CX50 2021

The fourth annual CX50 list, compiled by Marketing Week in partnership with Zone and Cognizant Digital Experience, recognises the CX leaders successfully facing the future

If 2020 was about survival, crisis management and forced transformation, then for brands 2021 has been about looking to the future. It goes without saying that consumers are doing much more online than before the pandemic, and that they will continue to do so from now on. Customer experiences (CX) must change accordingly. This is not a one-off shift, however, rather the next stage in an evolution – albeit one that has progressed faster and skipped several stages as consumers have been forced to find alternatives to physical retail and in-person services for long periods. The upshot? Simply that brands need to do what they have always had to: attend to the basics of serving customer needs in the present while always being abreast of the trends that will shape them in the future. It is against this backdrop of nascent hope and rapid adaptation that Marketing Week announces this year’s CX50 list, in partnership with Zone and Cognizant Digital Experience. In naming the UK’s top 50 customer experience professionals for 2021, we’re recognising the individuals and brands that have been doing these things well for a long time, as well as those that have shown greater initiative than their peers in their short-term response to the pandemic. The CX50 members stand as an example to fellow professionals and an inspiration for serving customers better.

“Anyone can have a sale. We wanted our customers to know that ours was the biggest and the best. The campaign made that happen.”

Jamie Hewett, B&Q

Remote working has led to greater reliance on technology platforms

The top 50 customer experience professionals in the UK revealed

METHODOLOGY As in previous years, Marketing Week, Zone and its parent company Cognizant Digital Experience have picked the CX50 based on the three criteria of achieving impact (commercially, organisationally), innovation (in terms of technology and products) and influence (in their businesses, their markets and beyond). We began by synthesising a variety of data sources with insights from our combined specialist knowledge and networks, in order to identify a shortlist of leading companies and individual CX professionals. We then assessed these against the three criteria above to determine who should make it into the final 50. We judged all individuals based on the totality of their achievements across these three metrics. As with last year’s list, responses to Covid-19 and plans to move beyond it have significantly influenced our considerations, but we also acknowledge individuals and brands with a long pedigree of excelling in CX, even if their businesses are being challenged today. One big change to the methodology in 2021 is that we’ve taken a new approach to demonstrating what great CX looks like in practice by dividing the list into five types of CX leader: organisational leaders, brand guardians, disruptors, technologists and growth drivers. So while these categories tell you what a CX leader might be doing in an organisation, impact, innovation and influence remain the measures of their success. And we expect that to continue into 2022 and beyond.

CX50 — 2021

Brand guardians

David Suresh Luke Chris Charlotte Richard Thomas Peter Cheryl Mark Margaret Peter Jayne Michelle Rob Gareth Anna Julia Claire Rupert Thea Adam Mike Darren Wais Edward Cian Helen Noel Rebecca Richard David Sridhar Clifford Richard Ursula Jo Fraser Jodie Jack Kash Susan Alessandra Laura Carly Danielle Ed Russell Sarah Tete

CEO Chief operating officer VP, direct to consumer and Disney+ EMEA general manager CEO UK country manager Founder and chairman CEO CEO CEO Managing director of marketing and digital CMO CMO Director of brand marketing and customer engagement Group marketing director Chief customer and transformation officer, UK and global Global CMO VP of brand Chief product and marketing officer Customer director Marketing Director Chief customer officer CMO Chief product officer Chief customer officer CEO Chief customer officer CMO Chief banking officer Chief brand officer Global director of product and marketing Technology director Group CIO Global digital director, ecommerce and tech innovation CTO CIO CTO CIO Chief product officer Head of technology, digital customer experience" Chief digital officer Group ecommerce and marketing director CMO Chief customer officer Chief customer officer CMO VP, EMEA marketing General manager of integrated marketing, EU VP of marketing CMO Transformation director

Sustainability has to be an agenda item at C-suite level and someone has to own it.”

The CX50 2021 list in full

Boynton Viswanathan Bradley-Jones Pitt Duerden Tang Heier Duffy Calverley Evans Jobling Wright Bristow Roberts Edmundson Jones Greene Goldin Pointon Ellwood Rogers Rostom Hudack Bentley Shaifta Twiddy Weeresinghe Bierton Mack Dibb-Simkin Atkinson Germain B Cohen Corbridge Dolton Graham Stirling Locking Constantine Mahmood O'Brien Bellini Harricks O'Brien Davies Smith Davies Barron Soto

The Body Shop TSB Disney First Direct American Express Zen Internet Wagamama MoneySuperMarket Eve Sleep Direct Line Group NatWest Group Specsavers QVC BMW UK Bupa Farfetch Gousto Lego John Lewis & Partners Laithwaites Deliveroo Babylon Health Monzo Cazoo Push Doctor Atom Bank Wise Starling Bank Gymshark Octopus Energy Nando's UK&I RSA Diageo Asos Boots UK British Heart Foundation Boohoo Group Sky Morrisons Lush Next Just Eat Tesco Ocado Retail Very Group Netflix Amazon Bulb Energy Domino's O2

Organisational leaders

DisruptorS

Growth drivers

Technologists