Customer Experience (CX) Strategy (2026)

If you want to become really good at Customer Experience (CX) strategy, I'd recommend following a mix of CX strategists, business leaders, customer research experts, and practitioners.

The goal is to learn more than customer service. Great CX strategy is about understanding customer needs, designing better end-to-end journeys, aligning employees and processes, and connecting experience improvements to business outcomes.

Here are the people I'd put on your follow list.

1. The 10 CX experts I'd recommend following

1. Annette Franz

Start here

CX strategy · Customer-centric culture · Employee experience

Excellent for learning how to build a customer-centric organization, develop a CX vision, and create a company-wide CX strategy.

Book: Customer Understanding

2. Jeanne Bliss

CX leadership · Business transformation · Customer loyalty

Learn how to make customer experience a business-wide leadership priority rather than just a department's responsibility.

Book: Would You Do That to Your Mother?

3. Colin Shaw

Customer emotions · Behavioral science · Loyalty

Particularly valuable for understanding the emotional side of customer experience and how it influences business results.

Podcast: The Intuitive Customer

4. Steven Van Belleghem

CX innovation · Digital experience · Customer expectations

Great for understanding how businesses can differentiate themselves through customer experience in a digital-first world.

Book: Customers the Day After Tomorrow

5. Shep Hyken

Customer loyalty · Service excellence · CX culture

Very practical advice on creating memorable experiences and consistently exceeding customer expectations.

6. Blake Morgan

Future of CX · AI · Customer-centric leadership

Follow her for insights into how technology, AI, and changing expectations are transforming customer experiences.

7. Greg Kihlström

CX transformation · Marketing technology · AI

Especially useful for connecting CX strategy with digital transformation, marketing operations, and technology.

Podcast: The Agile Brand

8. Tiffani Bova

Customer growth · Business strategy · Experience-led growth

Great for understanding the relationship between customer experience, customer retention, and sustainable business growth.

9. Jeannie Walters

Customer journey mapping · CX measurement · Experience improvement

Particularly useful for translating CX concepts into practical frameworks, journey maps, and measurable improvements.

10. Nate Brown

CX leadership · Customer service operations · CX community

Useful for learning how to implement CX initiatives and build organizational support for customer experience.

This selection is consistent with names appearing in 2026 CX thought-leader and industry-leader roundups. Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Customer Experience 202633 Famous CXOs and Influential CX Experts to Follow in 2026Top 22 CX Leaders to Follow for Industry Insights in 2026

2. Organizations and publications worth following

Don't just follow individuals. These organizations publish useful frameworks, research, and practical CX examples.

• Forrester – CX maturity, customer experience measurement, and business impact. Website
• Qualtrics XM Institute – CX research, experience management, benchmarks, and measurement. Website
• CX Network – Industry trends, case studies, and CX leadership. Website
• CX Accelerator – Practical CX discussions, peer learning, and professional development. Website
• Harvard Business Review – Business strategy, customer loyalty, organizational change, and customer-centric leadership. Website

3. My recommended learning order

If I were building a CX strategy knowledge base from scratch, I'd study these six subjects in this order:

4. Five books to add to your reading list

Customer Understanding - Annette Franz

Learn how to understand customers and use insights to improve experiences.

Chief Customer Officer 2.0 - Jeanne Bliss

Learn how to lead customer experience transformation across an organization.

Outside In - Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine

One of the strongest foundational books on customer experience strategy and its business value.

The Effortless Experience - Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman and Rick DeLisi

Understand how reducing customer effort improves loyalty.

Mapping Experiences - Jim Kalbach

Learn practical experience mapping and visualization techniques.

5. My strongest recommendation

If you only have time to follow five people initially, choose:

1. Annette Franz – for CX strategy.
2. Jeanne Bliss – for executive leadership and transformation.
3. Jeannie Walters – for practical implementation.
4. Colin Shaw – for customer behavior and psychology.
5. Greg Kihlström – for digital transformation and AI.

Together, they provide a good balance of strategic thinking and practical execution.

One question to help me tailor the recommendations

What is your primary objective in learning CX strategy?

• A. Become a CX strategist or CX leader.
• B. Develop a CX strategy for your organization.
• C. Improve customer journeys, satisfaction, and loyalty.
• D. Connect CX strategy to business growth, revenue, and ROI.
• E. Become an expert in digital CX, AI, and customer experience transformation.

I can then put together a structured 30-day CX Strategy Learning Roadmap, including who to follow, what to read, key frameworks to master, and practical exercises.

To master Customer Experience (CX) strategy, it helps to follow a mix of recognized global practitioners, authors, keynote speakers, and customer-obsessed business leaders.

Here is a curated list of the top CX thought leaders, broken down by what they specialize in, along with where you can follow them:

1. The Global Authorities & Authors

• Jeanne Bliss

• Focus: Customer-centric leadership, employee engagement, and culture transformation. She is a pioneer in the CX field, having served as Chief Customer Officer for major brands like Lands' End and Microsoft, and is the author of bestselling books like Chief Customer Officer 2.0.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn, X (@JeanneBliss), and her company website (Customer Bliss).

• Annette Franz, CCXP

• Focus: Employee experience, customer-centric culture, and data-driven journey mapping. She is a prominent voice in the industry, founder of CX Journey Inc., and author of Customer Understanding.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn and her blog (CX Journey).

• Shep Hyken

• Focus: Customer service, customer loyalty, and frontline delivery. He is a prolific author (e.g., The Amazement Revolution) and a high-energy keynote speaker who focuses heavily on practical service strategies.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn, X (@Hyken), and his weekly newsletter.

2. Strategy, Metrics, & Digital CX

• Bruce Temkin

• Focus: CX maturity, enterprise-wide CX programs, and human-centered business strategy. He is the co-founder of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) and former head of the Temkin Group (acquired by Qualtrics).

• Where to follow: LinkedIn and his insights blog (Experience Matters).

• Blake Morgan

• Focus: Future of work, technology in CX, and digital customer journeys. She is a keynote speaker and author of The Customer of the Future, focusing on how brands leverage AI and emerging tech to improve experiences.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn, Forbes (where she regularly contributes), and her podcast.

• Estelle Weyl / Chip Bell (Chip Bell is particularly renowned for unique service strategies)

• Focus: Creating loyalty through unexpected service touchpoints. Bell is a renowned keynote speaker and author of Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn and his website.

3. Essential Media & Organizations to Follow

Beyond individuals, following these organizations will keep you on top of industry trends, frameworks, and global benchmarks:

• CXPA (Customer Experience Professionals Association): The premier global non-profit organization for CX professionals. Following their LinkedIn page and reading their resources is essential if you want to pursue professional certification (CCXP).

• Qualtrics XM Institute: A premier research center that publishes regular reports, data trends, and benchmarks on global customer and employee experience.

• Customer Think: One of the largest online communities dedicated to customer-centric business strategies.

Recommended Next Step

If you are just starting out or looking to dive deep into a specific area, Jeanne Bliss's books are widely considered mandatory reading for corporate CX strategy, while LinkedIn is the best platform to follow these leaders daily for quick tips, live panels, and articles.

Are you looking to build a CX strategy from scratch at your organization, or are you looking for specific content (like podcasts, books, or metrics/frameworks)?

To build a strong foundation in Customer Experience (CX) strategy, it helps to follow practitioners who focus on operational change, data, and culture rather than just high-level buzzwords.

The top CX thought leaders, strategists, and authors to follow include:

** Blake Morgan** – A leading customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of books like The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership. Follow her for forward-looking insights on how technology, AI, and leadership intersect. (Connect with Blake Morgan on LinkedIn). Top CX Influencers to Follow in 2026 - Alchemer

** Jeannie Walters** – Founder of Experience Investigators, she specializes in turning customer data and journey mapping into practical, action-oriented business results. Known for her engaging talks and pragmatic frameworks. (Explore insights via Experience Investigators).

** Annette Franz** – Founder of CX Journey Inc. and a prominent voice in organizational culture transformation. She emphasizes Voice of the Customer (VoC) programs, employee engagement, and embedding true customer-centricity into business strategy. (Check out CX Journey). Top CX Influencers to Follow in 2026 - Alchemer

** Jeanne Bliss** – Often called the "Godmother of Customer Experience," she pioneered the Chief Customer Officer (CCO) role at major global corporations. Follow her for guidance on uniting the C-suite, removing internal silos, and driving growth through relationships. (Learn more at CustomerBliss).

** Dan Gingiss** – A former executive at McDonald's and Discover, Dan's core mantra is that "Customer Experience is the Best Marketing." Follow him for tactical, relatable examples of how small operational changes drastically improve advocacy.

** Adrian Swinscoe** – A sharp, no-nonsense advisor and author of Punk CX. He frequently challenges corporate buzzwords and pushes companies to figure out their core experience vision before blindly buying software.

If you want to narrow this down, let me know:

• Are you looking for high-level corporate strategy, tactical day-to-day contact center/service tips, or the psychology of customer loyalty?
• Do you prefer podcasts, books, or active daily LinkedIn feeds?

I can tailor these recommendations or point you toward specific content to start with.

For CX strategy, start with Annette Franz, known for her work on customer-centric strategy; Jeanne Bliss, a leader in customer-led business growth; and Bruce Temkin, a prominent CX strategist. For practical service and loyalty ideas, follow Shep Hyken and Jeff Toister.(supportgenix.com)(alchemer.com)

To learn about Customer Experience (CX) strategy, you should follow a mix of established thought leaders and emerging voices who are shaping the future of CX. These experts share practical frameworks, research, and real-world case studies across industries, making them valuable resources for anyone serious about CX strategy.

🌟 Established CX Thought Leaders

These individuals have consistently influenced CX strategy and are widely recognized:

🚀 Emerging & Future CX Leaders

These rising voices are shaping CX in the era of AI and digital disruption:

📌 How to Engage With Them

• LinkedIn & Twitter: Most of these leaders share regular insights, articles, and case studies.
• Podcasts & Webinars: Jay Baer, Bill Staikos, and Jeannie Walters host shows that dive deep into CX strategy.
• Books & Blogs: Jeanne Bliss and Adrian Swinscoe have published influential works on CX transformation.
• Industry Lists: Annual rankings like ICMI Top 25 Thought Leaders and CX Network Top 50 Leaders are excellent for discovering new voices.(Meet the 2026 ICMI Top 25 Thought Leaders)(Future of CX leaders - CX Network)(Top 50 CX leaders 2026)

⚠️ Key Considerations

• Beware of hype: Some CX influencers focus more on branding than actionable strategy. Prioritize those who share frameworks, case studies, and measurable outcomes.
• Balance global vs. local insights: Leaders like Dennis Wakabayashi highlight global CX trends, while others (e.g., Ian Golding) provide structured certification frameworks.
• AI disruption: Many emerging voices emphasize AI-driven CX. Following both traditional and AI-focused leaders ensures a balanced perspective.

👉 If you want a practical starting point, I recommend following Jeanne Bliss, Jay Baer, and Jeannie Walters for foundational CX strategy, then adding Bill Staikos and Vicki Brackett for fresh, innovative perspectives.

Would you like me to create a curated “follow list” with direct LinkedIn profiles so you can connect with these leaders immediately?