Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs – Cedric Pech #023

You 100% join a leader; you join a person. If you join an average company with an amazing leader, you’re going to have a great experience. If you join a great company with a bad leader, that’s not going to work. Often, younger generations think in terms of market share and market potential which are still very important factors, but they forget the most basic things – who is the person on the other side?”  - Cedric Pech  

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies.  

In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. Discover how thirty-three sales execs from one organisation, BladeLogic, became CXOs in the world’s 100 fastest growing technology companies. We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most prolific sales leaders in the industry. 

Episode 23 features Cedric Pech, CRO of MongoDB. With over 20 years of sales leadership experience, Cedric has a track record of building high-performance sales organizations that deliver strong and consistent results. Prior to MongoDB, he led worldwide sales at Fuze, an enterprise global cloud communications and collaboration software platform. He has also held senior sales leadership roles for four different software companies, including three publicly traded companies – BladeLogic, BMC, and BazaarVoice. 

Cedric first joined MongoDB in 2017 to lead Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sales and was promoted to CRO in 2019. Since then, he has continued to drive exceptional growth for the company, expanding into new markets, implementing new processes, and scaling formidable sales teams that have generated billions of dollars in revenue.  

“There is no greatness without pain but there is fairness and attention to the people – I don’t treat them like cash machines who are just there to produce software. I’m not in the software business, I’m 100% in the people business. My job is to help people fulfil their dreams.” 

Cedric is committed to the development of his people and dedicated to creating a nurturing environment for employees so that they can develop their skillset and thrive both as part of the teams at MongoDB and throughout their careers. His aim is to build confidence in a new generation of sales leaders by offering well-defined paths for career growth, open feedback and a culture of learning and development. In terms of how to succeed in building a great sales organization in the software business, Cedric believes in the importance of being consistent, disciplined, following the sales process, and, above all, creating a sense of purpose.  

“Keep reminding people why we are building the ship in the first place – keep reminding them that one day we are going to be sailing on the ocean and it’s going to be fun. Remind them of the vision that you embarked on together and reinforce it – a sense of mission in the team is really, really important.” 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

·         An insight into the continuing growth and exciting future for MongoDB.  

·         What motivates Cedric to succeed and how Carlo Carpenelli shaped him as a leader.  

·         How to scale your career in SAAS and the importance of great leadership, especially in the early days.  

·         How use the playbook as a tool to motivate high performing teams and build a healthy culture of development.  

·         How to build solid foundations for a successful career in SAAS.  

Cedric Pech knows how to build a legendary sales organization. His incredible success in this industry is a testament to his values and unique approach to developing people. To him, MongoDB is more than just a job, it is a call of vocation, a playground for innovators and an opportunity to mould exceptional leaders who will lead the disruption of the database market, empower developers and transform the industry. In this discussion we cover all of this and more as we delve into Cedric’s past and his experiences in the software sales arena. For anyone with a passion for the technology space or an interest in sales strategy, this interview is essential listening and offers an invaluable insight into how to succeed in this industry.