CEO Coaching International, the leading CEO coaching firm for growth-focused CEOs and entrepreneurs globally, is pleased to announce that Saari Gardner has been appointed Chief Experience Officer. In this role, Gardner will be responsible for optimizing the end-to-end client experience, managing the client journey, and championing client impact.
Gardner has worked in the experience management (XM) discipline for more than 19 years, building and leading XM efforts for multiple organizations where a combination of data-driven decision making and a human-centered approach has had a meaningful impact on company growth, retention, brand clarity, and organizational culture. She most recently served as Vice President, Advisory & Managed Services at Walker Information. Prior to that position, Gardner was the Executive Vice President, Client Experience at Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP.
In her leadership roles, Gardner has been responsible for setting experience management strategy, increasing understanding of key XM principles, ensuring effective collection and distribution of stakeholder insights, and working cross-functionally to establish performance measures and drive action toward differentiated experiences.
“I’m pleased to welcome Saari to CEO Coaching International,” said Randy Dewey, President and Chief Operating Officer at CEO Coaching International. “Ensuring our clients have a world-class experience is of utmost importance, and Saari’s extensive background and expertise in experience management makes her an invaluable asset to our growing team.”
“I am excited to join CEO Coaching International and help make a profound impact on the leaders that we coach and beyond,” said Gardner. “I look forward to ensuring that our clients and other key stakeholders get maximum value from their experience with the firm.”
Gardner is a Certified Customer Experience Professional, an XM Scientist, and holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a graduate certificate in business intelligence and analytics from the University of Arizona. She is an active member of the Customer Experience Professional Association (CXPA) and has contributed to curriculum and standards for several academic and professional programs in the area of experience management. In 2019 she was named a finalist by the CXPA for the CX Impact Award – Outstanding Practitioner.
In her spare time, Gardner contributes to XM in her community as a volunteer with a national nonprofit, providing mentoring and guidance to aspiring and current small business owners in the areas of experience management, service design, and marketing. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
