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Date: February 26, 2026
Time: 4:00pm GMT
Location: Online
Most Customer Success advice assumes you’ve got a mature team, established processes, and a robust tech stack. But what happens when you’re the first CS hire, or the leader tasked with building the function from zero?
In this keynote, Kourtney Thomas shares lessons from the trenches of building CS teams and strategy at fast-moving, early-stage startups. Whether you’re a team of one or leading the charge through Series A, this session offers a practical framework for turning ambiguity into impact. You’ll learn how to prioritize what matters, prove the value of CS early, and lay the groundwork for long-term growth, without over-engineering or burning out.
Key Takeaways:
- How to prioritise tools, processes, and metrics when resources are limited
- Tactics to gain internal buy-in and secure a seat at the leadership table
- Real examples of what worked (and what didn’t) in building for scale from day one
Meet the speaker:
Kourtney Thomas, Head of Customer Success at TakeUp
Kourtney Thomas brings 15+ years of experience in customer success, revenue leadership, and entrepreneurship across tech, SMB, and hospitality. She’s built and scaled high-performing customer teams from zero to thriving, bringing a sharp eye for strategy and operational excellence, and a passion for nurturing strong, trust-based client relationships.
Kourtney has led Customer Success and Revenue teams, driving both retention and growth. She’s held senior roles in consulting and SaaS, managing multimillion-dollar portfolios, improving GRR and NRR, and launching programs that improved onboarding, education, and customer experience at scale.
Known for her ability to foster deep customer and team relationships, Kourtney pairs strategic thinking with a people-first mindset. Her business ownership and coaching background fuel a leadership style rooted in growth, trust, and measurable impact.
