#839: Medallia's Courtney Shealy on moving contact centers from cost center to strategic asset

#839: Medallia's Courtney Shealy on moving contact centers from cost center to strategic asset

Author: The Agile Brand April 6, 2026 Duration: 30:32
What if your company’s most valuable source of competitive intelligence and brand insight isn’t a market research report, but your contact center? Agility requires more than just reacting to customer issues; it demands the ability to listen, understand, and act on the collective voice of the customer to proactively shape the business. This means transforming points of friction into opportunities for innovation. Today, we are live at Medallia Experience 2026 in Las Vegas, and we're going to talk about transforming the contact center from a reactive, cost-focused operational hub into a proactive, strategic engine for growth. We'll explore how to unlock the wealth of insights from customer interactions to drive innovation, create more empathetic experiences, and deliver tangible value across the entire enterprise. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Courtney Shealy, SVP, Global Presales at Medallia. About Courtney Shealy With 25 years in SaaS and CX, Courtney brings deep expertise in leading global sales engineering and strategy teams. She has a proven track record of connecting customers to innovation that drives measurable business outcomes. For the last 15 years, she’s focused on transforming CX adoption into an engine for revenue growth, efficiency, and stakeholder value. At Medallia, Courtney leads the Center of Excellence that helps customers maximize their CX investments—modernizing programs with AI, breaking free of outdated foundations, and accelerating results. Courtney Shealy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-mcmahan-shealy-9b3251/ Resources Medallia: https://www.medallia.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Each conversation on The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX moves beyond surface-level trends to explore the practical realities of modern marketing. Host Greg Kihlström guides discussions with executives and thought leaders from prominent brands and technology platforms, focusing on the tangible strategies that drive growth. You’ll hear detailed explorations of topics like the real-world adoption of AI, the construction of effective first-party data strategies, and the evolving landscape of customer experience. This podcast is built for leaders who need to translate complex technological shifts into sustainable business value and deeper customer relationships. Rather than offering quick fixes, these episodes provide a deeper understanding of how to integrate marketing technology, artificial intelligence, and customer-centric thinking into a cohesive strategy. The dialogue consistently centers on building customer lifetime value, ensuring that every technological investment contributes to long-term brand strength. If you're looking for a clear, expert-level analysis of what actually works in today's market, this series delivers substantive insights directly from the professionals shaping the industry.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX
Podcast Episodes
Introducing The Interface from the BBC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:08
I would like to recommend a new podcast called The Interface from the BBC. It's the BBC's fiercly informed, fast and funny take on how technology is impacting all of us. I have become regular listeners and hope you enjoy…
#844: adMarketplace's John Nitti on GEO and the future of paid search [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:50
For over two decades now, many marketers have built their careers on mastering Google and paid search. What if the playbook you spent your entire career perfecting is about to become obsolete? Agility requires not just a…
#843: Pega's Matt Healy on the hidden costs of outdated technology [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:57
What if the biggest obstacle to your AI strategy isn't the algorithm, but the 20-year-old software your team is forced to use every day? Agility requires not just a willingness to adopt new strategies like AI, but also t…