations and clear communication to manage stakeholder and investor expectations.
<...E36: Fail Fast, Fail Forward: The Key to Thriving in High-Pressure Sales and Leadership with Alex Palmer
In this episode, we sit down with Alex Palmer, SMB Manager - ANZ at Deel, a hyper-growth Pre-IPO SaaS company revolutionizing payroll and workplace mobility worldwide. Originally from the UK, Alex came to Australia with dreams of playing professional cricket. His experience as an athlete shaped his approach to leadership, emphasizing continuous improvement, resilience, and a focus on team growth. Today, he leads with transparency, honesty, and a passion for helping others succeed—both on his team and through his mentoring work with organizations like Rare Birds and Early Work.
Episode Highlights:
...E35: Video, Social Selling and Authentic Leadership Insights From The Front Lines with Mark Fazackerley
In this episode, we explore the power of a beginner’s mindset with Mark Fazackerley, a high-performance sales leader and martial arts practitioner. Mark shares how adopting a sense of wonder can open up infinite possibilities, whether in business or personal growth. We also delve into his journey through martial arts, how it shaped his leadership style, and his unique perspective as the "Roving Reporter" on LinkedIn.
About Mark Fazackerley:
Mark Fazackerley, a high-performance sales leader who has made a significant impact across some of the most well-known companies in th...
E34: Beyond the Hype: How AI is Transforming Business—and Why Human Touch is Key with Peter Sharples
What has shaped your journey so far?
In this episode, we sit down with Peter Sharples, Vice President APAC at Builder.ai, a Series D unicorn revolutionizing the tech landscape through AI-driven app development. Peter, formerly with AWS, shares his journey from civil engineering to becoming a leader in the tech industry, highlighting the transformative shift from cloud computing to AI. He also reflects on the key decisions and experiences that have defined his career.
Episode Highlights:
The Journey Begins: Learning from MistakesThe Power...E33: Leading with Purpose: How to Navigate Uncertainty, Change and Growth with David Oakley
In this episode, David Oakley shares his experiences transitioning from industry-leading giants like IBM and Oracle to working with innovative companies such as ServiceNow and Miro. He delves into the benefits of starting a career in large organizations and how those experiences shaped his approach in more agile, cutting-edge environments. Dave also discusses the importance of self-management, leadership, and creating a sustainable work environment that fosters long-term success.
Episode Highlights:
01:19 The Unplanned Path: From Big Names to High-Growth Startups
03:03 Learning from the Giants...
E32: From Expectation to Achievement: How I Landed My Dream Sales Leadership Role with Kwame Aforo-Addo
In the realm of personal and professional development, few stories capture the essence of persistence and determination quite like that of Kwame Aforo-Addo. A sales leader at UKG Software, a third-degree black belt, and a former regional-level 100-meter sprinter, Kwame’s journey is a testament to the power of unwavering commitment to one’s goals. His story is one that inspires not only his peers and colleagues but also those who are navigating the challenges of career transitions and personal growth.
Episode Highlights:
01:56 Meeting Kwam...
E31: From AE to APAC Sales Director: Fail, Learn and Grow with Tanya Neary
Tanya Neary, Senior Director of New Business APAC at Culture Amp, an Australian startup turned global SaaS player, has spent over a decade shaping and growing the company. Her journey is a rich tapestry of challenges, successes, and invaluable lessons. In this interview, Tanya shares her insights on growth, culture, and leadership.
Episode Highlights:
01:30 Tanya Neary's Visionary Journey
03:00 Identifying the Market Gap
07:13 Encouraging Innovation Through Failure
09:21 Nurturing a Strong Company Culture
11:05 Na...
E30: Breaking Barriers: From HR to Sales Leadership with Emma Cahalane | Sales Leader ex Google/ DoorDash
In today's episode, we're thrilled to have Emma Cahalane, a seasoned sales leader, sharing her invaluable insights and experiences. Emma's journey from HR to sales leadership has been nothing short of inspiring, and her expertise spans diverse sectors, including tech giants like Google and innovative startups like Sonder and DoorDash. She discusses prevalent gender dynamics in sales and offers strategies for fostering inclusivity and championing diversity, effective sales techniques, and many more.
Join us as we uncover the secrets to sales success.
Episode Highlights:
E29: Mastering Sales Forecasting: From Anxiety to Accuracy with John Moran, CEO Prevu , ex AVP Salesforce
Sales forecasting is a crucial aspect of any organisation, especially those dealing with complex sales cycles and enterprise solutions. With the right forecasting practices, sales leaders can bring accuracy, consistency, and, most importantly, peace of mind to their teams. In today's episode, we delve into the insights shared by John Moran, CEO of Preview, an AI application poised to revolutionise the world of forecasting. John's extensive experience in sales at companies like Siebel, Oracle, and Ventyx, coupled with his leadership roles, positions him as a thought leader in this space.
Episode H...
E28: From Startup to Scaleup: How to Make Revenue Flow Fast with Brett Stephenson | CRO EarlyTrade, ex- PayApps
From Startup to Scaleup: How to Make Revenue Flow Fast
In the high-octane world of startups and scale-ups, revenue growth is the ultimate goal, but achieving it is far from straightforward. As the CRO at Payapps, Brett Stephenson has navigated these waters successfully, leading his team to a successful acquisition by Autodesk. Today, we delve into Brett's experiences, exploring the challenges faced by scale-up organizations and the solutions that can pave the way for rapid revenue flow.
Episode Highlights:
E27: How VPs Can Drive Revenue by Building 360 Degree Relationships with CROs and Teams with Keith Payne | VP APAC Nintex
Sales leadership is more than just hitting targets—it's about fostering a culture of growth, collaboration, and influence. In this blog, we delve into the insights shared by Keith Payne, a high-performance sales leader with a remarkable track record at companies like SAP Concur, Insight Software and Nintex. His journey from a first-line sales manager to a VP with cross-functional responsibilities offers valuable lessons for aspiring leaders. Let's explore Keith's strategies for building followership, the benefits of coaching, and how to create a strong relationship with your CRO.
Episode Highlights:
...E26: Building a Culture of Teamwork and Growth with Steve Singer | RVP Anaplan, ex Zscaler, Talend
In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Steve Singer, a seasoned sales leader with a wealth of experience spanning iconic cloud hyperscalers. From his early days at Salesforce to his current role, Steve Singer shares invaluable insights into building a culture of empathy, communication, and collaboration.
Episode Highlights:
06:44 The Power of Why
12:18 One-on-One Dynamics
15:31 Creating a Culture of Growth
19:14 Transparency an...
E25: 5 Strategies for Building an Early Stage SaaS Company with Robert Coorey | Co-Founder Archistar.ai
Starting an entrepreneurial journey demands a blend of passion, perseverance, and strategic decision-making. In this episode, we dive into the enlightening conversation with Robert Coorey, an accomplished entrepreneur who has adeptly tackled the challenges of building and scaling businesses.
From his early days in corporate sales and marketing to founding a results-driven marketing agency and eventually co-founding Archistar, a thriving SaaS company, Robert delves into the pivotal moments that shaped his path. Expect to gain profound lessons on strategic decision-making, the art of effective capital allocation, and the significance of building d...
E24: Mastering the Art and Science of Forecasting with Mike Saxton | APAC VP ex-SoftwareAG, Tibco, OpenText
In the dynamic world of sales, forecasting is both an art and a science. Achieving accuracy, consistency, and growth in forecasting requires a deep understanding of the process.
In a recent conversation with high-performance leader Mike Saxton, former Senior Vice President with SoftwareAG, Tibco and OpenText, we delved into the intricacies of forecasting.
In today’s episode, we'll explore key insights and practical tips shared by Mike, providing valuable lessons for sales leaders, account executives, and anyone involved in the forecasting process.
Timestamps:
00:41 Understanding the Forecaster's Goal
E23: The Keys to Building a Winning Sales Team with Paul Arthur | VP ANZ Outsystems
In this conversation, Paul Arthur, the VP of Outsystems Australia, provides insights into the dynamics of sales leadership and the foundational elements for nurturing a successful organisational culture.
The discussion also touches on aligning team members with shared goals, with Paul emphasising the crucial role of transparency in this process. By openly sharing performance metrics and expectations, a collaborative atmosphere is cultivated, as seen in Paul's approach to team forecasting. Additionally, Paul advocates for a holistic approach to sales by integrating pre-sales, marketing, partners, and customer success teams into success cadences, breaking down silos w...
E22: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone To Succeed with Rob Malkin | VP APAC Mural, Lifesize, Bentley Software
In this episode of the High-Performance Sales Leader podcast, Rob Malkin, Senior Regional Director at Bentley Systems, shares his journey of career growth and personal development.
Rob offers powerful insights and anecdotes from his experience of working with Autodesk, Commvault Mural, and Bentley Systems. He speaks about taking risks and stepping outside of one's comfort zone. Rob discusses the importance of building strong relationships in business, understanding different cultures, learning from losses and the value of time.
For those looking to own their career path, Rob describes how having a clear vision and owning your...
E21: Balancing High Performance and Mental Health for Sales Leaders with Riges Younan | Global VP Strategic Accounts Gloat
In this conversation, Riges Younan, a high-performance sales leader at Gloat, shares his experiences and strategies to handle stress and maintain balance as an executive.
Starting as a recruiter, he worked his way up to a APAC leadership role, and discusses his approach to self-care and the importance of mental health in maintaining peak performance.
He emphasises that good nutrition, regular exercise, meditation, mindfulness, and adequate sleep are crucial for performance and resilience. Additionally, Riges highlights the value of gratitude and journaling as tools for self-reflection and mental well-being.
04:38 The Impact of Early Li...
E20: From Manager to Leader: Navigating the Journey with Jonathan Stern | VP Mulesoft, Salesforce
Jonathan Stern is a leadership coach who has worked with companies like Salesforce, Mulesoft, Informatica, and IBM in Vice President and Managing Director roles.
At Mulesoft he has seen the teams scale from 10 to 100+ people before the acquisition by Salesforce. He was asked to coach leaders at Salesforce, where his employer became his first client. Now he focuses his time on helping others unlock their leadership potential and impact.
Timestamps
01:43 Transitioning from corporate leadership into coaching
6:10 Switching from being a leader to coaching other leaders
9:33 Manager Vs Leader - Leadership styles<...
E19: The CEO’s Art of Selling: How to Engage Customers, Employees and Investors with James Brennan | CEO Linius, ex- PolyCom & Blue Jeans
As the CEO of Linius, an ASX-listed company with fewer than 20 employees, James has garnered invaluable experience in the art of selling to diverse audiences.
Linius Media Solutions enables their customers to unleash the value in their video archives with world-leading video search, highly efficient content curation, and personalized viewing experiences.
Prior to Linius, James led transformation and growth at global companies including Integrated Research, Kaltura, BlueJeans Network, and Polycom.
James' journey is a testament to the power of strategic execution and adaptability, and his insights provide a valuable blueprint for CEOs navigating t...
E18: 10 Insights into Going from Good to Great in Sales and Leadership with Terry Smagh | SVP APAC Infor Software, BlackLine, Qlik

Success is often born from a delicate balance of diversity, motivation, discipline, and adaptability. To shed light on the path to success, I asked Terry Smagh to share his invaluable insights.
Terry Smagh is the SVP and General Manager for Infor. He has been a pioneer in the APAC region, starting and scaling Qlik and then BlackLine over the last 10 years. Most importantly, he believes in building a culture of success from the ground up, and today we're going to learn all about it.
Most importantly, he believes in building a culture of success from t...
E17: How to Win More Deals by Turning Losses into Lessons with Cian McLoughlin | CEO Trinity Perspectives

Want to win more deals and lose less? Then, master the practice of win-loss analysis!
I was fortunate to talk with Cian McLoughlin, an expert in reviewing deal wins and losses. Cian is also the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller, Rebirth of the Salesman.
His blog was voted one of the Top 50 Sales Blogs in the world for the past 4 years and he was recently chosen as a LinkedIn Top Sales Voice.
Here are 8 actionable insights to win more deals:
E16: 6 Lessons from a President's Club Achiever with Andy Mellor | VP ANZ SumoLogic, Kofax

Not everyone can achieve club twice and the highest performing region globally, especially at the time when the world is overturned by COVID. This is why I just had to pick the brain of Andy Mellor.
Andy is a seasoned leader and double-digit club achiever through his career across, Peoplesoft, Oracle, Netsuite, Kofax, and Sumo Logic. Recently he turned around the Kofax ANZ business and achieved Club twice (during COVID) and achieved the Highest Performing region globally in 2021.
Andrew, originally from the UK, studied electronic engineering and initially worked as a systems engineer for 12-18 m...
E15: One Minute More: Secrets to Making Impactful Connections in Sales and Leadership with Terrie Anderson | Senior Manager, APJ Microsoft

Did you know that one minute more is all you need to make lasting first impressions on people? Find out why in this episode!
I talked to Terrie Anderson, the author of “Legendary Selling”, “30 Days of Inspiration”, “The Little Red Success Book” and “One Minute More: The Human Connection”. Terrie is also a business leader and has worked with RSA Security, Symantec, Venafi and Microsoft working across Europe and the ANZ region.
Terrie Anderson was motivated to write books due to her natural ability to coach and mentor others. Her first book, The Little Red Success Book, doc...
E14: From Pilot to CEO: 9 Lessons from Building a Fast-Growing Startup with Derek Feebrey | CEO Trensdspek

Derek Feebrey is the CEO and co-founder of Trendspek along with Fiona Church and Mitch Deam. This rapidly growing company provides Precision Reality Twin technology that helps Property and Infrastructure companies manage their high-value assets.
Last November, Trendspek raised $6.3m in its Series A round, which was led by Taronga Ventures.
Derek has shared some wonderful insights; but among them, my favourite is how culture and values are inherently transformational. Not only they do fulfil people and glue teams together, but they also directly affect conflicts and client satisfaction.
If you’re a...
E12: Building a Culture of Coaching, Mentoring, and Inclusion with Andrea Breen | Global VP Objective Corporation

A leader can make a big difference. They can empower team members, raise the bar, and promote inclusivity in the workplace.
That’s what I learned from Andrea Breen, a well-respected leader in the software industry. She is best known for building successful teams and coaching people to achieve their potential.
Andrea has had a terrific career across companies like Oracle, Pitney Bowes and is currently the VP of Sales and Customer Service at Objective Corporation.. Aside from her coaching frameworks, she also shared her interesting mentoring stories and wonderful advocacy for diversity and...
E9: Lessons in Leadership, Transformation and Achieving Microsoft’s Partner of the Year with Lesley French | Director Insight

Some dive into new things, clueless about what lies ahead. And then there are those who can see success from miles away—people who are playing to win. One of them is Lesley French.
Lesley is Insight’s Director of Professional Services. Knowing she has 30 years of Sales and Leadership experience in Australia and New Zealand, I was more than ecstatic to sit down and revel in her wisdom.
Whether you’re a new or senior Sales Leader, you just can’t possibly miss out on these highlights from our talk.
E10: 8 Critical Insights about Winning More Deals with MEDDPICC with Chris Wood | VP APAC Quest Software, Imperva

“If you don’t feel bad about losing in sales, then you’re in the wrong game.”
That first sentence sums up my conversation with Chris Wood, the APJ leader at Quest Software, and his stellar track record of growing software companies.
Chris Wood is a technology leader who has played pivotal roles in the growing software companies. At Sourcefire, he was the first in the country and built the team and revenues to eight figures, at Imperva he turned the APAC region from the worst-performing to the best-performing region and now leads the Ques...
E11: How to Become a Trusted Advisor in the Cybersecurity industry with Dave Reeves | Sales Leader OT Security Tenable

Developing a three-lens view (S.I., Client and Vendor) is invaluable in becoming a trusted advisor to clients in the cybersecurity industry. It’s a journey anyone can choose to embark on while making careful choices about their next career move.
There are more of those lessons in my conversation with Dave Reeves. He is a rare Cybersecurity Executive who has worked in the Army, and then founded and exited two successful businesses. He then worked on the client side consulting to major Banks and Mining companies and grew US vendors like Leidos, Forescout, Tenable, and now De...
E13: From Zero to $50M ARR: Building a Winning Startup Team, Culture, and Sales Process with Simon Horrocks | VP APAC Talkdesk, Harness, AppDynamics

You don't have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to growing startups. You just need to do the basics very well.
More importantly, have the heart to help your customer solve their biggest problems and teach your teams to do the same—and run fast.
Do this and your startup’s growth will be guaranteed.
I was delighted to have a chat with Simon Horrocks, a serial startup and scale-up leader who has worked with Harness, AppDynamics, and ScienceLogic, building revenue and teams from the ground up to $50M in ARR.
Fr...
E8: How to survive and succeed in high-pressure SaaS companies with Jeremy Auerbach | Sales Leader UiPath, Monday.com

Scaleups are sexy but also very high pressure that can lead to burnout and missing targets. That's one of the insightful things Jeremy shared in our conversation.
Jeremy Auerbach is a top-performing Scale-Up Revenue Driver and Sales Leader. He has helped scale industry giants like Salesforce, Mulesoft, and UIPath, where he achieved Podium Top Performers Club Twice. Currently, he’s an ANZ Sales & Service Leader at Korn Ferry.
Here’s how to survive and succeed with Multi-Club achiever, Jeremy Auerbach.
Hiring or replacing someone in the next 90 days?
We...
E7: Scaling in Asia through Crashes & Crises with Stu Garrow | APAC VP Aiven, Talend

If you’re a SaaS startup that's thinking of scaling in Asia, you must also prepare for crashes and crises.
I had a wonderful opportunity to talk with software industry veteran, Stu Garrow. Stu Garrow is a veteran of the software industry with over 25 years of experience in growing companies like Mulesoft, Talent and now Aiven in Asia.
He shared insights that only someone with over 25 years of experience can articulate.
Hiring or replacing someone in the next 90 days?
We partner with tech sales leaders who are...
E6: How to Build a Team of A-Players and Scale 0-$35M with Ankesh Chopra | APAC VP ClickUp, Zscaler

Are you having trouble attracting or retaining rockstars or A-players to your tech startup?
Take a page from the book of Ankesh by listening to this episode.
Ankesh is a leader who has scaled revenues from zero to 35 million ARR and teams from zero to 100 for leading SaaS hypergrowth companies like Qlik, App Dynamics, Zscaler, and ClickUp.
He believes that if you can recruit really well, half of your problems are solved in business. Whether you agree or not, you can’t deny that hiring the right person can make or break...
E5: 12 Winning Tactics for Tech Companies to Penetrate Markets in Asia with Graham Sowden | VP APAC Okta, Acquia

Scaling your startup in an unfamiliar region such as Asia may pose unexpected challenges your way. For instance, where do you begin, and which markets hold the most growth potential?
To answer that question, I talked to Graham Sowden, a leader, and scaler of SaaS companies in APAC. He's best known for scaling Okta 10x to 100 million, Acquia 4x to 12 million, and Informatica 6x to 60 million.
From our conversation, I learned that to successfully scale your startup in Asia, it's important to look inward and consider if your business expansion is for the right reasons.
E4: From Startup to Scaleup: How to Achieve 3X Revenue Growth and Deloitte Fast 50 Honours with Tony Simonsen | COO PayApps (AutoDesk)

To grow your startup's revenue, you need to focus on what you love doing the most as a founder. That's just one of the best business insights Tony dropped in our conversation.
I'm elated to have sat down with Tony Simonsen, an experienced COO who has built revenue and teams across global companies and rapidly growing Australian software firms.
He led PayApps to 3x revenue growth and a place on the coveted Deloitte Fast 50 Growing Companies in the APAC region.
In this episode, Tony discusses his insights on transitioning from a st...