for Most Creative
CS leaders list 2024

At Haptik, Raman faced the challenge of enhancing adoption for a recently launched feature among key accounts. He introduced the Product Adoption League, engaging 25 teams across diverse industries. Over a quarter, real-time dashboards tracked feature usage, bug reporting, and feedback. This initiative led to an impressive 70% feature adoption, greatly surpassing the initial 25% target. The achievement was celebrated with recognition and rewards for the top-performing organizations and their representatives.

At UserTesting, Jon took on the challenge of boosting efficiency and value realization by implementing a three-pronged engagement strategy at scale. This approach combined automated personalization with monthly lunch and learn sessions hosted by internal champions to ensure a strong Voice of the Customer presence within their owned account base. The results spoke volumes: a remarkable 22% increase in direct usage year over year, alongside solidified value realization within 45% more of the target executive groups.

Shruti tackled her client's challenge of optimizing communication and driving product adoption during the crucial first 7-30 days of customer onboarding, while ensuring sustained alignment with long-term goals. Through a comprehensive evaluation of the initial customer experience, she established a system to maintain customer engagement and encourage continued solution adoption. Her initiatives eliminated frictions in the customer journey from sales to post-sale stages, resulting in a notable decrease in onboarding time from 10 to 7 days on average.

Azfar at IRONSCALES faced a dual challenge: the team lacked the tools to grasp evolving customer needs, and identifying the right packages or add-ons to meet those needs was a significant hurdle. He responded by implementing a playbook with defined discovery questions to partner effectively with customers and introduced tracking mechanisms in the CRM platform to monitor usage data and identify potential roadblocks. This proactive approach not only improved customer satisfaction and loyalty but also led to an increased GRR. Additionally, it unveiled new product and service offerings tailored to address customer challenges.

Bhavika identified a critical need for comprehensive support for women in India and founded CS Ladies to address it. Unlike other communities, CS Ladies nurtures both professional and personal growth. Through impactful workshops and mentorship, it has amassed over 5000 dedicated followers. The #CSLadiesGlobal movement has expanded this impact globally. You can already see the business impact as, Bhavika's workplace has also seen positive changes, with the implementation of successful success plans inspired by the community

Delia encountered a challenge during a consulting session when a strategic customer made a feature development request. Fearing to reject the request and jeopardize the relationship, there was a tendency to compromise business scalability and the product roadmap. To address this, Delia introduced the "Saying NO" Success Framework, enabling a healthy way to decline requests while maintaining open communication. The outcome was a strengthened relationship built on transparent, empathetic, and caring interactions.

At DocuSign, the goal was to enhance customer value and boost retention rates. Jess implemented unique engagement strategies including 4 innovative approaches to help her truly keep the customer first: onsite Executive Business Reviews, bi-weekly strategic calls, Point of View White Space Roadmap Meetings, and, the 'Reverse Demos' approach which was having customers do a product demo showcasing how they are using the product. The result? Increased engagement, additional revenue from upsells and cross-sells, and improved renewal rates. Jess's dedication to customer-centric excellence has made a lasting impact at DocuSign.

With a strategic focus on enhancing user experience and knowledge exchange, Ezra introduced a dynamic community platform tailored to various user segments. The initiative, which officially launched in October, has seen a substantial influx of participants, with thousands actively contributing to insightful discussions. Notably, the community's visibility at Talent Connect, LinkedIn's renowned annual conference, underscores its significance in facilitating user connections and driving platform adoption

Swati at Melo Associates faced the challenge of streamlining operations in a fast-growing, resource-constrained environment. With limited budget, she ingeniously leveraged Google applications and existing ATS/CRM functionalities to boost internal efficiency. Although it's early for concrete metrics, the team is already benefiting from improved visibility of qualitative data

Abhay from Skyhigh Security tackled a challenging scenario marked by low retention rates and negative NPS scores. Through a focused strategy centered on driving solution adoption and implementing a strict governance process, Abhay achieved remarkable turnarounds. Within two quarters, retention rates for high ARR customers soared, and NPS scores shifted from negative to positive. This success not only bolstered customer satisfaction but also paved the way for upselling and cross-selling opportunities, highlighting Abhay's instrumental role in the company's growth.

At The Customer Success Pro, Anika's customers faced the challenge of low retention rates due to economic conditions and limited user engagement. She devised a customer journey map using Miro and Hubspot, establishing a baseline for customer health and engagement. Anika then created a Customer Engagement Score, and integrated it with the journey and overall health metrics, empowering CSMs to pinpoint optimal engagement moments. The results were significant: a 3% reduction in churn within three months, alongside heightened success rates and product engagement.

Julie at FloQast revolutionized risk management amid rapid growth. She introduced a manager forecasting tool and instituted weekly leadership meetings for focused churn discussions. This shift in approach led to stable gross retention and significant savings. Future plans include further automation and comprehensive playbooks for sustained success in risk mitigation. Additionally, the team is implementing post-mortem churn analysis to enhance learning at scale.

Rohan at SmartKarrot undertook the challenge of advocating for the critical role of a Customer Success function in organizations, recognizing it as a pivotal driver of revenue growth. By crafting compelling business cases and emphasizing the value of data-driven customer experience management, they not only garnered traction but also contributed substantially to organizational revenue, demonstrating sustained growth over three years. Their mission is to empower businesses to flourish by establishing a robust CS function, now considered a cornerstone for revenue expansion in today's dynamic business landscape.

Katie at Infinity Tracking navigated a challenging phase post-acquisition, marked by a significant decline in retention rates. Notably, 35% of churn was attributed to the 'Programmatic' Customer segment, lacking dedicated CSM resources. Katie's ingenious solution included sophisticated automation, encompassing crucial elements like tracking digital book performance and optimizing AI tools for real-time responses and templated replies. The outcome? A phenomenal 266% upswing in customer engagement, alongside initiatives seamlessly meeting ambitious financial targets for FY23/24.

At DocuSign, Emily faced the challenge of a strained client relationship with potential revenue loss. What set Emily apart was her collaborative approach—she involved the client in co-developing the action plan. This ensured that the solution was tailored to their specific needs and concerns, fostering a feeling of partnership and shared ownership. Post-renewal, she conducted a comprehensive review and invited the client to an internal sales meeting. The result? What could have been a 50% reduction in investment turned into 0% churn, with net MRR even showing growth, showcasing Emily's effective problem-solving and relationship-building skills.

Marcus leads a paradigm shift in customer success at Logicalis, breaking down silos and aligning services with client objectives. This holistic approach ensures a seamless success plan, bridging pre and post-sales efforts. Amid the pandemic, Marcus's team played a pivotal role in enabling a major bank to transition 75% of its workforce to remote work, achieving uninterrupted operations. This feat not only showcases the power of technology but also cements trust in Logicalis solutions. The impact: 100k users seamlessly connected, solidifying Logicalis's position as a reliable technology partner.

At Whale, the challenge was tailoring support for a diverse customer base, impacting NRR. They innovatively crafted a detailed playbook within their CRM. By segmenting customers based on industry and size, they ensured customized health score metrics. Automated emails provided tailored guidance, leading to enhanced retention and operational efficiency. This approach transformed their customer journey, resulting in higher retention and reduced manual efforts.

At Spryker, Pablo aimed to boost brand affinity and deepen customer engagement for greater adoption and an enriched experience. He implemented a two-pronged approach: a personal touch involving inventive gestures like sending finger-puppets and pizzas, and a tech-driven solution by integrating EverAfter for a unified customer experience. The outcomes were impressive, with heightened engagement, improved communication, and increased trust between CSMs and customers. EverAfter proved invaluable in streamlining the customer journey and facilitating seamless interactions as the one-stop shop for CSM and customer communication.

At PeopleForce, Alexandra transformed operations from Support-focused to Customer Success-centric. Addressing a major churn issue - poor onboarding, she personalized the process, segmenting customers by size and HR familiarity. This led to tailored onboarding plans and a CSM bonus tied to quality. The result: "Poor onboarding" as a churn reason vanished, and overall revenue churn dropped from 2% to 1%. Alexandra's initiative marked a significant shift in customer success at PeopleForce.

Exly faced a critical challenge: the need to boost customer retention and drive growth. Under Gauri's initiative, they implemented data-driven strategies to understand customer behavior and preferences. This involved categorizing creators and tailoring personalized strategies using Exly's tool. By optimizing acquisition funnels, they achieved remarkable results. The outcome? A swift product launch meeting customer needs, leading to a 20x - 60x increase in overall revenue.

In response to the critical need for increased platform adoption at Gitlab, David led a transformative initiative focusing on optimizing the customer journey for accelerated adoption and outcomes. By integrating various departments, from marketing to renewals, and employing strategies like journey mapping, he drove remarkable improvements. Notably, time-to-platform adoption saw significant enhancements, showcasing the success of this integrated approach.

Pankaj tackled declining support productivity and high costs for small customers at Automation Anywhere. His innovative solution involved integrating automation tools and custom-built bots, reducing reliance on human support. This included chat support, query automation, and sentiment analysis. The impact was remarkable: customer satisfaction surged by 20%, employee NPS increased by 52%, and retention rates excelled. Pankaj's initiatives brought about a substantial transformation in support operations.

At a prior role in a major SaaS firm, Jared faced a key challenge: a lack of customer outreach and a handoff process between CSMs. There wasn't any internal clarity of what was going on with each customer. Jared established a systematic approach, recording client notes in critical areas. These included initial motivation, ongoing projects, current challenges, and use case overview. The outcome was impressive: enhanced customer feedback and noticeable growth in accounts. This success was primarily attributed to the accessibility of up-to-date information, pivotal for seizing upsell opportunities.

CSS needed to increase customer satisfaction while expanding accounts simultaneously. Mohammed recognized that distinguishing between a benefit the customer experiences and the outcomes they anticipate was pivotal. To accomplish this, he developed a strategic engagement plan. This plan delved deep into understanding what value meant to each customer, allowing him to prescribe the right outcome at precisely the right time. His strategy didn't just boost satisfaction It also opened up channels for vital feedback, lowered support expenses, and uncovered significant up-selling chances, giving them a strong competitive advantage.

Ben at ACA Global faced a challenge as their product and client base grew rapidly. They hadn't previously considered how much time was spent on lower ARR clients. Ben's solution involved implementing client segmentation and defined customer journeys, optimizing interactions with each type of client. The results were remarkable. The Low Touch approach led to a 70% reduction in touchpoints and a 220% surge in engagements for larger ones.

Haig orchestrated a remarkable transformation. Faced with a daunting NPS of -12, he swiftly introduced a 'Customer First' approach through a Governance Framework. This placed the service delivery team alongside Customer Success Managers, ensuring a sharp focus on understanding and meeting customer needs. The result? A rapid NPS surge to +55 within just 6 months. This strategic shift not only boosted customer satisfaction but also identified key customer advocates, marking a significant success.

At GitLab, Jeff took on the challenge of creating a programmatic, action-oriented customer health score aligned with their long-term vision and tailored for all customer tiers, from enterprise to the long tail. This score was based on the PROVE Value model, enabling CSMs to swiftly address challenges. The results were impressive: identifying millions in at-risk ARR and retaining over 80% through strategic re-engagement. Expansion campaigns driven by license utilization data also led to a substantial increase in upsell licenses.

Emilia at Growth Molecules specializes in maximizing customer value realization and operational efficiency. Using their proprietary S.C.O.R.E. methodology, backed by 46 data points, Emilia hones in on critical actions, offering clients a blueprint for success. The results have been impressive, including a 30% boost in team productivity, a consistent Net Promoter Score of 50+, and the introduction of Customer Success Qualified Leads (CSQLs) leading to increased revenue. Moreover, Emilia has helped achieve best-in-class Gross and Net Retention rates, both surpassing 95%.

At MeetingPackage, Antti tackled the challenge of transitioning to a Free Trial model for SMBs, while managing thousands of trial accounts with just two CSMs. Antti's solution integrated usage data into the CRM, automated customer movements, and introduced targeted email engagement. In-app onboarding was also implemented for efficiency. Trial account qualification was automated, using various data points. The results were impressive: feature adoption increased by 400%, NPS scores rose by 40 points, and trial-to-paid conversion saw a 20% boost. Time-to-first value decreased by 200%

At ZingHR, Sumi orchestrated a paradigm shift in revenue generation through renewals, upsells, cross-sells, advocacy, and referrals. Instead of last-minute efforts, she adopted a comprehensive approach to onboarding, creating tailored success plans with smart goals. This goal-oriented strategy, coupled with clear ownership, led to remarkable outcomes: increased Net Revenue Retention from 105% to 125% and a substantial surge in Gartner reviews, leaving implementation, success, and support teams elated. Sumi's innovative methodology transformed customer lifecycle management.

Jasmine at IngMar Medical revitalized customer feedback, improving survey efficacy. She crafted a tailored evaluation process, aligning with their ARR model. Through cross-departmental collaboration, Jasmine gained insight into survey distribution. Her meticulous assessment identified pivotal questions for driving change. Her focused approach led to a 60% response rate, a 40% increase in actionable insights, and a 31-point NPS boost. A rallying slogan reinforced the commitment to meaningful feedback. Additionally, her strategy resulted in a 63% increase in adoption and reduced time-to-value. Customer retention improved by 20%, contributing to a 12% ARR growth.

Marco's journey at Microsoft was about more than just leading a new team; it was about fostering a culture of openness, growth, and collaboration. The challenge was incorporating existing members bringing in new talents, and creating a cohesive unit focused on efficient customer service. Marco's vision strategy extended beyond customer success - he created a positive employee experience that mirrored his customer-centric approach and designed a Customer Success journey for the team, ensuring each stage contributed to personal and professional growth. The result? A transformed work environment, with reduced turnover and a flourishing culture of teamwork and development.

During his time at ChiliPiper, Seth faced a challenge involving a plateau in Monthly Active User adoption and a concerning uptick in churn within a specific customer profile. In response, he strategically restructured the CS support model to align with ARR, ensuring that customers exhibiting higher adoption, value, and long-term commitment receive the level of service they deserve. The implementation of a CRM distribution tool played a crucial role in achieving this, allowing for precise updates to both Customer Success Managers (CSMs) and CRM data. This strategic shift not only led to a notable improvement in retention rates but also demonstrated resilience in the face of the challenging macro-economic conditions of late 2022 and 2023

Appsflyer, a global organization with diverse regional units, faced the challenge of proactively engaging clients at scale, while considering various languages. With Irina leading the initiative, they achieved this by automating EverAfter followers through Salesforce, ensuring targeted notifications. Additionally, they utilized Looker for in-depth usage analytics, providing valuable insights into client behavior. Task automation for onboarding was also implemented, leading to impressive outcomes including enhanced communication, improved client engagement, and streamlined operations.

Athif took charge of Seclore's Customer Success operations, inheriting a chaotic system reliant on spreadsheets and Salesforce CRM. Lacking customization and a comprehensive view, this setup led to inefficiencies and threatened customer retention. With a constrained budget, Athif first cleaned and consolidated data, then designed a unique Customer Success Dashboard, functioning like a mini CRM. This game-changing solution resulted in a remarkable 66.67% Net Revenue Retention expansion and a flawless 100% Gross Revenue Retention.

Michael at Infinity Tracking faced the formidable task of realigning strategies after a significant business expansion through acquisition. With challenges ranging from customer migration to resource constraints, Michael devised a multifaceted Risk Strategy. This included identifying risk triggers, creating specific playbooks for risk mitigation, launching risk clinics for close monitoring, and implementing quarterly risk assessments for top clients. The results were outstanding, with GRR showing a notable improvement from 15% to 12% within a year. This initiative played a pivotal role in restoring retention rates on a positive trajectory.

Dan at Monday.com tackled the challenge of refining their Health Score to proactively identify at-risk customers at scale. Through extensive data analysis and collaboration with the business operations team, they developed a comprehensive Risk Propensity Score, focusing on usage changes as a key predictor. This innovation led to a 31% reduction in Risk Propensity Score due to strategic CSM intervention. Additionally, it resulted in an upsurge in Customer Success Qualified Leads (CSQLs), highlighting the effectiveness of timely interventions in transforming at-risk customers into growth drivers.

Tyler faced fierce competition in 2023, resulting in lower-than-expected retention and expansion figures. Determined to turn things around, he devised a robust expansion plan. This involved meticulous segmentation of customers based on buying likelihood, evaluating executive stakeholder engagement, and strategically mapping out the year. The result? Impressive growth: a 15-point boost in GRR, a remarkable 38-point surge in NRR, and an exceptional 247% progress towards annual expansion targets. Tyler's strategic prowess has been a game-changer for Hiya.

At Novopath, Daniel tackled the challenge of disparate systems, which created inefficiencies in tracking customer health, revenue generation, and data storage. With remarkable ingenuity, he connected five different platforms, using a micro API tool. This integration resulted in a comprehensive and actionable customer journey. The outcome? Improved resource management, accelerated revenue generation, and elevated customer satisfaction metrics including CSAT, NPS, and NRR.

At AppsFlyer, Aditya recognized the need to empower CSMs with consulting skills. Leveraging his personal experience from preparing for consulting interviews in college, he personally trained them on essential consulting practices, incorporating frameworks like MECE, SWOT, and more. This addressed the common expectation for CSMs to act as consultants without guidance on how to do so. The outcome was a notable shift from product educators to strategic consultants, resulting in heightened satisfaction rates for both CSMs and customers.

At Gong, Sonam spearheaded key initiatives to enhance customer experience and operations amidst the company's multi-product expansion. She launched Gong's first CSQL program, introduced vital health and risk management dashboards in collaboration with Analytics, and developed an upgraded health score model. These efforts significantly improved customer engagement tracking and drove expansion ARR through incentivized lead generation and measurable CSM impact, laying a strong foundation for sustained customer value delivery.

ClientSuccess faced a challenge with an onboarding process that was time-consuming. Recognizing the need for improvement, Kristi set out to create a more tailored approach. Utilizing Google Sites, she developed a customized Onboarding Experience portal, offering clients the flexibility to choose between guided or self-paced onboarding. The outcomes were substantial - a 27-day reduction in onboarding time, an elevated CSAT of 4.8, improved adoption rates, and heightened engagement with leadership, notably VPs.

Andres from OpenSpace successfully revolutionized the onboarding process to accommodate a rapidly growing customer base and limited resources. By prioritizing customer understanding, optimizing onboarding materials, and implementing effective dashboards, he not only streamlined the process but also fostered a collaborative team effort. The result: a faster and more engaging onboarding experience, leading to accelerated product adoption for their diverse customer base.

Rachel as a customer success leadership coach who advising CS leaders at startups, saw a common issue in customer journeys - they often neglect true customer-centricity. Her transformative approach went beyond conventional maps, meticulously detailing both company and customer steps. The rebranded ""Customer Value Realization Map"" became a cornerstone for tailored playbooks and success plans, yielding profound results: heightened C-Suite buy-in, streamlined CS processes, reduced churn, and faster CS platform setup. Rachel's innovation fundamentally reshaped customer success.

At Camunda, Olivier and a colleague ( Magdalena Ziolkowska) addressed a critical challenge. In their process orchestration industry, comprehensive data about process and decision instances is crucial for both their company and their customers. Unfortunately, due to cumbersome documentation, customers rarely provided the necessary usage metrics. Olivier and his colleague Magdalena recognized the untapped potential in this data and embarked on a year long initiative to streamline its collection. This transformation significantly bolstered product adoption and revealed significant revenue increase in over-usage opportunities.

Faced with the challenge of achieving positive NRR, Sara devised a multifaceted approach that centered around four key factors. This included implementing reminders to ensure no renewals were overlooked, notifying various teams to prioritize renewing customers, leveraging data for more substantial renewal discussions, and providing clients with acquisition ideas aligned with their business model. NRR improved by 20%+, marking a significant milestone for the company's financial growth and stability.