Early-growth peripheral vascular company · Peripheral Vascular and Endovascular
One hire out of 280 for a national VP of Sales
A company launching a breakthrough arterial product needed a national sales leader to build a hybrid sales organization. The pipeline ran to 280 candidates and produced exactly one hire, which is what a genuinely narrow brief looks like when it's screened honestly.
- 280
- candidates in the pipeline
- 53
- days to accepted offer
- 1
- hire
The role was new, national, reported to the CEO, and existed to launch a breakthrough arterial product while building a hybrid sales organization behind it. That combination asks for peripheral vascular depth, leadership experience and a launch track record in the same person, at a company small enough that the VP would be doing the work as well as leading it.
Non-negotiables
- 5+ years of sales leadership in medical devices, ideally thrombectomy, atherectomy or peripheral vascular
- 5 to 7+ years of direct device sales in peripheral vascular or adjacent technology such as atherectomy, embolization or PAD
- 3 to 5+ years leading direct reports
- Demonstrated success launching new technology and scaling a team from early stage to a national footprint
- 01
Worked a live network, not a database
The search ran through active, engaged connections in the peripheral vascular market, where the Talent Director already knew who was performing and who was reachable.
- 02
A video for the opportunity itself
A position video was made for the role, so a passive candidate could see what they were being asked to join before deciding whether to take a call about it.
- 03
Applications and referrals tracked as a system
Automated application handling and an internal referral tracking system meant a pipeline of this size could be worked without candidates falling through it.
280 candidates worked
A deliberately wide pipeline for a narrow brief, rather than a shortlist assembled from the obvious names.
53 days from sourcing to accepted offer
For a national leadership role reporting to the CEO.
70 days from sourcing to start
Including the notice period, so the client could plan around a real date.
One hire
The brief didn't bend to the pipeline. The 279 who didn't fit weren't presented.
The cost of a bad talent decision is almost always greater than the cost of the hire itself.
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