I am a revenue-obsessed, customer-centric Chief Customer Officer with 15+ years building and scaling global Customer Success, Support, and Delivery organizations across SaaS, DaaS, AI/ML, EdTech, FinTech, InsurTech, and Enterprise technology.

Leadership philosophy: Customer Success is a revenue growth engine—not a support function. I specialize in transforming CS organizations to deliver measurable value, operational excellence, and predictable revenue expansion.

What I Deliver
I have consistently driven outcomes that matter most to CEOs, CROs, and Boards, including:
$450M ARR portfolio ownership with 110%+ NRR and 115%+ NDR performance 
30% increase in customer lifetime value (CLTV) and accelerated time-to-value realization 
20% churn reduction through S.P.I.C.E.D-driven revenue playbooks and renewal rigor 
Cost-to-serve reduced 10% and CAC reduced 15% YoY with scalable delivery models and automation 
$20M+ in customer-led revenue growth and 60%+ CSQL conversion rates in enterprise environments 

I am known for architecting end-to-end customer journeys, operationalizing value realization frameworks, building segmentation and health-model strategies, and aligning Sales, Product, Marketing, and Support into a unified revenue ecosystem.

Leadership Style 
Whether leading 100+ global team members or scaling a high-growth Series A startup, I bring:
A revenue architecture mindset grounded in forecasting, renewal science, and customer economics
Deep experience with AI-embedded customer journeys and voice-of-customer intelligence
A disciplined approach to churn prevention, renewal management, and expansion pipelines
Executive presence that earns trust at Board, C-suite, and enterprise stakeholder levels

Innovation & Frameworks
As the creator of the Customer Success Revenue Frontier and Customer Success 5.0 Fab5 Framework, I merge data analytics, value engineering, and compelling storytelling to reimagine modern CS leadership for the AI era.

Industry Breadth
I have delivered outcomes in SaaS, AI/ML, EdTech, FinTech, InsurTech, Manufacturing, Cybersecurity, and Workforce/HR technology—powering adoption, expansion, and retention for global enterprise, mid-market, and SMB portfolios.

Mission
To help customers achieve exceptional outcomes while fueling durable, scalable revenue growth for the business.
If you're building next-generation Customer Success, driving AI-enabled transformation, or scaling the Revenue Frontier—I’d love to connect.

Top skills
Customer Success • Revenue & Profit Growth • Customer Data and Analytics • GTM Leadership > Content Creation

Hello Customer Success Universe! - It's #WhyWednesday 🚀

As we head into the Holidays, Today’s transmission comes straight from the Starfleet Academy of Customer Success…

Why I Love Customer Success - Star Trek Edition. 🖖🏽

⭐ 1. The Community — My Federation of CS Leaders
The CS community is a united Federation of worlds — diverse, brilliant, and committed to elevating the entire quadrant.
🚀You share frameworks, insights, strategies, and thought leadership that keep us all boldly moving forward.
 🚀You are my continuous Kaizen resource — always learning, always evolving, always improving.
Together, you are the USS Enterprise of community brilliance.

🤝 2. The People — The Crew You Want on Every Away Mission
These are the people who embody the best of Starfleet:
👐🏽They show up when the mission gets tough
👐🏽They stand up for you
👐🏽They listen to you
👐🏽They share with you
And above all — they remain authentic
Every strong CS leader knows:
You never save a customer account alone. You do it with a crew.

🪐 3. The Customers — The Center of the Galaxy
Our customers are the reason the Enterprise leaves spacedock in the first place.
They:
☄️Challenge our assumptions
☄️Inspire innovation
☄️Expand our understanding of value
☄️Push us to set new courses through unknown space
TL:CS — They are our North Star.

⚠️ 4. The Challenges — The Kobayashi Maru Moments
Every CS leader faces missions that test their resolve:
🛰️Constantly shifting targets
🛰️An evolving SaaS galaxy
🛰️Confusion about roles and responsibilities
🛰️Changing expectations from Command (aka the C-Suite)
These challenges aren’t roadblocks — they’re the Kobayashi Maru scenarios that shape our leadership, strategy, and courage.

⚙️ 5. The Enablers — The Tech That Powers the Starship
Our toolkit is our warp core — the systems that keep the Customer Success starship running at full impulse or warp speed.
🚀They give us the dashboards, signals, and telemetry to navigate the customer journey at warp speed.
🌌 In the end...

I 💖  Customer Success because it is the Revenue Frontier — a profession that blends strategy, humanity, value creation, and cross-functional diplomacy.

Now, CS Universe —
Why do you love Customer Success?
What’s your Prime Directive?
Sound off below. 👇🏽

Customer Success Collective
Women in Customer Success™️
Women of Customer Success
EverAfter AI
ClientSuccess
Gainsight
Ayesha Haque
Rebecca Zent
Success in Black
CS in Focus
Tamika Brunetti
Emma Lo🧋
Winning by Design
Yvette Steele
SuccessHACKER
ChurnZero
Elizabeth Blass 🌻
Julie Fox
Lara Baeckers
Jan Young, MBA, CSPO, CSM
Kristi Faltorusso
Mike J Midgley
Dannah Vaughan
Custify
Paige Magorien
Brandy Billiot
Rob Zambito
Dillon Young
Jean-Pierre Frost
Jeremy Donaldson
Ralphie (Ralphette) White
Kristine A. Sanabria
Maryann Lazzeri
Brandon Brumfield
Keishla C.
Ejieme Eromosele
Jeff Kushmerek
Swati Garg
Rod Cherkas
Olivier Fiaty-Amenouvor

#StarTrek #FavoriteThings #Community

De'Edra Williams, MBA

Chief Customer Officer | Revenue-Architect who uses Digital Swagger to accelerate customer-value optimization and help companies achieve stratospheric revenue growth. Top 25 Customer Success Influencers for 2025

Hello Customer Success Universe,🚀

I am truly honored to be nominated for the 2026 Most Creative Leader Award by EverAfter AI!

Voting ends Monday, November 17th!

Please cast your vote here: 👇🏽
https://hubs.li/Q03Smg4s0 

Thank you to those who have voted. If you have not voted, I would appreciate your vote! 🙏🏽

This award celebrates creative, data-driven, and human-first innovation in Customer Success, and it means a lot to see my work recognized alongside so many inspiring leaders. 🏅

My story:
Customer Success 5.0: The Fab5 of the Revenue Frontier
“Boldly going beyond retention to reimagine the revenue frontier.” ☄️
 
In this series, we explore how the legendary crew of the Starship Enterprise embodies the Prime Directives of Customer Success — and how we can apply their wisdom to navigate today’s customer journey.

The Crowd Badge 🏆 goes to the top 3 stories with the most votes, and I would appreciate your support!

Thank you for cheering me on, every vote counts! 💜

Thank you to the judges and my fellow nominees!

Live long and prosper for Customer Success 🖖🏽

Mateus Paderes
Ragna Ghoreishi, CCXP, CCCX
Onboardly - Customer Onboarding
Patrick Maes
FunnelStory
DIVACS, Inc.
Dave Boyce
✨Michiel Sujeet Reith✨ 
Brian Merrit
Kim Mendez
Francesca Sopracase
Veronica Smith
Mark O'Neil Page 
Damilola Olaniran     
Stijn Smet 🐳 
Sophia Pitman
Doa Sarris
Rod Cherkas
Kári Thor R.
Anika Zubair
Emma McRedmond 
Greg Wesson
Stefanie Howell
Sophie Essien
Ziv Wangenheim

Thank you to EverAfter AI for the consideration. 
Adi Gorelik
Vivian Chanin


#MostCreativeLeaderAward #2026MostCreativeLeaderAward #EverAfterAI
#StarTrek #Leadership

Day 1 - Hello Customer Success Universe! 🚀

🎄 The 12 Days of Customer Success (2025 Edition) - Day 1!

Women of Customer Success
Women in Customer Success™️
EverAfter AI
Customer Success Revenue Frontier
Customer Success Collective
SuccessHACKER
ElevateYour Career

Hello LinkedIn Universe! Today is #FabulousFriday.🚀

And today’s Fabulous is a shoutout to Gloria Michael (CCSM, CCSS) and her Elevate Mentorship Program #mentees.

The mentorship program is designed to equip aspiring and early-stage professionals with the skills, tools and global best practices needed to transition into Customer Success!

I had the fortunate opportunity to present to these exceptional young professionals on the topic of Building Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn. 

Key takeaways 
🚀What is a Personal Brand?
Your personal brand is the unique combination of skills, experiences, and personality that you want the world to see. It's your professional reputation—what people say about you when you're not in the room. It's how you present yourself online and offline, the expertise you're known for, and the value you bring to every interaction.

🚀Why It Matters
A strong personal brand differentiates you from the competition, builds trust with potential employers and clients, and creates opportunities you never knew existed. In a world where 85% of jobs are filled through networking, your brand is your calling card. It establishes credibility, attracts the right opportunities, and positions you as an expert in your field.

The Career Advantages of a Strong Personal Brand
☄️Career Opportunities
☄️Expanded Network
☄️Thought leadership
☄️Increased Earning Potential

LinkedIn Universe – how have you built your personal brand? Drop some of your wisdom in the comments to share with these aspiring #CustomerSuccess professionals.👇🏽

Thank you to Virginia D. Bloom for bringing this wonderful organization to my attention. 

ElevateYour Career
Grace Odenigbo
Grace Ashore
Zainab Badmus-Adedo
Zainab Ahmed
Obasi Deborah
Chidinma Ezekiel Anthonia
Pascalina Inkoom, CCSE
Eniola Adeyemi
Nneka Nwaozuru
Faith Chimezie
Women of Customer Success
Women in Customer Success™️
Success in Black


#mentorship #mentee #PersonalBrand #Careerdevelopment #Networking #ThoughtLeadership

Hello Customer Success Universe! ☄️

Welcome back to my series, Star Trek: Boldly Going Where Few Customer Success Leaders Have Gone Before — But Where More Should in 2025. 🖖🏽

In this series, we explore how the legendary crew of the Starship Enterprise embodies the Prime Directives of Customer Success — and how their wisdom helps us navigate today’s customer journey. 🚀

If you’ve missed previous transmissions, click on the link in the comments to subscribe to my YouTube channel or my LinkedIn newsletter… so your path doesn’t drift off course. 👇🏽

Stay to the end of the video for a link to block a “AMA CS” 15-minute call.

Today’s episode is an important one: 5 Missions Every CS Leader Must Complete Before We Enter 2026 - Star Trek: The Original Series Edition

As we approach the end of 2025, the Customer Success universe feels a lot like the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise during a course correction — consoles blinking, turbulence rising, and every officer looking to the Captain for clarity.

2026 is coming fast. And the CS leaders who thrive won’t be the ones reacting… They’ll be the ones preparing their ship now.

Let’s set our course. These are your five Prime Directives for closing out 2025 at warp speed.

1️⃣ Mission 1: Strengthen the Shields — Protect & Expand Revenue
2️⃣ Mission 2:  Deliver True Value — Move From Features to Outcomes
3️⃣ Mission 3: Augment the Crew — Blend Human CS + Intelligent Automation
4️⃣Mission 4: Build a Federation — Deep Cross-Functional Alignment
5️⃣Mission 5: Activate Your Advocacy Engines — Let Customers Power the Enterprise


Customer Success Revenue Frontier
Customer Success Collective
EverAfter AI
ChurnZero
Gainsight
Women of Customer Success
Women in Customer Success™️

#NRR #GRR #Expansion #AI #Renewal #NPS #ACV

Hello Customer Success Universe!🚀

Today is #MetricsthatMatter Monday.

Today’s Topic: 
🔭 Outbound Success: Where #GTM + Customer Success Become an Unstoppable Force

Matt Green recently shared his levers of outbound success formula = #Familiarity × #Source × #Relevance × #Format.

Matt is spot on —and Customer Success has a vital, often overlooked role to play in each lever. 

Here’s how Customer Success strengthens every lever:

1️⃣ Familiarity — Micro-Events, Dinners, Side Quests
Where CS Accelerates:
🚀Customer Success owns the warmth of your customer ecosystem.
🚀CS can co-host 1:Many micro-events featuring customer wins, product value stories, and live problem-solving.
🚀CSMs bring real-world pain points to help Sales craft event themes executives actually care about—no “state of the industry” fluff.
🚀CS invites the champions who already trust you—the fastest way to fill a room with the right buyers.
☄️Familiarity grows faster when CS is in the room.

2️⃣ Source — Warm Intros, Investor Maps, Trusted Pathways
Where CS Accelerates:
🚀If you want a warm intro, who knows your value better than your customers?
🚀CS builds referral plays into every milestone: pilot → value → win → referral ask.
🚀CSMs identify “gold-star champions” who can open doors Sales can’t reach.
🚀CS provides authentic #social #proof—the most credible source in the buyer’s mind.
☄️Your customer network is your most trusted outbound channel.

3️⃣ Relevance — Account-Based Obsession
Where CS Accelerates:
 🚀CS teams already know internal dynamics, priorities, landmines, and the org chart better than anyone.
🚀CSMs give Sales insider intelligence on the account’s real initiatives—not the ones on the website.
🚀CS surfaces customer goals, risks, and operational realities that shape hyper-relevant outreach.
🚀CSM insights become the backbone of account-specific narratives that actually resonate.
☄️Relevance is a team sport—and CS holds the playbook.

4️⃣ Format — The Unscalable, Human Stuff
Where CS Accelerates:
🚀The best formats come from living close to the customer.
🚀CSMs can draft personalized #Looms explaining how similar customers solved specific problems.
🚀They can create handwritten notes celebrating customer milestones or value wins.
🚀CS can share CEO/leader insights that buyers care about, making outreach feel uniquely thoughtful.
☄️When the format feels human, the response rate skyrockets.

🔥 The Bottom Line
Outbound isn’t just a Sales motion anymore.

 The companies winning in #2026 will be the ones where #Sales, #Marketing, #Product and #CustomerSuccess operate as one #GTM organism—creating familiarity, relevance, trust, and thoughtful outreach together.

Customer Success isn’t the post-sale team.
 🚀CS is the revenue engine multiplier across the entire go-to-market motion.

Winning by Design
Customer Success Collective
Women in Customer Success™️
Women of Customer Success
John Grispon
Ian Buchanan
CS in Focus
EverAfter AI

#Post-sales #Playbooks #AI

View newsletter: Customer Success & Star Trek

Hello Customer Success Universe! Today is Metrics that Matter Monday. Today’s Topic: 🔭 Outbound Success: Where GTM + Customer Success Become an Unsto

Open article: Outbound Success: Where GTM + Customer Success Become an Unstoppable Force by De'Edra Williams, MBA • 2 min read

Outbound Success: Where GTM + Customer Success Become an Unstoppable Force

Hello LinkedIn Community!

Many of you have asked me how I was able to take my LinkedIn profile to stratospheric heights. I credit my #Digital #Swagger #Coach, Tamika Brunetti.

Here are YTD stats since Tamika became my Digital Swagger Coach.
🚀140K Impressions - up 180%
🚀46K members reached
🚀3K followers up - 115%

Want to achieve similar results, you should sign up for Tamika’s LeaderShift™ to LinkedIn 12-week accelerator which begins Dec 8th.

Who should attend: 
✅Leaders in transition
✅Leaders who want to optimize their LinkedIn profile
✅Leaders who want to increase their brand equity

What You’ll Get: 
☑️ LinkedIn Profile Audit + Report 
☑️1 Weekly Live Group Coaching 
☑️Weekly 1:1 Post Review
☑️Private LinkedIn Group Office Hours 
☑️Access to Google Drive Vault with Templates & Tools

Outcomes to Expect:
❇️ A profile that works for you; not against you 
A consistent content rhythm for your goals 
❇️More meaningful engagement + inbound leads 
❇️A brand presence that matches your real-world influence

Use the QR code in the attached PDF for full details – early bird discount window closing soon! 👇🏽

Women in Customer Success™️
Women of Customer Success
Customer Success Revenue Frontier

#leadership #careertransition #brandequity #

LeaderShift to LinkedIn

Hello Customer Succes Universe!🚀

Here are the 12 Days of CS Christmas - A “Star Trek x Customer Success” Holiday Series for CS Leaders Closing Out 2025. 🖖🏽

Each day I will provide 1 Insight for 2026 Success! Here are the highlights:

🎄 Day 1 — “A Partridge in a Pear Tree” – CS Moves You Must Make Before 2026
🎄 Day 2 — “Two Turtle Doves” – The 2 Health Checks Every CS Leader Needs
🎄 Day 3 — “Three French Hens” – 3 CS Plays to Finish 2025 Strong
🎄 Day 4 — “Four Calling Birds” – 4 – Reconnect Your Champions
🎄 Day 5 — “FIVE GOLDEN RINGS” - 5 KPIs Every CS Leader Must Track in 2026
🎄 Day 6 — “Six Geese-a-Laying” – Stop These 6 Customer Risks Before They Multiply
🎄 Day 7 — “Seven Swans-a-Swimming” – Fix Your Customer Segmentation for 2026
🎄 Day 8 — “Eight Maids-a-Milking” – 8 Insights Every CS Leader Should Bring to the ELT
🎄 Day 9 — “Nine Ladies Dancing” – Automate These 9 Workflows & Scale Your CS Team
🎄 Day 10 — “Ten Lords-a-Leaping” – Remove These 10 Customer Blockers NOW
🎄 Day 11 — “Eleven Pipers Piping” – Capture These 11 Customer Wins for 2026 Success
🎄 Day 12 — “Twelve Drummers Drumming” – Your 12-Month Retention + Expansion Forecast

Subscribe to my newsletter or my YouTube channel to receive details on all 12. 👇🏽

🎄 Day 1 — “A Partridge in a Pear Tree” #1 CS Move You Must Make Before 2026 🎶 On the first day of CS, my crew gave to me… a roadmap with clear deliv

Open article: The 12 Days of Customer Success              (2025 Edition) by De'Edra Williams, MBA • 3 min read

The 12 Days of Customer Success              (2025 Edition)

Hello Customer Success Universe - Today is #MomentsthatMatterMonday! 🚀

Welcome back to my series: Star Trek: Boldly Going Where Few Customer Success Leaders Have Gone Before — But Where More Should in 2025. 🖖🏽

In this series, we explore how the legendary crew of the Starship Enterprise embodies the Prime Directives of Customer Success — and how we can apply their wisdom to navigate today’s customer journey. ☄️

If you’ve missed previous transmissions, subscribe to my YouTube channel or my LinkedIn newsletter to stay on course. 👇🏽

🎥 Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/g3QvenUi
🗞️ Subscribe: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/dwP3pJmn

Today’s transmission starts with a fun personal moment.

I recently walked into a Collector’s Edition store looking for an #Uhura Funko Pop — you know, my forever muse for communication, clarity, and leadership.

But they didn’t have Uhura. Instead, they said, “Why not try Michael Burnham?” I paused. Michael who?

A few seconds of Googling later, I discovered she is the fierce, brilliant protagonist of #Star #Trek: #Discovery — a Commander whose entire journey is defined by curiosity, growth, and continuous learning.

And that sparked today’s topic:

Here are 5 lessons for How Customer Success leaders “discover” new insights, new capabilities, and new paths forward — just like #Michael #Burnham.

Women in Customer Success™️
Women of Customer Success
Customer Success Revenue Frontier
Customer Success Collective
SuccessHACKER
TSIA
Gainsight

#ContinuousLearning #Leadership #Product #Sales #Discovery #RevOps #Support

Hello Customer Success Universe! 🚀✨ It’s Fabulous Friday!

For those of you trying to push past that post-Thanksgiving #tryptophan slog 🦃😴—this transmission is for you.

I just dropped multiple new Customer Success x Star Trek YouTube videos, and they are packed with insights, frameworks, and a little Starfleet magic.

💫 Click the link in the comments below to subscribe and level up your CS game! 👇🏽

Here are a few of the hot topics now live on the channel 🔥🎥:
🖖🏽Star Trek: The Customer Journey
🌌 Star Trek: The Wrath of Churn
🛰️ Chekov — The Navigator of Onboarding & Delivery Teams
🚀 CS 5.0: The Undiscovered Country From Adoption to Value Realization and Revenue Growth

Live long and prosper in Customer Success, my friends. 🖖🏽✨ - Subscribe

Women in Customer Success™️
Women of Customer Success
Customer Success Collective
EverAfter AI

#Adoption #ValueRealization #RevenueGrowth #Onboarding #Delivery #Implementation

De'Edra Williams, MBA, Certified CSM Professional (CCSMP)

With over 15 years of customer success and revenue growth expertise, I am a customer success leader who has consistently delivered outstanding business for global customers. I have achieved 110%+ net recurring revenue, 86%+ customer satisfaction scores, and 100% renewal retention across mid-touch and high-touch enterprise accounts.

As the former Senior Vice President of Customer Success at CompTIA, I was responsible for helping customers from various sectors achieve their best possible outcomes and maximize their customer lifetime value. I used data-driven decision making, customer intelligence, and digital account planning to design and implement strategic customer success journeys, risk mitigation plans, and adoption metrics. I also leveraged my Salesforce certifications and skills to optimize the use of CRM, SaaS, and other technologies to enhance customer experience and insights.

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