Akash Singh is a forward-thinking customer success leader currently working as Head of Customer Success (APJ) at Software AG.
Over the last 20 years, Akash has utilized his passion and tenacity for customers leading strategies and execution in some versatile roles – engineering, sales, and customer success to execute corporate strategies. His expertise lies in building customer success functions from the ground up, scaling go-to-market goals by successfully building customer success teams and CX Ops practices to improve net revenue retention (NRR) rates.
Pretty impressive stuff, right? Well, what would you say if we added one more credential to the list: Akash is also a Customer Success Collective Ambassador! 🎉
Akash became an Ambassador via an invitation from the CSC team due to his contributions to and presence in the customer success community over the years.
But what does Akash make of the CSC Ambassador program? Is it worthwhile? What are the perks? We sat down with Akash and he told us exactly what his experience has been. 👇
What inspired Akash to join the Ambassador program?
“I was keen on being part of an industry program purely designed for CS professionals. I’ve always wanted to lead initiatives to build a CS community and improve my thought leadership; the CSC Ambassador program is precisely that opportunity.”
How did this program stand out above market alternatives?
“This program offered opportunities to think out of the box and lead the CS initiatives, be it running a meetup, publishing a blog on CS best practices or even participating in a podcast to communicate how one overcame the CS challenges they experienced at their organization.
“Additionally, the CSC staff makes a conscious effort to engage the community, on Slack and LinkedIn, by coming up with thought-provoking topics and activities, while communicating a consistent message that keeps everyone involved.”
Which aspects of the Ambassador program did Akash find the most valuable?
“Out of all the benefits of being an Ambassador, running the meetups has been the most valuable aspect of this program, as it’s helped me build a wider community of CS professionals across Sydney.
“The meetups have helped me connect with a variety of CS professionals, all with different objectives; some have needed career guidance, some are looking for their next move, and some are looking to hire. I’ve even met people who wanted to share how they’ve set up their CS functions and discuss their challenges and achievements at a high level.
“The conversations in these meetups brought the community even closer, as it became abundantly clear we all had similar goals around improving NRR, be it via renewals or expansions. We discovered that we’ve all faced similar challenges around product adoption and churn rate.”
Grace Gupta
Akash’s contributions to the CSC community
“Over the last couple of years, I’ve presented a keynote speech twice at the CSC’s annual Sydney event. I’ve also run three meetups (with a fourth coming soon!) and recently participated in an episode of the CS School podcast.
“There have been two things that have stood out from these experiences. I learned that:
- There’s a strong sense of interest among the CS professionals to network with other CS professionals outside work.
- Attending events like Customer Success Festivals and collaborating with CS leaders and CSMs from different companies is an important aspect in developing one’s CS career.”
But… does Akash recommend others to become CSC Ambassadors?
“Yes, I feel this is a great opportunity to not only impact the CS industry directly by leading initiatives to support other community members but also to improve on one’s CS thought leadership.
“I’ve had an amazing experience so far. This is a unique opportunity to impact the CS industry. It’s offered me an essential platform to share the best practices I’ve learned and practiced over the years in my CS career.
“On top of that, it’s opened up opportunities to connect and collaborate with the wider CS community. The staff at Customer Success Collective are very encouraging and effective in guiding one throughout the process, be it by running a meetup, preparing for a podcast, or giving a keynote speech at one of the Customer Success Festivals.”
Akash’s advice to anyone considering becoming an Ambassador
“Join with an open mind and a collaborative attitude. Share your passion and expertise where relevant – whether that’s through podcasts, events, or social media content.”
Become a Customer Success Collective Ambassador
Do you want to develop your personal brand? Do you want to contribute to our community’s content? Do you want to help run networking meetups with like-minded customer success professionals in your local area?
If you’ve even just one of these is a “yes,” you’ll fit right in with Customer Success Collective’s Ambassador program.
Our Ambassador program is designed to give you the space to establish yourself in customer success, but it’s not rigid by any stretch; you can tailor it to be exactly what you want!
