About The Position
XM Cyber is a continuous threat exposure management solution that helps clients efficiently remediate vulnerabilities by understanding every potential attack path to their critical assets. As a pre-IPO cybersecurity vendor, we are uniquely backed by the Schwarz Group, Europe's largest retailer. This support allows us to think strategically with a long-term vision for the industry, free from the typical pressures of venture capital.
Following our acquisition in 2021, we have seen exponential growth in the DACH region, which is now our most critical market. We're seeking a proven and experienced sales leader to guide this team through its next phase of growth. This is a strategic leadership role with an immediate start date.
The Role
As the AVP for DACH, you will be responsible for building and executing the region's strategy. This involves creating a comprehensive plan that addresses growth and go-to-market needs, including ARR scaling, resource allocation, investments, channel partnerships, marketing, sales processes, market segmentation, named accounts, and overall business efficiency. A key part of your role will be answering the central question of how to scale the business as quickly and efficiently as possible, all while leveraging the support of our parent company, channel partners and strategic partnerships.
You will apply strong domain expertise in the enterprise security space, coupled with a deep understanding of enterprise-level sales. This role reports to the VP EMEA and will require travel throughout the DACH region and, occasionally, within EMEA. A critical component of this role is understanding how to build business models through the Schwarz Group and leveraging their extensive connections and resources in the market. You will also work closely with a cross-functional sales team dedicated to building opportunities within the Schwarz Group.
Responsibilities
- Build, own, and execute the regional business strategy.
- Manage the existing team and hire new members to support business growth.
- Work with channel management teams to build and execute a regional channel strategy across a mix of partners, including GSIs, VARs, and MSSPs.
- Collaborate with the Schwarz Group to build and execute a DACH-focused business growth strategy aligned with XM Cyber's Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
- Partner with marketing on demand generation strategies and campaigns focused on the ICP across DACH.
- Align with the BDR (Business Development Representative) team to execute our Named Account strategy.
- Lead from the front: Be a confident and impactful speaker at industry events, present to senior contacts in named accounts, and proactively use your network to create early-stage sales engagements.
- Coach and mentor the team to develop skills and build success for both the individual and the company.
- Manage the team's quarterly business review (QBR) process.
- Lead the regional "Big Deal" process, underpinned by the MEDDPIC methodology.
- Ensure that company CRM systems, such as Salesforce, are maintained.
- Meet assigned sales targets within the DACH region.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in the IT industry, with at least 3 years in a senior sales leadership role.
- Proven ability to evangelize new technologies and ideas.
- Deep knowledge of the cybersecurity industry and the go-to-market models used by various partners.
- Previous experience working in a start-up environment and building a business during the "scale-up" phase is essential.
- Strategic thinker with a view for building scalable business models.
- Knowledge of and experience working with cloud service provider marketplaces.
- Experience with a SaaS vendor.
- Strong enterprise sales background, with hands-on experience in enterprise sales winning major logos
- Tactical management experience, including guiding a team and helping to build a channel strategy.
- Exceptional presentation skills (oral and written).
- Fluent in both English and German.
- Knowledge of and formal training on industry-accepted sales methodologies (e.g., Target Account Selling, Miller Heiman, SPIN). MEDDPIC knowledge is a definite advantage.
- Ability to travel regularly within the DACH region as needed.