FirstClose just promoted Andria Lightfoot to lead Client Success with a clear brief: speed up implementation, add project-management discipline, and connect customer outcomes to revenue.
In lending—where time-to-value and trust decide renewals—this is the right move at the right time.
Why This Promotion Stands Out
Implementation As A Growth Lever. Treat rollout like a product—with milestones, owners, and “first value” checkpoints—to cut time-to-value and lift adoption. If onboarding is your current risk, start with The Onboarding Fix Every CS Leader Needs.
Project Management Inside CS. Deadlines, RAID logs, and crisp status updates prevent scope drift and missed go-lives. Pair this with a living Customer Success Plan Template so every account has goals, milestones, and risks in one place.
Revenue Alignment Without Burnout. Tying CS to the revenue org can boost expansion and renewals when done right. Use my CS Revenue Strategy to aim for a sustainable 110%+ NRR.
What Customer Success Leaders Can Learn From FirstClose
Make Onboarding Measurable.
Define “live,” “first value,” and “full value.” Track cycle times and blockers. For a tight KPI shortlist, bookmark The Ultimate Guide To Success Metrics For Business & CS Leaders.
Design The Team For The Journey.
Don’t be afraid to split roles. A dedicated onboarding group plus relationship managers can speed delivery and deepen trust—see Splitting Onboarding & CSM Teams.
Meet Customers Where They Are.
Lending needs repeatable runbooks, multilingual support, and accessible education. If you’re modernizing with automation, use AI-Powered Onboarding Tips.
Protect Renewals Early.
Map billing, data, and process friction before QBRs. For faster risk signals, read Rillet: Kill Billing Friction, Protect Renewals.
30–60–90 Day Plan For CS Teams
Days 0–30
Publish a standard implementation plan (milestones, owners, risks).
Ship a health dashboard with time-to-first-value, go-live cycle time, open risks, and training completion.
Days 31–60
Add a light PM layer: weekly status notes, risk burndown, and a clear escalation path.
Introduce a relationship-manager role for named accounts with a remit across adoption, outcomes, and renewal signals.
Days 61–90
Tie success plans to revenue goals (renewal probability, expansion triggers).
Cut reports and meetings that don’t move retention. For the bigger picture, see Customer Success In 2026: The Shift To Retention-First.
Why This Promotion Matters For Customer Success
CS is becoming the operating system for growth.
When implementation, support, and account strategy align with revenue, you remove silos, accelerate value, and make renewals a by-product of great delivery—not last-minute heroics.
My Takeaway
If you lead CS (or aspire to), use moments like this to reset your charter: own onboarding outcomes, formalize PM, and connect your work directly to revenue.
The tools above will help you get there.
—Hakan | Founder, The Customer Success Café Weekly Newsletter