The CX Cast

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.

This week on the CX Cast, Forrester research director Rick Parrish joins Martin and Angelina to discuss Forrester's new Total Experience Score — a framework designed to unify brand and CX measurement. Tune in to hear why legacy metrics like Net Promoter Score℠ (NPS) and customer satisfaction (CSAT) are no longer sufficient, and how the Total Experience Score provides a more nuanced, actionable view of your brand.

Martin and Angelina welcome back VP Principal Analyst Enza Iannopollo to discuss the evolving nature of trust in CX — especially in the context of global volatility and the rise of AI. The conversation covers Forrester’s latest research on trust, actionable strategies for organizations, and real-world examples of responsible AI.

Brendan Witcher, VP principal analyst, joins Angelina and Martin to discuss the evolving role of AI and data in CX. Brendan shares insights focusing on three key innovations: computer vision, natural language processing, and biometrics. The conversation explores how these technologies are shaping CX strategies, driving business outcomes, and redefining what it means to understand customer intent.

This week, host Martin Gill travels down under to Forrester’s CX Summit APAC in Sydney. Tune in to hear a series of quickfire discussions with Forrester analysts and CX industry attendees on topics affecting CX across Australia and the APAC region.

Martin and Angelina welcome founder of Humanity at Scale and ex-Forresterite Bruce Temkin to explore the complexities of organizational culture, especially in the context of CX. Drawing on decades of research and real-world examples, the trio dives into why culture is so hard to change, what actually moves the needle, and how leaders can inspire lasting transformation.

Martin is joined by Debra Eddy, guest lecturer at University College London (UCL), to discuss how universities are preparing the next generation of CX leaders. Debra shares her journey from fast-moving consumer goods marketing to academia, and how UCL builds real-world skills and employability for students while adapting to changes brought by AI.

Martin and Angelina explore the role of change management in CX transformation. Drawing from Angelina’s latest research and Martin’s past experiences, they unpack why CX programs stall and how organizations can better embed change into their operations. The conversation covers emotional engagement, leadership, AI, and practical strategies for driving lasting change.

In 2019, former CX Cast co-hosts Sam Stern and Jenny Wise brought Jason Bradshaw, then-Chief Customer Officer at Volkswagen Group Australia, to discuss customer and employee experiences. As Angelina notes in the introduction, Jason shares a brief autobiography that highlights where his passion for service began. The interview explores the connection between exceptional employee and customer experiences, emphasizing genuinely caring for both groups is essential to achieve business returns from CX improvements.

Recurring CX Cast guest Su Doyle joins Angelina to dive into stakeholder management, discussing how to identify and prioritize stakeholders and various tools and strategies to engage them effectively. Sue shares valuable insights on creating stakeholder personas and aligning metrics to drive collaboration and success.

In this episode, Angelina and Martin dive into the evolving world of mobility, exploring how transportation systems — from EVs to mass transit — can be reimagined through a customer-centric lens. Joined by VP principal analyst Paul Miller and CX researcher Hannah Jachim, the conversation challenges traditional tech-centric narratives and emphasizes the importance of understanding real human needs in mobility design.

How can marketing work with CX to improve customer experience? This week, Angelina sits down with senior analyst Brad Haag to dive into the world of marketing measurement and analytics. Brad shares how to accurately measure the impact of marketing efforts, the evolution of marketing mix modeling, and the role of data science in modern marketing strategies.

Cecilie Kobbelgaard was tasked with driving journey orchestration at Grundfos. But the Global Customer Journey Manager recognized that the organization needed the basics first. So, she led the development of a customer journey mapping “cookbook”, turned the cookbook into skills, built a journey atlas, and standardized the approach so different business units were working the same way – just to name a few accomplishments. Featuring: Cecilie Kobbelgaard, Global Customer Journey Manager, Grundfos Show Notes: Cecilie Kobbelgaard was tasked with driving journey orchestration at Grundfos. But the Global Customer Journey Manager recognized that the organization needed the basics first. So, she led the development of a customer journey mapping “cookbook”, turned the cookbook into skills, built a journey atlas, and standardized the approach so different business units were working the same way – just to name a few accomplishments. We discuss: How to gain traction in an organization with varying maturity in journey-centricity How to measure the value of progress Where her team confronted the biggest challenges to progress Developing a standardized approach to future-state journey mapping

As customers' expectations shift due to their adoption of new technologies, organizations need to adapt. TCQ, Forrester’s Technology Change Quotient, measures the readiness of employees, teams, and organizations to adapt to technology in a way that drives productivity, creativity, and inventiveness. J. P. Gownder, VP, Principal Analyst joins us to explain how. Featuring: J. P. Gownder, VP, Principal Analyst Show Notes: As customers' expectations shift due to their adoption of new technologies, organizations need to adapt. TCQ, Forrester’s Technology Change Quotient, measures the readiness of employees, teams, and organizations to adapt to technology in a way that drives productivity, creativity, and inventiveness. J. P. Gownder, VP, Principal Analyst joins us to explain: How the pace of technological change is accelerating What TCQ is and how it informs change leadership How to balance opportunities and challenges of rapid tech advancement What CX pros should understand about tech advancement to bridge the gap between customer expectation and employee ability To learn more, see J. P.'s blog post, Introducing Forrester's Technology Change Quotient. Forrester clients can also access the report, The Forrester Technology Change Quotient (TCQ) Assessment.

Angelina Gennis and Martin Gill sit down with Joana de Quintanilha, VP and principal analyst, to explore how companies can go beyond fixing broken experiences and cocreate breakthrough value with customers. Joana highlights actionable strategies and creative techniques, as well as how to strike the balance between data-driven insights and imaginative thinking to supercharge your customer journeys.

Originally episode 283, this recording focuses on how American Express evolved their VoC program. Show Notes: Originally episode 283, this recording focuses on how American Express evolved their VoC program. Luis Angel-Lalanne, VP of Customer Voice at Amex, shares his organization’s journey from survey fundamentals to a robust feedback program that continuously engages stakeholders in CX understanding and drives action. Related content: 283: Amex Takes VoC To The Next Level - Forrester 319: The Future Of VoC - Forrester

Joana de Quintanilha and first-time CX Cast guest Richard Sheahan unpack the creation and impact of the Experience Room — an immersive, hands-on learning experience debuted at Forrester's CX Summit EMEA 2025. Created to be fast-paced, emotionally engaging, and highly collaborative, the Experience Room offered participants — working together as a bank team to improve the home-buying experience — a unique, interactive way to engage customers with four key CX tools.

We come to you live this week from Forrester’s annual CX Summit NA conference in Nashville! This year, Forrester unveiled its new Total Experience Score framework, a new measurement that connects brand and CX to deliver a more comprehensive picture of where brands stand. We spoke to some Forrester analysts at the event to discuss the research they shared and insights they gathered.