Winning as a CCO: Lessons in Revenue, Trust, and Relentless Execution

Omid Razavi

April 23, 2025

Insights from Harini Gokul, Chief Customer Officer at Entrust

By Omid Razavi, Founder of SuccessLab | Host of CCO Online

In the 12th episode of CCO Online, we welcomed the dynamic Chief Customer Officer of Entrust for an insightful conversation on the evolving role of the CCO. With leadership experience at Microsoft and AWS, and now overseeing a global post-sales organization of over 400 people, Harini Gokul delivered timely and practical insights for customer leaders navigating growth, trust, and transformation.

As the company's first-ever CCO, her appointment underscores how post-sales has become central to strategic execution.

What followed in our conversation was not just a set of lessons, but a compelling call to action for every customer leader: think bigger, act bolder, and lead with conviction.

"Cathedral Building": Rethinking the CCO Mandate

Harini described stepping into the CCO role at a company with a 25+ year history as "cathedral building." It's not just about fixing processes or plugging gaps—it's about building something enduring and resilient.

Her CEO and board recognized the need for a center of gravity. This role unifies fragmented post-sales functions, tying them to revenue, customer value, and enterprise-wide alignment. That vision resonated with her deeply, especially since she comes from a background rooted in technology infrastructure and customer-centric transformation.

Like many global companies, Entrust has grown through both organic expansion and acquisitions. The resulting complexity made it clear that without a strong CCO, the company risked being operationally efficient but strategically disconnected from its customers.

Lead from the Front—Especially When It's Hard

One of the most powerful takeaways from the session was Harini's philosophy of "muddy boots" leadership—being in the trenches when things go wrong. Whether it was the GDPR crisis during her time at Microsoft or business acquisitions at Entrust, she has consistently led by being present when the stakes are highest.

In her words, "Everyone wants to celebrate with you when things go well. But people will remember who stood by them when it didn't." That level of presence earns lasting trust, not just from customers, but also from peers across the C-suite.

From Peer to Partner: The "First Team" Mentality

Harini emphasized a foundational shift for CCOs: viewing the executive team, not your function, as your first team.

"The goal isn't just to lead Customer Success. The goal is to be the best partner to the Chief Product Officer, CRO, and CMO," she shared. This mindset reshapes the CCO role from a siloed operator to a true business leader who drives outcomes across functions.

That shift is more than semantic—it transforms how customer success gets funded, aligns with sales and product, and earns credibility at the board level.

Execution Is Everything: Go Deep, Go Few

Harini cautioned against spreading customer success too thin. Her recommendation? Pick two or three strategic initiatives and execute them with rigor. At Entrust, these included customer segmentation, executive sponsorship alignment, and embedding customer success into the go-to-market strategy.

This focused execution ensures the team avoids burnout while delivering maximum impact. "We all want to do everything, but real progress comes when you prioritize ruthlessly," she advised.

Revenue, Not Just Retention: Building a Commercial CS Engine

Compensation and revenue ownership were among the debated topics in the Q&A. Harini was clear: the CCO must own a number. At Entrust, she is responsible for retention and expansion, while Sales is responsible for net-new revenue. Expansion is shared, and both CS and Sales are incentivized to collaborate.

Compensation models reflect this philosophy. Her team's variable pay includes outcome-based metrics, such as ACV growth, and activity-based goals, including customer engagement and adoption efforts. This hybrid model accounts for factors outside a CSM's control, while still rewarding growth-oriented behavior.

Trust, Alignment, and the Power of Shared KPIs

To build cross-functional alignment, Harini invests in shared KPIs, transparent operating rhythms, and joint planning sessions. For example, CS leaders and Sales presidents co-own Net Revenue Retention (NRR) targets, and they plan together how to reach them.

She emphasized that alignment doesn't occur solely at the executive level—it must also cascade through systems, compensation, and team behaviors. "We need to leave behind a cathedral," she said. "That means building systems that outlast the people."

The AI Inflection Point: Reimagining the CCO Role

As we look toward the next 3–5 years, Harini believes the CCO role is at an inflection point—fueled by AI, data, and evolving customer expectations.

Her advice for future CCOs is threefold:

Think like a CEO. CCOs are uniquely positioned to be future CEOs. They reside at the intersection of customer needs, revenue growth, and product strategy, making decisions with enterprise-level thinking.

Own your impact. The time has come for CS to be seen not as a cost center but as a revenue driver. Owning recurring revenue, expansion strategies, and advocacy loops is now non-negotiable.

Elevate human skills. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, the most essential skills aren't technical—they're human. Pattern recognition, empathy, anticipation, and contextual understanding will define the best Chief Customer Officers (CCOs) of the next decade.

Final Thoughts: The Rise of the Strategic CCO

This conversation was insightful and transformative. Harini Gokul painted a vivid picture of what outstanding leadership looks like in Customer Success. She reminded us that while CS has long fought for a seat at the table, the best leaders are now setting the table—defining how companies scale, win, and retain customer trust.

For those of us building post-sales organizations, this episode of CCO Online was a wake-up call. It's not about better CS. It's about building a more innovative, more connected company where the customer is the throughline, not the afterthought.

A heartfelt thank you to all the participants who joined us live. Your thoughtful engagement and sharp questions greatly enhanced the conversation.

Want to be part of the following conversation? Join us for upcoming CCO Online forums and stay connected with a growing community of leaders transforming the future of Customer Success.

Subscribe to the CSS Communities on LinkedIn— the session recording will be available there soon.

Comments (0)

Popular