I have been doing video interviews with a number of C-level execs and practitioners about acrobatics they have been seeing in various vertical sectors during the COVID-19 crisis and the "New normal" they can expect as the economy wakes up. Here is the index to the growing list of interviews.
This time, it is Sue Fellows, Chief Customer Officer at Workfront. She is a passionate customer advocate and the whole conversation is a celebration of customers. She describes several customer acrobatics in healthcare and life sciences but one of my favorites is her description of John Paul Mitchell Systems. They re-purposed their 40 year anniversary celebration budget to create a fund for hair care salons - so many mom and pop businesses which have been badly hurt by lockdowns. Given the uneven impact of the pandemic, it is nice to hear her describe how Workfront has worked with both ends of the spectrum - customers which are rocketing like one which helped process stimulus checks the government mailed out to hundreds of millions of homes and also those which are struggling.
The pandemic has forced every business to adapt to new WFH and site re-opening protocols and those around new products and revenue sources. We discuss how Workfront has always helped customers with unfamiliar and unstructured processes. I wrote recently about their scenario planner as customers look to navigate wild swings in macroeconomic signals.
She has helped build a very strong customer community around Workfront - I have felt the positive vibe during a customer advisory meeting and at their LEAP conferences. She describes how that has been carried forward in our increasingly digital, distanced world.
We also discuss leadership during this crisis. I had interviewed her CEO, Alex Shootman at the start of this series in April - he had talked about resilience in a crisis. Sue adds her own perspectives on leadership.
While I was editing the video, I noticed she is smiling or laughing in just about every frame. It is a very positive, uplifting conversation.
