The experts behind our content

Nathan Holmberg

CTO and Co-Founder THEMATIC

Nathan is the kind of CTO who gets invited to keynotes like AWS Cloud Day because he's figured out how to innovate with AI to solve real problems while building trust with users. His philosophy centers on helping businesses understand their customers while guaranteeing data security principles that made Thematic profitable.

Xueyuan Zhang

SENIOR MACHINE LEARNING ENGINEER AT THEMATIC | AI & SPEECH TECHNOLOGY EXPERT

PhD-level AI research expertise with proven CTO leadership experience, specializing in large language models and speech recognition systems. His academic foundation provides deep technical knowledge for building sophisticated AI solutions that transform customer understanding.

Rob Dumbleton

Head of Data Science & Research | AI Scaleability Expert

Rob is the rare data scientist who makes complex LLM analysis both scalable and verifiable, then humbly explains exactly how in terms anyone can understand. He tackles fierce waves while kite surfing and applies the same fearless methodology to solving accuracy challenges.

Gary Bastroff

Senior VP of Sales & Partnerships | CX Methodology Creator

Gary developed the core CX methodologies used across a 1,300-person consulting firm, from VOC programs to KPI dashboards that prove CX value to skeptical executives. His expertise in translating customer insights into executive alignment makes him the trusted advisor who turns CX initiatives into measurable business outcomes.

Lynn Hunsaker, CCXP

CEO of ClearAction | Experience Leadership Pioneer

With 30+ years transforming CX at Fortune 250 companies, Lynn coined influential frameworks including "4 Gold CX Leader Metrics" and "Experience Leadership." Her "realities vs. expectations" methodology has driven double-digit revenue increases worldwide, making her a CustomerThink Hall of Fame recipient and multiple-time #1 Author of the Year.

Gustavo Imhof, CCXP

CX Consultant & Author | #1 International Best-Selling Author

Gustavo combines customer experience expertise with customer discovery mastery, bringing a unique product development lens to CX. As a CCXP and contributor to Customer Experience Magazine, he challenges conventional CX wisdom through popular content, focusing on data-driven, results-oriented strategies. His practical approach to measuring and improving customer satisfaction sets him apart as a voice for actionable CX insights.

Anton Oparienko

CTO at UpsilonIT | Business Analytics & Customer Intelligence Expert

Anton bridges technology leadership and customer intelligence, bringing deep business analytics to the CX conversation. His background spanning commercial banking IT and startup technology development gives him unique insights on how data infrastructure enables superior customer experiences. Anton's expertise in operationalizing customer feedback through advanced analytics helps companies unlock actionable intelligence from their customer data.

Mick Stapleton

Senior Customer Insights Analyst at Atlassian | Engineering-Driven CX Expert

Mick brings engineering rigor to customer experience, combining mechanical engineering expertise with data analytics to create robust feedback systems at Atlassian. His aerospace background and lean six sigma experience give him rare expertise in building closed-loop feedback systems that drive product decisions. Mick's specialty lies in translating complex customer data into actionable engineering solutions that improve user experiences.

Ernan Roman

President of ERDM Corp | Voice of Customer Pioneer

Marketing Hall of Fame inductee who literally wrote the book on Voice of Customer marketing. Ernan's pioneering VoC methodologies have revolutionized how Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Microsoft, and QVC transform customer insights into competitive advantage and revenue growth. His deep-dive research approach uncovers the emotional drivers behind customer behavior, making him the go-to expert for companies seeking to transform customer data into competitive advantage.

Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., C.S.P.

New York Times #1 Bestselling Author | Customer Experience Authority

Dr. Michelli has documented customer experience excellence at world-renowned brands through nine bestselling books featuring Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton, Mercedes-Benz, Zappos, and Airbnb. His unique background as clinical psychologist and organizational consultant enables him to decode the human elements driving exceptional experiences. Joseph's research-backed insights and Certified Speaking Professional expertise make him a powerful voice for leaders seeking to build customer-obsessed cultures.

Andy Hanselman

Author of "Think in 3D!" | Competitive Advantage Expert

Andy created the "Think in 3D" methodology helping businesses become "Dramatically and Demonstrably Different" from competitors. His 30+ years researching winning businesses and work with brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Asda has identified the seven characteristics that separate market leaders from followers. Andy's down-to-earth approach delivers practical tools that organizations can immediately implement to create lasting competitive advantage.

Scott Downing

Chief Customer Officer | CX Transformation Leader

Scott leads customer experience and advocacy strategies at Rockend, redefining CX measurement beyond traditional NPS to focus on interaction quality and employee experience. His practical approach to cloud technology and self-service solutions positions him as a forward-thinking voice in modern B2B customer experience transformation.

Melanie Disse

CX and VOC Consultant | Technology Advisor

Melanie transforms customer feedback into actionable business intelligence as a strategic CX consultant and regular contributor to Customer Experience Magazine. She specializes in helping organizations move beyond data collection to genuine experience improvements through VoC program design and text analytics. Her hands-on approach to building customer-centric cultures makes her a trusted advisor for companies seeking to operationalize feedback at scale.