F5's shift: hardware to multi-product SaaS

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Every major transformation Yvette Hill has led started the same way: with a moment of panic.

Across a 35-year career at IBM, Xerox, Microsoft, and now F5, Yvette Hill, SVP of Customer Success and Global Renewal Sales at F5, has repeatedly observed the same pattern: big deals on paper, but little customer value realized. Each time, the fix was clear: transform the teams closest to customers into engines for value.

Recorded live at Pulse Europe in Dublin, Yvette joins host Jenny Calvert to share why today’s AI shift is the most exciting transformation she’s seen—and how she’s acting on it. From recruiting data scientists into CSM roles to allocating 100% of her budget to AI, tracking 175 customer signals, and forcing automation conversations, Yvette is focused on what works now.

This episode is a candid look at leading real change—and why teams that get curious today will pull ahead fast.

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Timestamps

0:00 - Preview & Introduction

[00:00] Introduction: Live from Pulse Europe in Dublin

[01:15] Yvette's unconventional path into customer success

[02:45] The Xerox transformation: From selling devices to driving outcomes

[05:30] Microsoft Azure: Solving the "big commits, no revenue" problem

[07:20] Joining F5: Hardware to SaaS, single product to multi-product

[09:00] The agentic era: Why AI is the biggest transformation yet

[11:45] 100% budget allocation to AI—zero new headcount

[13:30] Hiring data scientists as CSMs: The breakfast table story

[16:00] Building curiosity in legacy teams: "Be more curious every day"

[18:15] Structuring teams for AI: Leaders, data analysts, and business-side AI builders

[20:30] Use case #1: Harvesting unstructured feedback across silos

[23:00] Holding product teams accountable with ROI-driven insights

[25:45] Use case private channel: Aggregating 175 customer engagement signals

[28:00] Why you can't wait for IT—and why speed matters more than perfection

[30:30] Investing in people: Skills for operating alongside AI agents

[33:15] Getting team buy-in: From fear to excitement about AI

[36:00] The democratization of AI: Small wins and Titanic shifts

[38:45] Final advice: Just get started—the tough stuff isn't harder than the easy stuff

[41:00] Closing thoughts: This is CS's time

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What You’ll Learn

* How to shift from retention-only to expansion-driven CS in a multi-product business

* Why Yvette is hiring data scientists as CSMs (and what they bring to the team)

* The 175 customer engagement signals F5 is aggregating to predict retention and expansion

* How to hold product teams accountable for customer feedback using ROI-driven insights

* Why investing in people—not just tools—is the key to AI adoption

* The breakfast conversation that changed F5's entire hiring strategy for AI

* The ROI framework that holds product teams accountable for customer feedback

* Why waiting for the perfect use case means you'll never start

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Where to Find Yvette Hill

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-hill-smith-0374265/

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Where to Find Jenny:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycalvert/