Steve Blood Fractional Strategic Advisory, Market Intelligence & Evangelism, NED

EXECUTIVE POSITIONING

I work with enterprise CX, contact center, and cloud communications vendors to convert market and competitive intelligence into sharper go-to-market positioning, analyst-ready narratives, and durable thought leadership on AI-driven customer service.

35+ years building, scaling, and advising customer service and contact center organisations — as an industry analyst, product marketing leader, and telecom operator — across the UK, Europe, and global markets.

SPECIALIST IN:

  • Market and competitive intelligence for CX, contact center, and AI/automation technology

  • Analyst relations and influence — author of the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Contact Center as a Service

  • Go-to-market positioning and narrative strategy for enterprise SaaS / CCaaS vendors

  • Contact center and digital customer service technology strategy

  • Customer service analytics and AI-driven automation market trends

  • Industry evangelism, thought leadership, and public speaking

WHAT I DO FOR FOUNDERS

Market Positioning & Competitive Strategy

  • Shape competitive narrative and market positioning for CX, contact center, and AI-driven customer service offerings

  • Translate analyst and market research (Gartner, Forrester, Metrigy, IDC) into GTM strategy and sales enablement · Advise product and marketing teams on category definition and differentiation versus CCaaS/CX competitors · Brief press, analysts, and industry media on AI and customer service market trends

  • Build and maintain competitive battlecards and market-positioning frameworks

 

Market & Customer Intelligence

  • Run structured competitive and market intelligence programs — win/loss analysis, analyst tracking, market sizing

  • Monitor and interpret contact center/CX technology trends, including agentic AI and automation adoption

  • Advise leadership on where to invest product and roadmap based on market and buyer signal

  • Maintain relationships with leading industry analyst firms (Gartner, Forrester, IDC, Metrigy)

  • Support pricing and packaging decisions with competitive market data

 

Thought Leadership & Industry Influence

  • Publish research, commentary, and market perspective on CX and AI-driven customer service

  • Represent the company at industry events, webinars, and press/analyst briefings

  • Author or contribute to industry-defining research (market guides, magic-quadrant-style frameworks)

  • Support sales and marketing with market-credibility content and analyst-backed proof points

SELECTED IMPACT

  • Authored the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Contact Center as a Service — one of the most-referenced reports in the CX/CCaaS buying cycle — plus Predicts 2024: Customer Service and Support Strategy and Leadership and the Market Guide for Digital Customer Service and Support

  • 23 years as a Gartner VP Analyst (2001–2024) advising CX and contact center leaders and vendors worldwide

  • Recruited by Five9 in March 2024 specifically to build its market intelligence and evangelism function

  • 35+ years total industry experience spanning UK telecom operations (BT, Mercury Communications, NTL), product marketing (Rockwell Electronic Commerce), and industry analysis (Gartner)

 

CURRENT & RECENT ENGAGEMENTS

  • Five9 — VP, Market Intelligence & Evangelism (March 2024–present)

  • Shaping Five9's market and competitive positioning as the company expands its global CX/CCaaS leadership; bridging product, marketing, and industry analyst relationships

  • Gartner — VP Analyst, Customer Service & Support (2001–2024)

  • Authored the Magic Quadrant for Contact Center as a Service and other industry-defining research; advised CX and contact center leaders and vendors globally for 23 years

  • Rockwell Electronic Commerce — Product Marketing, EMEA

  • Marketed the company's next-generation contact center portfolio across EMEA

  • Previous roles

  • 10 years in UK telecommunications in product management, sales, and technical support roles with BT, Mercury Communications, and NTL

 

BOARD & GOVERNANCE

  • Gartner VP Analyst designation (2001–2024) — recognized industry authority on contact center and CX technology

  • Author of multiple Gartner Magic Quadrants and Market Guides in customer service and contact center technology

Available for:

  • Fractional / advisory market intelligence, competitive strategy, or analyst-relations mandates

  • Keynote and panel speaking on CX, contact center, and AI-driven customer service trends

  • NED / advisory roles within CX, contact center, and enterprise SaaS businesses

Work With Us