SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Helpshift, the company revolutionizing the customer service industry through AI and chatbot-powered digital support, today announced the addition of Chief Marketing Officer Paul Sebastien and Vice President of Business Development Chuck Coulson to the company’s leadership team. In his new role as CMO, Sebastien will focus on bringing increased market visibility to the company’s product offerings and technology, while Coulson will work with key customers and investors to drive distribution and technology partnerships at scale.
“Paul and Chuck are two incredible additions to our team, especially as we enter this new AI-first era of communication,” said Helpshift CEO Linda Crawford. “We will benefit from both Paul’s ability to cut through the noise and showcase the real value of these new and emerging technologies and Chuck’s decades of experience driving new revenue channels and working with strategic partners. We couldn’t be more excited to have them on board.”
A well-known brand expert in the tech industry, Sebastien has a unique background in—and deep knowledge of—marketing, business growth, sales and revenue leadership. He has driven complex business initiatives to market across both B2B and B2C companies, scaling multiple startups to market success. He has also held key executive roles at such companies as Microsoft, Udemy and Disney. His breadth and depth of expertise in both the B2B and B2C worlds and his extensive experience in verticals—like gaming—that align with Helpshift’s customer base uniquely position him to showcase how AI will benefit the consumer experience and also maximize ROI for businesses.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Helpshift team,” said Sebastien. “I’ve been lucky in my career and have led a number of disruptive B2B and B2C companies to market success, so I have a deep appreciation for the importance of great customer experiences across all brand touchpoints. As the frontline customer support experience has shifted to mobile and chatbots, the direct impact to brand loyalty has skyrocketed, requiring an entirely new solution to serve and delight customers. Helpshift solves this need today and will take it even further in 2018. I’m excited to be a part of that and am also just really looking forward to working with such an impressive leadership team and a CEO with Linda Crawford’s pedigree.”
Meanwhile, Coulson brings more than 30 years of experience in the technology industry—including the alliances space and in CRM. Prior to Helpshift, he worked for companies such as Oracle, Salesforce.com, SAP and Google. It was during his 15-year tenure with Oracle that Coulson moved into the strategic alliance function, which became—and remains—his career passion. Coulson has worked with firms both large and small to establish partnership programs, strategic alliances, key technology integrations, and new revenue channels.
Coulson added, “Helpshift has a unique set of technologies that bridge the CRM space to customer engagement and satisfaction with an emphasis on B2C, and the time is right for the company to develop partnerships and expand its distribution capabilities, awareness and bottom-line revenue. In the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to work for, partner with, and advise many technology companies, particularly in the CRM space. I see the same opportunities to change the market here, and I am excited to help take Helpshift to the next level.”
Sebastien and Coulson join a seasoned executive team at Helpshift, recently expanded with the addition of Linda Crawford, CEO.
About Helpshift
Helpshift bridges the disconnect between conventional customer service channels—like email and phone support—and a growing consumer base that does more on mobile phones and has a strong preference for messaging as the primary mode of communication. Through Helpshift’s streamlined support system, companies can resolve issues more efficiently, boosting customer satisfaction in the process. Companies such as Xfinity Home, Microsoft, Virgin Media, Zynga, Viacom and hundreds of other leading brands use the Helpshift platform to provide messaging-first customer support. Helpshift is installed on two billion devices worldwide and serves more than 130 million active consumers monthly. To learn more about Helpshift, visit helpshift.com and follow @helpshift on Twitter.