In this edition of our CS Leader Series, we sit down with Alexandra Gold, seasoned customer success leader at GoCardless. We explore her journey, discuss the evolution of CS – and Alex shares her strategies for driving revenue, managing teams, and balancing the human element with technology.
🛣️ The route to customer success
Q: You’ve been in the Customer Success (CS) world for quite some time, starting when CS wasn’t even a defined role. Can you walk us through your journey?
Alex Gold: Sure! I started in what you might call a “jack-of-all-trades” account manager role at a startup. Back then, customer success didn’t have a formal name or structure—it was more about post-sale support and helping customers succeed with our products.
Over time, as I moved into larger organizations, the role of CS evolved, becoming more specialized and focused on not just retaining customers but also driving revenue.
I feel lucky to have been part of that evolution. Moving into leadership roles, especially at GoCardless, has been incredibly rewarding, and I now focus on structuring my CS teams in ways that allow us to deliver value to customers while also contributing to the company’s growth.
📈 Revenue & growth
Q: You mentioned that CS is a key revenue driver at GoCardless. Many companies still think of CS as solely focused on retention and churn. How do you approach revenue growth within your team?
"It’s true that CS is often viewed as a churn-focused department, but in reality, CS is uniquely positioned to drive growth. The relationships our CSMs build allow them to recognize upsell and cross-sell opportunities in a much more organic way. It’s less about selling and more about "telling." We already know our customers’ pain points and goals, so we can suggest additional solutions that make sense for them."
Alex Gold
Alex Gold: One strategy we use is to constantly align customer success with customer outcomes. If we help a customer reach their goals, the conversation around expanding our services happens naturally. It’s not about pushing new products; it’s about continuing to deliver value and helping the customer grow.
👯 Building a team for success
Q: When building your CS team, what traits do you prioritize when hiring CSMs?
Alex Gold: Hiring for CS can be tricky because you’re asking people to wear multiple hats. Not everyone will excel at every part of the role—whether it’s the relationship side or the more technical side. So I focus on the gaps we have in the team at the time.
For example, if we have strong commercial skills but lack technical proficiency, I might look for someone with a background in solutions engineering or technical support.
Beyond that, I value mindset and behavior. I want someone who’s coachable, has a hunger to learn, and can work well across teams. Soft skills like empathy and communication are critical, but so are the technical skills that allow CSMs to solve complex problems. It’s about finding a balance.
⚖️ Soft vs. hard skills in CS
Q: That’s interesting, tell us more! How do you balance the need for soft skills, like empathy, with hard skills, like technical knowledge, in your team?
Alex Gold: It depends on the stage of the company and the complexity of the product. In a startup, you don’t always have the luxury of hiring specialists, so you need people who can do a bit of everything.
But as the company grows, you can start to specialize. At GoCardless, we have a professional services team, solutions engineers, and CSMs who focus more on relationships and commercial skills.
I think it’s important to let people naturally gravitate toward areas they’re passionate about. Someone might love diving deep into the product, while another CSM might excel at building long-term relationships with clients. As a leader, my job is to put them in roles where they can play to their strengths.
📊 Customer segmentation
Q: Customer segmentation is a hot topic. How do you segment your customers, and how does that impact your CS approach?
Alex Gold: We’ve taken a pretty unique approach at GoCardless. We actually monetize our customer success and service offerings, tailoring them based on the complexity of the customer’s needs, the volume they process, and the features they’re interested in. Some customers have a more self-serve model, while others get a dedicated solutions engineer, implementation manager and customer success manager from day one.
One thing that’s been important for us is to move away from the traditional enterprise vs. SMB segmentation. Some of our biggest growth customers are smaller tech companies that need a more hands-on approach, while some larger clients are happy with a more scaled service.
🚀 Motivation and growth
Q: You’ve touched on how important team motivation is, especially during times of change. What’s your approach to keeping your team motivated?
Alex Gold: I think the key is transparency. People tend to fear change when they don’t know what’s happening. Even if they don’t love what you have to say, they’ll appreciate knowing where things stand. I’ve learned that being as open and human as possible builds trust and helps the team stay focused.
Another thing I stress is focusing on what’s in your control. There’s always noise, but the team’s job doesn’t stop—customers still need to be served, goals still need to be met. I remind them to concentrate on what they can control and to block out the distractions.
“People fear change when they’re left in the dark. Even if they don’t like what you have to say, at least they’ll know what to expect,”
Alex Gold
🧐 Unique challenges for CS teams
Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge for CS teams in the coming years?
Alex Gold: I think one challenge is that CS is still misunderstood in some companies. There’s a lot of focus on churn and retention, but not enough attention on how CS can drive revenue.
Another challenge is the talent pool—while more people are entering the CS space, many are coming from non-CS backgrounds. That’s great, but it also means that we need to be better at training and developing those skills.
And, of course, there’s AI. I believe AI will enhance what we do, not replace us. The challenge will be how quickly CS professionals adopt AI to make themselves more efficient. People who resist using AI will likely struggle.
“People who will lose out to AI are those who don’t want to use it. But for everyone else, AI will just make them better at their jobs.”
Eric Sangerma
☀️Work-life balance
Q: I completely agree about AI. It’s going to be an enabler rather than a replacement. Shifting gears a bit—how do you personally manage work-life balance, especially in a leadership role?
Alex Gold: Honestly, I wasn’t great at it for a long time. But I realized that constantly being “on” wasn’t sustainable. I’ve gotten better at setting boundaries, like ending my workday at a specific time and sticking to it. Planning the next day’s tasks before I finish work has also helped me switch off mentally.
I’m also big on taking breaks. I used to be that person who skipped lunch or powered through, but now I make sure I step away. It makes a big difference in terms of productivity and mental clarity.
🎁 Alex Gold’s top success tip
Q: That’s great advice. Before we wrap up, any final thoughts or unconventional tips you’d like to share with our readers?
Alex Gold: One unconventional tip might be how I approach relationships with my team. I’m a big believer in being open and personal with them—sharing what’s going on in my life and encouraging them to do the same.
It builds trust and creates a deeper connection. I know some managers worry about losing respect if they get too personal, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. It humanizes you as a leader.
Also, don’t be afraid to look outside of traditional CS resources. Some of the best lessons I’ve learned about customer success have come from books on psychology, behavioral economics, and negotiation. I highly recommend “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss and “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott. You can apply those lessons directly to managing teams and customer relationships.
Alex’s journey in customer success underscores the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and a people-first approach. Whether it’s driving revenue through trusted relationships or managing teams through change, her insights offer valuable lessons for CS professionals at every level.
Stay tuned for more interviews with CS leaders in our upcoming editions.