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VP of sales resume example

A VP of sales resume with 18 years in life sciences software and four years running the whole sales function. CEOs and boards hiring a VP of sales look for revenue growth they can trust, an organization that scales, and efficiency, so the bullets show all three with numbers.

Vice president of sales resume example, page 1 of 2BEATRIZ CALLOWAYVice President of Salesbeatriz.calloway@example.com · (619) 555-0122 · San Diego, CA · linkedin.com/in/beatrizcallowaySUMMARYSales executive with 18 years in life sciences software, now vice president of sales for a clinical trial softwarecompany that has grown from $70 million to $138 million ARR. I build sales organizations that scale withoutlosing discipline: clear segments, managers who coach, and forecasts the board can rely on.EXPERIENCEVice President of SalesJan 2022 – PresentTorrey Clinical SoftwareSan Diego, CA•Lead an 82-person sales organization (6 directors and managers, 48 quota carriers, sales engineering andsales operations) with a $46 million new ARR target.•Grew new ARR bookings 2.1x in three years, from $21 million to $44 million, as company ARR rose from$70 million to $138 million.•Opened Europe with a team of 9 in London and Munich, reaching $7 million in bookings in its secondyear.•Moved top-tier pharma accounts to pods of AE, solutions engineer and customer success; average contractvalue rose from $310,000 to $520,000.•Rebuilt quota setting and compensation with finance, cutting sales and marketing cost per dollar of newARR from $1.40 to $0.95.•Forecast new bookings to the board within 3% for 10 consecutive quarters.Director of SalesApr 2017 – Dec 2021Bayline Lab SystemsSan Diego, CA•Led 4 regional teams (30 sellers) selling lab informatics software; grew bookings from $12 million to $25million.•Closed the company’s first $5 million enterprise agreement, with a top-20 pharmaceutical company.•Introduced Salesforce CPQ and a deal desk, cutting quote turnaround from 6 days to 1.Regional Sales Manager, WestJun 2012 – Mar 2017Cabrillo Medical DevicesSan Diego, CA•Led 8 reps across the western US; the region ranked #1 of 5 in three of five years.Enterprise Account ExecutiveJul 2008 – May 2012Cabrillo Medical DevicesSan Diego, CA•Sold lab automation systems to hospitals and reference labs; Rep of the Year in 2011.EDUCATIONB.A. in Economics2004 – 2008University of California San DiegoLa Jolla, CABeatriz Calloway · 1 / 2
Vice president of sales resume example, page 2 of 2SKILLSGo-to-market strategy · Sales organization design · Board reporting · Revenue forecasting ·Compensation and quota design · International expansion · Strategic and enterprise accounts ·Sales operations and CPQ · Hiring sales leaders · Pricing · Life sciences buyers and GxPBeatriz Calloway · 2 / 2
Vice president of salesUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Revenue growth at company level: new ARR or bookings over several years, and the company’s growth around it.
  • Organization design: segments, roles, team size, leaders hired, pods or overlays introduced.
  • Efficiency: cost of sales, CAC payback, quota attainment distribution, sales productivity.
  • Board-level forecasting: accuracy over many quarters, and how you report.
  • Expansion: new regions, segments or products you took to market.
  • Industry depth: buyers, regulations and buying cycles you know well.

Writing the summary

Say your years and industry, the company’s growth stage and ARR, and what you build. Two or three sentences that a CEO could repeat to the board.

The summary in this example

Sales executive with 18 years in life sciences software, now vice president of sales for a clinical trial software company that has grown from $70 million to $138 million ARR. I build sales organizations that scale without losing discipline: clear segments, managers who coach, and forecasts the board can rely on.

First VP of sales at a growth-stage startup

Sales leader with 13 years in B2B SaaS, most recently director of sales growing a mid-market team from $8 million to $22 million in new ARR. Looking to be the first VP of sales at a Series B company and build the team, the process and the forecast from the ground up.

VP of sales moving toward chief revenue officer

Vice president of sales with 20 years in enterprise software, leading a 140-person organization and $90 million in new bookings. I already run the forecast with customer success and partnerships and am ready for a chief revenue officer role across the full customer lifecycle.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Took the company from $30 million to $85 million ARR in four years as the first VP of sales.
  • Hired 4 directors and 12 managers, keeping 90% of them through two years of fast growth.
  • Cut average CAC payback from 26 to 17 months by moving SMB customers to self-serve and inside sales.
  • Launched a partner channel with 3 global consultancies that produced 25% of new bookings in its third year.
  • Raised the share of reps at quota from 45% to 68% by fixing territories and ramp expectations.
  • Built the go-to-market plan for a second product line, reaching $10 million ARR in 18 months.
  • Led the sales side of a $300 million acquisition, combining two teams of 60 people without losing a top performer.
  • Set annual plans, quotas and capacity models with the CFO, matching hiring to pipeline coverage targets.
  • Represented sales at every board meeting for 4 years and led the revenue section of a Series D raise.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Go-to-market strategy
  • Sales capacity and quota planning
  • Revenue forecasting and board reporting
  • Sales compensation design
  • Sales organization design (segments, pods, overlays)
  • Channel and partner strategy
  • International expansion
  • Sales operations and revenue technology
  • Pricing and deal governance

Soft skills

  • Leading leaders
  • Board and CEO communication
  • Hard decisions on people and plans
  • Cross-functional leadership
  • Steadiness in a down quarter

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • Boards do not hire VPs of sales on certificates: revenue growth, the organization you built and references decide it.
  • Executive education (a business school leadership or board program) can go under Education.
  • Industry knowledge credentials such as regulatory training (for example GxP for life sciences) can help in specialized markets but are not required.

Length and format

Two pages. Put the company’s growth, your organization and your efficiency results in the top half of page one. Earlier roles get one or two bullets each, and anything older than about 15 years can be a single line.

Common mistakes

  • Bullets about deals rather than the organization. At VP level, the big deal belongs to the team; you built the team.
  • Revenue growth with no efficiency. Boards now ask how much it cost to grow.
  • No team size or structure, which hides the scale of the job.
  • Vague claims (“transformed the sales culture”) without a number before and after.
  • Overlong early career. Keep the first ten years to a few lines.

Questions and answers

What do CEOs look for on a VP of sales resume?

Revenue growth over several years, the size and structure of the team you built, efficiency measures such as CAC payback or cost of sales, and forecast reliability. They also look for experience at a similar stage and in a similar market.

Should a VP of sales resume include personal deals?

Only when a deal was strategic for the company, such as a first enterprise contract or a new market. Most bullets should show the organization’s results.

How do I show forecast accuracy?

As a range over a period (“within 3% for 10 consecutive quarters”) and who you forecast to (the CEO, the board). It is one of the most trusted signals for a sales executive.

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