Clayton Barnard
Arlington,TX
Summary
Customer Success and Technical Account leader with 9+ years of experience supporting enterprise cloud customers across onboarding, lifecycle management, and strategic growth. Proven track record of building and leading onboarding programs, driving platform adoption, and improving retention and revenue outcomes. Trusted advisor to enterprise stakeholders with deep expertise in cloud platforms, escalation management, and executive-level communication.
Tech-savvy innovator with hands-on experience in emerging technologies and passion for continuous improvement. Skilled in identifying opportunities for technological enhancements and implementing effective solutions. Adept at leveraging new tools and methods to solve problems and enhance productivity. Excels in adapting to fast-paced environments and driving technological advancements.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Onboarding Program Lead
IBM Cloud
01.2025 - Current
- Led the strategy and overall direction of the IBM Cloud Customer Success Manager onboarding program across North America, and some global clients.
- Personally onboarded enterprise IBM Cloud customers representing $4.45M in annual contract value (ACV), driving successful adoption and long-term revenue realization.
- Designed and implemented organizational onboarding frameworks informed by hands-on customer onboarding experience.
- Developed training materials, best practices, and enablement resources to improve onboarding consistency and effectiveness.
- Partnered with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to align onboarding outcomes with customer success and business objectives.
- Continuously refined the onboarding program using customer feedback, onboarding outcomes, and performance metrics.
Customer Success Specialist
IBM Cloud
10.2021 - 01.2025
- Developed onboarding materials to enhance customer understanding of IBM Cloud services.
- Owned onboarding and early lifecycle management for new logo Enterprise and Fortune 500 customers from a wide variety of industries.
- Fostered strong client relationships through proactive communication and support.
- Led customer onboarding engagements to ensure smooth adoption.
- Conducted strategic customer meetings to align business objectives.
- Drove adoption and retention through proactive engagement.
- Collaborated with internal teams to advocate for customer-driven improvements.
Customer Success Manager
IBM Cloud
04.2020 - 10.2021
- Served as the primary commercial and strategic point of contact for enterprise customers.
- Developed and executed strategic account plans, aligning IBM Cloud solutions with client objectives.
- Led account growth initiatives resulting in approximately 10% year-over-year revenue growth.
- Cultivated strong customer relationships, enhancing overall client satisfaction and retention.
- Developed account plans and executive-level communications.
- Maintained expert-level knowledge of IBM Cloud offerings.
Technical Account Manager
IBM Cloud
09.2016 - 04.2020
- Acted as senior technical advisor for 15+ enterprise Premium Support customers.
- Facilitated onboarding processes for new clients, enhancing user experience and satisfaction.
- Delivered Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to decision makers including C-Suite.
- Led critical escalation management.
- Provided proactive technical guidance.
- Managed customer relationships, ensuring alignment with technical requirements and business objectives.
Technical Support Team Leader
Signet Jewelers (formerly Zales Corporation)
08.2012 - 09.2016
- Led a high-volume international retail IT support team supporting 2,600 locations across North America and Canada.
- Built internal tooling that standardized support case formatting and eliminated missing information. The tool was implemented across the entire call center.
- Implemented a standardized case management system.
- Coached and evaluated Tier 1 support staff.
- Managed complex technical escalations.
Education
No Degree - Information And Computer Systems
Tarrant County College
Fort Worth, TXSkills
- Customer Success Management (CSM)
- Enterprise Client Onboarding
- Cloud Platforms (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
- Technical Account Management
- Executive Stakeholder Engagement
- Revenue Growth & Retention
- Escalation & Incident Management
- Program & Process Development
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
Timeline
Onboarding Program Lead
IBM Cloud
01.2025 - Current
Customer Success Specialist
IBM Cloud
10.2021 - 01.2025
Customer Success Manager
IBM Cloud
04.2020 - 10.2021
Technical Account Manager
IBM Cloud
09.2016 - 04.2020
Technical Support Team Leader
Signet Jewelers (formerly Zales Corporation)
08.2012 - 09.2016
No Degree - Information And Computer Systems
Tarrant County College