Lara Luik
Customer Success & Operations Leader
Falls Church,VA
Summary
Experienced customer experience and operations leader with a strong track record of turning complex business challenges into streamlined processes that drive revenue and enhance customer satisfaction. Proven track record in managing high-performing teams and collaborating with cross-functional partners to align CX initiatives with business goals. Committed to driving operational efficiencies and fostering a culture of innovation within customer experience operations.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Customer Success
SalesIntel
06.2025 - 01.2026
- Enhanced overall customer experience through consistent communication, feedback analysis, and process improvements.
- Fostered a culture of continuous learning within the Customer Success team by promoting professional development opportunities regularly.
- Streamlined internal processes to optimize team efficiency and deliver faster results to clients.
- Served as an escalation point for resolving complex client issues, restoring trust in company products/services when needed.
Vice President of Customer Experience
IdeaScale
07.2023 - 05.2025
- Lead the global Technical Support team, ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery across all customer segments
- Lead the global Marketing team, ensuring alignment of campaigns and messaging
- Optimize customer experience operations, enhancing multi-channel engagement and satisfaction
- Develop and tracked key metrics, ensuring data-driven decision-making
- Collaborate with engineering on escalations, ensuring timely resolution and empathetic communication
- Analyzed customer feedback to define key performance indicators, effectively influencing product roadmap and enhancing the overall customer journey.
Senior Director of Client Services and Operations
IdeaScale
10.2022 - 07.2023
- Managed a global team of 11 Support Engineers and Client Service Specialists, delivering technical support for a full customer portfolio
- Delivered training and coaching, supporting team development and operational alignment
- Led the design and rollout of scalable support processes, refining key workflows, leading to increased satisfaction, retention, and adoption
- Served as lead administrator for core platforms including Salesforce (Sales Cloud & CPQ), Survicate, ClickUp, Slack, QuestionPro, HubSpot, and Intercom
Team Lead, Sales Operations and Strategic Projects
Cvent
08.2017 - 10.2018
- Served as a liaison between Account Management and other internal teams, including Marketing and Sales
- Responsible for the development, implementation, and refinement of new tools and processes that improved account manager productivity, cross-sell/upsell revenue growth, and customer retention rates
- Partnered with leadership to optimize territory planning and strategic account alignment using historical data
- Subject-matter expert (SME) for Salesforce CPQ; served as a primary escalation point for over 100+ account managers throughout this transition to new quoting and order management processes
- Led enablement programs in support of strategic customer success and sales growth initiatives
Assistant Team Lead, Sales Development
Cvent
06.2016 - 07.2017
- Managed 6+ Account Management Associates (AMAs); team tasked with identifying and nurturing expansion opportunities within Account Management’s vast portfolio of existing customers
- Directed team’s day-to-day operations and strategy in alignment with Account Management initiatives
- Responsible for the hiring, onboarding, coaching, and ongoing professional development of AMA reps
- Established, compiled, and analyzed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to continuously track team success
Account Management Associate
Cvent
06.2015 - 06.2016
- First person hired for Account Management Associate position; personal success used to justify the expansion of the AMA team and its responsibilities, including the hiring of 5 new employees by June 2016
- Partnered with senior account managers to generate upsell/cross-sell opportunities and promote marketing initiatives within their respective client base of 300+ corporations, associations, and non-profits
- Directly managed 50+ customers, successfully renewing and expanding annual recurring spend
- Participated in cross-departmental team efforts that resulted in significant improvement in key sales, customer success, and marketing processes
- Played a key role in interviewing, onboarding, and training new AMAs
Education
Master of Arts - Anthropology
The Catholic University of America
05.2014
Bachelor of Arts - Anthropology, magna cum laude
Monmouth University
05.2012
Skills
- CX Strategy & Transformation
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Team Leadership & Talent Development
- KPI Management & Performance Measurement
- Data Analysis & Insights
- Strategic Communication & Stakeholder Alignment
- Decision-Making & Problem Solving
LINKS
LinkedIn
Timeline
Director of Customer Success
SalesIntel
06.2025 - 01.2026
Vice President of Customer Experience
IdeaScale
07.2023 - 05.2025
Senior Director of Client Services and Operations
IdeaScale
10.2022 - 07.2023
Team Lead, Sales Operations and Strategic Projects
Cvent
08.2017 - 10.2018
Assistant Team Lead, Sales Development
Cvent
06.2016 - 07.2017
Account Management Associate
Cvent
06.2015 - 06.2016
Bachelor of Arts - Anthropology, magna cum laude
Monmouth University
Master of Arts - Anthropology
The Catholic University of America