Overview
In this episode of Scaling Success, Volition Founding Partner Sean Cantwell interviews Chris Fahey, SVP of Talent at Volition. During the interview, Chris discusses his role at Volition, how he provides value to founders, and so much more.
Background
Chris Fahey joined Volition Capital in 2020 as our first People and Talent hire to build out the human network in support of Volition and its portfolio companies. Since joining, Chris and his team have placed 65 executive level professionals across the portfolio, providing invaluable support in helping entrepreneurs with their organizational design.
Prior to joining Volition, Chris Fahey was the Head of Ecosystem at Pillar VC, a Boston-based seed fund. Additionally, Chris also spent three years as the Chief People Officer at Alumni Ventures Group, where he helped the company grow from 10+ employees, 4 funds, and $16m in AUM to 100+ employees, 20+ funds, and over $250M in AUM. Simply put – this is not Chris’s first trip around the block.
Key Takeaways
- Hiring is an Art Not a Science – it is important to remember that hiring is an art not a science. There will be some amazing hires and there will also be ones that do not work out. Building a team is a process, and it is important to always be learning and growing throughout it. And remember, the next hire might be the one that takes your company to the next level!
- Dynamic Org Chart – When building out an org chart, it is integral to understand the growth dynamics required today, but also what you want your company to look like down the road. Often, the best course of action is working backwards from where you want to be and understand what you need to do now to get there.
- Unique Playbooks for Each Founder – Every company at the growth stage is unique and different. Spending time with the CEO and understanding the company’s specific pain points is integral. Since founders’ time is valuable, when working with CEOs, the goal should always be to move with purpose.
Brief Case Study
“Black Kite is a really great business in the cyber security space that continues to double every year. As they scale, they need to continue to think about what is next and how to bring on talent to help them in key areas. In this case, we worked closely with CEO Paul Paget and his organization to think about what the right talent is and who the right functional leaders were that we can bring in to help them continue to double over the next few years.
With that, we were able to hire a CRO with tons of experience that could help build the infrastructure and processes needed to scale. We were also able to compliment that individual with two VPs — one on the sales side, and one on the marketing side. These hires really helped Black Kite level up their ability to scale and broaden the horizon of the organization and its initiatives.
And then lastly, one of my favorite hires with Black Kite was a VP of HR. It is so important when building a company to not only attract great talent, but to retain, develop, and grow that talent. In just a couple of months, my team was able to bring in four executives that set Black Kite up for a great 2023 and beyond.”
-Chris Fahey
Links
If you enjoyed the excerpts above, make sure to check out Chris Fahey’s full interview with Sean either using the links below. If you also want to touch base with Chris and see how he and his team can be an asset to you, feel free to reach out directly to chris@volitioncapital.com
Audio: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
Video: YouTube
Transcript: Volition Website
-The Volition Press
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