Beyond $100M ARR: G2 CEO Godard Abel Shares Inside Look at Building the C-Suite To Get Them There

The world’s leading software marketplace, G2, set its sights on an ambitious goal: surpassing $100M ARR. To get there, G2’s CEO Godard Abel led the company through one of its biggest and most tenacious transformations yet of building a C-suite team that drove this growth.

The Team That Got G2 to This Point Built the Foundation — Now, the G2 Team Is Focused on Building the Future 

Each business stage for high-growth organizations is vastly different from one another. Goals, visions, and strategies at an early-growth stage organization will likely be night and day than those of a pre-IPO organization. This requires a tailored approach to leadership teams and new perspectives that can usher in the next chapter.

The team that has shaped and carried G2 through its early startup days to the renowned market leader it is today, has been nothing short of extraordinary and instrumental in driving its growth up to this point. G2’s success has been built on the shoulders of incredible executive leadership with unique skill sets the company needed at very distinct junctures. Yet, as many founders understand, the same team that takes you to one milestone may not be the same team that propels you to the next one.

TLDR: You need the exact right team, at the exact right time and place to drive your business to the next level of growth and meet a specific goal.

Godard’s Perspective On Building His A-Team

To shatter that $100M milestone, G2 has assembled a C-suite and executive leadership team who have all been there, done that. In the last year alone, they’ve built a team with collective, extensive experience navigating the complexities of scaling at a global level and have a proven track record of driving companies through transformative growth. 

Sharing insights and an inside look into G2’s PEAK culture and philosophy that drives this hiring strategy, we spoke to G2’s CEO, Godard Abel, to learn more about this pivotal moment in time in the company’s history and the team that will take them from a market leader, to an unstoppable force.

Meet the Executive Team That's Leading G2 Through This Next Phase

 

Eric Gilpin Chief Revenue Officer	The Why Behind the Role: A recent Hunt Club Market Survey revealed that the #1 transformation businesses plan to execute in the next 12–24 months is implementing new revenue models—a shift largely driven by AI and evolving market demands as it relates to driving ongoing value in every inch of a tech stack.  As these changes shake up the software industry, Eric Gilpin's leadership is essential and highly relevant to G2's strategy. He’s at the center of this transformation, ensuring G2 capitalizes on new revenue opportunities, drives increased and improved value, and stays ahead, accelerating them past their $100M ARR target. Godard’s Inside Look: “Eric joins G2 at an ideal time, where we’re uniquely positioned to power software buying and selling in the age of AI. The rise of AI, paired with today’s economy, means selling software is getting harder. Software companies must move faster to keep up with buyer expectations. As we look to support our customers in this new landscape, Eric has the ideal experience to help guide G2 to our next peak.”
Chad Gold Chief Financial Officer	The Why Behind the Role: With AI reshaping the software market, G2 faces massive opportunities—and with that, new, complex financial hurdles. Chad Gold’s appointment as CFO signals G2’s commitment to scaling smartly, seizing new opportunities, and navigating the challenges of global expansion.  Godard’s Inside Look: “The decision to bring on Chad as our first-ever CFO is an important step in G2’s journey. As we accelerate growth, it’s crucial that we have the right finance leadership at the helm. With Chad joining G2 his experience leading and scaling global finance and operations functions will be instrumental in helping us achieve our vision and reach our next peak as a company.”
Sydney Sloan Chief Marketing Officer	The Why Behind the Role: With Sydney Sloan, G2 is focusing on creating stronger, value-driven relationships between software buyers and sellers. Her experience leading both pre- and post-IPO companies highlights a strategic shift for G2 as it navigates its own next-level growth. Sloan’s leadership marks a deliberate investment in developing both the company's market position and its people, ensuring G2’s expansion is as thoughtful as it is transformative. Godard’s Inside Look: “As a self-proclaimed G2 super fan, Sydney is joining at an exciting time in the company’s growth story to create an even greater connection between software buyers and sellers. Sydney is a seasoned marketing leader with decades of experience under her belt driving transformative growth for technology businesses.”
Tim Sanders VP of Research Insights	The Why Behind the Role: Further strengthening G2’s transformative team is Tim Sanders, who steps into a pivotal role designed to keep the company at the forefront of change and innovation. Focusing on ensuring data-driven growth, his addition is crucial in ensuring G2 remains ahead of the industry and continues to lead with strategic, innovative approaches. Godard’s Inside Look: “Tim comes to G2 from Upwork, the world’s work marketplace used by 30% of the Fortune 100. There, he served as VP of Client Strategy, focused on driving a customer-centric approach to help businesses solve their talent gap problems, with an emphasis on digital transformation. With Tim’s deep experience and expertise in analyzing data to reveal trends, he will be an asset and ambassador for the G2 brand.”

G2’s PEAK Culture: The Essential Factor in Finding Top-Tier Executive Leaders

“When your business is scaling fast, culture can be one of the first priorities to get left behind,” says Abel. “After I sold a company, the firm that acquired it imposed a culture I didn’t believe in. Over time, I realized what I missed wasn’t the company itself—it was the culture we’d built and the people that culture had attracted. We know that culture can’t be compromised during hypergrowth—it should be intensified.”

This same culture drives G2’s search for top talent and manifests itself as what they refer to as PEAK—Performance, Entrepreneurship, Authenticity, and Kindness. 

This living framework (inspired by the book by Chip Conley) shapes every decision G2 makes, from how they solve complex problems to how they hire their C-suite team.

"I’ve learned the importance of nurturing talent, taking note of high-performance entry-level employees, and keeping the best with you,” Abel shares. “The culture you create will also play a major role in attracting and retaining those high performers. At G2, PEAK describes the values defining our culture. With our PEAK culture, we are able to decrease regrettable attrition and increase eNPS (employee satisfaction)." 

Abel emphasizes that culture isn’t just a byproduct of success but a critical engine that actively drives it. By staying committed to the PEAK framework, G2 is not only able to attract top talent like Gilpin, Gold, Sloan, and Sanders, but also fosters an environment where they bring their unique talents to the table—and accelerate G2 past their $100M collective goal.

New, Big Goal. Same Core Values.

G2 set an ambitious goal and knew it would take an exceptional executive leadership team to achieve it. Leading a transformation of this magnitude required asking tough questions, making bold decisions, and communicating those choices clearly while justifying them to the broader team. It’s a complex process that takes time, patience, and precision. 

Yet, Abel still navigated this journey and steered the company through strategic change while remaining deeply committed to G2’s PEAK values. This balance—leading with vision without compromising what the company stands for—is a rarity indeed.

Learn More About How Godard Abel Can Help You Build the Right C-Suite To Take Your Business Where It Needs To Go Next

Godard Abel is the Co-Founder and CEO of G2 and executive SaaS leader with over 25 years of experience in the Hunt Club ExpertAccess Program, which puts first-string operators in your back pocket for all things talent so you can hire better, smarter, and faster.