Director of Sales Excellence

The Hiring Challenge in PE-Backed Businesses

Commercial performance is usually central to the value creation plan, yet the leader responsible for delivering it is one of the hardest roles to hire well - and the cost of getting it wrong compounds across the hold period.

The Specialist Gap

Sales operations specialists understand CRM architecture and pipeline metrics but have rarely redesigned a commercial methodology under the time pressure a hold period imposes.

The Generalist Gap

Sales leaders can coach a team but typically lack the structured, analytical approach needed to translate a 100-day plan or value creation thesis into a working methodology - and the fluency to report progress credibly to a board and investment committee.

Why Portfolio Companies Mis-Hire

Internal promotions rarely bring the outside perspective needed to challenge legacy sales habits at the pace a PE timeline demands. External generalist hires bring sales leadership experience without the consulting-grade rigour the role requires to move fast and prove ROI early.

The Movemeon Approach

Our network includes ex-consultants from McKinsey, Bain, BCG, and other top-tier firms who have led commercial due diligence and post-acquisition transformation work before moving into permanent operating roles inside portfolio companies.

Consulting Background, Applied to the Hold Period

These candidates have built sales methodologies, designed enablement functions, and embedded performance frameworks under deal timelines - the same structured problem-solving a value creation plan demands, now applied from inside the business they're accountable for.

What Strong Candidates Solve For

• Inconsistent performance across teams, regions, or post-acquisition entities:  no shared methodology or playbook
• Low forecast accuracy: Undermining confidence in board and IC reporting
• Poor CRM and tool adoption: Leaving leadership without reliable pipeline visibility ahead of exit
• High ramp time for new sales hires: Slowing the path to plan
• Sales/marketing/product misalignment: Diluting the commercial thesis underpinning the investment

Built for the Permanent Mandate

Continuity Through the Hold Period

A permanent Director of Sales Excellence owns the methodology long-term - building the function, embedding it culturally, and carrying it through subsequent growth phases or a future exit, rather than handing off mid-transformation.

Board-Ready From Day One

Candidates are assessed on their ability to report commercial progress credibly to investors, not just operators - a distinct skill from running a sales team day-to-day.

Why PE Firms and Portfolio Companies Choose Movemeon

Speed

A vetted network of 100,000+ ex-consultants and commercial operators delivers shortlists in days, against the 8–12 weeks typical of retained search - critical when a 100-day plan is already running.

Discretion

PE mandates often require confidentiality before a deal or leadership change is public. Our process is built to operate within that constraint.

Start Your Search

Tell us about the value creation plan, the commercial gap in the thesis, or the function that needs building - and we'll put forward candidates who've operated under the same pressure before.

‍