The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Manager of Customer Success (L5)
3-5 years as a successful Manager leading multiple teams.Skills to master
- Mastering team leadership, P&L ownership for a smaller segment, driving NRR at a team level, and effectively managing managers. You'd also need to prove your ability to influence cross-functional peers.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding NRR and churn targets for your managed teams.
- Successful development and promotion of multiple direct reports.
- Leading significant departmental initiatives (e.g., new playbook rollout, tech implementation).
- Consistently providing strategic input to senior leadership that gets adopted.
- 2
Head of Customer Success (for a smaller company)
2-4 years leading a CS function end-to-end in a smaller, high-growth SaaS business.Skills to master
- Full ownership of CS strategy, P&L, and team building in a startup environment. This shows you can operate autonomously and build from scratch, even if the scale was smaller.
You're ready to move on when
- Demonstrated ability to scale a CS function from early-stage to growth.
- Proven track record of building and retaining a high-performing CS team.
- Strong grasp of all aspects of CS, from strategy to operations.
- Experience reporting directly to a CEO or Board in a smaller setting.
- 3
Director of Account Management / Client Services
4-6 years in a similar leadership role, with a strong focus on retention and growth.Skills to master
- Deep commercial acumen, executive relationship management, and a proven ability to drive revenue from existing accounts. You'd need to demonstrate a shift from purely commercial focus to a broader customer advocacy and value delivery mindset.
You're ready to move on when
- Exceeding revenue retention and expansion targets for a large client portfolio.
- Strong relationships with C-level executives at key accounts.
- Experience leading and developing large account management teams.
- Clear understanding of the difference between 'account management' and 'customer success' philosophies.