Warren Zenna, the founder and CEO of The CRO Collective, will bring his expertise to the University of Chicago Executive Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) Executive Education Program in the Summer of 2024.
The CRO Collective is a B2B consultancy specializing exclusively in the development and success of chief revenue officers.
The ten-month certificate program is designed for VPs of sales, heads of marketing, and other revenue leaders looking to take on the CRO role as the next step in their careers.
Warren Zenna’s contribution to the University of Chicago program will focus on companies’ “CRO-Readiness” as a vital component of any chief revenue officer appointment. His session will emphasize critical topics related to the external challenges that all newly appointed CROs face, including knowing the right time or stage to hire a CRO, what CROs don’t do, how to prepare a company for a CRO appointment, the critical revenue operational maturation process needed before appointing a CRO, revenue leadership onboarding, revenue reporting hierarchy, operational best practices, and CRO success metrics and The CRO Collective’s proprietary CRO Revenue Engine Framework.
“As part of the University of Chicago’s ongoing mission to educate and prepare revenue leaders for the critical role of Chief Revenue Officer, we want to prepare our students for the external challenges they will face at the outset of their appointment. Even the best prepared and qualified CROs may find themselves challenged when the hiring company does not have the proper structure or plan to support their function to succeed. We are excited to bring Warren’s and the CRO Collective’s unique insights and expertise. We feel that the notion of ‘CRO-Readiness’ is crucial for our program participants to understand,” said Daniel Frailey, lead facilitator of the University of Chicago’s CRO program.
As Founder of The CRO Collective, Zenna focuses exclusively on developing revenue leaders to prepare for the role of CRO. The company was created in response to the pervasive issue of CRO failure in B2B companies and the inability of B2B founders to capture the actual value of their CRO appointments. Too many companies have a lack of understanding of the CRO role and a blueprint for properly appointing, onboarding, and supporting qualified CROs to succeed.
“In my practice, I often work with Founders and CEOs to help manage the common misconceptions and misalignments that commonly occur prior to and during the first crucial several months of the CRO appointment,” says Zenna. “We act as a connector of sorts tween the CRO and the CEO — to ensure that both sides of the equation are aligned and in lockstep. I am excited to share my unique perspective on what is the most vital relationship in the B2B ecosystem — the CRO and the CEO.”
