Private Equity: Investing in Customer Success
Private Equity: Investing in Customer Success
Private Equity: Investing in Customer Success
Private Equity: Investing in Customer Success
The investment in Customer Success is on the rise, as it proves to be a significant value driver in the realm of Private Equity (PE).
We've invited two leading CS advisors, Samma Hafeez from Insight Partners and Jess Bicknell from Mainsail Partners to discuss their journey from CS to PE, and what they now look for from the other side of the table.
They'll cover which CS metrics PE firms evaluate and analyze, the CS metrics that are most important for software companies at every growth stage, and what advice they're giving CS leaders in their portfolios ahead of 2024.
Christian is a customer success and revenue leader with a flair for community-led growth. He currently serves as Senior Account Executive at Forecastable and Go-To-Network Evangelist at Commsor, helping companies drive revenue through trusted networks over traditional outreach. Previously, he spent nearly three years at Planhat, where he earned Top 25 CS Thought Leader recognition and played a key role in product-led research and GTM. Christian began his career at Tessian, rising from CSE to Customer Operations Manager while leading major U.S. accounts and building internal CS tooling. He brings a unique blend of operational depth, storytelling, and strategic thinking.
Samma Hafeez
VP Sales and CS Center of Excellence
Insight Partners
Samma is a Senior Vice President at Insight Partners, where she advises software founders and go-to-market teams across a global investment portfolio. With nearly 15 years of experience spanning venture capital and customer success, she has led GTM strategy and operational scale-ups at firms like BrightEdge, CareCloud, and Thought Industries. At Insight, she works closely with CEOs and investment committees to evaluate opportunities and accelerate enterprise value creation across the portfolio.
Jess Bicknell
Vice President of Customer Experience
Mainsail Partners
Jess is Vice President of Customer Experience at Mainsail Partners, where she leads the firm’s CX Center of Excellence and advises post-sales teams across its B2B SaaS portfolio. She brings over 20 years of experience in customer success, operations, and executive leadership, including roles as COO at String Automotive and VP of Customer Success at LinkSquares and Sakon. Jess has built and scaled high-impact post-sales organizations through multiple growth stages and acquisitions, blending operational precision with a deep commitment to customer outcomes.
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© 2025 Planhat AB
Customers
© 2025 Planhat AB
Customers
© 2025 Planhat AB
Customers
© 2025 Planhat AB
