Nine out of 10 CEOs agree: Mastering the customer agenda is the primary challenge their organisations face now and into the future. Yet when it comes to actually orchestrating the people, process and technological changes necessary to ensuring an organisation delivers and exceeds modern customer expectations, many are struggling to truly break ground.

As organisations look to compete on customer experience, it’s to be expected the people, processes and technologies supporting all touchpoints within their customers’ journeys operate more in harmony. And arguably, there are no two more important teams in this picture than marketing and customer service.

One in four customer experience (CX) professionals will be out of a job in 2020, according to the latest Forrester 2020 predictions. But don’t read that as a sign interest in CX is waning: On the contrary, the level of c-suite and high-level CX managers is set to increase.

It was when Catherine Anderson was promoted from CMO to Powershop’s chief customer officer in mid-2018 she felt her mindset shift from marketing to all-of-business.

Bankwest’s Andrew Chanmugam is a firm believer in marketing as both an art and a science. “Marketing gives us a natural opportunity to balance the creative with the commercial,” the EGM of customer experience, who oversees brand and marketing, five customer tribes, three organisational chapters and line-one risk functions, says.

​Queensland is soon set to have a public chief customer and digital officer, the first of its kind in Australia, the state’s government has announced​. The role will have responsibility for advancing global technology and supporting the needs of Queenslanders and Queensland businesses in this arena.

More than 300 Optus employees have already completed at least one class within the telco’s new CX Academy since its launch five months ago.

Former Bupa CMO, Jane Power, has switched health insurance for pet care and retail, joining Petbarn owner, Greencross, as its chief customer officer.

MetLife Australia says its decision to create a chief customer and marketing role is about elevating the role and cultural approach within the business.

AGL has confirmed former longstanding Australia Post executive, Christine Courbett, as its new chief customer officer.

AMP chief customer officer, Paul Sainsbury, will leave the financial services giant following a new leadership structure announced just days after the release of the Royal Commission into Australia’s Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.

The report has been tabled and the 76 recommendations are in. And there are a few clear lessons on what many have recognised are keys to ensuring your organisation is customer-led, from the very top to the very bottom and everywhere inbetween.

WPP AUNZ has brought on former AANA chief and PwC CMO Advisory director, Sunita Gloster, as its first chief customer officer in a move it says is all about growth locally.

AGL has confirmed the departure of its chief customer officer, Melissa Reynolds, later this month after an 18-month stint.

ME Bank’s Ingrid Purcell is one of an increasing number of marketers whose roles have morphed into holistic customer experience responsibility. It’s a shift that’s seen her take on accountability for designing the entire customer journey, not just focusing on traditional marketing areas, over the past year.

Out-of-home platform player, oOh!media, has recruited Virgin mobile’s former CEO and one-time marketing chief, David Scribner, as its new chief customer officer.

The concept of category design has not only given hipages the tools to create its first mass market brand campaign, it’s also crystallising the business strategy for its next rapid phase of growth.

Empowerment of customers has required almost every business to transform, whether they know it or not, and customer journeys need to be ex-examined if true CX transformation is to be achieved.

What does it really take to craft a memorable experience with your customers? Who should be leading it? And how do you action the insights you have to achieve it?

There’s a joke in the English town of Norwich that everyone either works in a church, in a pub, or in the insurance industry. Luckily for the customers of IAG, Julie Batch’s family worked in insurance, and instilled in her a set of values she has carried through to her current role as chief customer officer.

​Citi’s global head of customer experience, Tanya Smith, has an easy way to tell whether something meets the great experience test or not: You feel better after interacting.