The Customer Wins

This is The Customer Wins podcast where business leaders discuss their secrets and techniques for helping their customers succeed and in turn grow their company.

The Customer Wins is a business podcast hosted by Richard Walker, with 186 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Richard Walker hosts The Customer Wins, a business show with 186 episodes published.

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  The Customer Wins

  Redefining Financial Planning for the Next Generation With Dennis Moore

  Aug 10, 202637 min

  Dennis J. Moore is the CEO of the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the leading membership organization and trade association for CFP professionals and others involved in the financial planning process. Under his leadership, FPA helps financial planners grow through practice support, education, advocacy, and professional networking while advancing the profession. Dennis brings more than two decades of service to the FPA, including roles as Chief Operating Officer, Interim CEO, National President, and local chapter leader. A CFP professional and former wealth management executive, he has gained recognition in publications such as InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 and FA Magazine's 10 Young Advisors to Watch. In this episode… Financial planning continues to be widely misunderstood as little more than investment management. Meanwhile, financial professionals are navigating increasing disruption from artificial intelligence, social media, and evolving client expectations. To remain relevant and competitive, the profession must attract and develop a new generation of advisors while clearly demonstrating the enduring value of trusted, human-centered relationships. How can financial planning continue to evolve while keeping trust and personal connection at its core? Dennis Moore, a certified financial planner and association executive, explains that strengthening the profession begins with supporting advisors through education, advocacy, networking, and practical business resources. He encourages firms to focus on behavioral skills alongside technical expertise, embrace AI as a tool to improve efficiency rather than replace advisors, promote financial literacy, and create stronger pathways for students and career changers to enter the profession. Dennis also emphasizes staying disciplined around organizational priorities, building meaningful professional communities, and continually reinforcing the human value financial planners bring to clients. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Dennis J. Moore, CEO of the Financial Planning Association, about strengthening the financial planning profession through leadership, education, and human connection. Dennis discusses attracting the next generation of financial planners, using AI to enhance advisor-client relationships, and maintaining strategic focus while growing a mission-driven organization.

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  The Customer Wins

  Building Trustworthy Brands in an AI World With Sasha Strauss

  Aug 3, 202640 min

  Sasha Strauss is the Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Innovation Protocol, a brand strategy consultancy that helps organizations define, strengthen, and communicate their identities with clarity and purpose. Since founding the firm in 2006, he has advised leading organizations, including Google, Disney, LEGO, PayPal, and Nestlé, on brand strategy and leadership communications. Sasha is also a longtime graduate professor of brand strategy at UCLA, USC, and UC Irvine, where he teaches the next generation of business leaders. An internationally recognized speaker, he shares insights on branding, leadership, and AI-driven strategy with organizations and conferences worldwide. In this episode… Successful businesses often struggle to clearly communicate what sets them apart, leading to inconsistent customer experiences, reduced trust, and missed opportunities. As AI reshapes how people discover and evaluate companies, organizations also face the challenge of maintaining authenticity as they adopt new technology. How can businesses build a brand that customers trust without losing their human identity? Sasha Strauss, a brand strategy expert and educator, explains that a strong brand is built on a consistent promise that is reflected in company culture, employee behavior, and every customer interaction. He recommends defining a clear brand identity through research and competitive analysis rather than guesswork, ensuring employees understand and embody the brand, and training AI tools to communicate in ways that align with an organization's values and voice. Sasha also shares how AI can accelerate research, personalize content, and improve customer experiences while reinforcing — not replacing — human expertise and creativity. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Sasha Strauss, Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Innovation Protocol, about building trusted brands in the age of AI. Sasha discusses why company culture and brand are inseparable, how businesses can use AI to strengthen customer trust, and why authentic human creativity remains a competitive advantage.

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  The Customer Wins

  Building the Future of Private Markets Technology With Gareth Lewis

  Jul 27, 202634 min

  Gareth Lewis is the Chief Business Officer at Helm, a fintech company providing unified infrastructure and workflow technology for capital raising, investor management, and private markets operations. He co-founded Delio in 2015, growing it into a leading private markets platform used by financial institutions across multiple countries before its acquisition by iAltA Holdings and integration into Helm. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Gareth previously held corporate finance and M&A roles at IBM, Ernst & Young, and Convex Capital. Today, he helps financial firms modernize private markets infrastructure with scalable, AI-enabled technology that improves advisor and investor experiences. In this episode… The rapid growth of private markets has exposed outdated systems, fragmented workflows, and inefficient client experiences, making it difficult for financial firms to scale. Many organizations struggle to balance flexibility, compliance, and operational efficiency while also adapting to the growing influence of AI. How can firms modernize their infrastructure without sacrificing the unique needs of their advisors and clients? Gareth Lewis, a private markets technology and financial infrastructure expert, explains how building configurable operating systems instead of rigid software enables firms to create better advisor and investor experiences. He shares why maintaining a customer-first mindset, embracing continuous collaboration through an always-on implementation approach, and staying focused on core strengths lead to stronger long-term partnerships. Gareth also discusses using AI to accelerate product development, improve internal efficiency, and enhance advisor workflows while allowing firms to maintain control of their customer experience. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Gareth Lewis, Chief Business Officer at Helm, about transforming private markets infrastructure through customer-focused technology. Gareth discusses the benefits of configurable software platforms, the impact of AI on product development, and the leadership lessons that shaped his entrepreneurial journey.

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  The Customer Wins

  Customer Experience, AI, and Cloud Security With Mikhail Ruchkin

  Jul 20, 202634 min

  Mikhail Ruchkin is the CEO of Innovative Digital Transformation, an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner that helps organizations modernize their technology through cloud migration, cybersecurity, AI, and digital transformation solutions. He has more than 15 years of experience leading cloud strategy and security initiatives for startups, mid-sized businesses, and Fortune 500 companies. Before founding Innovative Digital Transformation, Mikhail held leadership roles in cloud security and IT, including serving as Director of Information Technology and Security at AWS consulting partner ClearScale. He is passionate about building long-term customer relationships, helping organizations innovate securely, and developing high-performing teams. In this episode… Many organizations invest heavily in cloud technology and AI but still struggle to deliver the business outcomes they expect because they focus on tools instead of people, trust, and long-term partnerships. As AI accelerates innovation, balancing rapid development with strong cybersecurity practices has become even more challenging. How can business leaders embrace new technology while building lasting customer relationships and maintaining security? Mikhail Ruchkin, a cloud strategy, cybersecurity, and digital transformation expert, explains that successful technology projects begin by understanding what customers truly need rather than simply delivering what they request. He shares why investing in people, mentoring future leaders, and treating every customer as a long-term partner creates stronger business outcomes. Mikhail also discusses practical ways organizations can adopt AI responsibly by implementing security guardrails, continuously reviewing their security posture, and educating employees to innovate safely without slowing progress. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Mikhail Ruchkin, CEO of Innovative Digital Transformation, about building customer trust through cloud technology, AI, and cybersecurity. Mikhail discusses developing high-performing teams, knowing when to walk away from the wrong customers, and creating security-first AI practices that enable innovation without sacrificing long-term success.

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  The Customer Wins

  Transforming IT Buying: Authentic Matches With Tonya Turrell

  Jul 13, 202635 min

  Tonya Turrell is the Founder and CEO of TechnologyMatch, a buyer-first platform that connects IT leaders with technology providers through AI-powered matchmaking and demand generation. A three-time founder with two successful exits, she is known for challenging traditional lead-generation models and creating trust-based alternatives that prioritize buyer intent. Tonya has earned Inc. recognition on both the Inc . 5000 and Female Founders 250 for leadership and innovation. She also hosts the Between Fires and Futures podcast, where she explores IT leaders' changing role amid AI's growing influence. In this episode… Technology buyers today are inundated with sales outreach, making it harder to identify the vendors and solutions best suited for their business needs. At the same time, technology providers struggle to reach qualified prospects, and many sales teams miss opportunities by prioritizing the pitch over a deeper understanding of customer challenges. How can buyers and sellers create more meaningful connections that lead to better outcomes for everyone involved? Tonya Turrell, a technology marketplace innovator and demand-generation expert, explains how buyer-driven matchmaking can eliminate noise and streamline the technology purchasing process. She shares why authentic alignment between buyer needs and vendor solutions leads to higher conversion rates, how analyzing thousands of sales conversations revealed critical gaps in sales execution, and why customer experience should remain the priority throughout the buying journey. Tonya also discusses using AI-powered pre-sales intelligence, personalized research, and sales coaching tools to help representatives better understand prospects, build trust, and create long-term customer relationships. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Tonya Turrell, Founder and CEO of TechnologyMatch, about transforming B2B technology buying through buyer-driven connections and AI. Tonya discusses building an IT buyer community, lessons learned from analyzing more than 30,000 sales calls, and leadership insights on transitioning from founder to CEO while scaling a growing business.

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