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The High Performance Sales Leader
The High Performance Sales Leader
Author: Pree Sarkar
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© 2025 The High Performance Sales Leader
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"Actionable Insights from Inspiring Tech CROs & VPs" dives deep into the world of sales leadership within the dynamic technology sector.
Join us for 20-30 minute candid conversations with distinguished sales leaders—from nimble startups to global powerhouses—as they share their personal journeys, strategies, and secrets behind their remarkable results.
Whether you're an aspiring sales leader or a seasoned expert looking for fresh insights, this podcast offers a treasure trove of real-world wisdom, actionable takeaways, and lessons learned from the front lines of tech sales.
54 Episodes
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What really matters when selling AI? It’s not hype. It’s not hallucinations. It’s inference, outcomes, and customer experience. In this episode of The High Performance Sales Leader, host Pree Sarkar sits down with Warren Schilpzand, Regional Director at SambaNova Systems, to decode agentic AI—and how sales leaders can turn it into revenue, not research. Warren breaks down the difference between training vs. inference, why context engineering beats fine-tuning, and how sub-200ms response time...
What does it really take to grow into a high-impact leader—especially when the world won’t wait and your confidence wavers? In this episode of The High Performance Sales Leader, host Pree Sarkar sits down with Wendy Komadina, former VP at AWS, Cloudflare, and Cisco, and founder of TechMeForward, to unpack her framework for building leaders who lead with integrity, clarity, and commercial influence. Wendy shares her four-stage “Professional Arc,” a battle-tested roadmap that’s helped her scal...
What makes a truly elite Account Executive in complex enterprise sales? In this episode of The High Performance Sales Leader, host Pree Sarkar sits down with Antoine LeTard, a seasoned SaaS VP and APJ sales leader who’s built winning teams at AppDynamics, Rubrik, and RSA Security. Antoine introduces his “Triple Threat” framework—Science, Art & Heart—a powerful philosophy for sellers navigating today’s messy, multi-stakeholder buying world. From internalizing the playbook to coaching cham...
What does it really take to build a top-performing sales team—without big budgets, brand power, or a pre-written playbook? In this episode of The High Performance Sales Leader, host Pree Sarkar sits down with Dave Lambert, General Manager of APAC at Iterable and former VP at Medallia, to reveal the secret behind consistent sales success. Dave shares how he built award-winning teams and earned multiple President’s Club and MVP titles by focusing on discipline, trust, and execution rhythm. Lea...
What does it really take to thrive inside a private equity-backed company—especially when the stakes are high and the expectations even higher? In this episode of The High Performance Sales Leader, Pree sits down with Maurizio Garavello, SVP at Qlik, whose global career has spanned IBM, Dynatrace, Websense, and Forcepoint. From leading in public companies to mastering the dynamics of private equity environments, Maury shares what it takes to not just survive—but scale with purpose. We unpac...
Ever wonder what separates good sales teams from elite ones that consistently win? In this episode of The High Performance Sales Leader, Pree sits down with Daniel Elding—former Director of Revenue Enablement at CrowdStrike, Zscaler, and AppDynamics—to uncover the secrets behind high-performing sales orgs. Dan shares hard-earned lessons from leading sales transformations across top tech companies. From building go-to-market systems at scale to mastering recruitment, retention, and reve...
Ever feel like you're doing everything “right” at a startup, but still can’t scale past the $5M mark? Or wonder how some leaders seem built for chaos while others burn out? Kanika Pandey has done it again and again. She’s built multiple go-to-market engines across early-stage startups, weathered the chaos of founder-led sales, and learned the hard way how to scale from $0 to $5M ARR. But her story goes beyond sales. After a stroke, a failed startup, and the loss of her biggest pillar of str...
Ever felt like you were doing everything right in a deal, only to lose it and realize you were never truly in the game? Or wondered how some reps consistently hit President’s Club like it's just another checkbox? Stephen Cottrell doesn’t just hit quota. He’s earned 29 President’s Club awards over a 35-year career, closed over $1B in sales, and done it all across 48 countries. But it didn’t start that way. From boiling noodles in a Boston shoebox apartment to getting outflanked by IBM on a $1...
I spoke with Craig Harris, former CEO at Plexus and COO at Deputy … he has been a key part of some of the most exciting scale-ups in Australia. Here’s Craig’s story …. For 25 years, I’ve helped tech companies build at pace. But one journey that stands out—because of what it gave me, taught me, and broke in me—was Deputy. In four years, we scaled from $5M to $55M. We didn’t do it with smoke and mirrors. We did it with systems, sweat, and a few very sore lessons. I’ll walk you through the path ...
In today’s episode, we sat down with Brad Perriott, Country Manager and AVP at Sentinel One, to explore the art of building authentic, long-term customer relationships in sales. Brad shares his unconventional journey—from managing a punk rock band to becoming a sales leader—and dives into his customer intimacy framework, a proven method for creating meaningful connections that drive business success. Whether you're in sales, leadership, or simply looking to enhance your professional relations...
Gerard D’Onofrio is a true scale-up operator with sales in his DNA. His father was a Senior Vice President of Sales in tech, his twin brother is an enterprise rep in the US, and Gerard himself has carved an exceptional career in tech sales—earning accolades like 5x Century Club Winner, President’s Club, and #1 global rep at AdRoll. But what sets Gerard apart is what he’s built, not just what he’s sold. After a powerhouse five-year stint at AdRoll—including launching their APAC HQ in Sydney—Ge...
Have you ever felt like your career path doesn’t quite fit the traditional mold? Maybe you've considered transitioning into a new role but felt limited by hiring criteria that seem too rigid. If so, this episode is for you! Josh English, former Head of Sales Development for Australia at Salesforce and APAC Sales Development Manager at Procore, shares invaluable insights on hiring SDRs from unconventional backgrounds. From comedians to teachers to pilots, Josh has built high-performing t...
Are you a sales leader struggling to consistently hit your revenue targets? Do you feel like something is missing in your approach, but you can’t quite pinpoint what? If so, you’re in for a treat. In this episode, we sit down with Bart Fanelli, CEO and co-founder of Skillibrium. With a rich history that includes being CRO at OutSystems and VP of Field Success at Splunk for seven years, Bart has seen it all when it comes to sales leadership—both the successes and the failures. Join us as...
Join us today as Jason Leonidas sits down with us to share his insights on coaching and mentoring sales managers, promoting talent from within, and building high-performing sales teams. Jason, the APAC RVP at New Relic, brings decades of experience in the software industry. In this episode, he dives into his innovative framework for developing sales leaders using the four sales personas: the Super Seller, the Business Manager, the Evangelist or Thought Leader, and the Team Builder. Episode ...
Have you ever wondered how your personality influences your leadership style? In this episode, Pree Sarkar sits down with Fabian Calle, Managing Director of SAP Concur, to discuss his 15-year journey in leadership. Fabian shares insights on leading as an introvert, shaping culture through personal values, and navigating the demands of both professional and personal life. Episode Highlights: When choosing roles, Trust Your Gut with People (Even When The Tech Sounds Dull)Leadership Isn’t Glamor...
David Hope, an APAC SVP with a 40-year career in Asia, shared his transformative sabbatical journey. Starting in Nepal, he trekked solo to Everest base camp and spent three nights in a monastery with a Buddhist Guru, learning meditation techniques. He then walked 260 km on the Camino trail in Portugal to Santiago, reinforcing his relationship with his wife. David also explored historical sites like Gallipoli, Ephesus, and Crete, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and authentic...
In today's episode, we dive deep into the revolutionary world of AI-driven sales training with Sai, the co-founder and CEO of Hyperbound.ai, a virtual sales gym designed to elevate GTM functions, sales, customer success, pre-sales, and much more. Hyperbound.ai is turning heads in the tech world, and sales leaders are raving about its ability to deliver real-world simulations and role-playing training at scale. Sriharsha Guduguntla, a graduate of Y Combinator's Summer Cohort 2023, takes us thr...
Russell Evans, former CRO at Dubber, discussed his transition from large corporations to startups, highlighting Dubber's growth from $5 million to $38 million ARR in five years. Key drivers included partnerships with Cisco and Microsoft, the unified communications as a service (UCaaS) market's 18-22% annual growth, and a partner-only go-to-market strategy. Evans emphasised the importance of cultural fit, data-driven decision-making, and maintaining a high-energy, partner-centric approach. Cha...
In this episode, we sit down with Alex Palmer, SMB Manager - ANZ at Deel, a hyper-growth Pre-IPO SaaS company revolutionizing payroll and workplace mobility worldwide. Originally from the UK, Alex came to Australia with dreams of playing professional cricket. His experience as an athlete shaped his approach to leadership, emphasizing continuous improvement, resilience, and a focus on team growth. Today, he leads with transparency, honesty, and a passion for helping others succeed—both on his ...
In this episode, we explore the power of a beginner’s mindset with Mark Fazackerley, a high-performance sales leader and martial arts practitioner. Mark shares how adopting a sense of wonder can open up infinite possibilities, whether in business or personal growth. We also delve into his journey through martial arts, how it shaped his leadership style, and his unique perspective as the "Roving Reporter" on LinkedIn. About Mark Fazackerley: Mark Fazackerley, a high-performance sales leader wh...



