Smart Communications Chief Commercial Officer Case Study

Smart Communications partnered with Oakstone International on a retained basis to create and appoint a brand-new executive role responsible for automating the entire customer journey and driving outcomes, retention, and long-term value. Despite the role’s ambiguity and the challenge of attracting a senior leader away from an active equity position, Oakstone secured a hands-on, executive-level operator with deep professional services and customer success experience, completing the hire within 12 weeks and cementing a long-term global partnership.

Company Background

Search Background

The Challenge

Result

Hire Challenges

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Company Background

Smart Communications™ is the only provider of a customer conversation management platform. Built from the cloud up, we help enterprises deliver SMARTER conversations across the entire customer lifecycle – and at scale – and empower them to succeed in today’s digital-focused, customer-driven world while also simplifying processes and operating more efficiently.

• Founded in 1991 by Gary O’Brien

• HQ London, UK. Approx 400 employees

• Cloud-enabled customer communications management services (SaaS)

Search Background

• Hiring manager: CEO

• This was a brand-new role

• Looking for someone to come in and automate their entire customer journey

• Passion for delivering customer outcomes, success, and retention strategies

The Challenge

• As a brand-new role, there was little knowledge of the potential success of the role

• They needed someone who had professional services experience as well as the capability of customer success management at an executive level.

Result

• The successful candidate had first-hand experience in each of the key requirements from Smart Communications

• The hire had executive-level credibility with hands-on experience

• Hire time - 12 weeks

• Exclusive Retained agreement

Hire Challenge

• The successful candidate was in a very senior role at EMC and in the middle of an investment cycle when he was approached by Oakstone. Oakstone had to persuade him to walk away from his stock. Smart Communications were able to offer him a stock incentive when joining.

More about Oakstone and Smart Communications