Hi, I’m Irene. Great to meet you!
Trusted by executives to build the boards that shape strategy.
My philosophy starts with human connection. Without it, the CAB experience falls flat. I bring together 20+ years of experience in customer advocacy and business strategy with a clear methodology for building authentic, long-term relationships — before, during, and after the CAB itself.
The result? Conversations that lead to action. Trusted partnerships. And customer champions who stay engaged, offer candid feedback, and advocate for your company well beyond the boardroom.
26 years of experience
10 Customer Advisory Board programs
3 awards and recognition
Client Testimonials
“As an early adopter of Riverbed solutions, I was the youngest CAB member. I learned how to form partnerships with Riverbed's executives and network with global leaders. Being invited by Irene to a CAB so early in my career has shaped how I evaluate and negotiate with technology vendors,”
Adam, VP of Technology Operations, Automotive
“Irene and I worked together during a time of massive technological change in the data storage industry. Our CAB efforts were a crucial part of our customer outreach, product feedback, and thought leadership program. Irene managed the entire end-to-end CAB process with the expertise, agenda-setting, and event planning you normally associate with a luxury hotel, not a tech company. I could focus on discussion content, secure in knowing that our customers were going to have a first-class experience. She’s an expert in details others might overlook, like developing pod-based seating charts that place customers strategically to encourage inter-networking,”
Josh, VP of Strategy, Software/SaaS
“All the usage data in the world doesn't tell us why users choose a product. Insights about customers' jobs to be done, can only be gained by talking to customers. Even on a shoestring budget, it's possible to pull a small group of engaged customers together into a bootstrap CAB to get feedback on a current product or to co-create and validate a new product. Irene provides a step-by-step guide and templates to plan and execute a successful CAB with little to no budget.”
Monique, Product Management, SaaS
Why Trust is the Real Technology Behind AI
Cover story for Indian Management November 2025
This past year, I noticed a pattern.
Everywhere I went—especially in the Customer Advisory Boards (CABs) I helped run—AI was on the agenda. But not always on the table.
Some leaders came in with working demos and roadmaps. Others were navigating uncertainty. But real conversations didn’t happen until we created a safe space to explore together.
That’s why I wrote this article, Trust Drives AI Success, for Indian Management, alongside two incredible collaborators—Vala Afshar and Henry King.
We believe that in the AI economy, trust isn’t a soft skill.
It’s the ultimate strategic differentiator.
In the article, we explore:
Why co-creation turns vendor-customer relationships into strategic partnerships
How transparency builds resilience (especially when things go wrong)
How structured, intentional relationships—like CABs—create a system for trust
The “Fourth Why” in sales: Why sell, and what your intent says about your values
We also spotlight key ideas from Vala and Henry’s new book Autonomous, a guide to building AI-first businesses that are fit to scale.
It's packed with frameworks and examples—I even started jotting down ideas for future CAB discussions.
