What’s the secret to building standout customer experiences in a world powered by AI?
It’s not about choosing between humans and technology. It’s about getting them to work in sync.
As part of our CX Industry Voices series, we’re spotlighting leaders from the Top 100 CX Influencers in Europe—professionals who aren't just following trends, but actively creating the future of customer relationships through bold thinking and practical innovation.
In this interview, we're excited to feature Simon Macklin, Senior Vice President - Customer Success EMEA at Salesforce. With a global career sparked by a simple job ad and fuelled by a passion for service, Simon now champions a vision of CX that blends data, agility, and empathy at scale.
We talked about Agentic AI, breaking down siloes, and why “doing what you’ve always done” is a mindset that needs to go.
Let’s dive in.
Tell us about your journey — how did you get into the world of customer experience or customer service?
I saw a job advert in a university newspaper saying “do you want to travel, use your foreign languages, and are passionate about Customer Service?”. I thought two out of three is not bad… so I fell into the world of CS, and have not looked back.
What does customer experience mean to you and your company, and how is it integrated into your overall strategy?
Customer experience means anticipating customer needs, surprising and delighting them in a joined up way, whilst making internal siloes and processes invisible to the customer.
How are you humanizing the customer experience in an increasingly digital world?
We are the pioneers of Agentic AI and digital labour, however we strongly believe that the sweet spot is when humans and agents work together to drive customer success.
We always ensure that there is a human in the loop, and for our signature experience we ensure that human leadership is prioritised.
What customer experience trends do you believe are shaping the future of your industry?
Data, Data, Data!
Breaking down siloes
Agentic AI (taking action)
Failing fast (iterative approach rather than making things perfect)
If you could give one piece of advice to companies aiming to improve their customer experience, what would it be?
If you always do what you always did, you always get, what you always got.
Want to transform your CX approach?
Simon's philosophy reminds us that the most powerful customer experiences happen when cutting-edge technology amplifies human expertise, not replaces it. True transformation requires breaking down silos, leveraging data intelligently, and always keeping humans in the loop.
At Apizee, we share this vision. Our advanced visual engagement technology improves the human connection between brands and customers. We help companies create effective experiences while keeping the human touch at the center of every interaction.
![[CX Industry Voices] Interview with Simon Macklin](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PD94bWwgdmVyc2lvbj0iMS4wIiBlbmNvZGluZz0idXRmLTgiPz4NCjwhLS0gR2VuZXJhdG9yOiBBZG9iZSBJbGx1c3RyYXRvciAyNy4wLjEsIFNWRyBFeHBvcnQgUGx1Zy1JbiAuIFNWRyBWZXJzaW9uOiA2LjAwIEJ1aWxkIDApICAtLT4NCjxzdmcgdmVyc2lvbj0iMS4xIiBpZD0iQ2FscXVlXzEiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyIgeG1sbnM6eGxpbms9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzE5OTkveGxpbmsiIHg9IjBweCIgeT0iMHB4Ig0KCSB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwIDEwMCIgc3R5bGU9ImVuYWJsZS1iYWNrZ3JvdW5kOm5ldyAwIDAgMTAwIDEwMDsiIHhtbDpzcGFjZT0icHJlc2VydmUiPg0KPC9zdmc+DQo=)
