SAN FRANCISCO, CA, SEPTEMBER 18, 2024—Gainsight, the world’s leading Customer Success platform, today announced two strategic leadership appointments that mark the next phase of the company’s journey to deliver exceptional value for its clients. Marilee Bear has joined Gainsight as the new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), with experience leading teams at Zendesk and Akamai. Additionally, Brent Krempges, a ten-year Gainsight veteran, has been appointed Chief Customer Officer (CCO).
These strategic new appointments build on the positive momentum set in motion earlier this year with the arrival of former Salesforce executive, Chuck Ganapathi, as President and COO. As Gainsight continues to shape the future of Customer Success, these leadership moves further strengthen its vision of delivering a Customer OS, powered by Human-First AI. Gainsight’s Customer OS vision allows companies to focus on what matters most—building deeper relationships with customers—while reducing operational overhead and complexity, ensuring Customer Success teams deliver the right value at the right time.
“I am excited to welcome Marilee to the Gainsight team,” said Nick Mehta, CEO at Gainsight. “Her wealth of experience in scaling teams and driving revenue with a customer-first mindset makes her an ideal fit for Gainsight as we continue evolving from a Customer Success Platform to a comprehensive Customer OS that supports every customer-facing team.”
Marilee Bear joins Gainsight after leading Zendesk’s North America Enterprise Sales division, where she focused on making innovative customer experiences accessible to companies of all sizes, across industries. Before Zendesk, Bear enjoyed a successful tenure at Akamai, leading both Sales and Customer Success across multiple industries.
“Joining Gainsight at this stage of transformation is an incredible opportunity. I’m thrilled to help lead Gainsight in advancing our mission to become the Customer OS for the industry,” said Marilee Bear, CRO at Gainsight. “With a focus on fostering deeper customer relationships and driving measurable success, I’m eager to bring my Zendesk and Akamai experience to this new role to shape the strategy of bringing proactive and reactive support together, and to help our clients thrive at every stage of their journey.”
In addition to Bear’s appointment, Gainsight has promoted Brent Krempges to Chief Customer Officer. Krempges has been a key part of the company’s growth for the past decade, leading the Solutions Consulting team with a strong focus on delivering customer value. In his new role, Krempges will oversee the convergence of pre-sales and post-sales, creating a unified, value-driven experience for all clients. This integration reinforces Gainsight’s commitment to delivering a seamless experience for customers from the first touchpoint through their entire customer journey.
“Brent has been an impactful leader of the Solutions Consulting team at Gainsight, where he developed deep expertise in the product and cultivated a relentless commitment to Customer Success,” said Mehta. “His hands-on approach and strong focus on client needs have not only driven real outcomes for the business but have always been hallmarks of his strong leadership.”
“I am honored to take on this role and lead Gainsight through this next phase of growth,” said Krempges. “My focus is on ensuring that every stage of the customer journey is aligned with delivering lasting value to our clients. I look forward to working closely with the teams to ensure the highest bar of customer success.”
ABOUT GAINSIGHT
Gainsight, the world’s leading Customer Success platform, helps businesses drive efficient growth by unifying the post-sales customer journey. Its innovative set of customer success, customer education, product experience, and community management products are used by companies of all sizes and industries, including nearly 200 publicly traded organizations. With Gainsight, businesses can leverage AI-driven insights to enhance customer engagement, improve retention, and drive expansion. Learn how leading companies such as GE Digital, SAP Concur, and Workday use Gainsight at www.gainsight.com.
Media Contact
Jocelynn Stidham, PR for Gainsight
