It's clear the issue was about how that wasn't working. I'm sorry, but that sounds like pretty naïve. Many of us have worked for these kind of CEOs, with enough experience to think they know what they're talking about but not enough actual education to make the right decision.
Managing someone is about enabling them, not bullying them. The CEO doesn't 'get to ' make the decision, they are tasked with making the correct decision. That means understanding from their experts all the issues. The CEO in question seemed to be ignoring their expert.
I don't expect every CEO to do what I described, but if your CEO doesn't want to listen to you when you're supposed to be the head of sales and marketing why would you continue to work for them?
The guy raised possible issues with the CEO's plan and was ignored. If he's worth his salt, why wouldn't he be looking to find another company where he's valued more appropriately for his role?
Managing someone is about enabling them, not bullying them. The CEO doesn't 'get to ' make the decision, they are tasked with making the correct decision. That means understanding from their experts all the issues. The CEO in question seemed to be ignoring their expert.