Amplifying Customer Value through Advocacy and Consumption @ Elastic

Rick Laner is dedicated to customer success, ensuring the effective adoption of Elastic's solutions and an outstanding customer experience. Rick prioritizes career development and technology to support growth, focusing on the customer journey as the core of Elastic's operations. As the leader of Elastic's Customer Success Group, Rick oversees the customer success, training, services, and support teams, implementing a cohesive strategy for all customer interactions.

Before Elastic, Rick was Senior Vice President of Services and Support at MuleSoft, a Salesforce company, and Global Vice President of Services and Customer Success at Splunk. Rick also spent 15 years at BMC Software in various leadership roles. Additionally, Rick has advised companies like Opower for over 20 years.

Originally from Queensland, Australia, Rick holds a degree in Business and Information Technology from Central Queensland University. Rick lives in Texas with his wife and three children, enjoying cycling, swimming, traveling, and community service.

Meet Chris Blaisure, a seasoned Senior Director at Elastic, where he spearheads innovation and transformative initiatives. With nearly 7 years of dedicated service, Chris has significantly contributed to Elastic's growth and success.

In his current role as Sr. Director of Innovation, Chris drives change and cultivates a culture of innovation within Elastic. He leads initiatives to push technological boundaries and unlock new growth opportunities, shaping the company's future.

Previously, Chris served as Director of Support Operations, optimizing support processes and enhancing customer satisfaction. His strategic approach resulted in streamlined workflows and improved experiences.

With senior leadership experience at GuideSpark and other organizations, Chris demonstrated expertise in business systems and IT operations. At GuideSpark, he crafted a business application strategy aligned with corporate objectives and spearheaded corporate compliance initiatives.

Chris's diverse experience and strategic mindset make him a valuable asset to Elastic, driving innovation and delivering exceptional results to propel the company forward in its mission.

Meet Baha, the global leader for Elastic's Customer Engineering team. With a rich engineering background and a passion for exceptional customer experiences, Baha drives innovation and excellence in customer engagement.

Baha's diverse tech roles have equipped him with expertise in architecting robust solutions and fostering collaborative environments. His strategic vision and hands-on approach have elevated the team's performance and impact. Baha is dedicated to continuous learning and development, empowering team members to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry. Under his guidance, the team remains at the forefront of emerging technologies, delivering cutting-edge solutions to customers' unique challenges.

Outside of work, Baha advocates for diversity and inclusion, championing initiatives that promote equality in the tech community. His commitment to an inclusive workplace reflects his belief in diversity's power to drive innovation and positive change.

For a dynamic leader in customer engineering or innovative project collaboration, connect with Baha to explore how Elastic can empower your team to achieve extraordinary results.

Julie Rudd, VP Global Customer Support at Elastic, is a seasoned leader with over 22 years of experience driving exceptional customer experiences and delivering tangible business results in the technology industry. Leading the global customer support team at Elastic, Julie spearheads transformational projects aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Her strategic vision and hands-on approach drive innovation and excellence within the organization.

During her tenure at CA Technologies and OpenText, Julie played a pivotal role in elevating support engineers' performance and professional development across EMEA and APAC regions. She implemented robust employee experience strategies, enhanced support processes, and fostered a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.

Julie's commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond the workplace, participating in STEM education initiatives and serving on a Federation of schools' board of governors in her community. Outside of work, she is a dedicated wife and mother of two sons, volunteering and pursuing her passions for music and crafting.

Julie's leadership, dedication, and passion for excellence make her a valuable asset, driving success and innovation in today's dynamic business landscape.

Meet Brian O'Connor, the dynamic Vice President of Global Services at Elastic, based in Fort Collins, Colorado. Brian's deep passion for customer success drives him to revolutionize how organizations leverage data with Elastic's innovative solutions.

Leading the Global Professional Services and Training teams at Elastic, Brian empowers organizations worldwide to unleash the full potential of the Elastic Stack. From enhancing security to uncovering valuable insights through machine learning and graph analytics, Brian's leadership delivers tangible outcomes for Elastic customers.

Fostering collaboration and innovation, Brian creates an environment where ideas flourish and challenges are met head-on. His mantra, "What can Elastic do for you? Just Ask," underscores Elastic's commitment to customer-centricity and problem-solving.

With key leadership roles at Mulesoft/Salesforce and Splunk under his belt, Brian brings expertise in operational excellence and exceptional customer experiences. His authentic leadership style and dedication to customer success redefine the boundaries of data analytics. Join Brian and the Elastic team on a journey of innovation and discovery, where every challenge is an opportunity and every success is shared.