Carter Cathey

What I Do

Most companies don’t have a sales problem. They have a system problem.

• pricing is inconsistent

• pipeline is unreliable

• account management isn’t driving growth

• leaders are compensating for broken processes

So results depend on individual effort instead of repeatable systems.

That works… until it doesn’t.

Where I Add Value

I typically work in environments where:

• Growth has stalled or become unpredictable

• Teams are large enough to require structure, but don’t have it

• Pricing and discounting lack discipline

• Sales, account management, and operations aren’t aligned

• Leadership wants scale, but the system isn’t built for it

This often shows up in:

• PE-backed companies

• Founder-led businesses transitioning to scale

• Organizations post-acquisition or in integration

What That Looks Like in Practice

My work tends to focus on a few core areas:

Commercial Systems & Process
Building structure into how revenue is generated:
pipeline management, deal qualification, forecasting, governance

Pricing & Discipline
Creating consistency in how the business prices and sells:
reducing leakage, improving margins, and reinforcing value

Team Design & Accountability
Clarifying roles, expectations, and performance standards:
so results aren’t dependent on a few individuals

Account Growth
Shifting account management from support function to revenue driver

Selected Outcomes

• Built and scaled global sales teams

• Led pricing and commercial transformation initiatives

• Implemented systems that improved forecast accuracy and pipeline visibility

• Rebuilt business development functions to reduce churn and drive expansion

• Led post-acquisition integration of sales organizations

Content / Point of View

I write about:

• leadership and the transition from IC → manager

• commercial systems and why they fail

• pricing, governance, and sales discipline

• what actually drives performance in revenue organizations

Not theory—what I’ve seen work (and fail) in practice.

About (Short Version)

I’ve spent my career building and rebuilding commercial organizations.

That includes:

• standing up sales operations and systems from scratch

• fixing pricing inconsistency across teams and regions

• redesigning account management to drive revenue, not just support

• leading teams through growth, change, and integration

I’m most effective in environments that need both:

• structure and discipline

• and the ability to operate inside real-world complexity

Most of my work is in full-time leadership roles.

But I also engage in a limited number of advisory and coaching relationships where it makes sense.

• Consulting: short-term engagements focused on diagnosing and fixing commercial systems

• Coaching: working with individual leaders navigating growth, scale, and leadership transitions

Testimonials

I had the pleasure of working with Carter for the past 3.5 years. He consistently provided insightful and thorough approaches when evaluating new implementations. Carter was an exceptional partner for Sales Operations, always championing team members and celebrating their successes, understanding that their wins were wins for the company as a whole. Despite industry challenges, his team consistently met and exceeded their sales goals. I would be delighted to work with Carter again, as he will undoubtedly be an asset wherever he goes.

Andrew Kawalek, VP of Global Sales

If you're working through growth challenges, system breakdowns, or scaling issues--this is the kind of work I focus on.