International Director of Customer Success – Applied AI - Hong Kong or Thailand
Location: Hong Kong or Thailand (with travel across Asia expansion markets) Reporting to: CEO Search: Retained, exclusive search
Our client is a fast-scaling, VC-backed AI company applying cutting-edge, applied AI to one of the largest and most traditional industries in the world, a sector technology has largely passed by.
Their platform uses real-time, AI-driven monitoring and automation to help businesses make smarter decisions, cut waste, and drive operational and cost efficiencies. Having built a strong, established business in the US, the company is now in a period of rapid international expansion across Asia, and is investing heavily in the team and leadership to support it.
The Opportunity
This is a ground-floor opportunity for the Director of Customer Success to build and own Customer Success across the company's international markets (global with the exception of US), working directly with the CEO as part of the Leadership team. You will define the strategy, processes and team from scratch, adapting the proven playbook already established by the US business for international markets, while also pioneering a new forward-deployed model that embeds Customer Success and Engineering directly with customers on the ground, in true applied-AI fashion.
As Director of Customer Success will be the linchpin of the company's international growth outside of the US: strategic enough to shape direction from the leadership table, and hands-on enough to deliver personally in-market across Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan, alongside a growing UK presence.
What Success Looks Like
- Convert the company's existing pilot programmes into full-time, fully deployed customer engagements
- Build out and ramp local deployment teams across each international geography as new customers come online
- Design and roll out the forward-deployed Customer Success and Engineering model internationally, working closely with Product and Engineering
Key Responsibilities for the Director of Customer Success, Applied AI role:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive customer success strategy with the executive team, and the customer success and commercial leadership teams
- Establish and oversee customer onboarding, adoption, and retention programs across international markets
- Found and lead the international Customer Success team, including forward deployment, account management and field service
- Establish, own and track key success metrics (NRR, CSAT, Churn Rate, etc.)
- Act as the key voice of the customer in product development and internal executive discussions
- Develop processes for proactive issue resolution and escalations with other Customer Success leaders
- Collaborate with Sales, Product, and Engineering to enhance customer outcomes as the AI product evolves
- Own the execution of quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and strategic customer engagement initiatives
What We're Looking For
- 10+ years in top-tier customer success, consulting, strategy, business development, or corporate leadership roles
- Experience in a Customer Success role in SaaS, applied AI, or deep tech within a start-up or scale-up.
- A proven track record of building or scaling a customer success function from the ground up: standing up onboarding, playbooks, tooling and metrics, and operating hands-on as a player-coach before a full team is in place
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead and grow teams through rapid change
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-impact environment with a high degree of autonomy
- Ability to analyse data and use insights to drive strategy
- Prior experience in applied AI, deep tech, or other fast-growing technology businesses is preferred, but not required — no prior experience in this specific industry is necessary
- Willingness to travel extensively and internationally across the company's active and expansion markets, principally in Asia
Please apply now with your latest CV for consultation.
