There is always a lot of debate around who owns pricing.
Over the course of my pricing career, I have led pricing teams that were in different functions such as Marketing, Merchandizing, Finance and even Sales (yes I know!)
Pricing is a cross-functional area that involves multiple departments, such as marketing, sales, finance, and product. Collaboration and coordination between these departments are crucial for successful pricing strategy.
Pricing ownership should evolve along with the stage of the company.
Early Stage: CEO/Head of Product, essentially someone who owns the product. They are the closest to understanding value delivered and can make the most impactful decision.
Mid-Stage: Head of Pricing. An experienced pricing professional reporting directly to the C-level and owns everything related to pricing. This is when pricing teams starts to take shape and Pricing organization can start to have multiple team members.
Late-Stage: Head of Growth or Chief Pricing/Value officer. Depending on the company culture, there can be a C-level executive that will own pricing. If the company has a Head of Growth role or a Growth organization, pricing directly fits into that. This ensures a pricing champion at the Exec leadership level.
Ultimately, the best approach to pricing ownership depends on the specific needs and dynamics of the organization. It's important to establish clear lines of responsibility and ensure that pricing decisions align with the company's overall strategic goals.
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