A-Player
Top-tier talent, per the grading system executives apply to humans. 'A-players hire A-players; B-players hire C-players' — a quote recited most often by self-identified A-players.
Heard in the wild
“The new VP only wants A-players, per the all-hands.”
Tone check: Cliché
Letter-grading people flattens context. Yesterday's C-player is often an A-player who was badly managed.