Ben Trounson

Mixing Board

Invite-only community of communications and marketing leaders, elevating the business impact of the functions, sharing expertise, and providing mentorship.

Member

Daikin U.S. Corporation

VP, Head of Corporate Communications

Verizon

VP, Head of Global Communications, Verizon Business

Bristol Myers Squibb

VP, Head of International Corporate Affairs

Tata Consultancy Services

Head of Global Markets Corporate Communications

Head of North American Corporate Communications

Finn Partners

Partner, Technology Practice

Hill & Knowlton

SVP, Director of NYC Marketing Communications Practice

Ketchum

VP, Client Service Director

Taylor Global

Account Director

Kodora Communications

Media Manager

VP, Global Corporate Communications with 20+ years of experience leading corporate affairs across internal, external, executive, and crisis communications strategies. Deploying diverse global brand plans, thought leadership campaigns, employee culture and change initiatives, product GTMs, and partner programs for Verizon, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Tata Consultancy Services, among others. A team builder and mentor, and C-suite advisor, creating data-led strategies to transform business impact and drive enterprise collaboration, engagement, advocacy, reputation, and revenue.

Vice President of Communications, Verizon Business

Time with family is so important. I spent last week in England visiting my father on the coast of Cornwall near Land's End.  

We all work hard, but need to prioritize some time to make more memories. I enjoyed the basics. Walks across the beach cliffsides, board games, ancient pubs, Cornish pasties (yum), and lots of rain... 

But more than anything, just time talking with my father. I heard stories about his childhood and family history that I had never heard before... after all these years. You don't get these moments until you slow down and disconnect, even for a day or two. 

With Thanksgiving this week, I'm wishing all U.S. friends and colleagues a wonderful time with their families. Try finding some quality 1-1 time with your parents or grandparents and ask about their childhood. You might hear a few amazing stories for the first time, and be able to pass them on!

#family #history #storytelling

VP & Global Head of Corporate Communications | Reputation & Issues Management Expert | Former Verizon, National Grid, TCS | C-Suite Advisor | Driving Trusted Brands & Teams

I had a blast at the Axios Communicators Live NYC event last night. 

A few quick highlights from the main stage sessions:

1. Anthropic's Sasha de Marigny was refreshingly transparent: they’re not entirely “Claudifying” comms; they’re hiring an AI ops role to support strategic humans.

2. Ray Day, APR of Allison Worldwide noted two-thirds of comms leaders work with CEOs on major decisions. As a profession, we need to consistently add value and demonstrate business acumen and impact to increase these numbers! 

3. Meridith Webster of Estée Lauder stated that corporate narrative builds trust, and brand activations make them human. Strong comms blends both.

Cheers to Eleanor Hawkins and Hope King for hosting.  
 
Thanks to Amanda Coffee and Joanie Sanders for such a fun and packed comms happy hour before the Axios event.

And it was lovely to see so many friends and former colleagues: Daniel Méndez Aróstica, MBA, Daniel Nestle, Todd Grossman, Shauna Elkin, Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers), Brooke Kruger, Selena Strandberg, Ben Rose, Leah Katz, Ethan McCarty, Maril Gagen MacDonald.

December kicks off a week of communications events in NYC.

I enjoyed a fun session last night, meeting fellow comms pros and sharing POVs on a host of topics. Thank you Amanda Coffee, APCO NY and Ragan Communications and PR Daily for hosting.

This Wednesday, Edelman has the global launch of its latest Trust Barometer Flash Poll at 11 am EST (AI at an inflection point). 

And on Thursday, Axios is hosting its 4th annual Communicators Live event in NYC. A great line-up of speakers, comms leaders emerging as vital trusted advisors as companies face:
- Siloed audiences
- Political polarization
- Cultural complexities
- Workplace transformation
- And, yes, AI disruption

Looking forward to seeing many former colleagues and friends on Dec 4.

The Chief Communications Officer has become a strategic sense-maker, tasked with navigating a polycrisis of fused geopolitical, societal, and technological risk. 

This was one of several key points that jumped out in the Ipsos Reputation Council Report 2025. It's worth the read. Few other findings of note.

- With non-stop social fragmentation and issue cycles, business leaders are embracing strategic silence more often — not as avoidance, but as a deliberate act of prioritization and navigation of a pragmatic ESG era. 

- Today's communications leaders have been pushed far beyond functional expertise, helping organizations interpret fast-moving risks, look around corners, align internally, and act with clarity in moments that matter.

#communicationsleadership #strategiccommunications #crisiscommunications

Comms leaders are now the shock absorbers of the enterprise. 

I joined hundreds of Mixing Board, powered by Axios members who participated in the new Communicators Report by Axios and Gravity Research. The findings are telling. 

Communicators are now managing the collision of five defining forces:
 → Misinformation and disinformation (71%, cited as the top reputational risk)
 → Hyper-charged geopolitical and regulatory scrutiny
 → Rapid AI disruption
 → A splintered media landscape
 → Workforce anxiety

The role is shifting from chief storyteller to chief stability officer — keeping organizations aligned, focused and credible as external pressure intensifies.

At the same time, employee communications is becoming the backbone of trust, not a secondary channel. 

AI is no longer experimental in comms — it’s operational. And how transparently and responsibly it’s used now directly impacts credibility, inside and out.

Not surprisingly, Fortune 100 CEOs are also taking a more pragmatic stance on societal and political issues.

Thanks Eleanor Hawkins for compiling and sharing your thoughts via Mixing Board.

#CommunicationsLeadership #AIinComms #Reputation #CorporateCommunications

The “17, 70, 0” rule just reframed my view of the jobs vs AI debate.

In the latest Trending Communicator episode, Daniel Nestle’s guest, Chris Gee, reminded us that our economy still runs on people (their work, income and participation). 

Chris cited the 17, 70, 0 rule:
17 → $17T in U.S. consumer spend
70 → 70% of U.S. GDP depends on it
0 → what AI will spend 

What does this mean? The US economy depends upon people having jobs and incomes to buy things. AI and agents won't be these "consumers" of goods.  

My take? We need significant coordination across industries, governments, academia, and NGOs to reskill and upskill at scale. 

Every major tech shift has displaced jobs and created new ones — but the speed and scale of displacement this time really raises the stakes and legit concerns.

And for those just entering the workforce, I feel for them. We owe the next generation more pathways to secure roles, learn and grow. 

Check out the episode (details in comments).

#strategiccommunications #AIincomms #futureofwork #AIjobs

ISPN

Director of Technical Center Operations and Support

fiverr

Designed and implemented MindMeld reasoning program achieving 95% decision-making accuracy and 25% reduction in processing time through advanced AI/ML automation strategies.

Led development of AI-powered customer insight tools, reducing task completion time by 50% while improving customer satisfaction metrics by 15 points.

Partnered with cross-functional stakeholders to implement predictive models for healthcare organizations, reducing denials by 30% and recovering $2M+ in annual revenue.

Created and executed comprehensive CX transformation roadmaps aligned with business objectives, resulting in measurable improvements in customer retention and operational efficiency.

AI & CX Business Strategy 

Efficiency Gains: Reduced task completion time by 50%, boosting productivity in customer service, data analysis, and workflow automation.

Accuracy Improvements: Lowered AI response error rates by 20-30%, ensuring consistent, high-quality outputs.

Cost Savings: Cut operational expenses by $1M annually through fewer errors, reduced manual work, and better scalability.

Customer Experience Boost: Increased NPS scores by 15 points, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention.

Designed the MindMeld reasoning program with 95% decision-making accuracy and a 25% reduction in processing time through advanced automation.

Created empathy-driven chatbots that increased user satisfaction by 15 points and enhanced Tableau training, cutting onboarding time by 30%.

Designed predictive model for healthcare organizations and RCM guy structuring workflows to achieve 30% denial reductions and recover an additional $2M annually in revenue.

Built a social media content analysis tool with 90% sentiment accuracy, boosting engagement rates by 35%.

Automated denial tracking and appeals processes offering the capability of reducing manual intervention by 40% and resolution times by 20%.

Director of Customer Experience Innovation & AI Solutions

StrideCare

- Led implementation of VOC methodologies (including surveys, journey mapping, and real-time feedback tools) to collect and analyze customer insights, resulting in a 20% increase in NPS and improved customer retention by 15%.

- Collaborated extensively with Product and Marketing teams to integrate VOC data into product development and marketing strategies, which enhanced customer experience and contributed to a 10% reduction in Gross Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) churn.

- Managed service-level agreements (SLAs) and KPI tracking, achieving an 18% reduction in Cost per Contact (CPC) and improving first-call resolution (FCR) from 74% to 93%.

- Oversaw compliance with industry standards and data protection protocols, ensuring regulatory adherence across all customer interactions and workflows.

Key Accomplishments:

- Achieved a 70% increase in referral-to-appointment conversion rates.

- Integrated SaaS tools (Totango, RingCentral, Salesforce), resulting in enhanced data insights and streamlined processes.

Core Competencies Utilized:

SaaS Tools, Customer Insights & Advocacy, Cross-Functional Team Leadership, SLA Management, Predictive Analytics, Data-Driven Decision-Making

Director of CX Operations

OpenDoor - opndr.com

- Directed customer experience initiatives, utilizing VOC feedback loops to proactively identify customer pain points and implement solutions that increased customer satisfaction by 20% and retention rates by 15%.

- Spearheaded the adoption of automation tools, improving operational efficiency by 25% and reducing average response times by 30%.

- Conducted customer journey mapping sessions to address friction points, which led to a 23% growth in client accounts and improved customer loyalty.

- Managed compliance and risk by enforcing data protection standards, ensuring all customer interactions met regulatory requirements.

Key Accomplishments:

- Enhanced first-call resolution by 19% and reduced repeat contact rates by implementing tailored customer success strategies.



Core Competencies Utilized:

Customer Journey Mapping, VOC Program Management, Automation, Compliance Oversight, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Retention Strategies

Sandler Training and Management Services

- Led large-scale BPO operations, managing onshore and offshore teams and achieving a 95% client satisfaction rate while reducing operational costs by 15%.

- Directed VOC initiatives by gathering and analyzing customer feedback, which informed process improvements and led to a 19% improvement in first-call resolution (FCR).

- Oversaw SLA compliance across all customer support functions, ensuring alignment with client expectations and operational standards.

Key Accomplishments:

- Expanded call center operations from 50 to 200 agents, maintaining a 90% CSAT during a period of 300% increase in service demand.

- Established a scalable support model that improved customer retention by 23%.

Core Competencies Utilized:

BPO Vendor Management, Customer Success Strategies, SLA Tracking, Process Improvement, First-Call Resolution, Client Satisfaction

Director of BPO Customer Success and Support

PaySystems (First Data Subsidiary)

Key Accomplishments:

- Enhanced Customer Satisfaction by 25% through targeted service improvements, journey mapping, and VOC-driven adjustments, and reduced average call handling time by 20%.

- Improved First-Call Resolution (FCR) by 15% and boosted upsell opportunities by 12% by developing a proactive, data-informed service recovery program.

- Spearheaded a technology upgrade initiative that increased operational efficiency by 30%, enabling automated workflows, better KPI tracking, and streamlined compliance oversight.

- Drove cross-functional collaboration with product and IT teams to integrate customer feedback directly into system upgrades, reducing response times by 25% and elevating service consistency across channels.

Core Competencies Utilized:

VOC Programs, Technology Integration, Service Recovery, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Operational Efficiency, SLA & KPI Management, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Compliance & Risk Management, Process Improvement, Customer Advocacy

Customer Service & Contact Center Manager

I transform customer experience through strategic AI/ML implementation, behavioral analytics, and data-driven automation that drive measurable business outcomes.

With 15+ years leading CX in SaaS and high-growth environments, I specialize in:

✓ Reducing churn by 10–15% using predictive insights and proactive retention strategies
✓ Boosting NPS by 20 points and CSAT by 15% through VOC program optimization
✓ Delivering $1M–$2M in revenue impact via lifecycle automation and ops efficiency
✓ Achieving 93% FCR and reducing support response times by 27%

Core Expertise:

• Predictive Analytics & VOC Strategy — Turning sentiment signals into action
• AI/ML-Driven CX Automation — Building scalable, personalized experiences
• Behavioral UX & Reactive Frameworks — Modeling user friction for retention design
• SQL, Python & Data Modeling — Making CX measurable, accountable, and aligned

Most recently, I’ve developed a behavioral CX framework that fuses sentiment analysis, content systems, and digital behavior modeling—designed to diagnose engagement breakdowns and enable proactive customer strategies.

I’m open to collaborating with CX leaders, data scientists, and innovation teams driving customer-centric growth in fast-moving environments.

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