Thought Industries Appoints Jill Sawatzky Chief Customer Officer
SaaS Customer Success Pioneer Will Drive Global Strategy and Programs to Maximize Business Value of Customer Learning
Thought Industries, the world’s #1 platform for customer learning management (CLM), today announced the appointment of Jill Sawatzky to chief customer officer. In her new role, Sawatzky will oversee all customer success programs and strategies with the goal of helping corporations and professional training organizations maximize the impact and value of their investments in new learning programs, services and technologies. Sawatzky’s appointment is the latest development in Thought Industries efforts to drive adoption of the new customer learning management category, which recognizes corporate learning and professional training as strategic drivers of business value at every stage of the customer journey.
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Sawatzky has more than 20 years of experience building and implementing customer and partner success programs for top technology companies. She established the first customer success program for IBM and developed similar programs for companies including Citrix and, most recently, Commvault. She’ll draw from this experience in her new role as she takes the Thought Industries customer success program to a new level, incorporating learning into plans that align to customers’ key business outcomes, ensuring each customer has the right tools, insights and support when they need it.
“Jill is among the very best when it comes to developing and implementing world-class customer success programs for SaaS companies that drive usage and bolster retention,” said Robin Wadsworth, president, Thought Industries. “Most importantly, though, is our shared appreciation for the role learning can play in customer success. We believe it’s imperative for engagement and retention, and Jill will help ensure this same philosophy comes through in every customer engagement, at every stage of the customer journey.”
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“Jill is a true pioneer in the Customer Success industry,” said Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight. “Her leadership and ability to turn Customer Success strategies into clear, definitive actions with tangible results is world-class. I’m so thrilled to see what she will bring to this new role and how she will incorporate Customer Learning into the overall Customer Success landscape. It’s a natural evolution in customer centricity, and she’s the right leader for the job.”
Sawatzky’s appointment builds on recent initiatives aimed at giving corporate and professional training professionals the tools to maximize the impact of their learning programs. This includes the launch of the Thought Industries Academy, an industry-first on-demand center of excellence that provides customer learning professionals with education, research, tools and networking opportunities. The Academy’s first piece of research establishes a maturity model that comprises five distinct phases for tracking the progress and effectiveness of various customer learning programs, along with actionable recommendations for advancing performance and driving program success.
“The linkage between customer learning and customer success is obvious, though not always appreciated or, most importantly, understood,” Sawatzky said. “I’m most excited about making this connection more tangible for our customers. They’re trying to drive success for their customers, and we can help them ensure learning plays a key role in that process, and advise on where and how to implement it so they can achieve their goals.”
