Apoorva Thuse
DANVILLE,CA
Summary
Results-driven Global Customer Success Leader with 10+ years of experience driving revenue growth, scaling customer success teams, and building operational excellence in high-growth B2B SaaS startups (Series A through D). Proven track record of identifying and executing new revenue streams, achieving >97% gross retention and >127% net revenue retention, and leading cross-functional initiatives to deliver measurable business impact.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President of Customer Success
Arena
San Francisco, CA
10.2023 - Current
- Identified new revenue streams: productized high-value features, and validated ad revenue streams across Enterprise, Mid-Market, and Self-Service segments, driving incremental revenue growth.
- Scaled Global Post-Sales Operations: Designed and implemented a global customer success strategy across AMER, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC, increasing customer retention by 17% through data-driven onboarding and adoption programs.
- Built High-Performing Teams: Led a team of 7 CSMs and 4 support reps, achieving GRR > 96%, and NRR > 127% consistently.
- Executive Leadership: Presented customer success metrics and initiatives to the Board of Directors, aligning customer success with the overall business strategy.
Senior Director of Customer Success
People.ai
San Francisco, CA
02.2022 - 10.2023
- Scaled Customer Success Operations: Oversaw $32M ARR across Strategic, Enterprise, and Mid-Market segments, achieving >90% gross retention and >122% net revenue retention through data-driven strategies and cross-functional alignment.
- Developed Scalable Success Models: Designed and implemented a segmented customer success motion (high-touch, tech-touch, self-service) to optimize engagement and ensure scalability across diverse customer segments.
- Drove Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV): Defined the customer journey and launched value-driven programs, resulting in a 20% increase in CLTV through targeted upsell and cross-sell opportunities.
- Built High-Performing Teams: Recruited, trained, and retained top talent, creating a customer success organization capable of driving consistent results and exceeding business goals.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Engineering to align on customer success initiatives, ensuring a seamless customer experience and driving revenue growth.
Head Of Customer Success
QASource
Pleasanton, CA
01.2020 - 02.2022
- Drove Revenue Growth: Spearheaded organizational change management, creating a new revenue stream through a comprehensive suite of professional services, contributing to a 27-30% YoY revenue increase and scaling ARR from $13M to $46M over 4 years.
- Influenced Pricing Strategy: Led a pricing and packaging overhaul that improved profitability and increased net revenue.
- Scaled Customer Success Operations: Built and trained a team of 12 CSMs overseeing $45M+ in ARR, implementing segmentation strategies for Enterprise and Mid-Market customers to optimize engagement and drive growth.
- Developed Customer Success Vision: Defined the overall vision and GTM plan for the CS organization, focusing on adoption, customer experience, and growth through upsell/cross-sell strategies, gross renewals, and NRR.
- Maintained Customer Advocacy: Achieved an NPS of +78 and consistently exceeded NRR and NLR targets, fostering long-term customer loyalty.
- Built Strategic Partnerships: Collaborated with C-level executives to nurture executive relationships and deliver measurable business value.
- Enhanced Cross-Functional Alignment: Partnered with Sales, Marketing, Engineering, and Operations to align on GTM strategies and ensure seamless customer experiences.
Manager, Customer Success
QASource
Pleasanton, CA
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Launched Customer Success Program: Built the CS team from the ground up, creating processes, SLAs, and training programs to drive adoption, retention, and expansion.
- Defined Customer Journey: Developed strategies to deliver business value throughout the customer lifecycle, resulting in improved customer health and engagement.
- Owned Customer Metrics: Drove CSAT/NPS to regularly track and measure customer satisfaction, mitigating churn and ensuring high retention rates.
- Managed High-Performing Teams: Led a team of 6 CSMs overseeing $30M+ in ARR, achieving consistent growth and customer success outcomes.
Manager, Client Services - West
SmartZip Analytics
Pleasanton, CA
03.2015 - 01.2018
- Drove Customer Retention: Maintained 100% baseline renewals for the West region by implementing effective retention strategies and ensuring high customer satisfaction.
- Led High-Performing Teams: Managed a team of 8-10 CS Account Managers overseeing a $2M portfolio, achieving consistent growth and customer success outcomes.
- Generated New Revenue Streams: Spearheaded special projects that created a net new revenue stream, contributing to the company’s overall growth.
- Improved Business Processes: Identified, analyzed, and optimized organizational workflows, enhancing operational efficiency and customer experience.
- Bridged Product and Customer Needs: Acted as a liaison between Product Engineering and Client Services, providing customer insights to shape the product roadmap and drive innovation.
- Built and Mentored Teams: Hired, mentored, and coached a team of A-players, fostering a culture of excellence and professional growth.
Education
Customer Experience Certification - Customer Experience
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA01-2020
Bachelor of Arts - International Strategic Hospitality Management
University of West London
London, England06-2012
Skills
- Leadership & Team Development
- Customer Success Strategy
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Revenue Growth Focus (NRR and GRR Ownership)
- Technical Proficiency
- Executive Stakeholder Communication
- Process Optimization Efficiency & Excellence Focused
Core Competencies
- Revenue Leadership: New Revenue Streams, Pricing & Packaging Strategies, Expansion Opportunities
- Customer Success Leadership: Retention Strategies, Customer Journey Mapping, NRR/GRR Optimization
- Operational Excellence: Data-Driven Decision Making, Process Improvement, Change Management
- Team Development & Coaching: Hiring A-Players, Capacity Planning, Performance Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Sales, Marketing, Product, Engineering Alignment
- Go-To-Market Strategy: Customer Acquisition, Retention, Post-Sales Strategy
Advisory Roles
GTM Advisor
Nektar AI | 2023-Current
Advise on go-to-market strategies for an AI-powered platform, focusing on customer acquisition, retention, and expansion. Provide insights on customer success best practices, helping shape the company’s post-sales strategy to drive adoption and revenue growth.
Passion Project
Founder & Builder
EventsQ | 2022 - Current
- Empowering Communities Through Tech: Built a bootstrapped marketplace connecting busy parents with reliable local businesses, simplifying event planning while driving economic growth for underserved owner operated small businesses.
- Impact-Driven Innovation: Enabled small businesses to thrive by providing visibility and new revenue opportunities, while giving parents a stress-free way to plan meaningful events.
Leadership Philosophy
- Human-First Leadership: Adapt leadership styles (delegating, supporting, coaching, directing) to individual needs, fostering retention and strong team culture.
- Hiring Mindset: Maintain a passive candidate pipeline of at least 5, ensuring a steady talent pool for future needs.
- Team Development: Categorize team members into Learning, Performing, and Mastering buckets to identify growth opportunities and performance risks.
- Capacity Planning: Built capacity planning models to anticipate hiring needs, aligning team growth with business initiatives and change management.
Timeline
Vice President of Customer Success
Arena
10.2023 - Current
Senior Director of Customer Success
People.ai
02.2022 - 10.2023
Head Of Customer Success
QASource
01.2020 - 02.2022
Manager, Customer Success
QASource
01.2018 - 01.2020
Manager, Client Services - West
SmartZip Analytics
03.2015 - 01.2018
Customer Experience Certification - Customer Experience
San Francisco State University
Bachelor of Arts - International Strategic Hospitality Management
University of West London
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