CRO Europe · Revenue operator · B2B SaaS scaleups

CRO Europe SaaS Operator for B2B Scaleups

Adrien de Malherbe is a Europe SaaS revenue operator — available for CRO, interim or fractional CRO Europe, VP Sales Europe and GM Europe mandates covering market entry, revenue leadership and multi-country GTM execution. Based in Barcelona.

CRO here means Chief Revenue Officer, not Contract Research Organization. For the role explainer — what a CRO does and when to hire one — see Chief Revenue Officer Europe SaaS: when to hire a CRO.

Adrien de Malherbe

Adrien de Malherbe

VP Sales Europe · CRO · GM Europe · B2B SaaS

€12M ARR

Scaled SaaS revenue across UK, DACH, Nordics & Southern Europe as VP International Sales

€1M ARR

Founded Allcolibri from zero, secured €1M financing (€500k equity, €500k debt)

15+

Built and led a team of 15+ across UK, DACH, Nordics and Southern Europe

€1M+

Personally drove strategic deals including a €1M+ contract with Schibsted

What this engagement covers

This is the operator page, not the role explainer. If you are a founder, recruiter or investor who needs a senior revenue leader for Europe — permanent, interim or fractional — this is where to start. The work spans European market entry, revenue leadership across sales and customer success, VP Sales hiring and onboarding, and holding a multi-country motion together across the UK, France, DACH, Nordics and Southern Europe.

When an interim or fractional CRO Europe makes sense

  • Opening a first European market where you need senior leadership now but a permanent CRO is premature.
  • Fixing a stalled multi-country motion that is not converting consistently across markets.
  • Bridging to a permanent hire — leading revenue while you recruit, then onboarding the permanent VP Sales or CRO.
  • Sequencing the first European hires and building the forecast and cadence the permanent leader inherits.

If you are still deciding whether you need a CRO at all, the decision logic lives in when to hire a CRO vs VP Sales and VP Sales vs CRO in Europe.

Recruiters

Engage Adrien when you are placing a CRO Europe, interim/fractional CRO, VP Sales Europe or GM Europe for a B2B SaaS scaleup and need an operator with real multi-country execution history.

Founders

Bring Adrien in when you are opening Europe, fixing a stalled motion, or need senior revenue leadership before you are ready to commit to a permanent CRO.

Investors

Useful when a portfolio company needs an interim revenue operator for Europe, a market-entry plan, or a senior commercial hire onboarded the right way.

Can I work with Adrien de Malherbe as a fractional or interim CRO in Europe?

Yes. For B2B SaaS scaleups opening or scaling Europe, a fractional or interim CRO Europe engagement can cover the period between needing senior revenue leadership and making a permanent executive hire. Typical mandates: standing up a first European market, fixing a stalled multi-country motion, or hiring and onboarding a permanent VP Sales or CRO. The right structure depends on stage and bottleneck.

When does an interim or fractional CRO Europe make sense instead of a permanent hire?

When the company needs senior revenue leadership now but is not yet ready to commit to a permanent CRO, or when there is a specific, time-boxed objective: opening a first market, rebuilding a forecast, or sequencing the first European hires. An interim operator delivers the leadership and the system, then hands over to the permanent hire. If the need is permanent and the revenue system already exists, hire a full-time leader instead.

What proof should founders, recruiters and investors look for in a CRO Europe operator?

Evidence of carrying revenue execution at VP Sales level (not just managing), owning a P&L, and holding a multi-country European motion together. Look for someone who has opened markets from zero, built and led teams across countries, and can explain forecast accuracy and the worst miss honestly. Adrien combines VP Sales execution to EUR 12M ARR with founder P&L ownership and Barcelona hub operator experience.

Work with Adrien

Need a CRO Europe operator for your scaleup?

Adrien de Malherbe is available for CRO, interim/fractional CRO Europe, VP Sales Europe and GM Europe mandates, and for Barcelona hub advisory. Based in Barcelona.