Customer Obsessed

About Andy

Andy is a technology consultant, builder, and investor with 17 years of experience in the software industry. He has spent the last two years in the NFT ecosystem and 17 years in the Salesforce ecosystem consulting and providing solutions for a wide variety of customers ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. He is passionate about promoting amazing experiences and helping to create a more equitable world.

Andy's Customer-Obsessed Pick: We're Different, We're the Same by Bobbi Kates

NFT & Web3 Resources:

• Bankless Newsletter
• The All-In Podcast
• Zora
• Manifold
• Web3 with A16Z

What can the past tell us about the future? Randy Rodriguez, one of Salesforce's first enterprise customers, dives into the ecosystem's storied past as a way to look forward. Hear how his experiences inform the present and shape the future of the technology industry. Plus, Eric, Erin, and Randy explore mental health and books that matter.

About Randy Rodriguez

Randy represents Volante Tech, the leading global payments provider to the banking industry in the market, focused on North America. He brings a Saas background and focuses on bringing customer success and business model innovation to North American banks and payments providers.

An EQ mentor and leader who brings an execute-to-vision capability to both work and life. Authentic, driven, and dedicated, Randy drives success by bringing out the best in those around him, leading by example, and building success through nomadic, curious commitment. His strengths are situational leadership, the ability to aggregate talent, and a driven personal style.

Customer Obsessed Pick:

The Moth: All These Wonders

The Secret History

Tom Quinn is a gig CIO, leading companies into the tech future one role at a time. Hear about his experiences at media giant News Corp, how he got into the world of higher education - and what needs to change in that industry - and why storytelling and tech innovation are actually perfect partners.

About Tom

Tom is a highly accomplished executive with extensive experience driving successful business outcomes across multiple industry sectors, including Financial Services and Media. With 20+ years as a CTO/CIO in News Corp and others, Tom is a recognized expert in large-scale enterprise technology transformation with deep domain experience in digital operating models and Cloud Services. He has successfully led high-profile digital transformations and driven profitable exits for Venture Capital Investors in technology start-ups.

Since early 2016, Tom has been offering his know-how, hardened by real-world experience, to help CXOs in 6 key areas: Strategy Development, Digital Transformation, Digital Operating Models, rejuvenation of existing technology functions, Delivery, and Interim Executive assistance. He is a true Gig CIO.

Customer Obsessed Picks

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein

Sylvia Acevedo is a rocket scientist, technologist, innovator, author, the former CEO of Girl Scouts, and continues to make an impact as a board director at Qualcomm. She has always found a way to chart her own path, never taking no for an answer. 

What were her career-defining moments? What’s next for CEOs with a global mindset? How do aspiring changemakers harness the power of self-determination to make their own future? We talk about this and a whole lot more—don’t miss it!

Sylvia's Customer Obsessed Picks:

The Young Galileo Speaks by Ray Bradbury

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Ready to hear from Salesforce’s first developer? Tune in to our interview with Lou Fox, a technologist and innovator who has seen the evolution of Salesforce from its earliest days into a global powerhouse.

During our conversation, Lou shares his origin story and unconventional path into the world of Salesforce and cloud technology. He reveals a game-changing moment in Salesforce development as well as how his approach (and priorities) in management and innovation have evolved to focus on people, storytelling, and communication first.

Lou’s Customer Obsessed Picks:

Bleeding Pinstripes: A Season with the Bleacher Creatures at Yankee Stadium

The Best American Short Stories

As we mentioned during the episode, here are resources and ways to help Ukrainians affected by the war with Russia. (Source: Global Citizen)

1. People in Need is providing humanitarian aid to over 200,000 people on the ground. For those most in need, they provide food packages, emergency shelter, safe access to drinking water, hygiene items, and coal for heating. Donate here.

2. The Ukrainian Red Cross does loads of humanitarian work, from aiding refugees to training doctors. Donate here.

3. The International Medical Corps is on the front lines and prepared to help citizens with emergency health care services, as well as mental health and psychosocial support. The agency is also keeping the pandemic top of mind throughout the crisis by prioritizing COVID-19 awareness and prevention services, to help keep displaced citizens safe from the pandemic. Donate here.

4. CARE is responding to the crisis by providing Ukrainians in need with food, hygiene kits, psychosocial support services, access to water, and access to cash. Donate here. 

5. Nova Ukraine is a nonprofit that delivers aid packages to Ukraine with everything from baby food and hygiene products, to clothes and household supplies. Donate here.

6. UNICEF is repairing schools damaged by the bombings and providing an emergency response to children affected by the conflict. Donate here.

7. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency has stepped up its operations and is working with governments in neighboring countries "calling on them to keep borders open to those seeking safety and protection.” You can help support the UNHCR's work supporting refugees by donating here and take action here to send a tweet urging governments and businesses to support the United Nations' urgent appeal for $1.7 billion to deliver life-saving humanitarian support.

8. OutRight Action International is helping to support LGBTQ+ groups and organizations on the ground, setting up shelters, and providing safety for citizens. All donations made to OutRight will go directly to the cause. You can donate here. 

9. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is deploying emergency operations in Ukraine and surrounding countries to provide food assistance to those fleeing the conflict. Donate here.

10. Save the Children is working with partners to respond to meet the urgent needs of affected children and their families. It's ready to provide life-saving assistance, such as food, water, cash transfers, and safe places for children as people flee amid freezing temperatures and brutal conditions, and to scale up options to ensure children impacted by the crisis have the support they need. Find out more and donate here. 

11. SOS Children’s Villages has worked in Ukraine since 2003 and is coordinating an emergency response to support families who are living in the conflict areas and those who have been internally displaced. Find out more and donate here. 

12. Mercy Corps is mobilizing a team to the region to assess where help is most needed and is anticipating providing emergency cash assistance, as well as supporting local organizations that know their community needs best. Between 2015 and 2017, Mercy Corps provided humanitarian assistance in eastern Ukraine, reaching more than 200,000 people with emergency cash, food, water, and sanitation supplies, small business development grants, restoring war-damaged homes, and more. Find out more and donate here.

13. Medical Teams International is fundraising to send medical supplies to the region, with all proceeds going towards sending medicines and/or medical supplies. Learn more and donate here. 

14. The World Health Organization Foundation is raising funds for WHO’s Health Emergency Appeal for Ukraine. An estimated $57.5 million must be raised to deliver urgent physical and mental health care to the 18 million people in Ukraine needing urgent humanitarian assistance, and more than 4 million refugees who’ll need protection and assistance in the coming months. You can donate here, and share the WHO Foundation's call for donations on your own social media, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 

15. Alight is a humanitarian nonprofit that has sent teams of emergency response workers to Poland to assist with the burgeoning refugee population by helping to meet all of their material and psychosocial needs. You can donate here. 

16. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is on the front lines of the world’s conflicts, natural disasters, and other crises, helping people recover from extreme hardship and put their lives back together. The IRC currently has a team dispatched to Poland that’s helping to provide food, medical care, and emergency support services to families who fled Ukraine amid the violence. You can donate here.

17. Team Rubicon mobilizes their highly skilled volunteers to help people prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises. As a World Health Organization Emergency Medical Team mobile unit, Team Rubicon has sent a small team to Poland, including physicians with expertise in pediatrics and maternal and reproductive health care. Donate here to help Team Rubicon rapidly respond to meet humanitarian needs. 

18. Direct Relief is working directly with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and other on-the-ground partners to provide urgently needed medical aid, including emergency response packs intended for first responders, oxygen concentrators, critical care medicines, and much more. Donate here. 

19. GlobalGiving has its Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, with all donations to the fund going to support humanitarian assistance in impacted communities in Ukraine and surrounding regions. GlobalGiving’s network of over 30 grassroots NGOs are bringing relief to terrified and displaced communities, and they need resources to continue their life-saving work. Donate here. 

Beena Ammanath leads the global Deloitte AI Institute and is a self-proclaimed AI optimist. As automation and the metaverse are becoming prominent parts of our reality, Beena joins hosts Eric Berridge and Erin Acevedo to discuss her industry insight on the current and future roles of AI and other advancing technologies. Listen in to this episode that explores both the benefits and dangers of programs like facial recognition and hear how technologists like Beena herself are standing on the frontlines to tackle the ethical implications of advancing tech—triaging problems and solving them before they emerge.

About Beena Ammanath

Beena is Executive Director of the Global Deloitte AI Institute and leads Trustworthy AI & Ethical Tech at Deloitte. She is the author of the upcoming book releasing in spring 2022 – “Trustworthy AI” – which helps businesses navigate trust and ethics in AI.

An award-winning senior executive with extensive global experience in AI and digital transformation, spanning across e-commerce, finance, marketing, telecom, retail, software products, services, and industrial domains with companies such as GE, HPE, Thomson Reuters, British Telecom, Bank of America, e*trade and a number of Silicon Valley startups, Beena is also the Founder of non-profit, Humans For AI, an organization dedicated to increasing diversity in AI.

Beena also serves on the Board of AnitaB.org and the Advisory Board at Cal Poly College of Engineering. She has been a Board Member and Advisor to several technology startups. Beena thrives on envisioning and architecting how data, artificial intelligence, and technology in general, can make our world a better, easier place to live for all humans.

Customer Obsessed Pick: Trustworthy AI: A Business Guide for Navigating Trust and Ethics in AI by Beena Ammanath

In this episode, we’re talking to Corinne Sklar, a brilliant creative mind in the world of business and marketing who is the Chief Marketing Officer for IBM iX. During our interview, Corinne busts a few persistent marketing myths that are holding businesses back when it comes to connecting with customers. She also shares how her background in art has influenced her approach to innovation and collaboration, especially when it comes to one crucial thing—join us to find out what it is and how to use it effectively. 

In this episode, we’re talking to Gianna Scorsone, the GM of North America at Aircall. During our interview, Gianna shares how she built trust and accountability with her new team remotely during the pandemic, why shifting from strict, traditional sales metrics to a supportive, collaborative approach is necessary for any company that wants to be customer-obsessed, and how she’s helping shake up diversity and inclusion at a company that, before hiring her, had an all-male leadership team.

Gianna's Customer Obsessed Pick: Circe by Madeline Miller

About Gianna

As the GM and Head of North America at Aircall, Gianna empowers employees and oversees every department spanning the customer journey spectrum — from lead-gen to partnership and integrations.

Gianna has a deep background in sales operations and management. Her past titles include COO at Mondo and VP of Sales Operations at Bluewolf. She serves as an advisor and mentor to leaders throughout the startup community.

She also advises several startups and sits on the board of a Brooklyn-based non-profit, Read718.

In this episode, we’re talking to Evan Meyers, an educator and the founder of the charter school, School in the Square. Evan shares his journey from a career in finance to a calling in education. His unique approaches to learning, collaboration, and student empowerment are as applicable in the business world as in schools. From building community and navigating power dynamics to fostering engagement and curiosity, Evan’s practices are critical for any customer-obsessed organization, and the future of education.

Key Takeaways

• Some educational institutions still function like old-school big businesses, with a top-down 1950’s leadership style that is outdated. It may do better to yield to a collaborative approach in which students & stakeholders have equity. 
• Voices and choices matter, in school and in business.
• When deciding whether to make a change (career, life, etc.) there is no predicting the future, and no perfect solution. Sometimes a leap of faith is the only answer.
• Education matters to business because schools are fostering future leaders and a creative workforce. We need institutions which value students as creative individuals who can think and speak critically, are resilient, and have space to learn and grow.

Evan's Customer Obsessed Pick

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario

About Evan Meyers

Evan Meyers is an experienced and passionate educator and school leader committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity within the public education sphere. He is the founder and Executive Director of School in the Square Public Charter School located in Washington Heights, NYC. Under his leadership, School in the Square has expanded from a charter school initially approved to serve middle school grades 6 through 8 to include an elementary school that educates children in an immersive Spanish-English dual-language environment. 

Evan has worked tirelessly to ensure that School in the Square provides its families and the larger community with the economic, health and social welfare supports they need to provide children with the stability and security they need to thrive. As Evan’s vision of the role of public schools in underserved communities has become reality through School in the Square, the school has become an anchor institution in Washington Heights. 

Evan is a New York State-certified School Building Leader. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Evan received his Master’s degree from Columbia University Teachers College. He began his teaching career as a founding History Teacher at the High School for Language and Diplomacy after a 20-year career in the financial sector.

Early last year, the pandemic threw our world into crisis, and we still haven't reached the other side. The upheaval of “normal” working conditions has led to rapid, high-pressure innovation and transformation across all industries, all while dealing with new risks to peoples’ health and safety. We spoke to Erin Horvath, Chief Transformation Officer at AmerisourceBergen, and got a firsthand look into the challenges she and her team faced as they worked to maintain their vital healthcare supply chain. During the interview, she also gives insight into potential solutions for improving healthcare outcomes for disadvantaged communities and discusses how to mentor and support women at work to help them rise into leadership.

About Erin Horvath

As AmerisourceBergen’s Chief Transformation Officer, Erin Horvath partners with businesses across the enterprise to find new inflection points of growth, greater levels of scalability, and new go-to-market strategies. In alignment with the organization’s five-year strategy, she drives the execution of strategic and innovative initiatives and investments.