Chris Relth is a seasoned professional with 19 years of experience in the talent industry, recognized as a thought leader and an agent of change. He is the Founder and CEO of Artemis, a specialized staffing and executive search organization, where he brings a tenacious approach to concierge-style permanent search and staffing services. Additionally, Chris is a Managing Partner for Artemis United, a DVBE-certified joint venture that works with the state, fed, and clients to help meet their vendor diversity needs. Artemis United only hires military veterans internally to help with their transition to the civilian workforce.

Chris' leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment is critical to the success of his team, and ultimately leads to successful outcomes for his clients. His company is dedicated to the satisfaction of its team members and is committed to contributing to positive, long-lasting impact through the promotion of happier, healthier workforces.

A Bay Area native, Chris holds a degree from Chico State University and has been a resident of Orange County for over a decade, where he currently resides in Ladera Ranch, CA. In his free time, Chris channels his energy into philanthropic pursuits as a partner of Miracles for Kids and sits on various boards. He is also a youth football and baseball coach and is heavily involved in fitness.

Chris Relth

I had a bad interview with an internal hire. 
But he'd told me he'd lost 100 pounds. 
He became one of our best hires.


On paper, he wasn't impressive. His answers were average. He stumbled through a few questions. 

If I'd scored him purely on interview performance, he wouldn't have made the cut.

But then, he showed me a photo of himself from a couple of years earlier, and I barely recognized him. He'd lost 100 pounds and completely transformed his body.

That told me everything I needed to know.

Losing that much weight is hard. You need to show up every single day, and twice when you don't feel like it. It takes discipline to work when no one's watching. To refuse to quit when progress feels invisible.

Those are the exact traits that separate good salespeople from great ones.

He's ended up being one of our most successful hires. 

He outworks people who interviewed circles around him and built a strong book of business. 

Proof that grit beats polish every time.

Because of him, I now ask every candidate I interview a simple question: what's the hardest thing you’ve done recently?

If they can give me proof they don't quit when things get difficult, they're in.

That's the stuff you can't teach.

Want to know if you're working with a headhunter? 
Ask the candidate one simple question:
"Why are you looking?"



I've noticed over my years how the words "headhunter," "recruiter," "staffing," "executive search," and "direct hire" all get thrown around like they mean the same thing.

But they don't.

And if you're a hiring manager trying to fill a senior role, 
Understanding the difference is important.

It could save you months of wasted time and dozens of interviews with the wrong people.

If they say:
"I’ve been applying to roles online..." 
Actively looking, browsing job boards, or applying because they're unhappy...
You’re working with a recruiter.

If they say:
"I wasn’t looking, but your opportunity sounded worth a conversation..." 
You’ve hired a headhunter.

That’s the difference.

→ Recruiters work in the active market.
People who are already looking, updating their CVs, and responding to job ads.

→ Headhunters work the hidden market.
People who are not looking, but are good enough to be worth interrupting.

Both have their place.

But if you’re hiring for leadership or niche talent, one approach gets you mediocrity while the other gets you momentum.

When every candidate on your shortlist is unemployed or “exploring,”
You’re competing for availability.
Not necessarily the best candidates.

And the best headhunters don’t wait for candidates to apply.

They call the people every other firm can’t reach and make them interested.

That’s the real difference.

Recruiters fill roles.
Headhunters change companies.=by securing the best talent IN not ON the market

And it all comes down to the quality of talent you eventually bring in.

If a CV says "led initiatives" and "managed projects."
Here's the translation:
"I've done nothing measurable."


OK, every salesperson's resume has BS on it. I get that.

But there's a huge difference between embellishing a story and talking generalized gibberish.

When I'm scanning resumes, I hunt for one thing: Evidence.

Here are some red flags to look out for:

> "Led cross-functional initiatives" - What revenue did this generate?
> "Managed key accounts" - By how much did those accounts grow?
> "Collaborated with stakeholders" - Cool story, but can you close deals?

What I want to see is completely different:

> "Grew territory from zero to $1.5M in 18 months"
> "Increased account penetration by 40% year-over-year"
> "Consistently hit 120% of quota for three consecutive years"

See the difference? 

One talks in generalisations. 
The other talks about results. In numbers. With data, you can check.

The best salespeople don't hide behind vague corporate BS. 

They lead with their wins because they understand that in sales, results are the only currency.

The numbers tell the real story. Everything else is fluff.

Instruqt

GVP, Sales and Customer Success 

How you sell is as important as what you sell. Software buyers today want to dive in and experience your products before committing. How do you make it as easy as possible for buyers to understand how they can get the most of your software? 

The best way is to make it easy to give people access to a working version of your product on the browser with data, scenarios. It’s not a simulation nor a video of your software. People can get hands-on and try it out. You can even customize based on the use case, personas, verticals. Best of all, this is achievable without waiting for your backend teams. 

Instruqt is a hands-on virtual IT lab. We help software companies drive engagement and help people see the value of your product in the entire customer lifecycle. Companies like Google Cloud, Hashicorp, Puppet, Red Hat, Lacework use Instruqt to create hands-on tutorials, self-service demos, and training. Outcomes? They generate millions of dollars in the pipeline and account expansion.

Vice President of Global Sales

Vivun

Vivun is the world’s leading provider of PreSales software. Our AI-powered platform includes solutions for PreSales Operations, Demo Automation, and aligning Sales with Product teams. Revenue leaders can now drive growth efficiently by scaling their technical selling efforts, maximizing every R&D investment and de-risking their deals. Customers include Snowflake, Zoom, Okta, Elastic, ADP, Coupa, and Harness. 

To learn more visit www.vivun.com.

Head of Enterprise and Commercial Sales: Americas and EMEA

Hero by Vivun is the first product for PreSales, designed to transform how you sell technology.

Director of Sales, Americas East and EMEA 

AppDirect

Responsible for Enterprise and Commercial Segment LOB's in North America

Head of Sales - North America

Recruiting, Developing, and Managing a Global team Responsible for New Business across Volume and Commercial Tiers - partnering with growing organizations driving revenue's of $50M - $1.5B.  

We deliver a technology enablement platform and best practices for digital transformation initiatives across ISV's, CSP's, VAR/MSP's, and Manufacturing.  We aim to power a majority of the worlds software transactions, through any channel, delivered across any device.

Director, WW Sales - Commercial Division

Responsible for New Business across Strategic Accounts $5B+ in North America. 

AppDirect is the world's leading cloud delivery marketplace provider covering SaaS, IaaS and PaaS. It is a private Application Network that allows businesses to find, buy, and use web-based software or any other cloud based asset. 

AppDirect is proud to have launched many large global marketplace partnerships with providers such as Samsung, Comcast, Deutsche Telekom, Swisscom, Bell, CloudFoundry and Staples which include many of our 250+ pre-integrated Applications such as Box, Symantec, Microsoft Office 365, Google Apps, McAfee, Webex, iMeet, Mozy, and many more. 

With one seamless interface, businesses can subscribe to applications, assign colleagues to multiple apps, and pay just one monthly bill for all their subscriptions. Through its network of branded Marketplaces, AppDirect provides Application Developers with a single point of integration to reach millions of businesses across the globe. For Channel Partners, AppDirect is the fastest and most economical way to launch a branded web-based business application marketplace.

Strategic Sales, North America

Zuora

Enterprise Account Executive

Selectica

Hired for, and chartered with the design and creation of a net new sales org. from scratch: designed business plan and aligned org. around a new GTM sales motion (Who to sell to, What to sell them, How to Sell, and Where) to effectively pivot the business from on-prem to subscription. 

Recruited and trained a commercial sales team, covering customers ranging from 25 - 2500 employees in size, and established cohesive frameworks around methodology / messaging / and process (in concert with aligning and establishing consensus across key contributing departments).

Director of Sales, Commercial Division

Strategic Account Representative

Siemens UGS PLM Software

Account Executive, Silicon Valley

Arena

Account Executive

Corporate Account Executive

Sr. Manager, Business Development

Sr. Business Development Representative

Business Development Representative

An accomplished and visionary leader with a proven track record in driving sales growth and fostering high-performing teams. Known for employing strategic thinking to effectively communicate "business value" to C-level executives, utilizing Value Centric, MEDDICC, and Challenger-based messaging and methodology frameworks. 

Consistently delivers outstanding results by aligning teams with organizational goals, optimizing sales processes, and empowering individuals and front line leaders to exceed targets. An ability to navigate through intricate business landscapes and identify untapped opportunities that consistently translate into accelerated revenue growth and increased market share. 

Recognized expertise in training and development, as well as establishing robust process, methodology, and messaging frameworks within complex sales environments, catering to diverse talent and experience levels.

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Chris Relth

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taplio

The Battle

Chris Relth

Tom Rice

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Chris Relth's LinkedIn Performance

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