Who We Are

CFS supports customers from ideation and strategy to tactical planning and implementation through ongoing support and management.

Our Story

In 1999, our founding partners left corporate leadership positions and set out to build a different kind of consulting experience.

Our Focus

The voice of the customer is the foundation of every phase of every client engagement.

Our Experience

Over 21 years of consulting experience and a wide range of services lead to deep client relationships and engagements.

How we became Customer Focused Strategies

We were both working in corporate jobs and often relied on consultants for various types of projects. Some of the companies were household names, while others were small with very specific expertise. Despite the talent of these various consultancies, we were often left with gaps when the project wrapped.

We saw an opportunity to offer a holistic consulting approach, to help clients identify and quantify market potential and put plans into action that add value to clients and their customers. We didn’t want our work to be a binder on the shelf; we wanted to live the implementation with our customers.

In 1999, we set out to create a new management consulting experience for clients made up of a team of other professionals we knew and respected, who were passionate about this unique approach to consulting.  

Our hand-selected consultants form a high-performance team with proven results. Diverse skillsets and real-life experience allow us to apply rich business perspective with the ability to drill deeply into a specific discipline. Add to that our relentless focus on the customer and the result is impactful business outcomes and multi-year client engagements. 

Our Promise

Our core values shape our approach to every client relationship 

Our Team

Pam Lopez

Pam Lopez

Managing Partner

With her extensive cross-functional background, Pam views client challenges from a holistic perspective. Her experience building and running high-performing sales, marketing, and customer service organizations makes her equally talented at strategy development and operational execution.

 

FUN FACT: Pam was recruited for a D-1 Badminton team but didn’t want to make that much "racquet" in college  

Suzanne Beisner

Suzanne Beisner

Managing Partner

A successful and experienced executive, Suzanne drives strategic planning with her expertise in market and consumer research. Combining strategic thinking with a keen understanding of go-to-market tactics and customer experience, she helps clients bring innovative new products and services to market.

 

FUN FACT: Suzanne wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up, but her passion for exploring planet Earth has kept her feet on the ground.

Katie Agress

Katie Agress

Katie brings over 15 years of electric utility knowledge to CFS. Her unique ability to strategize, plan for the unexpected, and perform sophisticated analysis is rare. Her background in marketing, sales, customer service, regulatory, and finance helps her to take a holistic view, helping clients navigate today’s multi-faceted business challenges.

 

FUN FACT: Having studied abroad in Vietnam, Katie can show you some great places to eat a true Dac Biet pho.

John Altamura

John Altamura

A highly successful, results-driven senior executive, John combines his end-to-end vision with real-life experience to deliver positive ROI for clients. His unique background spans general management, marketing, strategy and finance, and he has successfully led the turnaround of a bankrupt wireless carrier.

 

FUN FACT: Always with an eye on the prize, John has earned multiple first-place trophies in horseshoes AND darts.

Tina Altamura

Tina Altamura

A senior executive with a track record of designing and executing successful marketing, sales channel, and product management programs, Tina anchors everything in the customer experience. She uses her cross-functional background to help clients deliver amazing end-to-end experiences while optimizing business outcomes.

 

FUN FACT: Family game night often turns into family game “weekend” as Tina makes everyone continue playing until she wins.

Linda Austin

Linda Austin

Linda, a seasoned telecom/ICT professional with 33 years of experience, has excelled at Ericsson, leading transformation projects in network deployment to enhance efficiency and security. Her career also includes over 20 years with network operators, specializing in pricing, product strategies, and has extensive experience in strategy, product development, financial improvement initiatives, and network deployment.

 

FUN FACT: Linda operates a skid steer on the weekends.

Laurie Barnette

Laurie Barnette

A creative business strategist, Laurie has extensive experience in brand strategy, product development, channel marketing, and GTM across industries ranging from technology to CPG. A passionate believer in “data-driven instinct,” she helps clients develop and execute innovative solutions found at the intersection of art and science in sales and marketing.

 

FUN FACT: Laurie believes she is ambidextrous, but her handwriting is awful either way.

Carolyn Billings

Carolyn Billings

A B2B marketing pro for companies ranging from newly-funded start-ups to the Fortune 100, Carolyn delivers breakthrough levels of performance in digital marketing and lead generation by improving value propositions and delivering quantifiable results. Carolyn has deep expertise in 5G and developer marketing with an emphasis on building communities, channel programs and live events.

 

FUN FACT: Once a reluctant dog owner, Carolyn’s new puppy has her aspiring to become an agility trainer.

Angela Borrell

Angela Borrell

With 25 years of experience in communications-focused positions in the Energy Industry, Angela has a keen ability to create effective messaging to achieve business goals. She brings broad expertise in providing thought leadership for senior executives to create impactful communications related to complex projects such as change management strategy and functional restructuring.

 

FUN FACT: Angela and her husband compete in a lively game of Jeopardy each night after dinner.

Kelly Buday

Kelly Buday

A strategic marketing and communications professional, Kelly has a passion for technology and has helped multiple B2B entrepreneurial and Fortune 500 brands launch and grow their businesses through coordinated and integrated marketing efforts. With a strategic eye and attention to detail, she loves to work in a collaborative environment to achieve the best results.

 

FUN FACT: Kelly’s favorite band is Duran Duran and she’s traveled near and far to see them in concert. Bonus if her high school best friends can join!

Joanna Carl

Joanna Carl

With a background in customer service, project management and team leadership, Joanna is driven to help CFS and its clients achieve and surpass their goals. Joanna institutes best practices to streamline operations and manages CFS’ team of copywriters.

 

FUN FACT: Having grown up in Texas and attended college in Wisconsin, Joanna knows her way around a rodeo and can tell you what a “bubbler” is.

Kim Davis

Kim Davis

Kim has extensive corporate strategy, business planning, marketing, and public relations experience with an emphasis on contact center operations. She is passionate about the customer experience and the internal and external influences that drive customer decision and loyalty.

 

FUN FACT: Hailing from New Orleans, Kim is a die-hard Saints fan – win, lose, or draw.

Marc De Wachter

Marc De Wachter

With meticulous attention to detail, Marc guides clients through complex, cross-functional initiatives by focusing on facts to deliver business results. He has a proven ability to develop and implement solutions by aligning business processes with technology, people, and the organization.

 

FUN FACT: Never one to take the easy road, Marc’s first golf outing was on Pete Dye-designed Blackwolf Run, a top 100 US course. Those Titleist 4s at the bottom of the lake are his!

Lesley Eason

Lesley Eason

With her innate ability to see the intersection of technology and future applications, our clients trust Lesley to guide their business strategy. Her extensive international business experience includes M&A assessments, strategic alliances and partnerships, managing due diligence, and creating market-entry strategies.

 

FUN FACT: For many years, Lesley had a pet skunk named Simon

Jennifer Powell-Elgin

Jennifer Powell-Elgin

Extensive cross-functional experience in marketing, sales, and operations enables Jennifer to guide the development of B2B and B2C programs for our clients. Her expertise in market and competitive assessments help ground strategic decisions in data and analysis.

 

FUN FACT: Jennifer loves travel and new adventures but will remain true to her Georgia roots.

Scot Harris

Scot Harris

An entrepreneur and consultant with over 30 years’ experience growing companies, Scot Harris has driven strategy and led the implementation of programs in technology, entertainment, and retail. He has a broad understanding of business operations and management, having held executive positions in marketing, M&A, general management, distribution, and sales.

 

FUN FACT: Scot is a yoga enthusiast and has been practicing for over 15 years. Current challenge, the full peacock pose.

Jackie Jarrett

Jackie Jarrett

Utilizing a background in operations management, social media marketing and digital content creation, Jackie offers a creative and well-rounded perspective to our client solutions. She has a passion for customer service and creative writing and sees her adaptability as her biggest strength.

 

FUN FACT: Jackie has been an equestrian her entire life and once trained under an Olympic equestrian coach in the Netherlands.

Olivia Lovrien

Olivia Lovrien

Broad experience in Operations, Contracts and Finance has honed Olivia’s determination to generate effective solutions and meticulous products for clients’ needs. She consistently demonstrates flexibility and honors commitments to deliver superior customer service, quality, and value.

 

FUN FACT: As part of a high school cultural exchange program, Olivia participated in springboard diving competitions in China, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Amy McMurtrie

Amy McMurtrie

With senior leadership experience in wireless, cable and mobile software development, Amy brings a holistic business perspective to her consulting engagements. She helps clients identify and navigate integrated impacts across marketing, sales, customer service and operations, keeping a keen eye on customer experience.

 

FUN FACT: Amy’s competitive spirit can best be seen on the tennis court and the scrabble board.

Stacia Pache

Stacia Pache

Stacia fiercely champions a customer-centered approach to creating go-to-market plans, brand experiences, and meaningful connections. Especially in today’s environment, she relishes the challenge of bringing together elements that create unique virtual and live events. A B2B digital marketing leader with tech and mobile expertise, she creates marketing and channel programs that drive growth and revenue.

 

FUN FACT: A love of running combined with two bad knees led Stacia to develop a knee brace.

Kristin Pascal

Kristin Pascal

Kristin specializes in innovative product design and implementation and holds several patents for her work. She has vast experience in all phases of the product lifecycle, and loves combining user experience, technology, and business drivers to create successful solutions for her clients.

 

FUN FACT: Kristin is always up for an outdoor adventure! A couple of favorites include kayaking the Na Pali Coast of Kauai and backpacking across the Cascade Mountain Range.

Debbie Polsin

Debbie Polsin

Debbie has a strong background in developing large-scale business solutions and managing complex product implementations. She is focused on solving the customer’s critical business needs, while ensuring cross-functional teams build cohesive relationships, are operationally efficient, and always striving for flawless execution.

 

FUN FACT: Debbie went out for drinks with friends from work one night and ended up accidently starting a rock band. They played together for several years.

Susan Racheneur

Susan Racheneur

With her rich cross-functional background in strategy, finance, marketing and operations, Susan leads a variety of projects for CFS clients with the assurance that they are in experienced, capable hands. She sees quick wins as easy, but the big, complex projects are her jam.

 

FUN FACT: Susan is an adventurer, riding horses and motorcycles, traveling the world, and raising twin boys.

Faith Seiders

Faith Seiders

Faith is an experienced leader having held roles in product development, complex technical program management, billing strategies, user experience solutions and front-end system integrations.  Remaining acutely aware of impacts to all areas of the business, Faith ensures a holistic perspective is part of the proposed strategies.

 

FUN FACT: Faith always wanted to be an artist.  Having her own family photography business gave her a chance to combine technology and art!

Narin Smith

Narin Smith

Narin held senior leadership positions in the Energy industry spanning diverse cross-functional roles in Finance, Business Development, Corporate Strategy, Forecasting, and Risk Management. She has a Ph.D. in Economics and a passion for finding solutions to business problems. She is skilled in statistics and analytics with an endless hunger for learning more.

 

FUN FACT: Narin owns a black shiny electric guitar, once aspiring to master the heaviest of the metal riffs. Currently, the guitar serves as a decorative piece in her living room.

Penny Tallis

Penny Tallis

An experienced senior executive, Penny helps clients define vertical market strategy and manage profitable B2B sales and operations organizations. She has led multiple customer service transformation projects and balances strategic understanding of the business with experience managing people, processes, and technologies.

 

FUN FACT: Penny is known as “Martha-MacGyver” for her ability to whip up a last-minute dinner for 15 with a few ingredients from the pantry and fridge.

Jay T. Trupiano

Jay T. Trupiano

Incorporating extensive knowledge on the latest digital marketing frameworks and strategies, Jay T. brings a contemporary approach to customer solutions. With a focus on producing data-driven results through use of a variety of social media channels, Jay T. develops unique strategies to increase customer engagement and reach.

 

FUN FACT: Jay T. once placed first in a triathlon.

Allie Vlk

Allie Vlk

With experience ranging from Non-Profit to Fortune 20 Retail, Allie has a wealth of varied marketing and communications experience. A natural project manager, Allie brings an eye for process improvement to all initiatives. She has experience in PR, Social Media, Project Management, Marketing Operations and Paid Media across all channels.

 

FUN FACT: With very brief aspirations to be a rock star, Allie took up playing the drums in 5th grade.

Amy Wilson

Amy Wilson

Applying her background in strategy, product management, business development, and lifecycle management, Amy helps clients ideate and deploy IoT solutions. She focuses on market drivers across segments and associated ecosystem implications that result in successful service offerings.

 

FUN FACT: Always up for some friendly competition, Amy has won hula hoop and limbo contests and won a trip to LA to rub elbows with American Idol royalty.

Yunche Wilson

Yunche Wilson

As a performance and marketing strategist, Yunche helps clients make better choices, transform decisions into actions, and deliver results that accelerate growth. With her keen sense of digital customer experiences, she helps companies achieve sustainable success despite the economic climate.

 

FUN FACT: Taking it up an octave, Yunche was a classically trained singer and high-school state champion.

LEARN HOW WE CAN HELP

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

Whether your product or service is in the ideation stage, needs a relaunch, or if you want to remove friction from product development and deployment processes, we can help you deliver innovative solutions to your customers.

  • Product Management Discipline
  • Product Development
  • Go-To-Market
  • Market Implementation
  • Product & Portfolio Lifecycle

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SALES

An optimal channel mix ensures your target market and existing customers are well served. We can help design a channel strategy with the necessary processes and tools to accelerate sales, drive results, and grow revenue.

  • Channel Development 
  • Channel Optimization 
  • Sales Enablement 
  • Sales Advancement 

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MARKETING

You have a story to tell, whether it is your brand promise or your latest promotion. We can ensure your message is amplified consistently across all touchpoints and delivered in engaging formats where and when your audience desires.

  • Branding
  • Market Segmentation
  • Content Creation
  • Digital Marketing
  • Campaigns & Programs
  • Channel Marketing

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CUSTOMER CARE

The customer experience has never been more important. We can help design your service delivery organization to meet customer expectations and the performance and financial goals of your business.

  • Customer Service Experience
  • Organization & Optimization
  • Operational Excellence
  • Agent Enablement

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TRAINING

Whether you are looking to refresh your training content or explore digital delivery formats, we can ensure your plans, materials, and reinforcement programs are effective and align with skills and knowledge objectives.

  • Training Plans & Programs
  • Curriculum Development
  • Media & Delivery Format
  • Training Delivery
  • Retention & Reinforcement

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