Company Background

Search Background

The Challenge

Result

Hire Challenges

Continued Relationship

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)

• 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

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

Oakstone continues to support Smart Communications' growth plans internationally:

• VP Customer Success (USA, 2019)

• Customer Success Manager (UK, 2019)

• Enterprise Account Director (USA, 2020)

• X4 Enterprise Account Executive (USA, 2020/1)

• VP Marketing, Healthcare (USA, 2021)

• Account Executive Smart IQ (USA, 2021)

• Head of Marketing Operations (UK, 2021)

• VP Industry Marketing, Insurance (USA, 2022)

• Chief Information Officer (UK, 2022)