As consumer use of AI-powered and self-help solutions continues to expand, CX leaders are increasingly focused on resolution, abandonment, and measurable ROI rather than containment alone. Although digital and AI-powered channels continue to grow, phone-based support still dominates a massive portion of contact volume, and many brands still struggle to deliver seamless experiences across blended journeys. The research suggests that the next phase of CX leadership will be defined not by how much automation exists, but by how intelligently it is governed and how seamlessly channels work together.

“AI is no longer experimental — it’s operational,” said Susan McDaniel, Co-Founder and COO of Execs In The Know. “But what this research makes clear is that adoption alone isn’t enough. The brands that succeed will be those that simplify journeys and ensure automation complements — rather than replaces — live-assisted support.”

Some of the most notable findings from this new research include:

• AI adoption within the contact center has more than doubled since 2022, with 67% of organizations now using AI, and another 24% planning to do so soon.
• Consumers are increasingly navigating multichannel journeys, yet only 11% of CX leaders feel their organization delivers a seamless experience.
• Self-help and AI-powered resolution are scaling, with 35% of brands now resolving 20–60% of total volume through self-help, up from just 13% in 2024.

The 2026 CX Leaders Trends & Insights: Corporate Edition report, along with the entire Execs In The Know CX research library, including past Consumer and Corporate Editions, is accessible on the CX Research portion of the Execs In The Know website.

About Execs In The Know  

Execs In The Know brings together customer experience (CX) leaders from across industries in an effort to advance the conversation and set a new agenda for delivering amazing experiences for consumers. As a global community of the brightest minds in CX, Execs In The Know provides opportunities to learn, share, network, and engage to innovate. Operating under the motto, “Leaders Learning From Leaders,” Execs In The Know facilitates many opportunities for community engagement, such as its bi-annual national Customer Response Summit and private, online community, Know It All “KIA.” There are also exclusive, laser-focused engagements like industry briefings and executive roundtables. Execs In The Know also guides and informs the industry with a rich tapestry of CX-related content that includes CX Insight magazine, industry research, webinars, blogs, and much more. For more information, visit Execs In The Know’s website.

The post New CX Research from Execs In The Know Reveals Growing Need for Channel Parity as AI Adoption Accelerates Across the Contact Center appeared first on Execs In The Know.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA, US, February 4, 2026 — Leading customer experience (CX) industry organization Execs In The Know is pleased to announce that Customer Response Summit (CRS), will take place February 25–27, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.

Recognized for its executive-only, leader-to-leader format, CRS brings together CX leaders to share real-world strategies shaping the future of customer experience across industries. The conference program will feature mainstage keynotes, CX masterclass, panel discussions, interactive breakout sessions, case studies, and networking opportunities.

Keynote Speakers

• Katie Beaudry, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Client Care, Visa
• Kevin McDorman, Vice President, Customer Care, Southwest Airlines
• Meghan Nicholas, Vice President, Customer Engagement Services, Walmart
• Travis Brown, Senior Director, Campus Teams, CCV

Together, the keynote speakers will explore enterprise-wide transformation with customer care at the center, highlighting how strategy, culture, technology, and frontline empowerment intersect in real customer moments.

Corporate Panelist Speakers

The panelist speaker lineup will also feature senior executives from leading brands across financial services, retail, travel, healthcare, technology, and hospitality, including:

• Craig Barnes, Senior Vice President, Customer Care and Retail Store Operations, Williams-Sonoma
• Dari Damazo, Senior Vice President of Support Services, DTO, Atlanticus
• Peter Howerton, Vice President, Customer Relationship Management Digital Experience Solutions, Northwell Health
• Andrea Hughes, Senior Director, Customer Service, TruGreen
• Mike Jones, Senior Director, Shared Services, The Home Depot
• Jen Joyce, Senior Vice President, Digital Customer Operations, Frontier Communications
• Justin McMurtrey, Vice President, Operations, Ladders
• Lisa Oswald, Senior Vice President, Customer Service, Travelzoo
• Tanisha Parker, Senior Manager, Partner Programs, Grubhub
• Sagarika Prusty, Director, Data Analytics, Quince
• Ian Schmehl, Vice President, Enterprise Operations, State Farm
• Karen Slusher, Chief Experience Officer, Azure Standard
• Anindya Sundar Das, Senior Director, Head of Global Digital Experience, Uber
• Carolyne M. Truelove, Vice President, Customer and Operations Excellence, American Airlines

CX Masterclass: A Look at the Ritz-Carlton Culture of Excellence

Amanda Joiner, Global Vice President of The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, will lead a CX Masterclass exploring the iconic Ritz-Carlton culture of excellence and the frameworks that empower employees to deliver legendary, people-first service.

“As we celebrate 15 years as an organization, what stands out most is the caliber of leaders who continue to shape this community,” said Susan McDaniel, Co-Founder and COO at Execs In The Know. “CRS has always been built on the generosity of CX executives who are willing to share what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s coming next. This conference reflects the very best of that spirit; leaders who are raising the standard for care and pushing our industry forward together.”

About Customer Response Summit

CRS is where senior customer experience leaders come together to define what exceptional care looks like. Designed for peer-level exchange, the conference creates space for leaders to share hard-earned insights, challenge assumptions, and explore practical approaches that elevate customer interactions.

More than a conference, CRS is a trusted community committed to raising the standard for CX excellence. Through thought-provoking keynotes, executive panels, candid breakout discussions, and meaningful networking, CRS delivers the conversations and connections leaders need to deliver care without compromise.

Conference Details

Dates: February 25–27, 2026
Location: Amelia Island, Florida
Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

For registration details and event updates, visit: https://execsintheknow.com/events/customer-response-summit-amelia-island-2026/

About Execs In The Know 

Execs In The Know brings together customer experience (CX) leaders from across industries in an effort to advance the conversation and set a new agenda for delivering amazing experiences for consumers. As a global community of the brightest minds in CX, Execs In The Know provides opportunities to learn, share, network, and engage to innovate. Operating under the motto, “Leaders Learning From Leaders,” Execs In The Know facilitates many opportunities for community engagement, such as its bi-annual national Customer Response Summit and private, online community, Know It All “KIA.” There are also exclusive, laser-focused engagements like industry briefings and executive roundtables. Execs In The Know also guides and informs the industry with a rich tapestry of CX-related content that includes CX Insight magazine, industry research, webinars, blogs, and much more. For more information, visit ExecsInTheKnow.com.

The post Execs In The Know’s Customer Response Summit Announces 2026 Keynote and Corporate Speaker Lineup appeared first on Execs In The Know.

The KIA Online Community is a virtual gathering place where you can connect with like-minded professionals, learn from industry experts, and share your own insights. That’s exactly what the KIA online community is all about. We’ve redesigned it to provide you with a more personalized experience, keeping our promise of exclusivity to corporate CX brand leaders.

One of the standout features of the new KIA is the enhanced activity feed. You can now personalize what you see first, ensuring that you’re always up-to-date with the conversations, content, and events that matter most to you. Whether you’re looking for CX leader insights, executive events, educational articles, or member-exclusive resources, KIA has got you covered.

But it doesn’t stop there. Our Online Community and Marketplace allows you to actively engage with other CX leaders, collaborate on challenges and solutions, see top community contributors with our Engagement Leaderboard, and connect with “Members with Insights,” who can guide you to the right CX products and services vendors. It’s a true leader-to-leader experience, fostering growth and knowledge sharing among CX professionals.

Now, here’s the best part …

The KIA Online Community and Marketplace is exclusively designed for CX leaders overseeing their brand’s CX operations and strategy, and it’s absolutely free to join. This means you can gain access to a global network of CX leaders, engage in meaningful conversations, and leverage educational resources—all without any cost.

If you’re part of a corporate organization eager to be part of our community of CX leaders, we invite you to take the next step. Joining KIA is easy. You can learn more and request to join here.

Don’t miss out on this exceptional opportunity to connect with your CX peers, stay ahead of industry trends, and gain valuable insights from leaders in the industry.

The post Introducing the New and Improved KIA: Your Premier Online Community for CX Leaders appeared first on Execs In The Know.

In this paper, Execs In The Know teamed up with technology experts from Blizzard Entertainment, Hilton, Interactions, LinkedIn, and Square to create and compile practical AI case studies that articulate the value of AI in customer service strategies. The paper also defines a tactical process for building a sound AI strategy, and it calls out risks, limitations, and workforce considerations to help ensure a successful implementation.

“The vast majority of companies are still evaluating the viability of AI in their business,” said Chad McDaniel, president of Execs In The Know. “This thought-leadership paper provides an opportunity for leaders to learn from leaders and helps drive consideration and successful adoption of this transformational advancement in customer service.”

The AI paper includes best-practice case studies for knowledge-center support, instant personalized answers, conversational virtual assistance for phone, and AI for emerging insights from social media. Each example highlights one of the four essential opportunities for AI in customer service: cost reduction and customer insights for companies and faster/better service and greater personalization for consumers.

“While learning about what other leaders are doing in this space nurtures big picture thinking, having access to guidance and recommendations on how to streamline implementation and avoid pitfalls is invaluable,” said McDaniel. “This paper offers that one-two punch.”

Technology is altering the way we interact in every aspect of life and creating new service expectations. Those at the forefront of the Al customer experience movement recognize that these technologies add direct value for a wide range of service situations – — including interactions that require human intervention. For example, AI machine learning technologies provide an enhanced self-service experience by improving search accuracy; and conversational virtual assistant technologies can reduce the number of live agent calls. Both AI solutions free up an agent’s time, allowing for more time spent on skill development and handing calls requiring human empathy and interaction.

Execs In The Know is advancing the AI conversation daily in its online community Know It All and meeting with brands across the United States in discussion-based events like the upcoming Next Gen Technology Briefing in New York City on May 8th.

About Execs In The Know
Execs In The Know is a global community of customer experience (CX) professionals focused on excellence in customer experience. Execs In The Know gives brands a platform to share and gain insights, benchmark their brand, stay on top of the latest trends in CX, and create lasting relationships with their peers – “Leaders Learning From Leaders.” Execs In The Know holds numerous live events each year including Customer Response Summit, Subject Matter Briefings, Lunch & Learns, and Leadership Dinners. They also offer industry content and thought leadership through its webinars, reports, Know It All online community, and various other social media groups. To learn more about Execs In The Know visit: www.execsintheknow.com.

Media Contact:
Gina Morkel
gina@execsintheknow.com

The post Execs In The Know Releases Its Latest Thought-Leadership Paper: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Customer Service – A Practical Guide for AI Consideration and Adoption appeared first on Execs In The Know.

“Having been an Execs In The Know customer for several years, I’m a strong supporter of what the EITK team has built,” said Greene. “I’ve seen their commitment to customer experience firsthand, as well as the positive impact they have made on the CX community. I’m extremely excited to now be a part of the EITK family.”

“My primary goal will be to help customer experience professionals connect and discover innovative, cutting edge best practices to help them do their jobs more effectively.”

Greene comes to EITK with three-and-a-half years of experience in the BPO field and over fifteen years’ experience in research and technology.

“I intend to apply my customer experience, writing and research background to help grow EITK and serve the Execs In The Know customer base,” said Greene.  “I plan to reach out to our customers to help better understand their needs, wants and challenges. My goal will be to use our communities’ feedback to continue to grow and improve service offerings that can help our community effectively meet their own internal business goals. “

Greene can be contacted at errol@execsintheknow.com and at 404-805-3923.

About Execs In The Know

For over 15 years, Execs In The Know has built a reputation of excellence in the Customer Management Industry and a worldwide community of over 50,000 Customer Experience Professionals, dedicated to enhancing the customer service industry. Execs In The Know connects people to engaging industry content, thought leadership, current trends, peer-to-peer collaboration, networking, and industry employment opportunities. Their largest event, Customer Response Summit, takes place twice a year, uniting executives from many of today’s leading brands, to create impactful connections and share actionable insights.

Learn more at www.execsintheknow.com.

Media Contact:

Alyssa Pitura
info@execsintheknow.com

The post Execs In The Know Hires Errol Greene as Vice President Advocacy Marketing Solutions appeared first on Execs In The Know.

“Joining the Advisory Board of Execs In The Know was a conscious decision to be involved with likeminded senior executives, who have the same drive, determination and motivation that we have, in delivering authentic customer engagement through hospitality,” said LeAnne Crocker. “Both internal and external customer social communication connections help us do what is right, at the right time, in the right place.”

“Delivering a remarkable customer experience is an increasingly important part of every business,” said Scott Shute. “I’m pleased to work with this distinguished team of thought leaders who are interested in helping their companies, and industry at large, become more customer centric.”

The Execs In The Know Advisory Board is a group of the top executives in customer care, from many of today’s prominent brands, across various industry verticals. Together, they work to advance the conversation, on the multichannel Connected Consumer. They identify gaps, key strategies, and trends that ultimately enhance the Execs In The Know – Customer Response Summits, workshops, and content. They are the cornerstone of the Execs In The Know community and strengthen it through their involvement in various events, webinars, content pieces, philanthropic activities, and meetings.

Newly Elected Board Members:

LeAnne Crocker, Director- Global Reservation Operations Design and Learning Communications, Hyatt
Scott Shute, Vice President of Global Customer Operations, LinkedIn

Existing Board Members:

Janet Bailey, Director, Customer Contact Operations Global & Americas Operations, Starbucks
Jeff Camp, Vice President, Call Center Operations, TXU Energy
Tim Hickler, VP WW Customer Service, Amazon
Michael Martin, Senior Vice-President Channel Optimization, CIBC Retail & Business Banking
Kathryn McGavick, Corporate Vice President, Customer Support, Outerwall
Sally McMahon, Vice President Channel Management, SiriusXM
Lisa Oswald, Senior Vice President, Customer Service, Travelzoo Inc.
Philip Petescia, Vice President CRM & Customer Care Post-Sales Support & Promotions, Sony Electronics
Andrew Pine, Vice President, Customer Relations, Porsche Cars North America
Razia Richter, Senior Vice President Chief Customer Officer, Petco
Ginna Sauerwein, Managing Director, FedEx TechConnect Western Region

To learn more about the Execs In The Know Advisory Board, visit https://execsintheknow.com/about-us/advisory-board/

About Execs in the Know
For over 15 years, Execs in the Know has built a reputation of excellence in the Customer Management Industry and a worldwide community of over 50,000 Customer Experience Professionals. Execs in the Know connects people to engaging industry content, thought leadership, current trends, peer-to-peer collaboration, networking, and industry employment opportunities. Examples of this can be seen at their Customer Response Summit events, roadshows, webinars, workshops, Blog Talk Radio segments, Industry Benchmarking Series, blogs, thought papers, and social communities.

To learn more about Execs in the Know, visit www.execsintheknow.com. For more information on their Customer Management Recruitment Solutions, visit www.justcareers.com.

Media Contact
Alyssa Pitura
Director of Marketing and Brand Experience
alyssa@execsintheknow.com
www.execsintheknow.com
@ExecsInTheKnow

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Execs in the Know is pleased to announce Tom Weiland, Vice-President of Global Customer Service -Amazon, Jasmine Green, Vice President, Chief Customer Advocate, Nationwide Insurance and Dan Balistierri Vice President, Global Service & Experience, MasterCard as the Featured Speakers for the Customer Response Summit -San Diego, February 3rd-5th, 2014.

Tom Weiland Vice-President of Global Customer Service Amazon Click here for bio

Jasmine Green Vice-President, Chief Customer Advocate Nationwide Insurance Click here for bio

Dan Balistierri Vice President- Global Service & Experience MasterCard Worldwide Click here for bio

Tom, Jasmine and Dan join a speaking faculty of Brands that are committed to adopting emerging channels and providing a superior Customer Experience for the Connected Consumer. The faculty includes:

The Summit will also feature the release of our 2013 Customer Experience Benchmark Study with our research partners at Digital Roots. This in-depth study will explore how Brands are adapting, implementing and planning for emerging channels in their Customer Care strategies.

In addition, the Summit will feature a one day pre- conference training seminar developed and delivered by the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) that will focus on the “Foundations for the Future Customer Experience Center.” The Customer Experience Management Training seminar will be facilitated by ICMI co-founder, Brad Cleveland.

Additional Links: ICMI Training Download Agenda View our speakers Link

Join The Conversation with Execs In The Know:

Chad McDaniel
President
Execs In the Know – A Division of M.E.R. Inc.
866-991-3555 (toll-free)
chad@execsintheknow.com
www.execsintheknow.com
www.customerresponsesummit.com

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