Chad Horenfeldt is a seasoned customer success executive with over two decades of experience in SaaS. Chad held key positions at companies such as Meta (Kustomer), Updater, Bluecore, Influitive, and Oracle (Eloqua), where he honed his expertise in customer success and customer experience strategies. Chad has been part of an IPO while at Eloqua and of two major acquisitions, one by Oracle and a second by Meta. Beyond his professional endeavors, Chad has received numerous industry awards, including being a 3X Top 25 Customer Success Influencer. He is a recognized thought leader, frequently sharing insights on customer success through various industry publications and speaking engagements. Among his many contributions, Chad authored a section on customer advocacy in the book The Customer Success Professional's Handbook: How to Thrive in One of the World's Fastest Growing Careers-While Driving Growth for Your Company. Chad graduated from Western University with a Master of Arts in history and completed a postgraduate diploma in applied information technology. He is originally from Toronto, Ontario, but now lives in Northern New Jersey with his wife, three children, and dog, Timbit. Kristi Faltorusso is a powerhouse in the Customer Success space, known for her strategic leadership, operational rigor, and relentless focus on driving impact. With a career spanning over a decade, she has built, scaled, and transformed Customer Success functions at multiple SaaS companies, helping organizations increase retention, expand revenue, and deliver world-class customer experiences.​Currently serving as the Chief Customer Officer at ClientSuccess, Kristi has previously held leadership roles at high-growth companies like Intellishift, BetterCloud, and BrightEdge. Her approach to CS is deeply data-driven and results-oriented, combining automation, scalable processes, and proactive engagement strategies to maximize customer lifetime value.Beyond her executive roles, Kristi is an influential thought leader, sharing her expertise through speaking engagements, webinars, and LinkedIn content that blends tactical insights with witty, no-nonsense advice. Kristi's impact on the industry is undeniable. Whether she's mentoring emerging CS leaders, shaping best practices, or advocating for the strategic importance of Customer Success, she's a driving force in the evolution of the field.
In The Strategic Customer Success Manager, Chad distills years of battle-tested lessons into a playbook that every CSM-from rookie to veteran-needs right now. - Nick Mehta, CEO at Gainsight and author of Customer Success and The Customer Success Economy Chad Horenfeldt has written an engaging, practical, and powerful guide that helps CSMs become true business partners ready to thrive in an AI-driven world. Every Customer Success team should have this on their desk, and in their enablement programs. - Donna Weber, Customer Value Realization Expert and author of Onboarding Matters With customer expectations evolving at record speed, this book is the essential guide for forward-thinking CSMs. It builds on existing resources and elevates customer success to a strategic discipline. - Wayne McCulloch, Chief Customer Officer at Alkami Technology, author of The Seven Pillars of Customer Success As a former management consultant turned CS leader, I know what it means to be strategic-and this book gets it. Chad turns abstract advice into practical tools CSMs can use every day. If you're ready to move from reactive to respected, this is the blueprint. - Ejieme Eromosele, VP of Customer Growth at Quiq, Founder of Success in Black In working with Chad, I've come to see him as perhaps the most giving leader and thinker in customer success today. True to form, with this book he generously provides a comprehensive and simple to understand roadmap for any customer success professional or account manager who wants to enhance their career. - Bob London, Founder & Chief Listening Officer at Chief Listening Officers The Strategic Customer Success Manager nails the human frameworks-trust, executive storytelling, value mapping-that transform a helpful rep into a strategic advisor. - Jan Young, Founder, StepUpXchange