Lesley Messer
Phoenix,AZ
Summary
Senior Manager with extensive experience in customer success and strategic team leadership. Proven ability to reduce churn and boost customer retention through innovative programs. Skilled in upsell strategies, achieving targets and enhancing client engagement. Strong problem-solving skills, ensuring high satisfaction and loyalty among key accounts.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Manager, Customer Success
SAS
Phoenix, Arizona
04.2024 - Current
- Led recruitment and training of Customer Success Managers, managing over $130M in revenue
- Resolved complex client issues to restore trust and reduce churn.
- Built and scaled Customer Success retention program for latest software reducing churn and increasing product adoption.
- Created and rolled out industry-focused training program for CSMs that deepened domain experience and enabled more value-driven customer conversations.
- Identified opportunities for improvement in operational performance metrics.
Manager, Customer Success
SAS
04.2022 - 04.2024
- Overachieved upsell target 120% by developing and executing strategic plans.
- Led cross-functional teams in design and execution of customer success initiatives including playbooks, resulting in higher client satisfaction scores.
- Identified root causes of customer churn by analyzing account data, implementing strategies to address specific pain points to win back lost business.
- Leveraged Gainsight to manage all aspects of the customer journey, increasing visibility into each account's status and progress towards goals.
- Served as escalation point for resolving complex client issues, restoring trust in company products/services which reduced churn.
Senior Customer Success Manager
SAS
07.2018 - 03.2022
- Responsible for retention and growth of over $25M in ERR for large strategic bank, maintaining strong relationships with user and executive levels ensuring high levels of satisfaction.
- Discovered new opportunities for additional use of software, services, and education which resulted in exceeding new leads target by 30%
- Served as the voice of the customer, collecting feedback, working with product development to drive continued improvement across all areas of products.
- Conducted regular business reviews with key stakeholders to track progress towards goals and identify areas for improvement.
- Assisted customers with onboarding and product setup to foster successful adoption and usage.
Customer Loyalty Manager
SAS
03.2010 - 07.2018
- Improved retention rates by regularly assessing feedback and making data-driven adjustments to offerings as needed.
- Drove incremental revenue through targeted upsell initiatives designed specifically for high-value customers overachieving target by 20%.
- Cultivated exceptional customer relationships with executive and user community
- Coordinated special events and exclusive experiences to foster deeper connections between customers and the brand.
Account Executive
SAS
02.2008 - 03.2010
- Built and strengthened relationships with new and existing accounts to drive revenue growth
- Generated new business by cold calling, networking, and following up on leads
- Met with potential clients, identified sales opportunities, and closed new deals overachieving target by 102%.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
Bloomsburg University
Bloomsburg, PASkills
- Problem-solving
- Risk management
- Strategic leadership
- Customer journey optimization
- Team leadership
- Client engagement
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Churn reduction
Technical Skills
Proficient in MS Copilot, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Visio.
Management user of Gainsight
Workday, Fusion, iCIMS
Jira, Service Now
Accomplishments
- Customer Engagement Excellence Award
- Sales Support Excellence Award, FSBU
Timeline
Senior Manager, Customer Success
SAS
04.2024 - Current
Manager, Customer Success
SAS
04.2022 - 04.2024
Senior Customer Success Manager
SAS
07.2018 - 03.2022
Customer Loyalty Manager
SAS
03.2010 - 07.2018
Account Executive
SAS
02.2008 - 03.2010
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
Bloomsburg University