CVM Stories

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Jul 2026

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Calling all Customer Value Managers and those curious about the world of CVM! If you've ever found it challenging to gather information in this field, we've got your back. CVM Stories features the brightest minds who will share their diverse perspectives on customer base management in Telco and other industries. Together, we explore topics like data analytics, personalization, customer experience, technologies, leadership, and more. Join us on this journey as we build a community of CVM professionals! #bigdata #marketing #cvm #customerexperience #analytics #telco

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43 recent

July 31, 2026Episode 1442 min

🎙️Global B2B CVM: Winning Hearts Before Scaling Results

In this episode, Kaan Fişek , Head of Customer Value Management & Base Marketing at Ooredoo Qatar shares how to scale CVM globally without the friction. What if the biggest barrier to scaling CVM wasn’t strategy or technology, but people? Kaan shares the partnership playbook that turned resistance into collaboration across European markets, ultimately leading to CVM contribution growing from 10% to 40% in one market. Key takeaways [00:02:50] Kaan's 14-year telco journey – from computer engineering to CVM leadership [00:08:55] The CVM factory: data, channels, treats, and orchestration [00:22:53] Building forums and quarterly case study sharing across markets [00:23:35] "No one likes to be told what they should be doing" [00:25:16] Benchmarking capability and maturity across operations [00:27:55] Building intelligence: map wallets, vendors, satisfaction, buying cycles [00:28:40] The result: CVM contribution grew from 5-10% to 33-40% [00:31:15] "Global roles involve a bit of lobbying and politics" [00:31:30] "It's exactly like a B2B sales pitch" [00:45:52] "There was no question around CVM bringing value" Connect with us Web: ⁠⁠https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠ / exacaster ⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ / cvm.stories ⁠⁠ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ / cvm_stories ⁠⁠ Video partner: ADLife Creative Studio – ⁠⁠https://adlife.lt/

May 22, 2026Episode 1359 min

🎙️ Autonomous CVM in Telco: The What and the How

Silvia Gomez Dominguez , with 20 years of CVM and CX experience across Optus, Vodafone, KPMG and Westpac, co-author of the CVM Body of Knowledge and founder of the Women in Customer community, joins us to define autonomous CVM in telco – and walk through the practical path to build it. Key takeaways [00:01:00] Why Silvia founded the Women in Customer community for CX leaders [00:05:49] How autonomous CVM reshapes the three brand layers – awareness, preference, conversion [00:11:09] "You wouldn't get those options even presented to you if you do not meet the minimum criteria" [00:21:56] "The biggest mistake would be just to replicate what we do today with AI" [00:24:33] The three AI layers in autonomous CVM – predictive, generative, agentic [00:31:12] Why the head of CVM must team up with the head of AI [00:35:55] Why a hybrid operating model wins over centralisation or autonomy [00:43:52] "There will be much more autonomy. It's super important that we embed the risk frameworks properly" [00:46:45] Why autonomous CVM needs continuous risk frameworks [00:54:51] "Rethink the processes using the new technology – don't just replicate what you do today with AI" Connect with us Web: ⁠https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠ / exacaster ⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ / cvm.stories ⁠ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ / cvm_stories ⁠ Video partner: ADLife Creative Studio – ⁠https://adlife.lt/

April 23, 2026Episode 121 hr 3 min

🎙️ Defining the Agentic CVM Era

Özge Efe Aşcı , Senior Manager – Customer Lifecycle Value Management & AI at Vodafone, has spent nearly 15 years driving CVM across multiple markets. For years, CVM's mantra was right offer, right channel, right time. In this episode, he shares why that playbook is breaking and how agentic CVM is rewriting the rules of personalisation. Key takeaways [ 00:03:33 ] Why CVM is the real growth engine for mature industries like telco [ 00:06:08 ] "Personalization sounds very good until it's done badly" – when relevance turns creepy [ 00:08:55 ] Why personalization must start from customer truth, not your product catalog [ 00:11:24 ] The cooking analogy – data is the ingredient, decisioning is the recipe, channel is the method [ 00:20:09 ] Jobs to be done framework – understanding customer signals throughout their lifecycle [ 00:24:15 ] Solve the open ticket first, then sell the iPhone – prioritizing customer needs [ 00:27:54 ] "True personalisation is only possible with AI orchestration" – why batch campaigns can't scale [ 00:36:16 ] Three AI transformations: natural language analytics, workflow automation, and customer relationships [ 00:38:01 ] "AI is rational – it's a complete paradigm shift" – the shift to agent-to-agent commerce [ 00:48:42 ] Vodafone UK's retention transformation – from legacy grids to personalized recommendations Connect with us Web: https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/ LinkedIn: / exacaster Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠ / cvm.stories TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ / cvm_stories Video partner: ADLife Creative Studio – https://adlife.lt/

March 24, 2026Episode 1150 min

🎙️Reducing Postpaid Churn Without Ever Giving Discounts

Gabriel Felipe Cortes Molina , Senior Loyalty and Retention Manager at Tigo Colombia , reveals how his team reduced postpaid churn without relying on discounts. With 12 years of experience, he shares the operational playbook behind proactive communication, rapid response teams, and cross-functional alignment. Key takeaways [00:04:28] “When you start to give discounts, you are only giving value to the market and destroying the value of the user” [00:05:27] Three main reasons customers churn: competition, bad service, and bill shock [00:09:51] How proactive billing alerts via SMS and WhatsApp prevent customer frustration [00:11:33] Billing changes double or triple contact rates and churn risk [00:17:26] Tracking repeated service signals to identify at-risk customers early [00:19:49] “Sometimes you have to say, I’m really sorry for what you’ve gone through – it’s kind of a superpower” [00:22:37] Competition drove a 57% price decrease in Colombia’s telecom market [00:27:37] Aligning shared KPIs across teams to unlock collaboration on churn reduction [00:36:13] Focus on 1–3 pain points, not 20 dashboards [00:41:10] Gabriel’s proudest moment: building convergence during a company merger Connect with us Web: https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exacaster/ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cvm.stories/ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@cvm_stories/ Video partner: ADLife Creative Studio – https://adlife.lt/

November 25, 2025Episode 1047 min

🎙️The Hidden Power of Transactional Communication in CVM

In this episode Matthew Tilling , Senior Product Manager at Exacaster, shares a massive opportunity for CVM leaders - transactional comms. What if your highest-engagement channel wasn’t marketing, but transactional messages like bills, alerts, and service updates? Matt shares a playbook for unifying these chaotic comms and turning them into a growth engine. Key takeaways [00:01:10] Transactional vs commercial communications [00:03:40] Why uncoordinated messages hurt CX [00:07:35] The CTO's focus on risk & reliability [00:28:40] Why CVM is the natural owner of the customer experience [00:18:55] The "no big bang" rule for migrating communications [00:19:15] How to de-risk the project with a small, low-risk pilot [00:42:20] Using billing communications to directly improve cash flow [00:27:25] The importance of change management and getting buy-in Connect with us Listen to the CVM Stories podcast wherever you prefer: Web: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/exacaster/⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cvm.stories/ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@cvm_stories/ The video partner: ADLife Creative Studio https://adlife.lt/

November 11, 202559 min

🎙️The CVM Trends 2026: Telecom Edition

The CVM Trends 2026: Telecom Edition report on the latest strategies, tools, and shifts shaping the Customer Value Management just dropped! Listen to the CVM Trends Talk, where the experts – Silvia Gomez Dominguez (CVMBoK book co-author), Marek Wiktor Grabowski (B2C CVM Director at Orange Poland), and Sahar Ehsan (Value Steering & CVM Operations at Zain Kuwait) – break down the key insights. *Key takeaways* [01:40:00] - CVM's C-suite access is growing, with half of teams now reporting high-up. [02:20:00] - The CVM "PR problem": why most teams feel unrecognized despite incremental uplifts [09:05:00] - The fix: stop talking like analysts, tell "business stories". [11:05:00] - The "shocking" average size of CVM teams is 3-5 people [11:25:00] - Why are most CVM teams stuck doing ad-hoc work? [19:15:00] -The maturity gap: core CVM programs vs. experience. [20:20:00] - The "fast vs. slow" split in KPI tracking. [32:29:04] - "How do they operate without daily trading?". [39:20:00] - The ML boom: telcos now run 10+ models. [40:25:00] - The data foundation crisis: most lack a unified customer view. [46:10:00] - ML as the "industrialized money printing machine". [52:20:00] - Future investments: real-time decisioning & dynamic pricing. [55:15:00] - "Bet your career": the CVM experts' final predictions. Download the full CVM Trends 2026:Telecom Edition report here: https://exacaster.com/cvm-trends/ The video partner: ADLife Creative Studio https://adlife.lt/

October 17, 2025Episode 746 min

🎙️How Strict Government Rules Secretly Drive ARPU Growth

In our new CVM Stories episode, you'll meet Mohamed Mejri from Tunisie Télécom . He navigates some of the strictest government regulations for a telecom in the world. Tune in to hear how he and the CVM team turn rules on pricing, targeting, and messaging into real ARPU growth. Key takeaways [00:02:20] - Hyper-saturated market – 15 million users for 12 million people [00:05:15] - Regulator pre-approves all campaign targets and forecasts [00:05:45] - Post-campaign performance reporting is mandatory [00:35:25] - Prices are fixed across all telecom operators [00:17:08] - The first 30 days are for guidance only – no offers allowed [00:07:25] - Campaigns are capped at 200k users weekly [00:10:47] - Adapting CVM to cultural events like Ramadan is crucial [00:28:45] - Deep segmentation is a requirement, not a choice [00:33:52] - “Booster” campaigns targeting stable customers are most effective [00:45:04] - CVM often acts as the company’s “emergency department” Connect with us Listen to the CVM Stories podcast wherever you prefer: Web: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/exacaster/⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cvm.stories/ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@cvm_stories/ The video partner: ADLife Creative Studio https://adlife.lt/

August 5, 2025Episode 655 min

🎙️From NATO to Telco — Building Enterprise Customer Value That Wins Awards

In this episode, we sit down with Mirella-Marie Katarina Radman, former NATO project lead, now leading enterprise success at one of Canada’s largest telcos. We talk trust, renewals, and what Customer Value Management (CVM) teams can borrow to win in long-game, high-stakes accounts. Tune in to hear how to lead with trust, plan for renewals years in advance, and build value that doesn’t just convert but lasts. *Key takeaways* [00:02:15] From NATO to Telco: Katarina’s career shift from diplomacy to telecom leadership [00:05:40] Early lessons in trust: building value before “customer success” was a term [00:13:30] Enterprise lifecycles: why planning starts 2 years before renewals [00:19:20] Navigating 10–20 stakeholders per deal: enterprise account reality [00:23:50] Building trust that scales: what wins million-dollar relationships [00:28:40] Documentation as a strategy: CRM as a living customer record [00:33:25] Day Two is everything: defining success after the contract is signed [00:41:00] Being the voice of the customer: translating feedback into action [00:47:10] The human side of enterprise: empathy still drives decisions [00:53:40] Recognized success: winning internal awards for long-term impact *Connect with us* Listen to the CVM Stories podcast wherever you prefer: Web: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/exacaster/⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cvm.stories/ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@cvm_stories/ The video partner: ADLife Creative Studio https://adlife.lt/

July 9, 2025Episode 558 min

🎙️Winning CVM in Fixed Services: From Customer Lifecycle to Data Mart

In this episode of CVM Stories, we sit down with Aydin Ismayilov, Head of Customer Value Management at Aztelekom. He shares how to win in CVM in fixed services – where data is sparse, engagement is slower, but the impact can be massive. You’ll hear how to master customer lifecycle management, household-level targeting, smart cross-sell, and how to build a high-performance CVM data mart that actually drives results Key takeaways [00:02:02] Aydin’s telco journey from call center to CVM head [00:04:30] Lessons from customer service: speak the customer’s language [00:06:21] A/B testing SMS phrasing improved conversions by 2–3% [00:08:18] Fixed vs. mobile: fixed is slower, more strategic [00:18:37] Router installation: educate to boost NPS [00:26:20] Unique challenges of household targeting [00:29:36] Cross-sell via device count and traffic [00:35:49] Transition from data consumer to data owner [00:43:58] Full CVM automation success story [00:47:20] Failed campaign: offer timing vs. psychology Connect with us Listen to the CVM Stories podcast wherever you prefer: Web: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exacaster/⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cvm.stories⁠⁠⁠ TikTok : ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cvm_stories?lang=en

June 5, 2025Episode 41 hr 14 min

🎙️How to Build a Customer-Centric and Profit-Driven Culture

In this episode of CVM Stories, we sit down with Orkhan Alipashayev, Head of CVM and BA at Aztelekom, and Aykhan Baylarov, Founder of Dominanta Experience, as they share how to build a customer-centric and profit-driven culture from the ground up. Tune in to hear how they transformed customer experience in a telco from zero to national ministerial praise, what challenges they faced, and the key steps they took to build it. Key takeaways [00:01:00] Launching CVM from zero in a state-owned telco [00:04:00] From project manager to head of CVM: Orkhan’s journey [00:07:00] How CX and CVM roles overlap and complement each other [00:12:00] Fighting legacy systems and building trust in data [00:20:00] Turning chaos into daily automation through Python and R [00:26:00] Transforming culture: from blame to customer-centric thinking [00:36:00] Ministerial recognition boosts internal trust and morale [00:40:00] Nationwide fiber rollout and record-breaking speed boosts [00:48:00] Breaking silos with real field visits and shared ownership [00:56:00] Creating a zero-rated landing page to smooth customer friction Connect with us Listen to the CVM Stories podcast wherever you prefer: Web: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.exacaster.com/cvmstories/⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exacaster/⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cvm.stories⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cvm_stories