Amanda Malko, a 3x CMO from industry giants like G2 and Mailchimp, shares her recent journey from CMO to CRO. Plus, valuable leadership and hiring lessons she learned along the way.
Changing course might not be an obvious next step for many CxOs who have moved their way up a particular functional ladder. This is especially true for someone with a career trajectory as clear and distinguished as Amanda Malko's.
With 20 years of experience scaling high-growth tech companies, Malko's career spans critical marketing roles at renowned organizations such as IgnitionOne and 360i (both acquired by Dentsu), and Massive (acquired by Microsoft). Most recently, Malko was the CMO at G2, the world's largest software marketplace. Prior to G2, she led the partnership program and marketplace business at Mailchimp, playing a crucial role in the company’s $12 billion acquisition by Intuit.
What comes next is a bold and strategic shift in line with how the market itself is transforming: Malko recently transitioned from a 3x Chief Marketing Officer to the Chief Revenue Officer at Thinkific. Malko's journey illustrates what many of us strive to do not only in our professional but also in our personal lives: Not get too comfortable.
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"Even for the best of leaders, our tendencies can be to gravitate towards the things we know and are most comfortable with. But when you take on an expanded scope of responsibility, there are going to be things that you are no longer an expert at. Once you hit that point where you need to be hiring experts who are far more experienced at what they do than you are, it's sort of a shift in the way that you lead. Great CXOs do this already.” Amanda Malko, Chief Revenue Officer, Thinkific |
Malko’s journey illustrates that to effectively drive growth and adapt to market shifts, leaders must embrace continuous professional transformation, too. Malko’s shift to CRO reflects her ambition to influence the broader GTM landscape and transcend traditional marketing boundaries to align sales, marketing, and customer success efforts for Thinkific’s holistic growth.
But what drove this significant pivot, and how did Malko approach it? Here’s a closer look at the factors that fueled her decision.
“I've run almost every go-to-market function at some point in my career,” Amanda shares. “From sales to customer support to BDRs to marketing… You name it, and I've probably run it in some way. I really wanted a role that brought all of that experience together because I hadn't done that all at the same time for one company. I was really excited by the opportunity and challenge to do that at Thinkific.”
Experience touching every major GTM function provided her with a unique vantage point and lens that allowed her to lean in and embrace the challenge of bringing these functions together under one umbrella. By doing so, she could influence a company’s entire growth engine, rather than just one component of it.
With the change in role, Malko now stands at the intersection of two converging functions: marketing and sales. Malko sees this as an opportunity for unified leadership to drive more effective growth strategies under a single strategic vision.
“There’s a macro trend that I see where marketing and sales have radically changed in the last five years and there’s a lot of blurring of lines between the two functions,” Malko observes. “Roles, scope, and goals are starting to converge. And so, especially for growth-stage companies or if it's a product-led growth company where marketing is sort of the tip of the spear for sales, I think you'll see even more convergence of the CMO and CRO roles.”
By stepping into a role that blends sales and marketing, Malko aims to spearhead industry-wide innovation. Her vision extends well beyond her work with Thinkific, reflecting a broader commitment to drive meaningful transformation that can elevate the CMO and CRO roles entirely.
“I wanted to lean into that and see if maybe I could help be a catalyst for some positive change because I think it’s a good thing for the industry as a whole and for the companies that recognize this convergence,” Malko shares.
In recent years, "GTM" has emerged as a thought leadership topic and a powerful framework for unifying sales and marketing. With companies demanding tighter alignment between revenue teams and the pressures to drive ongoing value in every facet of a business, it’s clear why this shift is happening. From the perspective of a CMO-turned-CRO, here’s key advice to navigate this convergence and craft a winning GTM strategy.
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“I think the trigger for hiring a CRO usually comes down to if there's an opportunity that we're missing out on because we don't have that next-level leadership and/or the CEO's own preferences in terms of where they want to be spending their time. I think the second thing is how the leader fits into the org design and when it might make sense to have a CRO and even how to design the CRO role.” Amanda Malko |
According to Malko, “There is no absolute right or wrong. It’s a puzzle of who you have and what you are trying to accomplish.” When it comes to knowing just when and how to merge functions or bring on a CRO to oversee GTM, it often boils down to whether the business is missing out on key opportunities due to a gap in leadership.
As companies grow, CEOs may recognize that a C-level leader can bring more cohesion and focus to key functions, whether it's by unifying sales and marketing or maintaining them as separate units. The decision often reflects both the CEO’s vision and the organizational needs, particularly around getting into untapped opportunities and optimizing where leadership time is best spent.
Speaking of org design, Malko offers valuable insights into creating an effective structure. She emphasizes the importance of evaluating how an organization’s current structure impacts opportunities and future alignment. Here are a few key questions Malko considers for refining org design as a GTM leader:
Opportunities and Gaps |
Problem Statements |
Optimizing Leadership |
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“What opportunities are we missing out on because we’re structured in a certain way?" Sometimes, it’s okay to question the status quo or reevaluate current structures. In fact, Malko emphasizes that questioning existing structures often reveals hidden inefficiencies or overlooked growth areas, making it a crucial part of driving transformation and innovation. |
“What are the problem statements? I do a lot of consulting work, particularly around CMO and CRO roles, and problem statements usually are about marketing and sales teams not feeling aligned.” Malko highlights that the answer to most problem statements is about creating unified KPIs and setting goals that foster collaboration, ensuring both teams are working toward the same outcomes. |
“How do we get the best out of the leadership and org design that we put in place right now?” Malko poses. She advises focusing on how to maximize the effectiveness of the leadership and organizational design in place. This means ensuring that the structure not only supports current goals but also adapts to future needs. |
“Regardless of the GTM function, there are a few key transferable skills that I know make for a strong leader,” shares Malko. Here’s a deeper look into the essential skills that drive effective leadership in any go-to-market role:
“What it boils down to is: Can they build and attract a great leadership team?”
A simple question for a not-so-simple task. Building a high-performing team involves recognizing potential, fostering growth, and aligning diverse skills to achieve shared goals. A strong leader must not only be able to identify this in talent, but must be able to attract, build, and keep a team that is capable of driving the company’s vision forward both in the short and long term.
“Either as a CRO or CMO, you need this fluency. You need to have the ability to be fluent in P&L metrics and be thinking not just top line, but bottom line as well.”
This fluency in both top-line and bottom-line metrics empowers leaders to make more informed, strategic decisions that drive sustainable growth and profitability, rather than just focusing on short-term gains.
“A GTM leader must be able to set great goals and KPIs that create both clarity and motivation for disparate teams to achieve the things the business needs as a whole.”
What is everyone working toward? While many other factors can vary such as team cultures, remote environments, and individual roles, the important thing is having central goals that unify efforts and drive collective progress.
“If you're a CRO, whether you are owning sales and marketing or just sales, you need to be able to work well with marketing and create plans that have alignment between the functions.”
Malko expresses it’s essential for GTM leaders to be able to break down silos and create cohesive strategies that drive real, unified impact.
“How well do GTM leaders work with their peers to get things done and align teams? For any VP, SVP, CMO, CRO — any leader in general — they need to have excellent peer collaboration and influence skills. This skill is actually more critical than their relationship with the CEO,” shares Malko.
Pulling ahead of their relationship with the CEO is the ability to collaborate and work with their peers. A GTM environment can be complex, and a leader’s success hinges on their capacity to forge strong alliances, influence cross-functional teams, and navigate nuanced dynamics.
Bonus:Talent Tips For Growth-Stage Companies and Founders Looking To Hire GTM LeadersYears ago, it was easy for a traditional recruiter with well-manicured rolodex to find a “bullseye” candidate. The job description was straightforward and the pool of candidates was small and unambiguous. Now, this bullseye candidate is a moving target amidst changing goalposts and newer, broader, more nuanced skill sets. When looking for candidates in this nuanced and complex talent market, Malko offers these key traits to look for:
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When asked about her team now as CRO, Malko shared, “Well, my team is Marketing, Sales, which includes Business Development, Customer Success, Customer Support, and Revenue Operations. That's it, I think. That's my scope.” With a warm, modest smile, she added, “Oh, and then we actually have two GMs that run other parts of the business as well. And so they’re a part of the team as well.”
Her candid response not only highlights the breadth of her responsibilities but also underscores her GTM mastery. Malko’s ability to seamlessly oversee such a diverse array of departments speaks volumes about her strategic vision and leadership.
Her experience across marketing, sales, and customer success, coupled with her knack for integrating these functions into a cohesive growth strategy, demonstrates why she is so well-suited to guide Thinkific build on their success and take them through their next phase, and help other growth-stage companies meet their next milestone.
Amanda Out Of Office📕 I could live in any fictional universe it would be: None. Our own universe is amazing enough! :) 🍽️ If I could invite 3 leaders over for coffee, they would be: Martin Luther King, Gloria Steinem, and Sadhguru 🧘♀️ The mantra I repeat to myself during tough times is: It's just a phase. Everything — the good and the bad — is just a phase. Life is about the phases and chapters you go through - and when you remember that, it's easier to slow down and enjoy it all. 📱 The most-used app on my phone: Definitely Slack. 🎧 The song that always amps me up on a Monday morning is: Anything by LCD Soundsystem |
Amanda Malko is a 3x CMO-turned-CRO and GTM leader 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.