For six years running, ICMI has compiled a list of the top 50 thought leaders to follow on Twitter. Last month, we asked members of our community to nominate their favorite thought leaders for this year’s list. We've tallied the hundreds of votes and read through your comments, and now we’re thrilled to unveil the 2020 class of honorees.
Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations and helped spread the word—and congratulations to everyone who made the top 50! We’re fortunate to be a part of such a smart, passionate, and giving community of professionals.
If you aren’t already, we highly encourage you to find each of these thought leaders on Twitter and follow them. Without further ado, we present the 2020 edition of the ICMI Top 50 Thought Leaders to follow on Twitter.
“Adrian knows both CX and customer service well, and he calls out companies and people that are doing things the right way.”
“Al is top notch, one of a kind, and the epitome of customer service. He is very knowledgeable and his response time with answers is bar none.”
“Alan has an amazing ability to synthesize info from different disciplines and put it together in new ways. Whereas many pundits rehash what has been said, Alan often provides a new angle. He is a voice of reason, and I'm always curious to hear his take, as I inevitably learn something new.”
Andrew Gilliam | @ndytg
“Andrew is constantly sparking CX and contact center dialogue and encouraging others to join the conversation. His content is fresh, innovative, and relevant, and his insights are very differentiated from most other people in this industry!”
"Andrew's knowledge of AI and how it practically applies in the contact center is unparalleled. He regularly shares in-depth, thoughtful content. So many ‘thought leaders’ are all fluff. Not Andrew."
"Annette's contribution to the contact center, customer experience, and customer service industry is virtually unmatched. Her posts about customer experience and employee experience are always spot-on!"
"Becky's activator strength shines in all she does. She kicks butt at creating and making dreams come to life, and if there is something she wants to do, no doubt she'll create it. She's honest, direct, and an expert in the CX space. I'm continuously inspired by her!"
Ben Motteram | @cxpert
"Ben has forgotten more about customer experience than most people know. He never fails to inspire me with his commitment and genuine passion for CX. I don't have time to waste, so I need to ensure what I read and who I seek advice from in this space delivers every time. Ben is always at the top of my list."
"Bill has been known for years as a speaker, writer, and trainer. What makes his work memorable for me is how tells stories when teaching the right practices in CX and customer service. The context from real-world examples to other people's actual results makes his insights really stick."
"Bob teaches the best practices in customer service and CX for contact centers. He shares what works best to improve the both the customer and agent experience and how technology can complement agents' work to make their jobs easier. My biggest take away is that it all starts with internal customer service, which motivates your frontline agents to reach the main goal of providing superior customer service to your end users."
“Brad is an insightful speaker and teacher on building lasting customer relationships and elevating CX, and thus customer loyalty.”
“Cameron is focused on making a difference in an industry that has been more or less unchanged for an extended period of time. He is knowledgeable about the industry and wants to innovate in the space to make customer experience better for everyone.”
“Chris's content focuses on collaboration, communication, and EX, and his tweets and other social posts highlight ongoing continuous improvement for adding value for customers, teams, and leaders.”
“Colin has been in the contact center, customer experience, and customer service industry for over 40 years. He has more depth, insight, and knowledge than anyone I've ever met; he’s absolutely one of the leading minds in the field.”
“An expert in the field, Dan is synonymous with customer experience leadership. He’s engaging and knowledgeable, and his ability to find and share real life examples gives people tons of ideas that make customer service more approachable.”
"Debbie is a bright light in the world of customer experience. She builds community, is always thoughtful and entertaining, and tirelessly promotes the thinking, tools, and practices required to achieve excellence in customer service, customer experience, and contact centers and be truly customer-centric as an organization."
"Debra is an incredible resource in our industry. She combines her wealth of knowledge in contact centers and customer service with her technical prowess in WFM to be one of the greatest minds in our space!"
“Change is a constant in the contact center world, but how we cope with it isn't really talked about. Erica brings ideas to the forefront that might be uncomfortable, and gives us digestible insights to take back with us to effect and affect change in our offices.”
"Erica is quite possibly one of the nicest people in the world of CX, as well as one of the most knowledgeable. She knows what the priorities are for customer service people, and most importantly, has a knack for making the content she creates both compelling and informative."
“Jacob is a determined and dedicated guy. He is NOT one to give up, he leads with compassion, and he has so much insight to provide to the CX world.”
“I love reading Jeanne Bliss's CX books and articles. She has such an excellent ability to explain complex CX principles in a simple manner. That makes it easier to implement her suggestions within the contact center.”
Jeff Toister | @toister
“Jeff regularly inspires the customer service industry, not to mention consistently pushes out thoughtful insights, articles, and books. But above all, he's actually worked in the industry and knows the real job of an agent.”
"Jenny is a breath of fresh air! She's raising awareness for an important topic: mental health and wellness. In addition to the knowledge she shares on self-care, she's also got a ton of expertise on call center management, social media, and community building. Not only does Jenny know her stuff, she's also one of the kindest souls you'll ever meet. We should all aspire to be more like Jenny.”
Jeremy Watkin | @jtwatkin
“Jeremy continues to WOW with his insight and wisdom in the contact center space. Through sharing his own struggles and learnings, we get to soak in that knowledge and propel forward in our own careers. Jeremy is a true asset to the world of CX.“
"Justin's charisma and devotion to preaching the CX message, his passion for his craft, and his openness to share his knowledge—this is what truly defines him as a thought leader!"
“Kate tweets about a variety of leadership topics, but I especially love her tweets about customer service and employee motivation.”
Katherine Thompson | @KTInnovate
“Katherine is one of the leading experts in the emerging topic of contact center social engineering. With criminals targeting the contact center as a gateway to customer data, her guidance and insights are more important than ever!”
Kathleen Peterson | @KMP603
“Kathleen is an internationally acclaimed contact center and strategic management expert and recognized industry leader. She has emerged as one of the most sought-after experts in CX, and she’s absolutely one you will want to follow!”
"Kaye is a rising star in the world of customer service and CX training. Her knowledge of adult learning, live chat, and AI are unparalleled. She regularly gives back to the industry and the community, and she embodies all the characteristics of a thought leader."
“Lauren's dedication to the craft, passion for CX, and ability to be her authentic self is a gift! If you’re in her presence, you will do nothing but smile.”
Leslie O’Flahavan | @leslieO
"Leslie is a one-of-a-kind thought leader in the customer service space. There’s no one out there who is more thoughtful and insightful when it comes to communicating with employees and customers, and her wit is unmatched."
Mark McArthur-Christie | @markchristie
“Mark is a gem! As he says, ‘The whole point of being an expert isn't to make your subject hard to understand – it's making it simple and engaging enough to understand. That’s really the main responsibility of any expert." In addition to contact center content, he regularly shares pics of his adorable dog, Poppy. Dream account to follow!”
“Matt not only possesses the knowledge, he’s a #CX and #EX visionary with a heart.”
"Mike shares and writes some of the most comprehensive, quality material on social media about contact centers. He truly is the ‘go-to’ guy when it comes to what the latest news and trends are for contact centers."
“We can't really say Murphy is ‘up and coming’ in the CX world anymore because she's proven to be a rock star! CX is clearly her passion, and with her intelligence and ability to try new things, she's going places.”
“Nancy provides direct, grounded guidance on practical behaviors to make your phone calls work, and she’s always there for the frontline and management.”
“Nate is the most influential leader in the customer service and contact center space. Although many companies and leaders are trying to navigate where CX fits into the equation, Nate is the one that is literally driving this change with his incredible insight and ability to get people talking. He is, hands down, the greatest thought leader in our industry.”
“Neal is an expert in CX and the employee journey. His tweets and articles are filled with great information to help improve your CX performance!”
"Patrick knows the contact center industry better than anyone I know. He’s passionate about the contact center, and that passion inspires action.”
Peter Gregg | @pfgregg
“Uber-smart and helpful in all areas of customer experience and service. Peter knows how customers and agents think; he knows the tech; and he knows how to pull them all together. He has an uncanny understanding of what's coming next, and he always seems to be 2-3 years ahead of trends and where the industry is.”
“Roy is a leading light in the contact center, technical support, and service management spaces. If you want to know where we’ve been, where we’re going, and why, you should be following Roy.”
Russell Lolacher | @RussLoL
“Russell really knows his stuff and truly cares about customer service experiences! No one is better than Russell. He’s my go-to!”
“Sangeeta is always willing to help anyone in the industry. She always seeks best practices to improve the customer experience and customer service industry as a whole.”
“Sean is highly experienced in both customer experience and customer service best practices. His meaningful, memorable insights leave a lasting impression on people.”
Shep Hyken | @hyken
"Shep is incredibly successful, but that never stops him from giving so much of his time and talents to help others in their customer service careers. When I grow up, I want to be just like Shep!"
“Sheri brings inclusivity to the table in the CX world and, oh my, do we need it. She's an open book, sharing her truth, and sharing how asking questions and learning can impact your life, and that of your customers, in ways you can’t imagine.”
“Stephanie is a government CX powerhouse, and she's always sharing really insightful content and commentary on customer experience issues. I love that she share practical insights, there's a lot that can be learned just by scrolling through her feed.”
“Steve crusades for CX and customer service improvements every day. His hospitality background drives him to make sure that every customer moment is the best.”
"Sue believes in the power and positive impact of customer experience. Her energy and knowledge around the topics and discussion is contagious, and she’s always willing to lend a helping hand and offer guidance to those new to the industry, as well as those who have been around awhile and just need some additional perspective."
"Susan is an excellent writer who offers helpful articles about the customer experience. She shares great resources on trends and relevant business topics that are top-of-mind for customer service leaders."