Sanjeet Kaur Bali, SVP of Global Customer Support at Infor, outlines why organizational dysfunction quietly erodes scale, service, and innovation across every function. She explains how support leaders can surface root causes through data and constructive confrontation. She also describes the power of transforming support into a strategic growth engine.

“We need to reassess and thoroughly evaluate what’s ailing our business, then create a culture that encourages critical conversations. Empower problem solvers and constructive critics, and embrace brutal self-assessment. It’s essential for an organization’s survival.” – Sanjeet Kaur Bali

By realigning support from a reactive cost center into a proactive, insight-driven partner, companies unlock both retention and expansion opportunities. When support sits at the table with product, sales, and operations, its frontline perspective becomes a catalyst for innovation. Building these cross-functional bridges ensures that customer feedback drives strategic decisions, turning every support interaction into a step toward sustainable growth.

Kel Kurekgi, Director of Support at Zapier, delves into the transformation of customer support teams, focusing on how to drop the victim mentality and gain a seat at the table. Kel discusses his journey from media to customer experience, sharing insights on overcoming challenges in the customer support sector. He emphasizes collaboration, empathy, and strategic storytelling as key elements in transforming customer support into a recognized business asset.

“We need to stop focusing on why we can’t do things and start focusing on what we can do. When people start realizing that the power is in their hands, to be able to tell the right story, their seat at the table, get their voice heard, that whole victim mentality in support will shift.” - Kel Kurekgi

Kel expands on how internal barriers, such as outdated mindsets or a lack of advocacy, can hinder support teams. By embracing strategic collaboration and owning their narrative, support leaders can redefine their value and influence company-wide impact.

Ken Mogensen, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Sneed Coding Solutions, discusses why treating BPO partners as direct reports transforms customer support into a sales engine. He explains vetting criteria, training approaches, and KPI alignment to ensure partners reflect the company’s values. Throughout the discussion, Ken shares lessons learned from scaling globally.

“Our partners should be committed to customer success because our success as a company and our growth are entirely contingent upon our customers growing and being successful. Our business partner should definitely have that same belief.” – Ken Mogensen

Ken highlights how applying core values, rigorous training alignment, and shared ownership transforms outsourced teams into trusted business growth partners. He explains how this approach supports global scalability, fosters deeper customer relationships, and cultivates a performance culture centered on results, not just transactions.