An engaged and supportive CEO is the most important success factor for any customer experience (CX) transformation. We’ve identified five roles for company leaders that can give pace and power to the project.

1. November 2017
How the CEO can
Propel a CX Initiative
Krishnan Ramanujam
President - Business & Technology Services

2. Every customer
experience (CX)
initiative will run
into roadblocks
along the way
Inconsistent
customer-facing
functions, unrealistic
program expectations
or untested
technologies are
common
A deeply involved
CEO can
overcome these
challenges
CX Transformation must be CEO-led

3. Consensus Builder
Thought Leader
Chief Customer Advocate
Experience Unifier
Influential Designer
5 Instrumental Roles CEOs Play
CEOs can play highly influential roles in their
companies’ CX initiatives. These include:

4. Facilitates meeting of
minds among board
directors, division
leaders, functional
heads, and CFOs
Thinks through how
a project will affect
everybody and
lends credibility to
initiatives
Manages anxiety
among stakeholders
during project
implementation
Consensus Builder
A consensus builder CEO engages key constituencies

5. Launches organization wide CX
transformation initiatives for
consistency and brand value
Ensures uniform quality and
nature of product and service
offerings across diverse
geographies
Builds certainty for consumers such that
they receive the same product and
service experience across the world
Experience Unifier
An experienced unifier CEO gets everyone on the same page

6. Helps design the
companies’ CX and
internalizes the
design function
Embeds design
thinking into nearly
every major
company decision
Positions user
experience at the
center of brand
management
Understands the
customers and
their emotions when
they purchase and
use the products
Influential Designer
An influential designer CEO puts a thumbprint on the experience

7. Stays relentlessly
focused on the details of
how the company deals
with its customers
Makes customer
mindset a part of the
company’s culture
Prioritizes what the
customer needs and then
works backwards
Obsesses about
customers rather than
competition
Chief Customer Advocate
A customer advocate CEO puts the customer in the design room

8. Thought Leader
Builds awareness by
consistently discussing
and publishing views
about exceptional CX
Obsesses with creating
a different experience
for customers and
employees
Demonstrates affinity
for customers
A thought leader CEO is a CX expert

9. A passionate CEO leading
CX initiatives will lend
energy to the entire
organization
An influential and
well-informed CEO can
be the tie-breaker that
makes the big decisions
to propel CX
CEOs can Drive Exceptional CX
The CEO’s proactivity
will raise the
performance bar and
inspire key executives

10. Contact a Consultant
Download the Article
How the CEO Can Propel
a CX Initiative