CUJO AI has just named former Charter Communications executive Kyle Johnson as Chief Customer Officer.
That’s a smart signal: put someone who has lived inside a 30‑million‑subscriber network in charge of customer outcomes.
TL;DR
Johnson brings 20+ years in broadband, Wi‑Fi, and device intelligence.
He has led large engineering and product teams, launching cloud‑managed Wi‑Fi, cybersecurity, and device identification at scale.
As CCO, he’ll own customer success, delivery, and long‑term value for network service providers (NSPs).
Why this move matters for Customer Success
Operator DNA at the top. A CCO who scaled Wi‑Fi 7 and device intelligence inside a Tier‑1 ISP will obsess over reliability, security, and time‑to‑value. That means tighter onboarding, fewer escalations, and clearer ROI stories.
Security is now a value‑add, not a bolt‑on. CUJO AI helps NSPs turn existing networks into intelligent services—parental controls, threat blocking, device awareness. Those are sticky features that strengthen retention.
Scale is real. According to CUJO AI, their protections reach tens of millions of households and billions of devices. A CCO focused on success at that scale will double down on playbooks that translate to measurable outcomes: lower support volume, higher adoption, stronger NRR.
My take (and how I’d run it)
If I were advising Johnson’s team on day one, I’d anchor Customer Success around four simple motions:
Design for zero‑friction adoption. Ship default‑on experiences and in‑app cues. Pair network events ("new device joined", "threat blocked") with helpful, human messages.
Tie AI insights to outcomes. Don’t just show detections—show value in hard numbers: support tickets avoided, devices secured, child‑safety actions taken.
Make CS + Product one loop. Feed device telemetry and ticket themes into a weekly CS–PM sync. Close the loop with release notes customers actually understand.
Operationalize trust. Publish a plain‑language privacy page and standardize consent flows. Trust is a feature.
What you can do with this news (actionable playbook)
Use CUJO AI’s move as a nudge to upgrade your CS strategy this quarter:
Refresh your QBR to spotlight value, not activity. I break down how top teams do this in The Ultimate QBR Playbook: 42% Upsell Tactics from Gong & Snowflake
Map AI to outcomes across your lifecycle. If you’re wondering how AI changes low‑touch and high‑volume segments, this deep dive makes it simple.
Tell a security‑driven revenue story. We’ve seen cybersecurity leaders formalize the CCO role to drive growth; compare CUJO AI’s move with Darktrace’s CCO appointment for lessons you can copy.
Borrow leadership alignment patterns. Legit Security’s recent leadership moves show how ops, sales, and CS sync to speed value—use those ideas to tighten your own handoffs in this Legit Security leadership teardown.
Sharpen your CS revenue engine. If your board is pressing for 110%+ NRR, start with this CS revenue strategy guide and pull the templates you need.
Level up your own career narrative. Use AI well and you become more valuable, not less; this step‑by‑step AI career playbook shows you how to turn AI disruption into a $120k–$200k career boost.
Signals to watch next
Adoption packaging. Expect more NSP bundles that combine Wi‑Fi upgrades + security + parental controls under a single price.
Support deflection. Look for measurable drops in call volume as device intelligence drives self‑serve fixes.
Privacy posture. Clear language and opt‑in/opt‑out patterns will separate leaders from laggards.
Metrics cheat sheet for your next exec update
Time‑to‑value (TTV): Days from install to first meaningful protection event.
Adoption rate: % of households activating key features (threat blocking, parental controls).
Ticket volume per 1,000 subscribers: Should trend down with smarter device insights.
NRR: Use QBRs to link secure‑home features to expansion/retention.
—Hakan, Founder | The Customer Success Café Weekly Newsletter