The Experience Edge

In this compelling episode of The Experience Edge, Jochem van der Veer is joined by James Munoz, Director of Brand and Employee Experience at Elsevier, to discuss what it truly means to lead through chaos and complexity. Drawing from his unique background as a former U.S. Army reconnaissance officer turned CX transformation leader, James unpacks how his soldier-first mindset evolved into a human-first philosophy that fuels customer and employee experience today.

James shares hard-earned lessons from the military, financial services, and enterprise transformation programs at Wells Fargo and Elsevier. He dives into what makes a strong Voice of the Customer (VOC) program, the need for real-time feedback loops, the value of having a shared CX vision, and how artificial intelligence can serve internal teams to elevate customer understanding. The episode ends on a high note: a call to reimagine CX not as a reactive discipline, but as an engine for innovation.

Guest Bio

James Munoz is the Director of Brand and Employee Experience at Elsevier, where he leads strategic alignment across brand, customer, and employee initiatives. A seasoned transformation leader, James brings over a decade of military leadership experience as a former U.S. Army reconnaissance officer, followed by CX and operational roles at Bank of America and Wells Fargo. His expertise spans journey measurement, VOC program design, and experience strategy. James is a champion for connecting brand promise to execution and is known for shaping cultural change through customer-centric thinking.

Takeaways

• Human-First Leadership: Military service taught James to prioritize people over tasks - a principle he now applies to CX.
• From Military to CX: Transitioning from the Army to brand experience was intuitive for James because both require deep understanding of human behavior.
• Strategic VOC Programs: Good VOC isn't just about surveys - it's about recurring engagement with business stakeholders and closing the loop on insights.
• Quarterly vs. Real-Time Feedback: While quarterly reviews help align stakeholders, there's a rising need for real-time, dashboard-driven CX.
• Regulated Industries & VOC Maturity: Banks often have more mature VOC practices due to compliance pressure - something B2B organizations can learn from.
• Shared North Star Vision: A tangible, organization-wide North Star aligns customer, employee, and brand experiences for consistent execution.
• CX as Culture: VOC programs can and should drive cultural change, not just collect metrics.
• AI as Internal Enabler: James is excited about AI's potential to help internal teams craft more empathetic, consistent messaging and surface insights faster.
• Brand-CX Disconnect: Too often, brand and CX teams operate in silos - James argues for direct alignment as they represent two halves of the same promise.

Chapters

00:00 Guest Introduction and Setup

01:27 From Army Recon to CX Transformation

03:11 Translating Military Lessons to Customer Centricity

05:16 Entering CX Through Banking and Transformation

07:15 What Makes a Strong VOC Program

10:36 Regulated vs. Non-Regulated Industries

12:10 Quarterly Business Reviews and Culture Change

15:35 Real-Time Data and Agile Experience Management

19:38 Team Structures and Journey Alignment at Elsevier

22:04 Creating a Shared Vision Through a CX North Star

26:17 Getting Executive Buy-In

28:08 Misconceptions About CX Strategy

30:33 CX vs. Brand Perception

32:17 The Four Core Business Experiences

35:15 Connecting CX to Business KPIs

38:35 The Role of AI in Internal Collaboration

41:27 AI to Enhance Customer Understanding

43:45 The Magic Wand: Changing Mindsets

46:30 Should CX Be a Function?

47:46 From Fixing to Innovating in CX

50:07 CX's Language and Vision Problem

51:22 Wrap-Up and How to Connect with James

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In this episode of The Experience Edge, host Jochem van der Veer speaks with Nathan Zahm, Head of CX Alpha at Vanguard’s Personal Investor division. Nathan shares how CX Alpha - a cross-disciplinary initiative - blends behavioral science, analytics, design, and financial planning to deliver measurable improvements to client investment outcomes.

From redefining client experience as a value driver to integrating AI and robust experimentation frameworks, Nathan explains how Vanguard’s customer-centric legacy is being extended into the digital future.

Listeners will gain a front-row view into the role of journey frameworks, personalization boundaries, and the ethical use of AI in highly regulated environments. Nathan also delves into the practical structure of CX Alpha, from agile product ownership to multi-decade financial journeys, revealing why trust, transparency, and teamwork are critical to creating meaningful experiences that drive financial success.

Guest Bio

Nathan Zahm leads CX Alpha at Vanguard, where he is responsible for enhancing digital client experiences across the personal investor business. A seasoned financial expert with a background in actuarial science and investment research, Nathan previously led Vanguard’s work on goal-based investing strategies, including target retirement funds and 529 plans. At CX Alpha, he brings together analytics, behavioral science, and user experience design to deliver tangible improvements in customer outcomes. His holistic and data-informed leadership approach reflects Vanguard's long-standing mission to align client experience with long-term financial success.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Nathan Zahm and CX Alpha

02:15 Origin and mission of CX Alpha

04:00 Vanguard’s shift from investment-only to CX-enhanced value

06:08 Serving 9 million brokerage clients

07:09 Nathan’s journey from actuary to CX

10:58 Behavioral science and front-end experience

13:45 Team structure and disciplines in CX Alpha

16:07 Ethics in nudging vs. manipulation

19:41 Personalization vs. manipulation

21:52 Predictive modeling challenges

23:40 AI’s role in client service and infrastructure

29:15 Human vs. AI-led client conversations

32:02 Future of bot-to-bot financial interactions

34:49 Functional vs. emotional CX benefits

35:21 AI’s internal enablement of CX Alpha

40:27 Triangulating customer feedback for prioritization

43:26 Task, goal, and life-journey design

46:29 Defining moments that matter

49:11 Prioritization across CX layers

53:28 Vanguard’s client-first culture

55:48 Voice of customer in practice

58:10 The scalable future of CX Alpha

60:26 Where to connect with Nathan Zahm⁠

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In this insightful episode of The Experience Edge, Jochem van der Veer is joined by Tyler Andre, a CX Strategy & Design leader at Accenture Song. Tyler unpacks the evolution of customer experience from a reactive support function to a proactive, operational discipline. He emphasizes the critical role of operational consistency and human-centered design in creating scalable CX foundations, while challenging outdated paradigms like NPS as the singular metric of success.

Tyler introduces a practical trifecta - consistency, depth, and breadth - as the blueprint for maturing CX practices. With vivid examples and tactical advice, he illustrates how AI is enhancing real-time decision-making and self-service, but affirms the enduring value of human ethics in CX design. The episode is a masterclass in transforming CX from a marketing veneer to an engine for organizational coherence and business growth.

Guest Bio

Tyler Andre is a leader in Customer Experience Strategy and Design at Accenture Song. With a career spanning global engagements, Tyler specializes in helping enterprise organizations build strong CX foundations rooted in operational excellence. His expertise lies in scaling customer-centric practices using human-centered design, data-driven decision-making, and business design methodologies. Known for demystifying complexity, Tyler is a sought-after voice in advancing CX maturity across industries.

CX is often confused with customer service—true CX is proactive, not reactive.

In this episode of The Experience Edge, Jochem van der Veer sits down with Ben Geheb, Global Chief Experience Strategy Officer at VML, to unpack the challenges and misconceptions surrounding customer experience strategy today. From jargon pitfalls to the need for actionable journeys, Ben shares compelling insights on bridging the gap between customer-centric thinking and real-world business execution.

The conversation includes strategic guidance on aligning CX with organizational goals, building rituals that sustain decision-making, and transforming CX from a reporting function into an accountable, outcome-driven practice. Whether discussing how to position CX teams within enterprise structures or the need to modernize tech stacks to support agile solutions, Ben brings a clear-eyed perspective on making CX impactful and resilient.

Guest Bio

My guest today is Ben Gehab, he is the Global Chief Experience Strategy Officer at VML, a leader in customer experience strategy, helping brands stay ahead in an era of shifting expectations. His insights have been featured in Harvard Business Review and VML’s Future Shopper 2024 report, shaping the conversation on digital transformation and consumer trends. With a passion for problem-solving, Ben specializes in aligning business goals with customer-centric innovation. Featured on podcasts like Human Centered, he explores the future of experience strategy - designing solutions that don’t just meet customer needs but anticipate them

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and client names

01:47 Guest bio and professional intro

03:05 Overcoming jargon and redefining journeys

06:31 Good vs. bad CX initiatives

12:03 Moving from data to decision-making

15:49 Creating momentum and business buy-in

21:18 Building effective ceremonies and alignment

28:26 Infusing CX into agile and sprint cycles

31:04 Gaining influence through accountability

38:45 Ownership vs. influence in CX transformation

43:58 Misconceptions about customer-centricity

48:52 Quantifying CX value and measuring impact

56:24 Final thoughts on modernizing CX execution

59:27 Wrap-up and where to find Ben online

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In this episode of The Experience Edge, Jochem van der Veer speaks with Allison Paine Landers, CXO for Banking and Lending at UBS and a recognized leader in the FinTech Top 100 Women list. With a deep foundation built across financial giants like Prudential and Wells Fargo, Allison brings a sophisticated perspective on customer and employee experience transformation. From her roots in marketing and operations to steering global CX initiatives, she illustrates how a nuanced, journey-centric approach can redefine service delivery at scale.

Allison dives into the challenges and rewards of integrating customer experience within legacy financial institutions. She offers tactical insights into orchestrating cross-functional teams, aligning product and journey ownership, and building robust testing mechanisms to validate real improvements. Whether launching new banking capabilities or enhancing existing ones, her methodology revolves around deep listening, data-driven prioritization, and adaptive design - all anchored in a firm commitment to measurable business outcomes.

Guest Bio

Allison Paine Landers is the Chief Experience Officer for Banking and Lending at UBS. A seasoned leader in customer and employee experience, Allison has over two decades of expertise in financial services. Her past leadership roles include spearheading CX transformations at Prudential and Wells Fargo, where she architected journey-centric practices from the ground up. She has been named to the FinTech Top 100 Women for two consecutive years, reflecting her industry influence and innovation. Known for her strategic clarity and operational pragmatism, Allison is passionate about designing experiences that are not only user-centric but also commercially impactful.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction

01:29 Evolution of CX in Financial Services

03:49 The Role of CX Teams: Ownership vs. Influence

06:10 Organizational Design for CX Impact

07:30 Standing Up Journey Practices at Prudential

10:31 Journey-Centric vs. Product-Centric Models

12:27 Structuring CX at UBS

15:19 Future-State Journey Mapping

17:30 Differentiating UBS Through High-Touch and Digital

20:26 Journey Ownership and Accountability

24:19 Redesigning Financial Services Organizations

27:38 Common Patterns in Journey Management

30:01 Delivering Tangible Business Value

34:55 Designing the Right Solution, Not Just Fixing Problems

37:31 Implementing UX Testing and Real-Time Panels

40:43 Balancing Pilots and Panels for Rollouts

43:44 Misunderstood Challenges in Journey Management

47:45 Proving ROI Beyond CX Scores

51:20 Amplifying Business Value Through Horizontal CX Views

55:38 Using AI to Accelerate Insight Generation

58:00 Blending Context with AI in Journey Analytics

01:00:17 Integrating Business Performance into Journeys

01:01:58 Translating Journeys for Enterprise-Wide Understanding

01:04:58 Final Thoughts and Where to Find Allison

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Elizabeth Oates is on a mission to help insight professionals go from simply being “interesting” to delivering true business impact. As the author of More Than Just Interesting and a seasoned insights leader, she’s transforming how organizations approach decision-making, data collection, and the role of human understanding in customer experience.

In this episode, Elizabeth introduces the concept of “collection debt,” explains why insights functions often fall short, and provides practical tools for tying every insight to a business decision. She dives into how AI is reshaping the role of analysts, why trust and timing matter more than ever, and how journey thinking can create an infinite loop of customer engagement. Whether you lead an insights team or work with one, this is essential listening.

Guest Bio

Elizabeth Oates is an insights strategist, thought leader, and the author of More Than Just Interesting: How to Build an Insights Function for Impact. With over two decades of experience, she has built, led, and transformed insight teams for major organizations, helping them move from data collection to decision enablement.

Elizabeth developed a framework of nine core skills for impactful insight work, blending business strategy, storytelling, and stakeholder influence. Her work centers on elevating the role of human insights in an increasingly AI-driven world, ensuring organizations maintain customer relevance while building trust through strategic insight delivery.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Elizabeth Oates and collection debt

03:26 What is collection debt and why it matters

07:36 Aligning insights with business actions

12:48 VOC: From reporting to relevance

14:48 Insight lifecycle: What’s still true and what’s now true

17:36 Where to start collecting insights

22:35 Anatomy of a perfect insight

28:02 Reframing insights language for impact

30:20 The role of AI in modern insights work

35:22 The underestimated power of influence

44:36 From interesting to impactful: The action connection

49:40 Case study: When not launching a product is the win

56:08 Measuring and celebrating insights impact

59:37 Using journey thinking to avoid customer exits

01:07:16 Why LEGO masters the customer journey

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Elizabeth's Profile - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethknoxoates/

From grassroots insights in East Africa to global strategy, Carolyne Gathuru brings a powerful voice to what it truly means to be customer-centric. As a CX strategist, leadership coach, and member of the Women in CX Inner Circle, she weaves 25 years of field experience into practical, impactful guidance for organizations undergoing transformation.

In this conversation, Carolyne dives into how to build genuine customer care into company culture, why training isn't always the answer, and how to simplify CX strategy without losing depth. She challenges assumptions about AI, voice of the customer programs, and what it takes to operationalize CX in both commercial and government settings.

Guest Bio

Carolyne Gathuru is a seasoned CX strategist and communication coach with over two decades of experience guiding public and private organizations toward customer-centric transformation. She is a core member of the Women in CX Inner Circle and the founder of Life Skills Consulting in Kenya.

Her work spans leadership alignment, culture change, and voice of the customer (VOC) programs. Carolyne’s mission is to help organizations move from box-ticking initiatives to genuine impact by diagnosing systemic gaps, simplifying complex strategies, and advocating for the human side of customer experience. With her clear-eyed approach and relentless passion, she is changing how organizations view and implement CX from the inside out.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Carolyne Gathuru and CX in Africa

01:47 Training for genuine care, not just scripts

06:05 Why training often isn’t the real problem

09:07 The power of stakeholder interviews and bottom-up insight

12:05 The leadership checklist to define CX initiatives

17:22 The tension between AI convenience and human connection

23:29 Rethinking Voice of the Customer programs

29:16 Why organizations must ask: What do customers really want?

32:49 The surprising evolution of CX in government

36:23 The hardest part: Tying CX to the bottom line

40:10 Journey mapping as a diagnostic tool

42:27 Tying CX to brand, ESG, and internal engagement

46:18 Using pain points to build CX business cases

47:50 Why simplicity drives action in culture change

50:15 Representation and relevance in global CX networks

52:30 Elevating CX as a real profession for women in Africa

55:22 Final thoughts: Start experience excellence at home

Jochem’s Profile - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Crystal D'Cunha is on a mission to ignite leaders, excite employees, and delight customers. As President and CEO of The Inside View Inc., she helps organizations hardwire customer experience into their culture. With award-winning programs and decades of leadership expertise, she equips teams to take CX from theory to action - starting with something as deceptively simple as the daily huddle.

In this episode, Crystal unpacks the emotional and structural DNA of a customer-centric company. She explains the difference between customer service and customer experience, why CX is not a department, and how small moments of delight can drive major business impact. From the power of language to real-world organizational transformation, this is a masterclass in experiential leadership.

Guest Bio

Crystal D'Cunha is an award-winning customer experience consultant, keynote speaker, and the visionary CEO of The Inside View Inc. Known for her energetic and hands-on approach, she helps companies integrate CX deeply into their leadership development and employee culture. Her Leadership Experience Excellence program won a Stevie Award, beating global giants like IBM and Pepsi.

Crystal is also the host of the Leaders Listen Up podcast and a seasoned advisor on embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into customer and employee journeys. With a practical philosophy of “ignite, excite, and delight,” she transforms organizations by aligning their leaders and teams around consistent, emotionally resonant customer experiences.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Crystal D'Cunha and her CX philosophy

01:22 Winning a Stevie Award for CX leadership training

06:52 Why CX is not a department

09:34 How eight-minute huddles shift culture

18:51 Customer service vs. customer experience

23:11 Coaching employees to drive better customer outcomes

29:12 A magical Hilton experience that cost almost nothing

38:14 The mindset shift leaders need for CX transformation

44:01 Who should own CX - and what to do when support is missing

52:29 Why many CX leaders are set up to fail

56:01 How to know your leadership team is truly ready

Jochem’s Profile - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Crystal's Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystald1/overlay/about-this-profile/

From rethinking growth strategy to redefining what it means to be truly customer-led, Gia Loudi brings a sharp lens to how tech companies build around customer experience. With deep roots in B2B SaaS and a track record that spans Bitly, Sprout Social, and her own advisory work, she champions a foundational approach to CX that starts with one powerful question: What does your best customer really need?

In this episode, Gia unpacks the system behind customer-led growth, the overlooked power of jobs-to-be-done research, and why AI is no substitute for human insight. She shares how companies accumulate CX debt, why product marketing is often the unsung hero, and how mapping customer leaps of faith can unlock sustainable growth.

Guest Bio

Gia Laudi is a growth advisor, author, and speaker who helps high-growth B2B SaaS companies build sustainable, customer-led strategies. As co-author of Forget the Funnel and host of the podcast by the same name, she brings a grounded, systems-based approach to operationalising customer experience across marketing, product, and success teams.

With over a decade of experience at companies like Bitly, Sprout Social, SparkToro, and more than 100 startups, Gia specializes in translating customer insights into repeatable growth systems. Her methodology, rooted in jobs-to-be-done research and customer experience mapping, empowers organizations to reduce guesswork and realign around the true value customers seek. Passionate about cutting through the noise, she’s reshaping how tech companies think about CX - from intuition to insight, and from chaos to clarity.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Gia Laudi and her CX work in B2B SaaS

01:54 Rethinking CX mapping: Beyond transactional journey maps

07:50 Inside the customer-led growth system

11:59 Defining "leaps of faith" in the customer journey

18:36 CX debt: What it is and how to spot it

22:07 Who should own customer experience in SaaS?

25:56 Can AI replace human-led customer research?

43:13 Operationalizing the customer experience map

47:33 Why jobs-to-be-done must anchor your research

49:37 The opportunity of AI in organizing customer insights

55:10 Final thoughts: Re-centering strategy around real customer value

Jochem’s Profile - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Georgiana's Profile - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgianalaudi/

From building trust with vulnerable communities to redefining the role of digital in healthcare, Joan Cox leads with a deeply human approach to patient experience at LifeBridge Health. Drawing on her work across diverse communities, she shares why true transformation starts with empathy, connection, and community-driven care.

In this episode, Joan explores how digital tools must support - not replace - human interaction, the hidden toll of compassion fatigue, and why patient experience is essential to both clinical outcomes and lasting change.

Guest Bio

Joan Cox is the Chief Experience Officer at LifeBridge Health, where she leads initiatives that embed empathy, human connection, and holistic care into every aspect of the patient journey.

With extensive experience collaborating with organizations like the Mayo Clinic Network, Joan brings a deep understanding of how mission-driven transformation can improve both patient outcomes and organizational health.

Drawing from her work across diverse communities—from underserved desert populations to urban healthcare systems—she specializes in creating systems that support both clinical excellence and emotional connection. Passionate about empowering patients and healthcare teams alike, Joan is committed to reshaping healthcare delivery around compassion, community, and lasting impact.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Joan Cox and her CX leadership at LifeBridge Health

02:47 Lessons from Arizona: Building trust with underserved communities

08:43 Redefining mission-driven healthcare in Baltimore

14:28 Digital engagement vs. human connection: Finding the balance

21:26 How patient experience drives financial outcomes in healthcare

30:37 Organizing CX teams to embed the patient voice at the executive level

39:18 Breaking silos: Collaborating across marketing, IT, and care teams

49:39 Leading through presence: The power of small moments

58:29 Joan’s vision: Equal access to care for all

Jochem’s Profile - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Joan's Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-pendergast-cox-cpxp-66b3287/