Jonathan Knight

Jonathan Knight Customer Success Leader, Coach & Consultant | Customer Experience Strategist Contact details-- Timișoara, RO, EU linkedin.com/in/jonathan-knight-cs cxfoundation.com SKILLS ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Customer Retention & Churn Mitigation Team Leadership & Coaching NRR & Revenue Expansion Strategic Planning & Execution Voice of Customer Advocacy Onboarding & Product Adoption Strategies Stakeholder Management Process Optimization Data-Driven Decision Making Languages ● ● ● English: Native Romanian: Fluent French: Basic Favorite quote “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” - Peter Drucker EXPERIENCE Associate Director of Customer Success at Instpage Timișoara, RO | Nov 2022 – Oct 2024 ● ● ● ● Team Leadership: Directed a 15-member Customer Success team, fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration. Customer Advocacy: Advocated customer needs internally, influencing product roadmaps and business strategies. Metrics Focused: Achieved key KPIs including retention, Net Revenue Retention (NRR), and customer satisfaction goals. Process Optimization: Introduced process innovations reducing escalation resolution times by 20%. Team Leadership and Development ○ ○ ○ Lead, mentor, and coach a team of customer success managers to achieve their goals and deliver exceptional service to customers. Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide constructive feedback, and identify opportunities for professional growth and development within the team. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the customer success team. Customer Relationship Management ○ ○ ○ Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, serving as a trusted advisor and advocate for their needs. Develop a deep understanding of customers' businesses, goals, and challenges to proactively identify opportunities for value creation and expansion. Act as the escalation point for customer issues, ensuring timely resolution and effective communication throughout the process. Strategic Planning and Execution ○ ○ ○ Collaborate with sales, product management, and other cross-functional teams to develop and execute customer success strategies aligned with company objectives. Define and track key performance metrics related to customer satisfaction, retention, and expansion, and use data-driven insights to drive continuous improvement. Contribute to the development of product roadmaps and go-to-market strategies based on customer feedback and market insights. Customer Advocacy and Voice of the Customer ○ ○ ○ Champion the voice of the customer internally, advocating for their needs and priorities across the organization. Gather customer feedback through surveys, interviews, and other channels to inform product development, marketing strategies, and overall business decisions. Leverage customer success stories and testimonials to showcase the value of the company's products and services and drive customer advocacy. Cross-functional Collaboration ○ ○ ○ Collaborate closely with sales teams to ensure a smooth handover of new customers and drive successful onboarding and adoption processes. Work closely with product management and engineering teams to prioritize feature requests, bug fixes, and other product enhancements based on customer feedback and business impact. Partner with marketing teams to develop customer communications, case studies, and other collateral to support customer success initiatives and drive engagement. Continuous Improvement and Innovation ○ Stay abreast of industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies related to customer success and incorporate them into the company's customer success strategies. ○ ○ Continuously assess and optimize customer success processes, tools, and resources to improve efficiency, scalability, and customer outcomes. Foster a culture of innovation and experimentation within the customer success team, encouraging new ideas and approaches to enhance customer satisfaction and drive business growth. Customer Success Team Leader at Instapage Timișoara, RO | May 2021 – Nov 2022 ● ● ● Customer Retention: Improved portfolio NRR by 12% through proactive engagement strategies. Strategic Initiatives: Designed customer segmentation models that optimized resource allocation for high-value accounts. Performance Management: Delivered coaching and training programs, enhancing team performance by 18%. Responsibilities Team Leadership and Development ● ● ● Lead, motivate, and coach a team of customer success managers to achieve individual and team goals. Provide guidance, support, and mentorship to team members, helping them develop their skills and advance their careers within the organization. Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture that emphasizes customer-centricity, accountability, and continuous improvement. Customer Relationship Management ● ● Oversee the management of customer accounts, ensuring proactive engagement and effective communication to drive satisfaction and retention. Collaborate closely with team members to develop and execute account plans tailored to each customer's unique needs and goals. ● Serve as an escalation point for customer issues, working closely with cross-functional teams to resolve issues and ensure a positive customer experience. Strategy and Planning ● ● ● Develop and implement customer success strategies and initiatives aligned with company objectives and customer needs. Collaborate with sales, product management, and other teams to identify opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, and expansion within the customer base. Analyze customer data, trends, and feedback to identify opportunities for process improvements and service enhancements. Performance Management and Reporting ● ● ● Establish clear performance metrics and KPIs for the customer success team, tracking progress and providing regular performance feedback to team members. Generate and analyze reports to assess team performance, customer health, and other key metrics, using data-driven insights to drive decision-making. Identify opportunities for training, coaching, and skill development to improve team effectiveness and customer outcomes. Customer Advocacy and Engagement ● ● ● Cultivate strong relationships with key customers, serving as a trusted advisor and advocate for their needs within the organization. Coordinate customer engagement activities such as user groups, advisory boards, and customer feedback sessions to gather insights and foster community among customers. Leverage customer success stories and testimonials to showcase the value of our products and services and drive advocacy. Customer Success Manager at Instapage Timișoara, RO / San Francisco, US | Nov 2018 – May 2021 ● ● ● Customer Engagement: Increased feature adoption by 25% using targeted onboarding and adoption frameworks. Revenue Growth: Contributed to upselling efforts leading to a 10% portfolio revenue increase. Customer Advocacy: Launched customer feedback programs, aligning product offerings with client needs. Responsibilities Customer Relationship Management ● ● ● Develop a deep understanding of each customer's business, goals, and challenges, serving as a trusted advisor and advocate for their success. Proactively engage with customers through regular check-ins, status updates, and strategic business reviews to ensure their needs are met and exceeded. Act as the main point of contact for customer inquiries, requests, and escalations, working closely with internal teams to address issues and deliver timely solutions. Onboarding and Adoption ● ● ● Lead the onboarding process for new customers, guiding them through the implementation and setup of our products or services to ensure a smooth and successful transition. Provide training, resources, and best practices to help customers maximize the value of our offerings and achieve their desired outcomes. Monitor customer usage and adoption metrics, proactively identifying opportunities to drive increased usage and engagement. Retention and Renewal ● Monitor customer health and satisfaction indicators, identifying early warning signs of dissatisfaction or churn risk and taking proactive steps to mitigate them. ● ● Collaborate with sales teams to renew customer contracts and drive upsell and cross-sell opportunities based on customer needs and usage patterns. Develop and execute strategies to increase customer loyalty and lifetime value, ensuring long-term relationships and repeat business. Customer Advocacy and Feedback ● ● ● Gather and consolidate customer feedback and product requests, advocating internally for enhancements and improvements that align with customer needs and priorities. Leverage customer success stories, testimonials, and case studies to showcase the value of our products or services and drive customer advocacy and referrals. Act as the voice of the customer within the organization, providing insights and recommendations to inform product development, marketing strategies, and overall business decisions. Continuous Improvement ● ● ● Stay informed about industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies related to customer success and incorporate them into our customer engagement strategies. Continuously assess and optimize customer success processes, tools, and resources to improve efficiency, scalability, and customer outcomes. Actively participate in knowledge sharing, training, and skill development opportunities to enhance your effectiveness as a customer success professional. Technology Consultant at BearingPoint Timișoara, RO / Paris, FR / Graz, AU | Jul 2016 – May 2019 ● ● Project Management: Led a $5M pan-European telecommunications project to successful completion. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked with diverse teams to develop long-term technology roadmaps. Responsibilities Client Engagement and Needs Assessment ● ● ● Collaborate with clients to understand their business objectives, challenges, and opportunities, conducting thorough needs assessments and gap analyses. Identify technology-related pain points, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement within clients' organizations, and develop tailored recommendations to address them. Build strong relationships with key stakeholders, earning their trust and confidence as a trusted advisor and strategic partner. Technology Strategy and Roadmapping ● ● ● Develop comprehensive technology strategies and roadmaps aligned with clients' business goals, leveraging industry best practices and emerging trends. Provide strategic guidance on technology investments, prioritization, and implementation sequencing to maximize ROI and business impact. Collaborate with clients to define long-term technology visions and goals, translating them into actionable plans and initiatives. Project Management and Implementation ● ● ● Lead or support technology implementation projects, overseeing all phases of the project lifecycle, including planning, execution, and delivery. Define project scope, objectives, timelines, and resource requirements, and ensure alignment with client expectations and deliverables. Monitor project progress, identify and mitigate risks, and escalate issues as needed to ensure successful project outcomes and client satisfaction. System Integration and Testing ● ● Integrate software components and subsystems to build cohesive and interoperable systems, following established integration patterns and protocols. Design and execute system tests, including unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests, to validate system behavior and performance. ● Identify and address compatibility issues, dependencies, and constraints during the integration and testing phases. Change Management and Adoption ● ● ● Develop change management strategies and communication plans to facilitate smooth technology transitions and ensure user adoption and acceptance. Provide training, coaching, and support to client teams to build their capabilities and confidence in using new technologies and processes. Monitor and measure the effectiveness of change management initiatives, soliciting feedback and making adjustments as needed to drive successful adoption. Thought Leadership and Innovation ● ● ● Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in technology consulting, and share insights and thought leadership with clients and internal teams. Drive innovation and continuous improvement within the organization, contributing ideas, expertise, and solutions to enhance service offerings and client value. Participate in knowledge sharing, training, and professional development activities to expand your skills and expertise in technology consulting. Security Systems IT Specialist at Bosch Security Systems Multiple Locations (RO, FR, DE, US, NL) | Oct 2011 – Jun 2016 ● ● Sales Enablement: Centralized EMEA technical support, improving business unit profitability and operational efficiency. Infrastructure Deployment: Implemented security solutions across five regions, ensuring compliance and operational excellence. Responsibilities Security Infrastructure Implementation ● ● ● Design, deploy, and maintain security infrastructure, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), fire prevention and detection systems, antivirus software, video surveillance, access control, public addressing/ conferencing and evacuation solutions, and other security tools. Configure and manage security appliances, devices, and software to ensure they are properly tuned and optimized for maximum effectiveness. Implement security policies, access controls, and encryption mechanisms to protect sensitive data and assets. Threat Monitoring and Incident Response ● ● ● Monitor network traffic, logs, and security alerts for signs of suspicious activity or potential security breaches. Investigate security incidents, conduct root cause analysis, and take appropriate actions to contain and mitigate security threats. Develop and maintain incident response plans, procedures, and documentation to ensure a rapid and effective response to security incidents. Vulnerability Management ● Perform regular vulnerability assessments and penetration tests to identify security weaknesses and gaps in the organization's systems and applications. ● ● Prioritize and remediate identified vulnerabilities in a timely manner, working closely with system administrators and other stakeholders to apply patches and security updates. Maintain an inventory of software and hardware assets, including their associated vulnerabilities and risk levels. Security Awareness and Training ● ● Develop and deliver security awareness training programs and materials to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices, policies, and procedures. Promote a culture of security awareness and accountability throughout the organization, encouraging employees to report security incidents and suspicious activities. Compliance and Risk Management ● ● ● Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards related to cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy. Conduct risk assessments and develop risk mitigation strategies to address identified security risks and vulnerabilities. Prepare and maintain documentation, reports, and evidence of compliance for audits and regulatory inspections. Security Policy and Procedure Development ● ● ● Develop, review, and update security policies, standards, and procedures to reflect changes in the threat landscape, technology environment, and business requirements. Establish and enforce security controls, guidelines, and best practices to protect the organization's IT assets and information assets. Communicate security policies and requirements to stakeholders and ensure they are understood and followed across the organization. Leadership, centralization & team deployment ● ● ● Lead, coach, improve expertize, and monitor results for technical support teams across the EMEA region Establish and enforce security controls, guidelines, and best practices to protect the organization's IT assets and information assets. Communicate security policies and requirements to stakeholders and ensure they are understood and followed across the organization. ● ● Build from the ground up dedicated support teams to offer after-sales technical support for security systems within the EMEA region Centralize all EMEA business unit support efforts into a single office to ensure quality support and improve business unit sales management, annual profits, product awareness & product-to-market fit. EDUCATION ● ● Master’s Degree: American Studies, West University of Timisoara -) Bachelor of Arts: Applied Modern Languages, West University of Timisoara -) AWARDS Achievements ● ● ● ● ● ● 2020 award for highest portfolio customer health score Centralized business-unit support efforts into one single location in Europe for EMEA under Bosch Security Systems. Sales growth increased 50% in the first year. Successful implementation of retention and customer satisfaction strategies between 2018 and 2024 to secure and expand double-digit revenue in SMB and Enterprise customer segments Successfully ramped up multiple after-sales technical support teams to cover the EMEA region (UK&IRE, DACH, FR, Middle East) Successfully ramped-up two customer success teams to drive enterprise retention Successful exit as technology consultant after bringing a 2-year pan-european telecommunications project to fruition Main Certifications ● ● ● ● Customer Success & Experience: 10 Pillars of Customer Experience, Customer Success Mastery, CX Strategy. Leadership & Change Management: Leading Through Change, Change Communication. Project Management: Six Sigma (White Belt), Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management. Advanced Analytics & Growth: Advanced Experimentation and Digital Psychology (CXL). List of all certifications & achievements by category Organizational Leadership/ Strategic Leadership/ Cross-Functional Team Leadership ● Leadership: Leading when you are not in charge Change Management/ Business Model Transformation ● ● Change Management Communication: How to Make Change Stick Leading Your Team Through Change Customer Success/ Customer Satisfaction/ Customer Insight/ Customer Engagement ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Certified in implementing the 10 pillars of customer experience Built and centralized EMEA technical support teams, improving quality support and driving annual sales growth by 50% within the first year. Developed and led customer success teams, achieving industry-leading customer health scores and retention rates in SMB and enterprise sectors. "Implemented strategies that doubled SMB and enterprise revenue, ensuring long-term retention and expanding engagement roadmaps." Championed voice-of-customer feedback, directly influencing product roadmaps and achieving double-digit NPS improvements. Leveraged success stories to increase customer engagement and contributed to an 80% renewal rate across key accounts. Delivered a two-year pan-European telecommunications project, culminating in a successful exit and customer satisfaction. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Deployed robust security infrastructures across multiple regions, enhancing organizational compliance and operational efficiency. Proactively identified customer churn risks, implementing mitigation strategies that reduced churn rates by 15%. Streamlined customer success processes, boosting team efficiency by 25% and enhancing scalability for enterprise growth. Achieved a 2020 award for highest customer health score in the portfolio, demonstrating exceptional relationship management and proactive customer care. Managed a global team of Customer Success Managers to successfully retain double-digit revenue in millions of dollars. Customer Success: How to Reduce Churn and Increase Retention Customer Experience Journey Mapping Postgraduate diploma: Project Management Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer Customer Experience (CX) Strategy: How to Design an Organizational Approach Customer Experience and Design Thinking Salesforce for Sales Managers Six-Sigma - White-Belt Project management skills for leaders Executive-Level Communication ● Executive communication training Customer Satisfaction ● ● ● Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards related to cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy. Conduct risk assessments and develop risk mitigation strategies to address identified security risks and vulnerabilities. Prepare and maintain documentation, reports, and evidence of compliance for audits and regulatory inspections. CXL ● ● ● Certified in advanced experimentation and digital psychology. Utilizing insights to optimize customer engagement strategies and drive growth. A/B Testing Mastery ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Advanced Experimentation Analysis Applied Neuromarketing CRO Agency Masterclass Digital Psychology & Behavioral Design Training Heuristic analysis frameworks for conversion optimization audits Voice of customer data Statistics for A/B Testing User research Copywriting and product messaging Landing page optimization Business Reporting ● Certified in writing business reports Technical Proficiencies ● ● ● Customer Success Tools: Totango, Salesforce, JIRA, Confluence. Analytics & Collaboration: Microsoft Excel, Asana, Notion, Google Suite. Security Solutions: Video surveillance, access control, fire prevention systems.