In a market that rewards velocity and punishes stagnation, a great Chief Growth Officer (CGO) isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. But what makes a great CGO?
At Arant Ventures, we’ve helped businesses scale strategically, not sloppily. We know the difference between a CGO who generates boardroom buzz and one who drives real, lasting growth. The secret? Look for leaders who deliver across Performance, People, and Product.
Let’s break down what to look for when hiring or evaluating your next Chief Growth Officer.
1. Performance: Marketing and Sales That Actually Deliver
Your CGO needs to have their finger on the pulse of revenue-driving operations. That means both marketing that converts and sales that close.
Ask yourself:
- Can this leader interpret marketing ROI and course-correct campaigns that stall?
- Do they understand customer acquisition cost (CAC), LTV, conversion rates, and churn—and know how to improve them?
- Can they build and manage a high-performing funnel across multiple channels (paid, organic, referral, etc.)?
✅ What to look for:
- Proven success scaling pipeline in both B2C and B2B.
- Clear grasp of data: attribution, velocity, and cohort analysis.
- Ability to unite sales and marketing under shared KPIs.
- Experience using platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Marketo with strategic intent (not just dashboards).
🛑 Red flag: CGOs who talk only about “branding” or “top of funnel” but can’t walk you through how demand turns into dollars.
2. People: Building and Elevating the Sales Team
No CGO is effective without a team that performs. You want someone who doesn’t just hire fast—they hire smart, train well, and develop leaders from within.
Ask yourself:
- Can they spot sales talent and onboard them into momentum quickly?
- Do they believe in coaching over micromanaging?
- Can they bridge gaps between marketing, SDRs, AEs, and customer success?
✅ What to look for:
- Experience creating internal playbooks and performance standards.
- Use of metrics like ramp time, win rate, sales cycle length, and quota attainment as coaching tools.
- Ability to lead training sessions and performance reviews with empathy and urgency.
- Culture-first mindset: they help salespeople become ambassadors, not just closers.
🛑 Red flag: CGOs who blame the sales team instead of owning their growth and structure.
3. Product: Crafting and Launching New Revenue Streams
Growth isn’t just about scaling what’s working—it’s about identifying what’s next.
The best CGOs have a Go-To-Market (GTM) mindset when it comes to product. Whether it’s launching a new offering, entering a new market, or monetizing an underutilized audience segment, they think like a founder and act like a growth architect.
Ask yourself:
- Have they led successful product launches from market research to revenue?
- Can they balance innovation with strategic risk?
- Do they understand the voice of the customer and use it to influence roadmap and positioning?
✅ What to look for:
- Experience building GTM plans for both new products and feature expansions.
- Collaboration with product, ops, and marketing to align pricing, packaging, and messaging.
- Pattern recognition for market demand and white space opportunities.
🛑 Red flag: CGOs who push product ideas without customer feedback or real validation.
Final Thought:
A world-class CGO isn’t just a marketing wiz or sales savant—they are a triple threat leader who can execute across performance, people, and product.
At Arant Ventures, we coach companies to look beyond the resume and find leaders who can weather the fire and emerge with real trust, and real results. If you’re scaling and ready to build your next phase of growth, don’t just look for a CGO who can “manage”—look for one who can build, train, and win.
Need help vetting your next Chief Growth Officer or building a performance-first growth team?
Let’s talk.