Don Darlington
Spring Lake,NJ
Summary
Hands-on, data-driven Customer Success leader with 14+ years’ experience owning regional books of business, building and scaling high-performing Technical CSM teams, and driving measurable customer outcomes across API-led architectures, cloud migration, and complex integration environments. Proven ability to lead teams through end-to-end adoption journeys, deploy standardized risk mitigation frameworks, improve health score accuracy, drive renewal and expansion strategy, and partner cross-functionally with Sales, Product, Engineering, and Professional Services.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Customer Success Manager
Hawk
01.2024 - Current
- Manage 15 strategic Enterprise accounts (~$5M ARR) while operating in a director-level capacity across account health oversight, risk mitigation, and cross-functional strategy.
- Act as regional portfolio owner by providing leadership with visibility into health score trends, adoption blockers, and risk signals across the U.S. customer base.
- Establish and enforce standardized processes for onboarding, adoption, and risk escalation - improving early detection of churn risks and strengthening post-onboarding stabilization.
- Lead strategic alignment with Sales leadership on renewal forecasting, renewal strategy, and multi-product expansion opportunities.
- Develop and deliver executive-level QBRs to C-suite stakeholders, ensuring clarity on KPI progress, AML operational maturity, and long-term value realization.
- Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Support to escalate systemic issues and influence the roadmap based on customer use cases and regulatory shifts.
Director of Enterprise Customer Success
ON24 Inc.
01.2021 - 01.2023
- Recruited, built, and coached a high-performing Enterprise CSM team supporting a ~$25M ARR portfolio across 200-250 accounts.
- Consistently exceeded retention goals (88–92% GRR vs. 85% target) and drove NRR above 105% through structured expansion programs and data-led opportunity identification.
- Oversaw performance management processes including coaching, QBRs, and improving success plan quality.
- Mentored CSMs on executive engagement, improving C-suite alignment and strategic customer conversations.
- Owned portfolio health, introducing standardized risk assessment and mitigation playbooks to proactively identify and address churn drivers.
- Served as primary CS partner to Sales leadership, managing retention forecasts, driving renewal strategy, and influencing multi-year contract structuring.
- Aligned CS, Product, Marketing, and Engineering to improve customer experience and advocate for roadmap priorities.
Director of Customer Success
Validity Inc. (formerly Return Path)
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Led North American Technical CSM + Onboarding Support teams (14 direct reports) managing $20M+ ARR across strategic and enterprise customers.
- Built the Onboarding Support organization post-acquisition, ensuring tight collaboration with Professional Services and establishing segmentation and handoff processes.
- Implemented scalable risk management frameworks to reduce churn during critical post-onboarding adoption phases.
- Partnered with Sales to manage renewal and expansion strategy, increasing NRR through improved onboarding velocity and technical adoption.
- Strengthened VoC programs by channeling customer insights to Product and Engineering, influencing prioritization of high-impact features.
Manager, Technical Account Management
Return Path
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Managed a team of 4 TAMs while owning 10 top-tier Enterprise accounts ($1M–$3M ARR each).
- Improved customer adoption to 96% (target 88%) by developing adoption playbooks and success plans.
- Built new operational frameworks around team development, onboarding, and performance management.
Technical Account Manager
Return Path
01.2014 - 01.2016
- Managed 20–30 Enterprise accounts ($3M–$5M ARR) with a strong focus on deliverability, authentication, and technical optimization.
- Delivered onsite Executive Business Reviews and collaborated with major partners (Microsoft, Yahoo, Verizon, AOL).
- Provided expert guidance on SPF/DKIM/DMARC, IP warm-up, reputation management, and phishing mitigation.
CRM Manager
Iris Worldwide
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Led CRM and email marketing initiatives for major Enterprise clients.
- Coordinated strategy, creative, and production teams to deliver optimized campaign performance.
Account Manager
Experian CheetahMail
01.2011 - 01.2013
- Owned relationships with key enterprise clients, executing advanced segmentation strategies and performance analysis.
- Managed large-scale deployments and campaign reporting.
Education
High School Diploma -
St. Peter’s Prep
Jersey City, NJB.A. - Digital Filmmaking
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Madison, NJ01.2009
Skills
- Salesforce
- Gainsight
- Totango
- Churn Zero
- Zendesk
- HubSpot
- Custify
- PlanHat
- Customer Success Leadership
- Retention & Growth
Community & Interests
Pipe Sergeant, Jersey Shore Pipes & Drums, Marathoner (3), National Park Enthusiast (17)
Timeline
Senior Customer Success Manager
Hawk
01.2024 - Current
Director of Enterprise Customer Success
ON24 Inc.
01.2021 - 01.2023
Director of Customer Success
Validity Inc. (formerly Return Path)
01.2018 - 01.2021
Manager, Technical Account Management
Return Path
01.2016 - 01.2018
Technical Account Manager
Return Path
01.2014 - 01.2016
CRM Manager
Iris Worldwide
01.2013 - 01.2014
Account Manager
Experian CheetahMail
01.2011 - 01.2013
High School Diploma -
St. Peter’s Prep
B.A. - Digital Filmmaking
Fairleigh Dickinson University