Brad Smith is an enthusiastic, industry-recognized customer-centric professional with deep expertise and a passion for Customer Experience (CX) business transformation. Navigating customer experience (CX) requires a touch of finesse, strategic insights, and a seasoned hand at the helm. With roots planted firmly in NASA’s KSC Space Shuttle Launch Control team, he has steered the course for mission-focused – customer-centric transformations at industry stalwarts like Symantec, Yahoo!, and Sage.

He founded Vector Business Navigation, Inc in 2015 and has been committed to mentoring inspired companies and their leadership to successfully navigate their CX eco-systems by leveraging decades of experience and lessons learned from over 50 client engagements. Using his finely tuned set of Customer Experience (CX) “lock picks”, he knows how to quickly identify, unlock, and realize the trapped value concealed across any organization that will increase profitability, loyalty, and growth for customers, partners, and employees alike.

With a proven track record in leading strategic initiatives and delivering exceptional client service experiences, Brad has consistently demonstrated success in creating and executing comprehensive marketing plans, integrating solid sales approaches, and devising successful action plans to enhance customer acquisition and revenues. He is instrumental in conducting research, formulating budgets, forecasting demand, and maintaining key business partnerships to meet and exceed corporate targets and buyer expectations. Brad’s ability to build and strengthen high-performing customer-centric workforces and foster lasting customer engagements is complemented by his knack for nurturing professional stakeholder relationships while leveraging a detailed understanding of the latest industry trends, regulations, and standards. As an out-of-the-box thinker, Brad brings strong interpersonal, negotiation, collaborative, and innovation skills to every endeavor.

Currently, as the Managing Director and President of Vector Business Navigation since 2015, Brad has established a successful suite of service offerings and strategic tools for diagnosing, designing, and delivering multi-year CX transformations. Under his leadership, Vector Business Navigation has provided effective tactics and support to over 45 international Fortune 500 B2B, B2C, and non-profit clients. He has achieved an average of $210k in quarterly sales for the past 25 quarters, demonstrating his capability as a sole proprietor. Brad’s notable clients include Rich Foods, ADP AARP, FWD Insurance, DuPont Aerospace, Cambridge University Press, UPS, Dow Water Solutions, Autodesk, CXPA, Home Franchise Concepts, Blinc Cosmetics, Infor, Blizzard Entertainment, Facebook Workplace, Adobe, Party City-Amscan, GitHub, Thompson Seattle Hotel, Smarsh, Dell Computers, Service Management Group, Dorel Juvenile, Gametime, Paya, NetApp, and dozens of other clients under NDA. His ability to steer a high-performing team of expert contractors has been crucial in delivering these results, providing effective methodologies, mentoring, and support to ensure corporate growth and success.

During his tenure at Sage Software from 2012 to 2015, Brad served as Executive VP of Global Customer Experience and Chief Customer Officer, where he created and implemented a global customer experience strategy across 24 geographies. He led a 75-person team in coordinating strategic activities, expanding the North American customer support model, and developing cutting-edge tools and techniques for a new global customer support system. Brad’s efforts resulted in significant customer engagement and profitability, as well as the creation of a peer-to-peer support network that grew to 500K users in three years. He developed efficient internal and external tools that included knowledgebase development, self-service options, multi-channel support, online communities, dedicated partner support portals, and eLearning models for just-in-time new user training. Brad also formulated two years of Global CX optimization blueprints to define, standardize, and drive customer experience improvements across 80 products, 24 geographies, and 28 languages. This comprehensive approach ensured a consistent and enhanced customer experience, ultimately maximizing profitability and customer satisfaction.

At Yahoo!, from 2009 to 2012, Brad managed a cross-functional team responsible for building new customer experience journeys across Yahoo product groups as the VP of Global Customer Experience. He leveraged customer data to anticipate support needs, constructing an online help experience that served over 650 million users in 28 languages. This initiative significantly increased self-help usage from 22 million to 27 million per month, reducing the caseload by 37% and enabling effective social media support. Brad’s efforts to expose all employees to customer feedback helped establish a customer-first company culture, reinforcing the importance of customer experience throughout the organization. His innovative Help Experience Design ranked support tickets by impact on revenue and cost, allowing for customized support and better resource allocation. Additionally, Brad renegotiated several vendor contracts with a $30 million budget, resulting in $1 million in annual savings, showcasing his expertise in vendor management and cost optimization.

Brad’s additional experience includes senior leadership roles at Symantec, INQUIRA, VERISIGN, Openwave Systems, and Oracle. He has a diverse background in business development, technical support, professional services, and program management. Notably, he served as a Space Shuttle Launch Team Engineer at Lockheed Martin Space Operations, demonstrating his ability to excel in highly technical and demanding environments. Brad holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida. He is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), a single-engine private pilot, and a PADI Open Water Scuba certified diver. His prominent positions include President and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Consortium for Service Innovation and Co-Founder and CDO of TribeCX Ltd. Brad’s innovative approach, strong interpersonal skills, and deep understanding of industry trends and standards make him a visionary leader in the field of customer experience.

Character: Brad Smith is an enthusiastic, industry-recognized professional known for his deep expertise and passion for Customer Experience (CX) business transformation. His ability to build and strengthen high-performing customer-centric workforces demonstrates his commitment to fostering lasting customer engagements and nurturing professional stakeholder relationships.

Knowledge: Brad’s extensive experience includes leading strategic initiatives at Symantec, Yahoo!, and Sage, where he consistently delivered exceptional client service experiences and created comprehensive marketing plans. He founded Vector Business Navigation, Inc. in 2015, leveraging decades of experience and lessons learned from over 50 client engagements to mentor companies in navigating their CX ecosystems.

Strategic: As the Managing Director and President of Vector Business Navigation, Brad has successfully provided effective tactics and support to over 45 international clients, achieving significant quarterly sales and ensuring corporate growth. At Sage Software, he implemented a global customer experience strategy, developed efficient internal and external tools, and formulated optimization blueprints to standardize and drive CX improvements across multiple geographies.

Communication: Brad’s strong interpersonal, negotiation, and collaborative skills are evident in his ability to lead cross-functional teams and foster a customer-first company culture. His innovative approaches, such as exposing all employees to customer feedback at Yahoo! and renegotiating vendor contracts for significant savings, highlight his expertise in leveraging communication to achieve strategic goals.