Recap: Private Fireside Dinner with Heather Brunner, CEO & Chairwoman of WP Engine
Heather Brunner built WP Engine into a $290M ARR business and took it through a private equity acquisition. At our Austin fireside dinner, she talked about the decisions that defined her tenure — and what she'd do differently.
Astronomic Team
Founder, Sales Dinners by Astronomic
Heather Brunner joined WP Engine as CEO in 2013 when it had fewer than 20 employees. By the time she stepped back from the CEO role, the company had grown to $290M+ ARR, 1,200 employees, and had completed a major private equity transaction with Silver Lake. She remains Chairwoman of the Board.
At our private fireside dinner in Austin, Heather sat down with 16 executives — investors, founders, and operators — and spent two hours talking about what it actually takes to scale a SaaS company from startup to enterprise.
The Headliner
Heather is one of the most respected operators in Austin's tech ecosystem. She's known for her direct, no-nonsense style and her willingness to talk about the hard parts of scaling — the people decisions, the board dynamics, the moments where she almost got it wrong.
What She Talked About
The conversation covered three main themes:
Building a sales org that can scale. Heather talked about the transition from founder-led sales to a professional sales organization — the mistakes she made, the hires that didn't work, and the framework she eventually landed on for evaluating sales leadership.
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The PE acquisition. WP Engine took investment from Silver Lake in 2018. Heather was candid about what the process was like, what she negotiated for, and what she wished she'd known going in.
The next chapter. Heather is actively investing in and advising early-stage companies. She talked about what she looks for, the founders she says yes to, and the red flags she's learned to spot.
The Room
Sixteen guests, a private home in Austin, a private chef, and a conversation that ran 45 minutes over schedule. That's the Fireside Dinners format — and it's why people keep coming back.
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