Toxic leadership has ruined a good company. The leadership team only value performing sales reps. Since the new CEO and e-staff joined in 2024, the company culture has changed to one of intimidation – perform or go on a PIP. They want growth, yet there have been may layoffs at the start of 2025 to vital departments as they take cost out the business.
How can you grow by reducing resource and asking less people to do more?
There is a lack of development. The company only focusses on the performing sales reps. There is little-to-no development of reps with potential, who may be successful with some guidance and help. They are given a few quarters to perform, and if they don’t, they are exited from the company.
The new CEO and leadership team do not care about their employees and are only focussed on cutting costs and getting the company lean to IPO (unlikely) or to be sold. His comment at the townhall is evidence of this - "My problems are your problems, and your problems are your problems".
There is a lack of direction and strategy from leadership as the company changes its messaging and go-to-market strategy every few months.
Many good and talented people have left the company in the last few months and more will leave soon. This, combined with the added workload and fear of losing your job, makes it a very challenging place to work.
They have a US-centric approach in EMEA, which does not translate and doesn’t work here. So when the company does not perform in EMEA, it is blamed on the GTM teams.
When I joined Proofpoint, it was a great company and it is sad to see what this new CEO and leadership team have done to it. My advice is to avoid Proopoint at all costs, until their is a new CEO and leadership team in place.
