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Today, we're talking with Curtis Stevens, who, until recently, was Tinder's Director of Product Consumer Insights, and prior to that held product leadership roles at Qualtrics, Amazon, and more. In this episode, Curtis shares: How AI can actually be a tool for human connection His process behind Tinder's transformation into customer-centricity, with real, measurable results How to balance short-term user joy with long-term product innovation and future features And how AI is driving customer experience changes faster than research can follow, and what you can do to keep up Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-b-stevens/ Chapters 00:00: Intro 03:03: Curtis Stevens' product journey 7:40: Challenges and strategies in customer experience 14:54: Curtis' journey workshops 20:41: AI's role in customer research 27:41: Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPodPodcast)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr). Special Guest: Curtis Stevens.
Welcome back to Intellicast! On today's episode, Brian is joined by Gabby Blados to cover one of the busiest news weeks the insights industry has had in a while, featuring a billion-dollar merger, a major leadership shake-up, and plenty of questions about what's next. The episode kicks off with the biggest headline of the week: Qualtrics' announcement that it plans to acquire Press Ganey Forsta for over $6 billion. Brian and Gabby dive into what this means for the market research world, especially as two of the most widely used survey programming platforms — Qualtrics and Decipher — will soon fall under one roof. Brian wonders if this level of consolidation could raise antitrust or competition concerns within the industry, while Gabby reflects on what this might mean for current Decipher users, including EMI. They also explore whether this deal might spark a new wave of innovation from smaller, niche platforms looking to position themselves as alternatives to the latest “industry Goliath.” Next, Brian and Gabby turn their attention to the surprising news that dropped the same morning — Melanie Courtright, CEO of the Insights Association, is stepping down after five years to join Sego as Chief Strategy Officer. Both agree that this was a major surprise for many across the industry. The pair discusses Melanie's strong legacy with the Insights Association, including how she unified chapters, modernized the association's structure, and strengthened its position as the leading voice for research professionals. Gabby and Brian share their excitement for her new role at Sego, while also speculating about what comes next for IA's leadership and the direction the organization will take. In between these two major headlines, Brian and Gabby also touch on a few other key stories — including the Census Bureau's recent layoffs and their potential implications for data accuracy, and new developments in the ongoing conversation around data quality and AI-driven fraud detection. And because no episode would be complete without a little fun, they close out the episode by ranking their top Halloween candies. Thanks for tuning in! Want to download your copy of The Sample Landscape: 2025 Edition? Get it here: https://content.emi-rs.com/sample-landscape-report-2025 Did you miss one of our webinars or want to get some of our whitepapers and reports? You can find it all on our Resources page on our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Dean Gropper Presents, Dean Daniel Gropper welcomes Stephen Reid, the newest assistant professor in the Department of Management Programs at Florida Atlantic University's College of Business. Stephen shares his journey from working as a data scientist at Qualtrics to pursuing a PhD and joining academia.Motivated by a desire to make a deeper impact beyond corporate profits, Stephen discusses how reading Give and Take by Adam Grant inspired him to explore the science behind workplace motivation and happiness. He reflects on the freedom and fulfillment that academic research offers, and how it allows him to pursue topics that matter — both personally and professionally.Tune in for an insightful conversation about purpose-driven careers, the transition from industry to academia, and the power of research to shape better workplaces.Recorded October 10, 2025Support the showBusiness.fau.edu/podcasts
Welcome back to All Things Considered CX, where we're shaking up the world of customer experience.In today's episode, Bob Azman sits down with Jack Walker from Walker—a trailblazing, family-owned company with over eight decades in the CX business.Together, they explore Walker's fascinating journey from grassroots door-to-door research in 1939 to leading the way with cutting-edge Qualtrics technology and AI-driven strategies.Jack shares insightful stories about the evolution of CX, the importance of executive buy-in, and how companies can unify experience, behavioral, and operational data to create true competitive advantage.You will also learn the concept of Unified XM, tackling real-world challenges like measuring CX ROI and navigating rapidly advancing technology.Tune in for an honest, forward-thinking conversation that will inspire you to rethink how you connect with your customers—and why the future of CX is now!
Welcome back to All Things Considered CX, where we're shaking up the world of customer experience.In today's episode, Bob Azman sits down with Jack Walker from Walker—a trailblazing, family-owned company with over eight decades in the CX business.Together, they explore Walker's fascinating journey from grassroots door-to-door research in 1939 to leading the way with cutting-edge Qualtrics technology and AI-driven strategies.Jack shares insightful stories about the evolution of CX, the importance of executive buy-in, and how companies can unify experience, behavioral, and operational data to create true competitive advantage.You will also learn the concept of Unified XM, tackling real-world challenges like measuring CX ROI and navigating rapidly advancing technology.Tune in for an honest, forward-thinking conversation that will inspire you to rethink how you connect with your customers—and why the future of CX is now!
In today's episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast, we look at headlines making waves in the industry: Qualtrics' plan to acquire Press Ganey Forsta in a multibillion-dollar deal, new polling that shows a decline in public trust in the CDC, and a report revealing that some potentially unnecessary back surgeries have cost Medicare nearly $2 billion over three years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about the company's recent acquisition of Press Ganey Forsta. We also talk with Reflection AI CEO Misha Laskin about their $2B funding round from NVIDIA and the founder of Plumb Aaron Dignan about winding down his AI startup. Lastly, we get into the revival of the e-commerce sector with our Reporter Ann Gehan and investor Michael Duda.Articles discussed on this episode:https://www.theinformation.com/articles/e-commerce-startups-back-deadTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation4080/?sub_confirmation=1- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda
What's stopping CX leaders from turning mountains of customer data into executive-ready stories that prompt real change? In this episode, we dig deep into one of the most urgent—and often overlooked—challenges for customer experience (CX) teams: crafting compelling, actionable narratives from all that customer insight. Data is everywhere, but too often the dots just don't get connected in a way that the C-suite cares about. The difference between a statistic and a strategic priority? It's all in the storytelling. In my conversation with Ania Rodriguez, CEO of JourneyTrack, we explore the tools, techniques, and mindsets you need to bridge that gap—and the game-changing role that AI-driven storytelling is playing right now in CX strategy. If you're a CX practitioner, product leader, or anyone tasked with influencing business outcomes through customer insight, you'll want to hear directly from Ania. Her twenty-five years in the field, expertise in journey mapping, and insider knowledge on harnessing technology for business storytelling makes this episode essential listening. Whether you're tired of your insights landing with a thud—or want to lead boardroom conversations that spark action—Ania's guidance is practical, forward-looking, and instantly applicable. Here are three questions Ania answers in this episode: Why do even seasoned leaders struggle to translate customer data into executive-friendly narratives? How does JourneyTrack's Storytelling AI automate the process of building empathy and urgency for C-suite presentations? What are the crucial integrations and data strategies for making journey management systems truly enterprise-ready—and how can you put them to work right away? Ready to supercharge your customer storytelling and move your executive team from data fatigue to decisive action? Listen now and subscribe so you never miss an episode: Apple Podcasts Spotify You'll also find us on all your favorite podcast platforms! Meet Ania Rodriguez Ania Rodriguez is the CEO and founder of JourneyTrack, a pioneering journey management platform designed for enterprise-scale CX storytelling. With more than 25 years of experience, Ania has led transformational customer experience initiatives for some of the world's most recognizable brands—including Google, where JourneyTrack first launched. She is also the founder and CEO of Key Lime Interactive, a renowned CX consultancy known for its expertise in journey mapping, research, and strategy. Ania's leadership style blends human-centered design with data-driven rigor, and she has a longstanding reputation for coaching executives and teams on turning insights into action. She was among the earliest to bring AI-powered capabilities—like Storytelling AI and Recommendation AI—to journey management, ensuring that organizations can not only aggregate data from diverse sources (like Jira, Qualtrics, Medallia, Snowflake, and more) but can also deliver that information as compelling, actionable presentations tailored to any audience. Connect with Ania Rodriguez on LinkedIn Show Notes & References “Using Storytelling Playbooks to Supercharge Journey Management” (White Paper): https://bit.ly/47gE1xE JourneyTrack platform: https://journeytrack.io/ LinkedIn: Ania Rodriguez "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath (Velcro theory of memory): https://heathbrothers.com/books/made-to-stick/ Integration partners referenced: Jira, Qualtrics, Medallia, Snowflake, Adobe Analytics, Google Analytics Forrester on Journey Management (industry wave publication): https://www.forrester.com/ Thanks for tuning in—subscribe for more expert strategies, and let's make customer data tell the stories that drive business forward!
Customers don't just want answers. They want action! That's why agentic AI, the kind that doesn't just recommend but actually does the work, is reshaping how teams analyze experiences, resolve issues, and connect systems.In this CX Pulse Check, Jeannie talks with Medallia's Chief Strategy Officer, Sid Banerjee, about today's clearest CX use cases and the pitfalls leaders should avoid as agentic AI adoption accelerates across industries like banking, healthcare, retail, and hospitality.We explore three big patterns:AI that speeds up insight generation across calls, chats, and surveysAssistive tools that help agents find and deliver answers in real timeOrchestration that lets AI schedule, submit, and update without piling on handoffsVoice is making a comeback too, from car dealerships booking recall appointments to restaurants taking phone orders with flawless recall. The key isn't “more bots,” but better design, continuous coaching, and a balance of speed with trust.We also cover empathy, accountability, and practical guardrails (like building feedback loops, retraining models, and giving customers clear choices so they never feel trapped by tech).If you're evaluating where to deploy AI next or whether your pilots are effective, this conversation provides examples, cautions, and a pragmatic perspective.About Sid Banerjee, Chief Strategy Officer, Medallia:Over a nearly 30-year career, Sid has amassed deep skills building companies and solutions based on customer experience, business intelligence, and AI-powered technologies. Sid was the Founder and served as CEO, Chairman, and Chief Strategy Officer at Clarabridge. He most recently served as Chief XM Strategy Officer at Qualtrics. He presently serves as Chairman at Prolific, a high-growth technology company that provides a platform for high-quality, human-derived AI and research models. He was a founding employee of MicroStrategy and founder/CEO of Claraview. He also held executive and management positions at Ernst & Young and Sprint. He holds a BS/MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT.Learn More About Medallia at https://www.medallia.com/Follow Sid on...LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidbanerjeewdc/Articles Mentioned:- Marriott checks out AI agents amid technology transformation (CIO Dive) -- https://www.ciodive.com/news/marriott-international-AI-strategy-agentic-cloud-cybersecurity/758922/- Red Lobster Turns to AI to Power Phone Ordering (Hospitality Technology) -- https://hospitalitytech.com/news-briefs/2025-09-22?article=red-lobster-turns-ai-power-phone-ordering- Long Island pizzeria goes viral with saucy videos giving bad diners a taste of their own medicine: ‘Go sit down' (New York Post) -- https://nypost.com/2025/09/22/us-news/long-island-pizzeria-goes-viral-with-saucy-videos-giving-bad-diners-a-taste-of-their-own-medicine-go-sit-down/Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)
The customer journey guides the lifetime value of our most important audiences, yet how do we ensure that we are planning, mapping, managing, and optimizing these journeys effectively? Agility requires a deep understanding of your customer's journey and the ability to adapt your strategies and tactics in real-time. It also demands a willingness to experiment, learn, and iterate quickly, embracing change as an opportunity rather than a threat. Today, we're going to talk about the exciting new Institute for Journey Management and how it's helping businesses unlock the power of customer-centricity in a complex and ever-changing world. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Mark Smith and Raymond Gerber from the Institute for Journey Management. About Mark Smith and Raymond Gerber Raymond GerberRaymond Gerber is Co-Founder of the Institute for Journey Management (I4JM) and Founder of JourneyCentric-CX, where he helps enterprises operationalize customer journeys to drive measurable value. With over 25 years of experience, including leadership roles at Qualtrics, Thunderhead (acquired by Medallia), Pegasystems, and Chordiant, Raymond has been at the forefront of journey orchestration, analytics, and AI-driven engagement. He holds 5 patents in journey analytics and customer experience innovation and has guided multiple SaaS organizations through successful acquisitions.Mark SmithMark Smith is Co-Founder of the Institute for Journey Management (I4JM) and Founder of Journey-Smiths, a boutique consultancy helping companies drive value from journey technology. Mark has over 30 years of experience in customer analytics and engagement, including leadership roles at Kitewheel, CSG, Portrait Software and Quadstone - guiding a series of software start-ups to over $100M in exits. He has steered customer analytic products to recognized market leadership positions since the late 1990s, and became a pioneer in the new domains of journey analytics and orchestration in 2013. By training Mark is a statistician, with a PhD from the early days of AI and distributed computing. However he fights against the statistician stereotype and has focused on customer and market alignment for products throughout his career.The Institute for Journey Management is a new industry association with a mission to unite journey management ecosystem members. It brings together business leaders, practitioners, implementers and vendors in a collaborative, non-profit initiative to develop shared knowledge of the business benefits possible from journey management. Resources Institute for Journey Management: https://www.i4jm.org/ This episode is brought to you by Kinetic Data. Self-service without compromise. Build powerful self-service experiences across your entire organization without sacrificing speed, flexibility, security, or control. https://kineticdata.com/ Register now for Sitecore Symposium, November 3-5 in Orlando Florida. Use code SYM25-2Media10 to receive 10% off. Go here for more: https://symposium.sitecore.com/Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
The customer journey guides the lifetime value of our most important audiences, yet how do we ensure that we are planning, mapping, managing, and optimizing these journeys effectively? Agility requires a deep understanding of your customer's journey and the ability to adapt your strategies and tactics in real-time. It also demands a willingness to experiment, learn, and iterate quickly, embracing change as an opportunity rather than a threat. Today, we're going to talk about the exciting new Institute for Journey Management and how it's helping businesses unlock the power of customer-centricity in a complex and ever-changing world. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Mark Smith and Raymond Gerber from the Institute for Journey Management. About Mark Smith and Raymond Gerber Raymond GerberRaymond Gerber is Co-Founder of the Institute for Journey Management (I4JM) and Founder of JourneyCentric-CX, where he helps enterprises operationalize customer journeys to drive measurable value. With over 25 years of experience, including leadership roles at Qualtrics, Thunderhead (acquired by Medallia), Pegasystems, and Chordiant, Raymond has been at the forefront of journey orchestration, analytics, and AI-driven engagement. He holds 5 patents in journey analytics and customer experience innovation and has guided multiple SaaS organizations through successful acquisitions.Mark SmithMark Smith is Co-Founder of the Institute for Journey Management (I4JM) and Founder of Journey-Smiths, a boutique consultancy helping companies drive value from journey technology. Mark has over 30 years of experience in customer analytics and engagement, including leadership roles at Kitewheel, CSG, Portrait Software and Quadstone - guiding a series of software start-ups to over $100M in exits. He has steered customer analytic products to recognized market leadership positions since the late 1990s, and became a pioneer in the new domains of journey analytics and orchestration in 2013. By training Mark is a statistician, with a PhD from the early days of AI and distributed computing. However he fights against the statistician stereotype and has focused on customer and market alignment for products throughout his career.The Institute for Journey Management is a new industry association with a mission to unite journey management ecosystem members. It brings together business leaders, practitioners, implementers and vendors in a collaborative, non-profit initiative to develop shared knowledge of the business benefits possible from journey management. Resources Institute for Journey Management: https://www.i4jm.org/ This episode is brought to you by Kinetic Data. Self-service without compromise. Build powerful self-service experiences across your entire organization without sacrificing speed, flexibility, security, or control. https://kineticdata.com/ Register now for Sitecore Symposium, November 3-5 in Orlando Florida. Use code SYM25-2Media10 to receive 10% off. Go here for more: https://symposium.sitecore.com/Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Utah Jazz owner/governor Ryan Smith joined DJ & PK at Utah Jazz Media Day to talk about his leadership team he's assembled, what the future looks like for the Jazz and the Utah Mammoth, and how he balances everything he has going on with Qualtrics, SEG etc.
Utah Jazz owner/governor Ryan Smith joined DJ & PK at Utah Jazz Media Day to talk about his leadership team he's assembled, what the future looks like for the Jazz and the Utah Mammoth, and how he balances everything he has going on with Qualtrics, SEG etc.
Take 2: Utah's Legislature with Heidi Hatch, Greg Hughes and Jim Dabakis
Take 2 PodcastThursday, Sept. 25, 2025Guests: Heidi Hatch, Maura Carabello (Exoro Group), Sen. Daniel McCayRedistricting New MapsPublic comment period runs for 10 days, through Oct. 5Feedback can be submitted at redistricting.utah.govSpecial session scheduled for Oct. 6 to vote on the new mapFinal maps will be submitted to the courts for approval Great Salt Lake Water WoesGov. Spencer Cox launches GSL 2034, a public-private charter urging all Utahns to help restore the lakeComes with a $200 million pledge, half already committed by Ducks Unlimited over 10 yearsNew philanthropic coalition Great Salt Lake Rising aims to raise an additional $100 million within a year, led by Josh RomneyCox wants lake elevation back to 4,198 feet by the 2034 Winter Olympics (currently at 4,191 feet) Charlie Kirk Monument at UVUPetition supporting memorial: 20,000 signaturesPetition opposing memorial: 13,000 signaturesUVU announced creation of a Memorial Committee, co-chaired by Scott M. Smith (UVU Board of Trustees, Qualtrics co-founder) and Amanda Covington (Utah Board of Higher Education chair)Committee will include students, political leaders, and other stakeholders USU Turning Point Event – Tuesday, Sept. 30Featured guests: Gov. Spencer Cox, Sen. Mike Lee, Former Rep. Jason ChaffetzSome surprise at Cox's participation after past criticism from Charlie Kirk in 2022Still unclear if the format will be a panel or Q&A Sutherland Institute TransitionRick Larsen to step down as CEO on Jan. 1, 2026, and become president emeritus One Week Out from Possible Government ShutdownFederal government faces shutdown if Congress fails to pass spending bill by Oct. 1Republicans and Democrats remain divided, particularly over extending enhanced ACA premium subsidiesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
AI Usage Trends: Insights from Recent Studies and Real Conversations In this episode, host Jim Love reflects on two recent studies about AI usage. The first study by Harvard Business Review and Qualtrics identifies top uses for AI, emphasizing personal applications like companionship and life organization. The second study by the National Bureau of Economic Research examines actual ChatGPT interactions, revealing a significant rise in non-work-related use. The episode discusses the disparities between perceived and actual AI usage and explores the potential economic and societal impacts of AI, including differing views on its effect on the workforce. 00:00 Introduction and Host's Personal Note 00:19 Reflections on AI Studies 00:27 Harvard Business Review Study Insights 01:25 National Bureau of Economic Research Study Insights 02:06 ChatGPT Usage Statistics 02:55 Demographics and Usage Patterns 03:27 Work vs. Non-Work Usage 04:03 Categories of ChatGPT Use 05:32 Contrasting Studies and Real-World Impact 06:31 Economic Impact and Future Speculations 08:13 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Marketers' roles are changing, but their goals are still the same: reach and engage customers, meeting them where they are, and for better or worse, often needing to do more with less while delivering greater value. Agility requires both adapting to change quickly while also having the wisdom to know which changes truly matter. It demands a delicate balance between embracing new technologies and staying laser-focused on core business objectives. Today, we are here in New York City at Opticon25. We are going to talk about the growing role of AI for both marketers and consumers, how organizations can leverage an agentic platform to create better internal and external customer experiences, and how marketers can both do more with less while delivering exponentially greater value. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Rupali Jain, Chief Product Officer and Kevin Li, SVP Product at Optimizely. About Rupali JainRupali Jain is the Chief Product Officer at Optimizely. Previously she has held product leadership roles at several SaaS software companies, including Microsoft's PowerBI and Qualtrics. Throughout her two-decade career, Rupali has shared Optimizely's vision of prioritizing the end user's daily needs. Rupali is committed to advancing practical, growth-driving applications of AI and machine learning to help marketers take control of their workflows, experiment at scale, and deliver digital experiences that meet and exceed customer expectations Rupali Jain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupali/ About Kevin LiAt Optimizely (previously Episerver before rebrand), I describe my job as a "tale of two mirrors" with one being a telescope and one being a microscope. On the telescope side of product strategy, I own long-term strategy covering build/buy/partner, M&A (thesis, due diligence, etc.), new product launches (SaaS CMS, Personalization, etc.), analyst relations (leader in 11 categories across Gartner, Forrester, and IDC), etc. On the microscope side of product operations, I own the product commercialization process, product operations, product analytics, documentation, and competitive intelligence. Kevin Li on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinsyli/ Resources Optimizely: https://www.optimizely.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Marketers' roles are changing, but their goals are still the same: reach and engage customers, meeting them where they are, and for better or worse, often needing to do more with less while delivering greater value. Agility requires both adapting to change quickly while also having the wisdom to know which changes truly matter. It demands a delicate balance between embracing new technologies and staying laser-focused on core business objectives. Today, we are here in New York City at Opticon25. We are going to talk about the growing role of AI for both marketers and consumers, how organizations can leverage an agentic platform to create better internal and external customer experiences, and how marketers can both do more with less while delivering exponentially greater value. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Rupali Jain, Chief Product Officer and Kevin Li, SVP Product at Optimizely. About Rupali JainRupali Jain is the Chief Product Officer at Optimizely. Previously she has held product leadership roles at several SaaS software companies, including Microsoft's PowerBI and Qualtrics. Throughout her two-decade career, Rupali has shared Optimizely's vision of prioritizing the end user's daily needs. Rupali is committed to advancing practical, growth-driving applications of AI and machine learning to help marketers take control of their workflows, experiment at scale, and deliver digital experiences that meet and exceed customer expectations Rupali Jain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupali/ About Kevin LiAt Optimizely (previously Episerver before rebrand), I describe my job as a "tale of two mirrors" with one being a telescope and one being a microscope. On the telescope side of product strategy, I own long-term strategy covering build/buy/partner, M&A (thesis, due diligence, etc.), new product launches (SaaS CMS, Personalization, etc.), analyst relations (leader in 11 categories across Gartner, Forrester, and IDC), etc. On the microscope side of product operations, I own the product commercialization process, product operations, product analytics, documentation, and competitive intelligence. Kevin Li on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinsyli/ Resources Optimizely: https://www.optimizely.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.—Ryan Glasgow is the CEO of Sprig, an AI-native survey platform built to replace legacy tools like Qualtrics. Sprig combines advanced survey capabilities, AI-powered analysis, and an intuitive user experience to help research and product teams get richer insights, faster. Before starting Sprig, Ryan led product at Weebly and Vurb, where he saw how slow, fragmented research workflows could limit product velocity. Today, Sprig is used by companies like Stripe, DoorDash, Notion, and Netflix to run surveys, analyze results instantly with AI, and deliver insights that shape product decisions.In our conversation, we discuss:* How the research community's mindset toward AI has shifted from fear to experimentation.* What it means to treat AI like an eager intern and why that mental model changes everything.* How to break your workflow into “job steps” and plug AI in where it can actually help.* What Sprig is building to support both qual and quant researchers at different levels.* Why sharing raw data with stakeholders (not just summaries) might be the next big unlock for research impact.Some takeaways:* Many teams outside of research are still figuring out what AI is good for. Meanwhile, UXRs are already experimenting with real tasks, like synthesis, survey creation, and study planning, because they've had to. Ryan points out that researchers are becoming internal AI evangelists, getting asked to present their workflows to other departments. The field's willingness to experiment is turning into a quiet leadership moment.* The best way to work with AI? Pretend it's a new intern. It's fast, eager, and can take on a ton but needs oversight, review, and clear direction. That framing unlocks a very different way of thinking: not “Will it replace me?” but “What can I delegate to it so I can focus on higher-impact work?” That shift is showing up in how researchers manage tasks across their workflow.* Before you plug AI into your stack, audit your actual workflow. Break it into steps, like study planning, stakeholder requests, distribution, synthesis, insight sharing, and decide where AI can support. Sprig is built around this approach, helping researchers insert AI at specific job steps. Trying to use one tool for everything often backfires; success comes from surgical fits, not general use.* Sprig is expanding from in-product surveys into long-form survey support with built-in AI features for study creation, open text clustering, and synthesis. Ryan shared how qual researchers use AI to draft surveys, get feedback, and even generate first-pass summaries of open ends. Other tools like Notebook LM and Gamma help researchers do faster analysis and deck creation without skipping the rigor.* One of the most radical ideas Ryan shared: share your raw research data, transcripts, open ends, survey results, so stakeholders can ask their own questions. With tools like ChatGPT or Notebook LM, that data becomes living, queryable insight. It turns research from a static deliverable into an exploratory tool. It also takes the pressure off researchers to have all the answers, all the time.Where to find Ryan:* Website* LinkedIn* XStop piecing it together. Start leading the work.The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.It's built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to—not around.→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic deliveryInterested in sponsoring the podcast?Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I'm always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at nikki@userresearchacademy.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.userresearchstrategist.com/subscribe
This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to outcomesrocket.com One of the most urgent and overlooked innovations in healthcare today is listening deeply and differently. In this episode, Dr. Adrienne Boissy, Chief Medical Officer at Qualtrics, explores the vital role of experience management in healthcare and the systemic challenges of embedding empathy at scale. She explains how Qualtrics is leveraging AI and data from over 150 channels to transform both patient and employee experiences. The 2025 Healthcare Trends Report reveals a looming retention crisis, with nearly 30% of physicians and even more nurses considering leaving their roles. Dr. Boissy also discusses the growing adoption of AI tools like ambient listening, the tension between trust and convenience, and the ethical urgency of building emotionally safe healthcare environments. Tune in and learn how transforming human experience in healthcare starts with the simple act of listening, done right, at scale, and with empathy! Resources: Connect with and follow Dr. Adrienne Boissy on LinkedIn. Follow Qualtrics on LinkedIn and explore their website. Email Adrienne directly here. Read the 2025 Healthcare Trends Report by Qualtrics here.
The Net Promoter System Podcast – Customer Experience Insights from Loyalty Leaders
Episode 254: What if the future of AI in customer experience is built not by giant platforms but by small, reusable, open source AI agents? Gurdeep Pall, President of AI Strategy at Qualtrics, believes open, modular AI agents will outmaneuver big tech's locked-down systems. In this conversation from the X4 Summit, Gurdeep argues that “experience agents”—task-specific bots that can plug into any stack—will give companies more control, better performance, and real freedom. Closed AI platforms promise convenience, but they trap businesses in rigid walled gardens. Gurdeep argues that modular architectures unlock something better: flexibility, reuse, and evolution. “Break down the agents to very specific functionality,” he says. “And those agents can be invoked by many different agents for different types of tasks.” This isn't just a tech choice. It's a business and philosophical stance. Qualtrics is partnering with LangChain and releasing open connectors to build an ecosystem of interoperable agents. The goal? Let companies mix, match, and scale customer-facing systems without depending on any one vendor. “This is one semantic level up,” he says, comparing today's agentic architectures to the launch of the web and mobile eras. “What agents are going to do for user experience—taking our digital game to the next level—is very exciting.” Guest: Gurdeep Pall, President of AI Strategy, Qualtrics Host: Rob Markey, Partner, Bain & Company Give Us Feedback: https://bit.ly/CCPodcastFeedback Time-Stamped Topics: (00:01) Why Qualtrics is going all-in on open agentic AI (00:04) An overview of the Qualtrics and LangChain partnership (00:06) The modular architecture of “experience agents” (00:08) Why one task might require seven agents (00:09) How specialization allows reuse and scale (00:10) Rejecting the walled garden model (00:11) Making open systems friction-free (00:12) A real-time use case from the X4 stage (00:14) Plug and play simplicity for complex integrations (00:15) Why this is a new digital paradigm Time-Stamped Quotes: [7:00] “It's about how you break up the task. Like, when you call the human, the human didn't sit there and not do anything and the password got reset. The human went to a piece of software and they went and worked on it. So, what we are talking about here is the combination of software and the human, now organized most efficiently.” [8:00] “ If you're able to break down the agents to very specific functionality, then those agents can be invoked by many different agents for different types of tasks.” [10:00] “ There is one example of a very small, open system called the Internet, which somehow, through open standards, became one of the most incredible innovations of human beings ever. So what we are trying to do is to take a stand and say, 'We believe in open systems and we want to let our customers know that this is a choice.'”
In this episode of The Buzz, host Yohanna Baez speaks with Sydney Heimbrock, the Chief Industry Advisor for Public Sector at Qualtrics and co-chair of the ACT-IAC's COI (community of interest) on talent. She shares her extensive career journey, including her transformative experience in the former Soviet Union and her efforts to integrate human-centered design principles into governmental processes. She discusses the importance of collaboration between industry and government, explains human-centered design, and explores the potential impact of AI on federal talent pipelines. Heimbrock emphasizes the value of public service and encourages the next generation of innovators to consider careers in government. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to never miss an episode! For more from ACT-IAC, follow us on LinkedIn or visit http://www.actiac.org.Learn more about membership at https://www.actiac.org/join.Donate to ACT-IAC at https://actiac.org/donate. Intro/Outro Music: See a Brighter Day/Gloria TellsCourtesy of Epidemic Sound(Episodes 1-159: Intro/Outro Music: Focal Point/Young CommunityCourtesy of Epidemic Sound)
Getting a meeting with a client's executive team is tough — but getting your own executives ready to deliver the right message? That's the real challenge. In this episode of B2B Sales Trends, Samantha Snetselaar, VP of Strategic Sales at Qualtrics, joins us to unpack what it takes to equip your executive team to champion your deal. From mapping relationships to setting clear action plans, this conversation is a playbook for turning internal alignment into external impact. Whether you're navigating a complex deal cycle or prepping for a big executive meeting, you'll learn how to: - Build credibility with your internal stakeholders - Prepare executives to show up with the right message - Keep senior leaders engaged from first meeting to close - Turn your execs into true partners in long-cycle deals Don't just secure the meeting — make it count.
Federal Tech Podcast: Listen and learn how successful companies get federal contracts
Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com Today, we discuss the importance of user experience for federal websites with guests Amanda Chavez and Rishi Vajpayee from Qualtrics. The expansion covers topics such as cost savings, automation, and the impact of unstructured data on how websites provide information. COST SAVINGS Older systems in the federal government may have been designed to optimize for one function. When new administrations are elected, it is possible that alterations can be made, and the existing system can lead to inefficiency and slow data utilization. During the interview, Amanda Chavez details how a company like Qualtrics can help federal leaders understand friction points. This is especially effective when making a transition to the cloud. Bottlenecks are identified, and the remedy is provided, enabling the complete flexibility of the cloud to be leveraged. AUTOMATION Federal agencies are encouraged to do more with less. Automation can provide the solution to this challenge. Frequently, self-service channels can provide information to citizens faster and more reliably than a traditional human in a call center can. UNSTRUCTURED DATA Rishi Vajpayee discusses some of the weaknesses in how surveys about web experience have been conducted. He notes that unstructured data, such as text, email, and feedback, provides a much richer and deeper understanding of how to enhance a website's effectiveness. Qualtrics' upcoming federal summit in August aims to address these issues and improve service delivery. The Qualtrics Federal Summit event in August 2025 will discuss improving the federal website.
This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, I sit down with Jeff Gelfuso, Chief Design Officer at Qualtrics, to discuss his People → Purpose → Products framework—a human‑first approach to customer experience that fosters loyalty, trust, and measurable results. Jeff shares how Qualtrics is transforming feedback with AI‑powered conversations that increase response rates by 10% and deliver twice the depth of insight, and why building trust is the foundation for lasting adoption of new technology.
In this episode, Bobby welcomes Donnchadh Casey, CEO of Calypso AI, who shares his fascinating journey from a petrol forecourt in Cobh to leading an innovative cybersecurity firm. Donnchadh reflects on his diverse career in engineering, including his time at McKinsey and Qualtrics, before diving into the world of AI and its transformative impact on business and society. Discover how Calypso AI is safeguarding organizations as they harness the power of artificial intelligence, and hear insights on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Agility requires more than just speed—it demands relevance and empathy, especially when AI is stepping in to play a bigger role in the customer experience. What if the problem isn't that AI moves too slowly—but that it moves without context, without empathy, and without earning trust?Today we're going to talk about how Agentic AI is changing that—offering a way to transform experience management from reactive to proactive, and from transactional to genuinely helpful. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Manisha Powar, VP, Head of Product, Customer Experience Suite at Qualtrics. About Manisha Powar Manisha Powar is a product and business leader specialized in building B2B Enterprise SaaS Products. Passionate about incubating new products and expanding mature products into new markets/use cases. 15+ years of experience in building, growing and scaling teams of high performers to drive innovation and deliver high quality results through data-driven decision making and scrappy execution. Strong leadership track record in delivering strategies to enter new markets that have led to a billion-dollar acquisition and building out global teams to win. Manisha Powar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmanisha/ Resources Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com https://www.qualtrics.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Our guest this week is Brad Anderson — a tech engineering and product leader who spent more than 17 years at Microsoft and is now approaching 5 years at Qualtrics, the experience management technology company, where he’s president of products, user experience, engineering, and security. I’ve known Brad for a while, in fact I’ve been on two of his shows back when he was an enterprise mobility and cloud technology leader at Microsoft, and it was all the rage for executives to have their own video shows. There was “Lunch Break with Brad Anderson,” where he drove his guests around the streets of Redmond in his Tesla, introducing me to "Insane Mode" at the time. And there was “The Ship Room,” where he talked about the cloud and played games with guests, challenging me to distinguish real startup names from fake ones. For this week’s show, I went to the Qualtrics Tower in downtown Seattle to talk with Brad about how he thinks about building tech today — how AI is starting to change the way products come together, and how expectations are shifting for both the people using the tools and the people building them. I also turn the tables on Brad in the final segment with a game about cloud and AI terms called "Real or Ridiculous" — stick around to play along. But first, he reminded me about the random case of mistaken identity that brought us together in the first place, back in the day. Listen to the show to hear the story, and see the related post on GeekWire to read highlights. — GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If the web is no longer one-size-fits-all and instead geared towards segments of one, how do brands avoid creating a thousand disconnected experiences, and manage each experience effectively? Agility requires embracing both technology and customer behavior shifts at the same time—without losing your brand voice. Today we're going to talk about how AI and more connected digital experiences are shaping the future of the web.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Eric Stine, CEO of Sitecore. About Eric Stine Eric Stine is the Chief Executive Officer of Sitecore, driving the company's vision and strategy to enable brands to create digital experiences so powerful they connect the world. Eric was previously Chief Operating Officer, where he led all customer-facing functions. Before Sitecore, Eric was Chief Executive Officer of Elemica. Previously, he was Chief Commercial Officer of Skillsoft and Chief Revenue Officer of Qualtrics. Eric has also held executive roles at companies such as SAP, Ciber, and Blackboard. Eric earned a law degree at Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts at Northwestern University, where he and his husband are the founders of the Eric and Neil Stine-Markman Scholarships. They are the first permanent endowments at either institution directing funds toward LGBTQ+ students. Eric Stine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-stine-ceo-sitecore/ Resources Sitecore: https://www.sitecore.com https://www.sitecore.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150" Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Helen Russell, Chief People Officer at HubSpot, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how HubSpot is fostering an AI-first culture, why belonging is so important right now, and what HR leaders can do to move fast without losing their humanity.---- Sponsor Links:
In this episode of Case Studies, Casey sits down with Nate Randle, CEO of Gabb and former executive at Nike, Vivint, Qualtrics, and the Utah Jazz, to unpack a lifetime of lessons in resilience, leadership, and personal growth. From navigating childhood adversity to steering major brands through crisis, Nate shares how his experiences shaped his leadership philosophy and deepened his commitment to supporting others. They discuss his journey from Nike Golf to running a high-growth company, the importance of authenticity in leadership, and the power of relationships in business. Nate also opens up about overcoming personal hardships, including a powerful story of forgiveness that changed his life. This episode is packed with insights for entrepreneurs, executives, and anyone looking to lead with impact—both in business and in life.Connect with Us:
#252 Category Creation | Dave is joined by Josh Lowman, Founder and Creative Director of Gold Front, a category design studio that's worked with brands like Uber, Notion, and Qualtrics. Josh is a leading voice in strategic brand positioning and category creation. He's spent over a decade helping high-growth B2B companies define what makes them irreplaceable in crowded markets.Dave and Josh cover:Why most category creation efforts fail (and what to do instead)The four real paths to category leadership: create, transform, niche, or go soloHow B2B marketers can align product, brand, and messaging around a single strategy to stand out and scaleWhether you're launching a new product or repositioning an existing one, this episode is a masterclass in strategic clarity.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:38) - – Josh's backstory and founding Gold Front (05:53) - – How Gold Front became a category design studio (08:08) - – What “category creation” really means (11:23) - – Why being irreplaceable is the real goal (14:28) - – The four paths to category leadership (18:13) - – Why Drift didn't succeed in creating a true category (22:08) - – Clay and Notion as category-of-one examples (24:58) - – Marketing vs. actual customer perception (29:34) - – Can Exit Five be more than the “Dave Gerhardt community”? (32:29) - – How to scale brand DNA beyond the founder (35:19) - – Defining Exit Five's ethos as a company (37:39) - – Strategy as a company-wide unifier (40:29) - – Advice for CMOs on driving strategy with CEOs (43:04) - – Why strategy is always the root cause (44:34) - – Vibe marketing and the rise of right-brain thinking (47:19) - – Josh's mental health journey and long-term therapy (50:49) - – LinkedIn, self-worth, and staying grounded (53:19) - – Weightlifting, discipline, and mental clarity (56:19) - – Daily habits that improve mindset (59:34) - – What 30 days of silent meditation does to your brain (01:04:19) - – Final thoughts on presence, self-work, and leadership Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more
Send us a textOur guest today is the brilliant – and the ever-curious – Dr. Cecelia Herbert, a Workplace Behavioral Scientist and a Doctor of Organizational Psychology with a career as a practitioner, academic, and consultant that spans more than two decades. After years as a senior leader in Employee Engagement at Google, she joined Qualtrics in 2019 to establish and lead XM Advisory Services in Asia Pacific, partnering with organizations across the globe to design, mature, and grow their experience management programs. As part of the global XM Institute team, Dr Herbert is focused on building a thriving community of Experience Management professionals, who are empowered and inspired to radically improve human experiences. [03:20s] Her journey into organizational psychology [09:44s] Organizational psychology key insights [16:10s] Intersection with EQ [22:11s] Acceleration of organizational optimization in a post-pandemic world [30:49s] Human-centric organizational transformation: ‘Often, change is done to people, not with them.' [46:33s] Evolution of employee experience [51:28s] RWL: Cecelia's recommendations of resources from experts like Bob Sutton, Adam Grant and Linda Gratton Connect with Cecelia on LinkedInConnect with Vinay on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together'. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
In this special live edition of The Buzz, Pete Tseronis interviews key industry leaders on the critical role of contact centers in delivering services, especially through digital and omni-channel strategies. Key speakers, including Martha Dorris of Dorris Consulting International; Amanda Chavez from Qualtrics; Mia Jordan from Salesforce; Marcellus Walker, Jr. from the Office of Unified Communications; Gundeep Ahluwalia from NuAxis Innovations; MaryAnn Monroe from Maximus; Tanya Slater Lowe from the U.S. Department of Labor; Crystal Philcox from Philcox Consulting, share insights on improving customer experience using technologies like AI, sentiment analysis, and automation. The summit emphasized empathy, data-driven decision-making, and the pivotal role of contact centers as the entry point to agencies. Practical lessons, success stories, and future projections for contact centers are also discussed, providing actionable strategies for government and industry leaders. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to never miss an episode! For more from ACT-IAC, follow us on LinkedIn or visit http://www.actiac.org.Learn more about membership at https://www.actiac.org/join.Donate to ACT-IAC at https://actiac.org/donate. Intro/Outro Music: See a Brighter Day/Gloria TellsCourtesy of Epidemic Sound(Episodes 1-159: Intro/Outro Music: Focal Point/Young CommunityCourtesy of Epidemic Sound)
Emilee Lehenbauer, vice president of federal at Qualtrics, said collecting and analyzing a wide range of feedback is key to fixing citizen interactions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
“What we're finding is that greater customer experience is particularly critical when you have more uncertainty in any particular market,” explains Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin to Bloomberg Intelligence senior technology analyst Anurag Rana, “What's interesting is if you hone in on understating what drives your customer behavior, that usually brings more stability to uncertainty.” In this episode of Tech Disruptors, Serafin and Rana sit down to discuss Qualtrics' history in customer experience (CX), autonomous AI agents in CX, and the data that underpins its AI-use cases.
The Role of Generative AI, Analytical AI, and Agentic AI in Enhancing Customer Loyalty and Experience Shep interviews Isabelle Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership with Qualtrics XM Institute. She talks about how AI can help measure customer loyalty, improve employee productivity, and enhance customer service processes. This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more: What is Agentic AI? What is the difference between generative AI, analytical AI, and agentic AI? What impact does AI have on analyzing and predicting customer behavior? How do companies balance AI with the need for human empathy in customer service? Why is it crucial for companies to start implementing AI to improve customer experience? Top Takeaways: As technology advances, the quality of customer experiences is gradually improving. However, customers are becoming less tolerant of poor experiences. Businesses must realize that one bad interaction can significantly impact customer loyalty. In Shep's recent customer service and experience survey, we found that the average customer is willing to give you two chances before they switch to a competitor. Loyal customers will give three chances. Maintaining consistent positive experiences is critical to retaining customers. Traditional approaches to getting customer feedback are less effective in measuring loyalty. Consumers are leaving less feedback because they don't trust that their voice is acknowledged. They often see little value in answering surveys and may prefer to quietly switch to a competitor. Unlike traditional AI, agentic AI can process data and understand the customer. As a result, it can take action without constant human assistance. Unlike analytical or generative AI, which are great at specific, focused tasks but still rely on people to prompt chatbots or act on predictions, agentic AI can manage entire end-to-end customer journeys and adapt to changes as they happen. Customers should know when interacting with a bot rather than a human. Companies employing AI in customer interactions must be transparent about their use to maintain trust and ensure that experiences align with customers' expectations ethically. Human interaction is still needed in customer service. AI can handle routine tasks, allowing human agents to deal with complex issues requiring empathy. According to recent Qualtrics research, there is a $860 billion ($420 billion for B2B and $440 billion for B2C) opportunity for organizations using AI to improve customer experiences systematically. This value is generated through increased employee productivity, process improvement, and revenue growth. Plus Shep and Isabelle discuss more insights from Qualtric's free report, Unlock the Potential of AI-Enabled CX. Tune in! Quote: "Customers are less tolerant of friction these days. So even if you deliver consistently good experiences, just one bad interaction can send your relationship down a bad path more quickly than it used to." About: Isabelle Zdatny is Head of Thought Leadership at Qualtrics XM Institute. She creates leading content on experience management trends and best practices, delivers training, and advises organizations on CX and EX strategy. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
According to a new Qualtrics + McKinsey report, organizations that effectively use AI to enhance CX could unlock between $860 billion and $1.3 trillion in annual value. On the latest episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, I speak with Isabelle Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership at Qualtrics, live from the X4 conference. We dive into what this research means for CX leaders navigating AI transformation. Key insights from the report: 77% of executives say CX is a top strategic priority 72% believe AI will fundamentally reshape CX within three years Yet only 12% have a coordinated AI strategy Only 15% of executives feel ready to lead AI transformation in their industry This conversation is a must-listen for CX leaders looking to move beyond pilots, connect AI to business outcomes, and build creative strategies that scale. Listen to the episode and download the full report for a clear roadmap to unlocking CX value through AI: https://www.qualtrics.com/news/qualtrics-report-executives-are-hesitant-to-lead-in-ai-transformation-putting-up-to-1-3-trillion-at-risk/ Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of three books on customer experience. Her new book is called The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules for Building A Business Around Today's Customer. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here.
Andrew Braccia, partner at Accel for nearly two decades, sits down with Erik Torenberg to discuss the firm's evolution from Silicon Valley early-stage investor to global, multi-stage powerhouse. Braccia explains Accel's two major strategic shifts: global expansion with local teams in Europe, India, and beyond; and the launch of their growth fund in 2008 targeting bootstrapped companies like Atlassian, Qualtrics, and Squarespace. Braccia reflects on lessons from his journey from Yahoo to venture capital, emphasizing the importance of "wiping your mind clear" of past experiences that might cloud judgment of new opportunities. The conversation provides rare insight into how Accel maintains operational excellence at global scale while preserving their early-stage venture DNA in an increasingly competitive landscape. —
Today's podcast is with Vivek Pandya, Director, Adobe Digital Insights at Adobe. I recently caught up with Vivek at Adobe Summit in Las Vegas to talk about some new research that Adobe just published called AI to Cart, which highlights the impact that Generative AI-powered chat interfaces are having on consumers, how that is changing their search and shopping behaviours, what brands should be doing in response and his highlights from the event. This interview follows on from my recent interview – The art and the science of listening – Interview with Zig Serafin, Brad Anderson and Isabelle Zdatny of Qualtrics – and is number 536 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders who are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees.
We are recording live at Qualtrics X4 in Salt Lake City and seeing and hearing all about how to create and enable amazing customer experiences. Today we're going to talk about enabling and accelerating customer experience success by augmenting your teams and processes with AI. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Isabelle Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership for XM Institute at Qualtrics. RESOURCES Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com Qualtrics Report: https://www.qualtrics.com/news/qualtrics-report-executives-are-hesitant-to-lead-in-ai-transformation-putting-up-to-1-3-trillion-at-risk/ Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
AWS partners Braze, Qualtrics, and Tealium share strategies for marketplace success, vertical industry expansion, and generative AI integration that have driven significant business growth. Topics Include:Jason Warren introduces AWS Business Application Partnerships panel.Three key topics: Marketplace Strategy, Vertical Expansion, Gen-AI Integration.Alex Rees of Braze, Matthew Gray of Tealium, and Jason Mann of Qualtrics join discussion.Braze experienced triple-digit percentage growth through AWS Marketplace.Braze dedicating resources specifically to Marketplace procurement.Tealium accelerated deal velocity by listing on Marketplace.Tealium saw broader use case expansion with AWS co-selling.Qualtrics views Marketplace listing as earning a "diploma."Understanding AWS incentives and metrics is crucial.Knowing AWS "love language" helps partnership success.Braze saw transaction volume increase between Q1 and Q4.Aligning with industry verticals unlocked faster growth.Tealium sees bigger deals and faster close times.Tealium moved from transactional to strategic marketplace approach.Private offers work well for complex enterprise agreements.Qualtrics measures AWS partnership through "influence, intel, introductions."AWS relationships help navigate IT and procurement challenges.Propensity-to-buy data guides AWS engagement strategy.Marketplace strategy evolving with new capabilities and international expansion.Brazilian marketplace distribution reduces currency and tax challenges.Partnership evolution: sell first, then market, then co-innovate.Braze penetrated airline market through AWS Travel & Hospitality.RFP introductions show tangible partnership benefits.Tealium partnering with Virgin Australia and United Airlines.MUFG bank case study shows joint AWS-Tealium success.Qualtrics won awards despite not completing formal competencies.Focus on fewer verticals yields better results.Gen AI brings both opportunities and regulatory concerns.First-party data rights critical for AI implementation.AWS Bedrock integration provides security and prescriptive solutions.Participants:Alex Rees – Director Tech Partnerships, BrazeJason Mann – Global AWS Alliance Lead, QualtricsMatthew Gray - SVP, Partnerships & Alliances, TealiumJason Warren - Head of Business Applications ISV Partnerships (Americas), AWSSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon/isv/
Today's podcast is a three-parter and features interviews with Zig Serafin, Brad Anderson and Isabelle Zdatny that I conducted at Qualtrics' recent X4 2025: The Experience Management Summit, which took place in Salt Lake City on March 18th-20th. Zig Serafin is the Chief Executive Officer of Qualtrics, Brad Anderson is the President of Products, UX and Engineering at Qualtrics, and Isabelle Zdatny is the Head of Thought Leadership at Qualtrics XM Institute. We talk about all of the latest developments at Qualtrics, including some of the big product announcements, many of the big challenges currently facing brands and a new piece of research that Qualtrics recently produced in collaboration with McKinsey on The AI-Powered Customer Experience Opportunity. This interview follows on from my recent interview – Testing and experimentation is everyone's problem – Interview with Shafqat Islam of Optimizely – and is number 535 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders who are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees. NOTE: Today's episode is sponsored by Qualtrics, who recently held their X4 2025: The Experience Management Summit in Salt Lake City on March 18th-20th. I was there, and it was a great event that explored how leading organizations are leveraging Experience Management (XM) to enhance customer and employee satisfaction, reduce operating costs, and achieve remarkable breakthroughs. We heard from industry leaders and companies, including Autodesk, Ford, USAA and Hilton. Find out more and catch up on the latest news coming out of the event at the Qualtrics website.
We are recording live at Qualtrics X4 in Salt Lake City and seeing and hearing all about how to create and enable amazing customer experiences. It's important to collect customer experience data, but if it's not driving change across your organization, is it really helping your business? Today we're going to talk about making meaningful cross-functional change, using CX research and data as a guide. I'm joined by Adam Hagerman, Director of UX Research for Employer Products at Indeed. Adam has led transformative efforts at Indeed to turn customer experience research into cross-functional strategic change, driving real improvements in both user satisfaction and product success. Resources Indeed: https://www.indeed.com Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
We are recording live at Qualtrics X4 in Salt Lake City and seeing and hearing all about how to create and enable amazing customer experiences. How long would you like to wait to get customer insights? Weeks or minutes? Today we're going to talk about how increasing the speed to insights can be a game changer for brands, and how synthetic feedback allows rapid testing and on-demand marketing intelligence.. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Ali Henriques, Global Director of Edge at Qualtrics. RESOURCES Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Listen to The Agile Brand without the ads. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3ymf7hd Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Today's podcast is with Shafqat Islam, President at Optimizely, who joins me to talk about a new research report they have just published called Tested to Perfection, experimentation, personalization, privacy and all things in between, including the key things that marketers should be doing more of to better engage their customers. This interview follows on from my recent interview – There are five types of loyalty but only two are growing – Interview with Sara Richter of SAP Emarsys - and is number 534 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders who are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees. NOTE: Today's episode is sponsored by Qualtrics, ahead of X4 2025: The Experience Management Summit, which is taking place in Salt Lake City on March 18th-20th. It's set to be an unforgettable event designed to empower you and your organization in leveraging Experience Management (XM) to enhance customer and employee satisfaction, reduce operating costs, and achieve remarkable breakthroughs. There, you will hear about some of the best customer experience programmes from industry leaders and companies, including Autodesk, Ford, USAA and Hilton. Find out more and register now at the Qualtrics website.
In this episode of Leadership Next, recorded live at Deloitte University's Next Generation CEO Conference, hosts Diane Brady and Kristin Stoller sit down with Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin for a deep dive into the future of experience management, the transformative power of AI, and the importance of defining your “why” as a leader. Serafin reflects on his 18-year tenure at Microsoft, his leadership journey at Qualtrics, and how the company navigated SAP's $8.5 billion acquisition, went public, and later returned to private ownership. He also explores the rise of agentic AI, customer experience lessons from Delta Airlines, and what today's leaders can learn from the early skeptics of the iPhone.
Today's podcast is with Sara Richter, CMO at SAP Emarsys, a leading omnichannel customer engagement platform provider. Sara joins me today to talk about customer loyalty, the findings emerging from the 2024 edition of their Customer Loyalty Index (CLI) report, the five different types of loyalty that marketers and CX professionals should be thinking about, and what brands should be doing to engender (true) loyalty with their customers. This interview follows on from my recent interview – Harnessing the contact center's potential as a real-time data gold mine – Interview with Suvi Lindfors of Netigate – and is number 533 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders who are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees. NOTE: Today's episode is sponsored by Qualtrics, ahead of X4 2025: The Experience Management Summit, which is taking place in Salt Lake City on March 18th-20th. It's set to be an unforgettable event designed to empower you and your organization in leveraging Experience Management (XM) to enhance customer and employee satisfaction, reduce operating costs, and achieve remarkable breakthroughs. There, you will hear about some of the best customer experience programmes from industry leaders and companies, including Autodesk, Ford, USAA and Hilton. Find out more and register now at the Qualtrics website.
Using Artificial Intelligence to Analyze and Activate a Better CX Shep Hyken interviews Sid Banerjee, Chief Strategy Officer at Medallia, an experience management platform organizations use to provide excellent customer and employee experience. He talks about how modern businesses can capture, analyze, and act on customer feedback using AI-powered tools that turn customer insights into meaningful improvements. This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more: How can companies utilize new technologies like generative AI to improve customer satisfaction? How can companies use digital and conversational signals to understand customer feedback better? What role does AI play in analyzing customer data and providing actionable insights? How can companies effectively activate their customer data to make informed business improvements? How does AI's cost-effectiveness influence its use in customer experience? Top Takeaways: Customer experience data is essential for companies to improve their products and services. By collecting feedback from various sources like surveys, chat, online reviews, social media, and customer interactions, companies can identify what makes customers happy and what they can improve. While surveys are still important, the advent of social media and other digital platforms provides customers with new ways to provide feedback. Meeting the customers on their chosen platforms helps them gather more data and better understand what customers experience and expect. AI can analyze data in massive amounts and detect patterns, trends, and opportunities for improvement that might be missed by humans. Using AI is not just about having the latest technology, it is about empowering employees to provide better, quicker, and more personalized service. Data should be easily accessible, not stuck in department silos. A CX platform brings it all together, organizing and turning it into actionable insights. Many companies get stuck collecting and analyzing data without taking action and implementing improvements that benefit customers. Activation is critical because it turns data and information into meaningful actions that improve customer experience. Technology will not replace human interactions, but it will enhance them. Tools like AI will provide frontline employees with real-time access to information and insights that will empower them to help customers more efficiently. Plus, Shep and Sid discuss what companies and customers can look forward to in the future when transforming CX and businesses with AI. Tune in! Quote: "Technology that previously cost hundreds of thousands is now accessible at a fraction of the cost. When you layer new innovative technology, like AI and automation, into the data that customers have given you, you can turbocharge your ability to transform customer experiences." About: Sid Banerjee is the Chief Strategy Officer at Medallia. Before his career at Medallia, he was the founder of Clarabridge and served as the Chief XM Strategy Officer at Qualtrics. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What if the future of market research isn't human at all but relies on AI-generated personas to mimic real-world consumers? Today, we're joined by Ali Henriques, Global Director of Edge at Qualtrics. Ali is here to discuss how synthetic personas, AI, and digital qualitative tools are reshaping the future of market research, and share some insights from the Qualtrics 2025 Market Research Trends Report. RESOURCES Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com Wix Studio is the ultimate web platform for creative, fast-paced teams at agencies and enterprises—with smart design tools, flexible dev capabilities, full-stack business solutions, multi-site management, advanced AI and fully managed infrastructure. https://www.wix.com/studio Register now for HumanX 2025. This AI-focused event which brings some of the most forward-thinking minds in technology together. Register now with the code "HX25p_tab" for $250 off the regular price. Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
What if your customers are staying silent after a bad experience - or even a good one for that matter? If you're waiting for feedback to drive improvement, the silence might already be costing you more than you think. Today we're exploring the future of customer feedback with Isabelle Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership at the XM Institute at Qualtrics. We'll dive into the findings from Qualtrics' 2025 Consumer Trends Report, the challenges of the “feedback recession,” and the role technology could play in shaping the future of customer insights. As Head of Thought Leadership with Qualtrics XM Institute, Isabelle helps Experience Management (XM) professionals make sense of the complex, evolving XM landscape so they can do their jobs with more confidence and success. She produces industry-leading content on XM trends and best practices, develops and delivers training, advises organizations on the design and execution of their CX and EX programs, and speaks on key XM topics and trends. RESOURCES Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com Qualtrics 2025 Global Consumer Trends Report: https://www.qualtrics.com/ebooks-guides/customer-experience-trends/ XM Institute: https://www.xminstitute.com/ Wix Studio is the ultimate web platform for creative, fast-paced teams at agencies and enterprises—with smart design tools, flexible dev capabilities, full-stack business solutions, multi-site management, advanced AI and fully managed infrastructure. https://www.wix.com/studio Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
