Suzanne Newman Email and Phone Number

Kognito is a mental health and well-being experiential learning/curriculum business (VR) with focus on PK12 / Higher Ed markets, with both a B2B and B2C SaaS component. Rebuilt and re-established client success and support departments, after years of leadership turnover, declining retention, and shifting strategic priorities thru internal collaboration, client outcome alignment and a back to basics customer success and support strategy. Lead a team of 7 Client Success Managers and Support team members.

Recruited into a new role created to establish scalable and sustainable processes for partner organizations, aimed at fostering long-term not only partner success but their client's success leading to increased ARR. Enhanced customer success expectations by introducing targeted initiatives for sales education and enablement, streamlined partner and client onboarding processes through improved communication and expectation setting, resulting in a reduced time to value.

Spearheaded the foundational creation and building of the Client Services department while maintaining an exceptional 98% retention rate. Established the Client Services/Success department from the ground up, built a foundational plan while implementing sustainable/scalable processes and policies for customer onboarding, management, growth and retention. Created a Tier-level client management and implementation approach based on client size, Net Recurring Revenue (NRR), territory market share, and overall client importance. Grew department from 0 to 14 team members while being an individual contributor. Cultivated a culture of growth by establishing an organization growth chart that included different levels of success team members (ex. Associate vs. manager) that aligned to client size and KPIs.

Alertnow was one of the pioneering emergency/parental notification platforms for K12. Helped founders launch and grow Alertnow from an idea to a multi million dollar company eventually acquired by Blackboard Connect. Began journey as the foundational Director of Customer Support then promoted to Northeast Regional Sales Director. As Northeast Regional Sales Director:  Closed over 570 accounts within 5 years, capturing over 50% of school systems in VT, NH, RI, and CT, resulting in total revenue surpassing $2 million.  Achieved the status of the highest-grossing territory in the company, showcasing a proven track record in driving substantial sales growth.  Established and supervised a regional office to strategically manage and grow operations in the Northeast. As Director of Customer Support  Developed and managed the customer service department, responsible for establishing and maintaining internal controls and procedures.  Achieved a remarkable customer retention rate of over 96% within the first year of launching a new product.  Spearheaded customer-centric enhancements that significantly improved customer satisfaction and reduced company response times.  Implemented a series of innovative customer service programs and procedures, resulting in elevated client satisfaction rates and substantial improvements in customer retention.