Ashika Yellappa
Customer Experience Manager
Naperville,IL
Summary
Results-driven technology and customer success leader with over 17 years of experience in cloud security, IT strategy, and digital transformation. Proven expertise in aligning security solutions with business objectives, driving customer retention and growth, and leading cross-functional teams to deliver scalable customer success strategies. Adept at mentoring global teams, managing high-touch enterprise accounts, and executing large-scale cloud security initiatives. Passionate about empowering teams, fostering innovation, and influencing C-suite stakeholders to drive customer adoption, security resilience, and revenue growth. Currently pursuing an MBA from the Kelley School of Business (Indiana University), specializing in Business Strategy & Leadership to further drive customer-centric innovation and technology transformation.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Customer Experience Manager
Wiz
04.2023 - Current
- Lead strategic customer engagements, aligning Wiz solutions with cloud security initiatives to drive adoption, retention, and growth
- Develop and execute customer success strategies, ensuring long-term customer impact and value realization
- Build and strengthen executive relationships, serving as a trusted advisor to CISOs and key stakeholders
- Identify adoption challenges and implement strategies to remove roadblocks, driving customer investment in Wiz
- Lead QBRs and Joint Success Plans, driving customer health, product expansion, and retention
- Collaborate with Sales, Product, and Operations teams to ensure seamless execution of customer initiatives
- Mentor and coach CEMs and TAMs, sharing best practices for customer success, security adoption, and expansion
Sr. Lead Principal Customer Success Manager
Salesforce (MuleSoft)
07.2022 - 03.2023
- Led, mentored, and developed a team of CSMs, driving account retention, expansion, and customer engagement
- Led API integrations for Enterprise Finance accounts ($5M+ ARR), driving $350K+ in upsells
- Achieved 100% renewal rate, leading churn mitigation, risk management, and proactive customer planning
- Optimized QBR execution, reducing prep time by 60% and boosting execution by 45%
- Managed key partnerships with Cognizant and Capgemini, fostering a cohesive Customer Success approach
Sr. Engagement Manager Lead
Akamai
03.2018 - 07.2022
- Led and mentored a team of 26 consultants, including Engagement Managers, Project Managers, and Architects
- Grew enterprise accounts from ~$650K to $3.5M ARR through strategic expansion and renewals
- Orchestrated Black Friday readiness, ensuring seamless execution, leading to $3M+ in revenue in an hour
- Spearheaded cybersecurity initiatives, mitigating Account Takeover, WAF, and Bot Scraping attacks, saving $500K+
- Drove cross-functional collaboration, aligning Sales, Pre-Sales, and Product teams for customer success
Sr. Technical Project Manager
Akamai
07.2015 - 03.2018
- Led customer projects from pre-sales through implementation, ensuring seamless execution
- Optimized website performance, reducing load times by 0.5 seconds, resulting in $300K revenue growth
- Specialized in Akamai’s security solutions – ION, FastDNS, KONA, and BotMan Premier
Sr. Project Manager
PROS
05.2013 - 07.2015
- Led Salesforce CRM and Cameleon CPQ integration, managing a global team of developers
- Executed Agile methodologies, including sprint planning and user story mapping
Project Manager
Information Resources Inc.
01.2011 - 01.2013
Sr. Business Analyst
Saggezza
01.2010 - 01.2011
Software Engineer
Accenture
01.2006 - 01.2008
Education
MBA - Business Strategy & Leadership
Kelley School of Business
01.2022 - Current
M.S. - Management Information Systems
University of Illinois
01.2008 - 01.2010
B.E. - Computer Science & Engineering
VTU
01.2002 - 01.2006
Skills
- Cloud Security Posture Management
- CWP
- Identity Access Management
- Zero Trust
- Security Threat Detection
- Web Application Firewall Management
- Bot Control
- Account Security Measures
- Salesforce CRM Proficiency
- Mulesoft iPaaS
- Gainsight
- Joint Success Plans
- QBRs
- Revenue Retention
- Akamai
- Edge DNS
- Global Traffic Manager
- mPulse
- API Gateway
- HTTP/HTTPS
- TLS
- TCP/IP
- CDN Optimization
- C
- UNIX
- Shell Scripts
- JavaScript
- SQL
- HTML
- JSON
- APIs
- CI/CD
- DevOps
- Tableau
- Rally
- JIRA
- Cameleon CPQ
- HP Exstream Dialogue
- Mercury Quality Center
- Customer journey mapping
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Voice of customer analysis
- Data analytics
Technical Industry Expertise
Wiz Security, CSPM, CWP, IAM, Zero Trust, Threat Detection, Strategic Account Expansion, Revenue Retention, Executive Engagement, SaaS, CPQ, ERP, API Management, Cloud Migration Strategy, Territory Planning, Agile Methodologies, CI/CD Pipelines, Salesforce, Mulesoft, Akamai, Gainsight, Tableau, JIRA
Skills
CSPM, CWP, IAM, Zero Trust, Threat Detection, WAF, Bot Management, Account Takeover Protection, Salesforce CRM, Mulesoft iPaaS, Gainsight, Joint Success Plans, QBRs, Revenue Retention, Akamai (Edge DNS, Global Traffic Manager, mPulse, API Gateway), HTTP/HTTPS, TLS, TCP/IP, CDN Optimization, C, UNIX, Shell Scripts, JavaScript, SQL, HTML, JSON, APIs, CI/CD, DevOps, Tableau, Rally, JIRA, Cameleon CPQ, HP Exstream Dialogue, Mercury Quality Center
Leadership Impact
- Led and mentored high-performing teams, fostering a culture of excellence in Customer Success, Security Strategy, and IT Transformation.
- Executed large-scale cloud security initiatives, mitigating risks and driving multi-million-dollar revenue growth.
- Strengthened executive partnerships, leading QBRs, security advisory sessions, and business reviews with CISOs and senior stakeholders.
- Drove digital transformation efforts, overseeing API integrations, cloud migrations, and cybersecurity risk mitigation, preventing $500K+ in potential revenue loss.
- Recruited and developed top talent, elevating team performance and driving customer retention, expansion, and security adoption strategies.
Timeline
Customer Experience Manager
Wiz
04.2023 - Current
Sr. Lead Principal Customer Success Manager
Salesforce (MuleSoft)
07.2022 - 03.2023
MBA - Business Strategy & Leadership
Kelley School of Business
01.2022 - Current
Sr. Engagement Manager Lead
Akamai
03.2018 - 07.2022
Sr. Technical Project Manager
Akamai
07.2015 - 03.2018
Sr. Project Manager
PROS
05.2013 - 07.2015
Project Manager
Information Resources Inc.
01.2011 - 01.2013
Sr. Business Analyst
Saggezza
01.2010 - 01.2011
M.S. - Management Information Systems
University of Illinois
01.2008 - 01.2010
Software Engineer
Accenture
01.2006 - 01.2008
B.E. - Computer Science & Engineering
VTU
01.2002 - 01.2006
Similar Profiles
Trish CagliostroTrish Cagliostro
Vice President, Worldwide Channels and Alliances at WizVice President, Worldwide Channels and Alliances at Wiz
Anthony SoteloAnthony Sotelo
Manager, Customer Success at WizManager, Customer Success at Wiz
Lisa HarrisLisa Harris
President at Telco Wiz, Inc.President at Telco Wiz, Inc.
Brock NovakBrock Novak
Apprentice at Cafe Doors EmporiumApprentice at Cafe Doors Emporium
Dr. Scott P. WintersDr. Scott P. Winters
Adjunct Faculty at Alliant International UniversityAdjunct Faculty at Alliant International University