The CX Cast

CX leaders are at an inflection point. AI can now do much of the work CX teams once defined themselves by, such as journey mapping, insight synthesis, and analysis. That creates an existential threat. Or a breakthrough moment. In this episode, Angelina Gennis and Martin Gill are joined by ex-Forresterite Kerry Bodine, co‑author of Outside In, to explore how CX leaders can move from defense to reinvention in the age of AI. We cover a range of pop culture influences, from Terminator‑level anxiety about the coming AI apocalypse to our "Avengers Assemble" moment, which uncovers how the diversity of CX leaders' backgrounds, roles, approaches, and definitions is a feature — not a bug. However, to apply this advantage, teams must stop hiding in echo chambers and start speaking the language of executives: risk, outcomes, and organizational impact.

Many CX teams say they are journey‑led. Fewer can prove the value of those journeys. In this episode, Angelina Gennis and Martin Gill speak with Maxie Schmidt, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, about how to reboot journey measurement so it drives decisions, rather than populates dashboards.  We examine how to move beyond end‑of‑journey surveys […]

Uncertainty is no longer an exception. It is the operating environment. In this episode of CX Cast, Angelina Gennis and Martin Gill unpack why volatility, geopolitical risk, and rapid change are overwhelming CX teams, and explore what resilient leaders do differently. We connect macro‑level uncertainty to practical leadership choices CX executives must make now, and […]

Growth makes coordination of customer problems harder – whatever your product. If your product is physical, the journey is daily, and customers are forming new habits, the “coordination tax” can erode both customer and employee experiences. In this episode, CX Cast co-host Angelina Gennis speaks with Cassidy Grace, CX Manager at Ridepanda about what it […]

What if CX leaders could stop guessing what stakeholders want and instead ask a single structured prompt: “If you knew __ about customers, what would you do?” In this episode, we dig into the benefits of asking this question with Senior Analyst Colleen Fazio.

AI‑mediated search is rapidly becoming a primary entry point for financial decisions. Customers now start their banking journeys with LLM platforms, not branded sites — and they trust these tools enough to ask sophisticated, advice level questions. Solo host Martin Gill speaks with principal analyst Aurelie L’Hostis to break down this shift and what leaders must do now. Aurelie shares new data on how consumers use third‑party AI assistants for banking queries, why trust is shifting, and how AI‑powered search is reducing human traffic to brand websites. She also outlines the coming rise of agent‑to‑agent interactions and the backstage capabilities that banks must develop before conversational banking can scale.

Many CX leaders look at their org chart and wonder: Is this career path dead end or a launchpad? Co-hosts Martin Gill and Angelina Gennis sit down with Tina Lilje, former Head of Global Customer Experience at Philips Healthcare, to unpack what a sustainable, upward career in customer experience (CX) really looks like. We explore […]

CX leadership demands more than functional expertise. It requires curiosity to uncover what others overlook, courage to ask bold questions, and communication that connects CX work to business outcomes. Angelina Gennis talks with Principal Analyst, Judy Weader and VP, Principal Analyst, Katy Tynan, about how leaders at every level build influence and move organizations toward […]

A well-designed loyalty program can encourage customer behaviors that unlock shared value. Oil and gas player Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) has a range of downstream retail offerings, from convenience stores to registration service providers. Suryaveer Singh, head of loyalty CRM and data, describes how he used ENOC's broad ecosystem to create a unique value proposition for customers.

CX leaders struggle to create strategy days, roadshows, and training that people actually remember. Game design can fix that. Co‑hosts Martin Gill and Angelina Gennis speak with Tim van den Boomen, an interaction designer who creates escape rooms and immersive learning environments for brands. Tim shows how game mechanics, player archetypes, and simple physical props […]

Tavar James, VP global events, shares what CX leaders can learn from professional event strategists. Tavar discusses how in‑person experiences build trust, why personalization matters more than ever, how to avoid common pitfalls in hybrid formats, and what makes a standout CX event in 2026. He also previews exciting changes coming to Forrester’s CX events portfolio and offers practical advice for anyone planning to attend their first big in‑person gathering.

Jorissa Neutelings, ABN AMRO’s Chief Digital Officer, discusses the bank’s bold vision for becoming a liquid company: a fully adaptable, hyper‑personal, modular, and conversational organization that meets customers exactly where they are. Jorissa explains why trust, transparency, and intentional friction are essential in a digital world shaped by AI, agents, and rising fraud risks. Featuring […]

Principal Analysts Su Doyle and Shari Srebnick join Angelina to explore the differences and overlaps between Customer Success (CS) and Customer Experience (CX) teams. The conversation delves into CX and CS teams’ primary goals, metrics, and the importance of collaboration in driving growth and retention. Featuring Su Doyle, Forrester Principal Analyst Shari Srebnik, Forrester Principal […]

Co-hosts Martin Gill and Angelina Gennis reflect on the past year of CX Cast episodes, including coverage of evolving themes like AI and insights-rich interviews with over 20 external guests. But 2026 will be bigger, with new live events and ever-expanding research coverage. What’s a gaming expert got to enhance your roadshows? Why’s Martin heading […]

Tzachi Ben-Sasson, Head of Global Voice of the Customer at Amdocs, and VP principal analyst Maxie Schmidt join Angelina to discuss the evolution of Amdocs and its approach to customer engagement through its voice-of-the-customer program. Tzachi shares insights on how Amdocs transitioned from a monopoly mindset to a customer-centric approach, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer feedback and its impact on revenue.

Charles Sustaita, Director of Customer Support at Coastline Academy, joins Angelina and Martin to discuss the imperative for AI leaders to fully embrace AI as a transformative technology for business efficiency and connectivity. The discussion highlights the importance of analytics, translation, and the concept of agentic work in leveraging AI for enhanced performance.

Angelina is joined by VP, principal analyst Maxie Schmidt to dive deep into the phenomenon of metrics obsession in organizations, exploring why it happens, its symptoms, and how CX leaders can move from dysfunctional measurement practices to a culture of measurement mastery. Drawing on their keynote experiences and research, they discuss the impact of metrics on employee experience, organizational culture, and customer outcomes.

Hot off the back of the recent publication of Forrester’s Customer Journey Management (CJM) Wave™, VP, principal analyst Joana de Quintanilla joins Martin Gill to talk all things CJM. We shifted the category name this time round from “journey mapping” to “journey management,” which reflects some tangible trends we’ve been seeing in the market.

This week, Doug Washburn — Forrester's VP of product management — joins Angelina and Martin for a deep dive into how he helped launch Forrester’s Izola AI chatbot. Doug shares the organizational mindset, executive commitment, and rapid development cycles that helped Forrester bring a generative AI solution to market ahead of other research organizations. Doug shares candid insights on balancing speed with accuracy, the importance of grounding AI responses in trusted research, and the ongoing challenges of collaboration and client engagement.