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Portrait of Sean Nolan

Sean Nolan

Technology Journalist · CX Today · @seannolan

Hi there! I'm part of CX Today's editorial team, with a specific focus on AI, automation, and the RevTech space.

Recent work96 stories
How Customer Simulations Turn Research Into Valuable Insight
Interview

How Customer Simulations Turn Research Into Valuable Insight

Customer insight has long been limited by traditional research methods, leaving teams to make decisions with an incomplete picture of their buyers. Gather CEO & Co-Founder Mayank Mehta discusses whether AI simulations can make that insight more immediate, without losing the human perspective.

Sean Nolan · 6h
Why Martech Alignment Matters More Than Features
Interview

Why Martech Alignment Matters More Than Features

Tom Kaneshige from the CMO Council explains why feature-rich martech stacks can still underperform. He argues that CMOs must align platforms with the skills, workflows, and adaptability needed to turn investment into measurable value as AI reshapes marketing operations.

Sean Nolan · 14 Oct 2026
3 Consumer Expectations Defining AI in CX This Week
News

3 Consumer Expectations Defining AI in CX This Week

AI is raising customer expectations faster than many CX teams can meet them. New research from Zingtree, NTT DATA and Alchemer shows consumers want speed and convenience, but still expect control, context, and a clear path to human support for complex moments.

Sean Nolan · 13 Oct 2026
How Consumer Attitudes to AI Are Reshaping Contact Centers
Interview

How Consumer Attitudes to AI Are Reshaping Contact Centers

NTT DATA surveyed 2,160 consumers and businesses across the UK and Ireland on AI in customer service. Sashen Naidu of NTT Data explains why the findings challenge assumptions and reveal businesses may be more out of step with customer expectations than they realize.

Sean Nolan · 8 Oct 2026
Why Real-Time Personalization Is RevTech's New Battleground
News

Why Real-Time Personalization Is RevTech's New Battleground

TikTok, OpenAI, and Treasure AI all made moves this week that collapse the time between discovery and action. From shopping agents that remember shopper context to websites that instantly rewrite themselves, personalization is now the centerpiece, not the afterthought.

Sean Nolan · 7 Oct 2026
AI Agents: OpenAI's Big Bet vs. Gartner's Warning Sign
News

AI Agents: OpenAI's Big Bet vs. Gartner's Warning Sign

OpenAI just bet big on always-on AI agents capable of running entire projects without supervision. Gartner says most enterprises deploying agentic AI this way will abandon it within two years. We explore these contrasting visions for the future of enterprise agentic AI.

Sean Nolan · 5 Oct 2026
How To Manage an Ecosystem of AI Agents in Your CX Stack
Interview

How To Manage an Ecosystem of AI Agents in Your CX Stack

Brian Donohue, VP Product at Fin, tells CX Today how businesses should structure their growing ecosystem of AI agents, from customer-facing bots to internal copilots, without creating new data silos. He also addresses where trust in AI agents is strongest and where it still falls short.

Sean Nolan · 1 Oct 2026
Braze Forge 2026: AI Turns Marketers Into Decision Makers
News

Braze Forge 2026: AI Turns Marketers Into Decision Makers

Braze used its Forge conference in Las Vegas this week to unveil a new wave of AI capabilities, from self-service decisioning to automated campaign. In an exclusive interview, Braze's VP of AI Decisioning Product George Khachatryan tells CX Today where the real shift lies.

Sean Nolan · 30 Sept 2026
Seismic CEO: Merger, Milestones, and The Future of SalesTech
Interview

Seismic CEO: Merger, Milestones, and The Future of SalesTech

Seismic has completed its merger with Highspot, creating a combined go-to-market performance platform serving millions of users. In this exclusive interview, CEO Rob Tarkoff tells CX Today why execution - not strategy - is where most revenue teams actually fall short.

Sean Nolan · 30 Sept 2026
This Week in AI: 3 CX Gaps That Still Need to Be Solved
News

This Week in AI: 3 CX Gaps That Still Need to Be Solved

Qualtrics, Insider One, and HubSpot all made major CX announcements this week, each claiming to close a gap between what customers expect and what businesses deliver. Closing that promise on paper is very different from proving it holds up once the system is actually running.

Sean Nolan · 28 Sept 2026
How Dr. Martens Kicked Its CX Strategy Into Gear
Interview

How Dr. Martens Kicked Its CX Strategy Into Gear

Dr. Martens' Chief Technology & AI Officer Graham Calder shares how the iconic brand fixed its fragmented customer care operation.

Sean Nolan · 24 Sept 2026
CX Awards 2026 Spotlight: The Engagement & Advocacy Layer
News

CX Awards 2026 Spotlight: The Engagement & Advocacy Layer

Explore the CX Awards Engagement & Advocacy layer. Celebrate marketing alignment, community platforms, and employee advocacy.

Sean Nolan · 23 Sept 2026
CX Awards 2026 Spotlight: The Enterprise Impact Layer
News

CX Awards 2026 Spotlight: The Enterprise Impact Layer

Explore the CX Awards Enterprise Impact layer. See what judges look for in CX innovation, AI deployment, and the CX Team of the Year.

Sean Nolan · 9 Sept 2026
CX Awards 2026 Spotlight: Introducing The Trust Layer
News

CX Awards 2026 Spotlight: Introducing The Trust Layer

Explore the CX Awards Trust layer. See what judges look for in the best customer data platforms, privacy solutions, and CX infrastructure.

Sean Nolan · 7 Sept 2026
What Wunderkind and Cordial's New Partnership Means for Cross-Channel Personalization
Explainer

What Wunderkind and Cordial's New Partnership Means for Cross-Channel Personalization

Wunderkind and Cordial integrate AI decisioning and cross-channel personalization to convert anonymous traffic into revenue.

Sean Nolan · 19 Aug 2026
CX Awards 2026: Judging Panel Announced
News

CX Awards 2026: Judging Panel Announced

The CX Awards 2026 judging panel is confirmed. Meet our Chair of Judges, discover what the panel looks for, and view key entry deadlines.

Sean Nolan · 19 Aug 2026
What Elastic and OpenAI's New Partnership Means for CX Service Management
News

What Elastic and OpenAI's New Partnership Means for CX Service Management

Elastic and OpenAI expand their partnership to boost service resilience. This is what it means for CX infrastructure and observability.

Sean Nolan · 12 Aug 2026
From Account Signals to Pipeline: How Demandbase Puts ABX Into Action
News

From Account Signals to Pipeline: How Demandbase Puts ABX Into Action

See how Demandbase's ABX approach helped CyberArk boost close rates 4x and SAP Concur accelerate funnel velocity 4x with account intelligence.

Sean Nolan · 3 Aug 2026
Your Martech Stack Isn't Driving Growth - It's Making Revenue Performance Impossible to Diagnose
Explainer

Your Martech Stack Isn't Driving Growth - It's Making Revenue Performance Impossible to Diagnose

Master martech stack optimization. Reduce enterprise martech complexity to improve marketing technology ROI and revenue performance tracking.

Sean Nolan · 29 Jun 2026
Do You Lose More Customers From Bad Recovery Than From the Original Failure?
Explainer

Do You Lose More Customers From Bad Recovery Than From the Original Failure?

Discover how poor CX service recovery drives more customer churn than original failures and how to build a stronger support recovery process.

Sean Nolan · 26 Jun 2026
How to Improve Contact Center Agent Efficiency with AI: A 2026 Evaluation Guide
Guide

How to Improve Contact Center Agent Efficiency with AI: A 2026 Evaluation Guide

Six AI capabilities that measurably improve contact center agent efficiency in 2026 - with benchmarks, expert quotes, and buyer evaluation.

Sean Nolan · 24 Jun 2026
What to Look for When Purchasing Contact Center Software: The 2026 Buyer's Guide
Guide

What to Look for When Purchasing Contact Center Software: The 2026 Buyer's Guide

Evaluating contact center software in 2026? This buyer's guide covers the seven criteria that matter most, including key AI capabilities.

Sean Nolan · 24 Jun 2026
Is Your Revenue Engine Breaking at the Exact Moment Marketing Hands Over to Sales?
Explainer

Is Your Revenue Engine Breaking at the Exact Moment Marketing Hands Over to Sales?

Master marketing sales alignment today. Improve the lead handoff process and revenue operations strategy to stop losing valuable deals.

Sean Nolan · 22 Jun 2026
How Fragmented Service Delivery Breaks Customer Journeys Even When Every System Works
Explainer

How Fragmented Service Delivery Breaks Customer Journeys Even When Every System Works

Discover how service delivery fragmentation causes a customer journey breakdown and why a CX orchestration strategy is essential for success.

Sean Nolan · 19 Jun 2026
From Technical Win to Budget Approval: Making CX Purchases CFO-Ready
Interview

From Technical Win to Budget Approval: Making CX Purchases CFO-Ready

Techtelligence data shows finance-framed tech content earns 2.6x reach. Learn how IT leaders build a CFO-ready business case & CX ROI model.

Sean Nolan · 18 Jun 2026
How to Remove The Hidden Friction In Your Sales Cycle That Slows Deals Down
Explainer

How to Remove The Hidden Friction In Your Sales Cycle That Slows Deals Down

Master sales cycle optimization today. Learn how a strong deal velocity strategy and sales process efficiency accelerate revenue growth.

Sean Nolan · 15 Jun 2026
Why Can’t You See CX Problems Until Customers Complain About Them?
Explainer

Why Can’t You See CX Problems Until Customers Complain About Them?

Discover why system metrics fail and how a CX visibility strategy with real time customer monitoring improves service performance visibility.

Sean Nolan · 12 Jun 2026
Inflight Wi-Fi Sucks vs Airline Food - Starlink Might Be Rewriting That Story With This Week's SpaceX IPO
News

Inflight Wi-Fi Sucks vs Airline Food - Starlink Might Be Rewriting That Story With This Week's SpaceX IPO

Inflight WIFI is on the CX ascendancy. Here's which airlines have Starlink, what speeds to expect, and what it means for CX leaders.

Sean Nolan · 11 Jun 2026
AI Agent vs Chatbot: Why Your AI Messaging Needs an Upgrade
Interview

AI Agent vs Chatbot: Why Your AI Messaging Needs an Upgrade

Techtelligence data shows "AI Agent" content gets 2.9x more reach than "Chatbot." Learn why adapting to this AI terminology shift is critical

Sean Nolan · 11 Jun 2026
Gartner Data: 49% of U.S. Consumers Say AI Has Made Content Quality Worse
News

Gartner Data: 49% of U.S. Consumers Say AI Has Made Content Quality Worse

Increasingly consumers believe AI makes content worse. Explore how CMOs can combat AI-driven content skepticism and marketing fatigue.

Sean Nolan · 10 Jun 2026
TELUS Digital: Two Thirds Of Enterprises Are Deploying AI Without Safety Nets
News

TELUS Digital: Two Thirds Of Enterprises Are Deploying AI Without Safety Nets

New TELUS Digital research reveals that 68% of companies lack automated QA, creating an enterprise AI performance gap in the contact center.

Sean Nolan · 8 Jun 2026
Why Does Your Attribution Model Always Credit the Wrong Channel?
Explainer

Why Does Your Attribution Model Always Credit the Wrong Channel?

Discover why marketing attribution models fail. Improve your multi-touch attribution and customer journey attribution for better spending.

Sean Nolan · 8 Jun 2026
Your Customer Experience Isn’t Breaking - It’s Quietly Getting Worse Every Single Day
Explainer

Your Customer Experience Isn’t Breaking - It’s Quietly Getting Worse Every Single Day

Discover why your service is quietly failing. Learn how customer experience monitoring stops gradual decline and protects your brand.

Sean Nolan · 4 Jun 2026
Your Demand Gen Engine Isn't Broken - It's Flooding Sales With Leads That Will Never Convert
Explainer

Your Demand Gen Engine Isn't Broken - It's Flooding Sales With Leads That Will Never Convert

Improve your demand generation strategy today. Master pipeline quality optimization and win the lead quality vs volume battle for better ROI.

Sean Nolan · 1 Jun 2026
The Martech and SalesTech Buying Framework That Filters Out Hype and Finds Real Revenue Impact
Explainer

The Martech and SalesTech Buying Framework That Filters Out Hype and Finds Real Revenue Impact

Discover a proven martech buying framework. Improve your sales tech evaluation strategy to drive real marketing and sales tools ROI today.

Sean Nolan · 29 May 2026
Is Your Service Management Strategy Just Reacting Faster to Problems Instead of Preventing Them?
Explainer

Is Your Service Management Strategy Just Reacting Faster to Problems Instead of Preventing Them?

Discover why faster incident response fails and how a proactive CX service management strategy prevents issues before they impact customers.

Sean Nolan · 28 May 2026
The Activation Gap: Why 78% of Martech Stacks Fail to Support Business Goals
Explainer

The Activation Gap: Why 78% of Martech Stacks Fail to Support Business Goals

A new 2026 report reveals why 78% of leaders struggle with martech stack ROI. Discover how to close the activation gap and generate value.

Sean Nolan · 28 May 2026
Why Brand Trust Matters More When AI Makes the Purchases
News

Why Brand Trust Matters More When AI Makes the Purchases

New research reveals how AI shopping behavior is changing retail. Discover why ecommerce brand trust is critical in 2026.

Sean Nolan · 27 May 2026
Vector Just Raised $10M to Augment Marketers, Not Replace Them
News

Vector Just Raised $10M to Augment Marketers, Not Replace Them

Vector secures a $10M Series A to build an AI layer for contact-level advertising. Discover how marketers support B2B audience targeting.

Sean Nolan · 26 May 2026
Is Your Sales Technology Stack Slowing Deals Down Instead of Accelerating Them?
Explainer

Is Your Sales Technology Stack Slowing Deals Down Instead of Accelerating Them?

Maximize your sales tech stack efficiency today. Learn how deal velocity optimization and sales process automation accelerate revenue.

Sean Nolan · 22 May 2026
How to Build a Connectivity Layer That Protects Customer Experience From System Fragility
Explainer

How to Build a Connectivity Layer That Protects Customer Experience From System Fragility

Learn how a resilient CX connectivity architecture and service continuity strategy protect customer experience resilience during outages.

Sean Nolan · 21 May 2026
69% of Buyers Rely on Reps to Validate AI - The Paradoxical State of Sales Technology
News

69% of Buyers Rely on Reps to Validate AI - The Paradoxical State of Sales Technology

Gartner data reveals 69% of B2B buyers use reps to validate AI insights. Learn how to redesign AI sales technology workflows to drive growth.

Sean Nolan · 21 May 2026
How to Build a Revenue Engine That Aligns Marketing and Sales Instead of Forcing Them Together
Explainer

How to Build a Revenue Engine That Aligns Marketing and Sales Instead of Forcing Them Together

Master your marketing sales alignment strategy. Build a strong revenue operations model to improve sales and marketing integration today.

Sean Nolan · 15 May 2026
Why Does Your CX Break Only When Customers Need It Most?
Explainer

Why Does Your CX Break Only When Customers Need It Most?

Discover why CX systems fail at peak demand and how a customer experience uptime strategy protects service reliability when it matters most.

Sean Nolan · 14 May 2026
Why Does Your Network Look Healthy While Customer Experience Is Quietly Degrading?
Explainer

Why Does Your Network Look Healthy While Customer Experience Is Quietly Degrading?

Your network can look healthy while CX degrades. See how connectivity performance gaps and network latency impact customer interactions.

Sean Nolan · 12 May 2026
5 Findings From 6sense's BDR Report That Every Sales Leader Should See
News

5 Findings From 6sense's BDR Report That Every Sales Leader Should See

New research on modern salestech found that AI adoption is near-universal - but the way most reps use it has no impact on quota.

Sean Nolan · 12 May 2026
Why Does Your Personalization Strategy Feel Irrelevant to the Customers It Targets?
Explainer

Why Does Your Personalization Strategy Feel Irrelevant to the Customers It Targets?

Fix personalization strategy failure by improving customer intent modelling, real time personalization, and contextual marketing.

Sean Nolan · 8 May 2026
Your Customer Experience Isn’t Failing - It’s Timing Out in Places You Don’t Monitor
Explainer

Your Customer Experience Isn’t Failing - It’s Timing Out in Places You Don’t Monitor

Improve real time CX responsiveness by monitoring latency across integrations and key journeys instead of relying on uptime metrics alone.

Sean Nolan · 7 May 2026
Your CX Isn’t Breaking Randomly - It’s Failing at the Exact Points You Can’t See
Explainer

Your CX Isn’t Breaking Randomly - It’s Failing at the Exact Points You Can’t See

CX observability gaps make outages look random. Learn how service path visibility, end-to-end CX monitoring, and service dependency mapping.

Sean Nolan · 5 May 2026
Your Martech Stack Isn’t Driving Growth - It’s Hiding Why Pipeline Quality Is Declining
Explainer

Your Martech Stack Isn’t Driving Growth - It’s Hiding Why Pipeline Quality Is Declining

Martech stack performance can look strong while pipeline quality declines. Learn pipeline quality optimization & marketing technology ROI.

Sean Nolan · 1 May 2026
What Liverpool FC's SAS Partnership Tells Us About AI-Powered Fan Engagement
News

What Liverpool FC's SAS Partnership Tells Us About AI-Powered Fan Engagement

Liverpool FC's multiyear SAS partnership is a case study in AI-powered fan engagement. Here's what IT leaders evaluating martech can learn.

Sean Nolan · 29 Apr 2026
Is Intent Data Driving Growth or Just Expensive Guesswork
Explainer

Is Intent Data Driving Growth or Just Expensive Guesswork

Learn how to validate B2B intent data, integrate intent signals into CRM, and prove intent data ROI without wasted spend.

Sean Nolan · 29 Apr 2026
How to Choose the Right Observability Platform for CX
Explainer

How to Choose the Right Observability Platform for CX

Learn how to run a CX monitoring software comparison that tests diagnosability, correlation, and ITSM workflows to improve CX operations.

Sean Nolan · 28 Apr 2026
Will AI in Sales Improve Performance or Erode Buyer Trust
Explainer

Will AI in Sales Improve Performance or Erode Buyer Trust

Explore AI in B2B sales: where AI sales tools boost productivity, where trust erodes, and how to govern enterprise AI sales responsibly.

Sean Nolan · 22 Apr 2026
World Creativity and Innovation Day 2026: Martech Innovations That Will Boost Revenue in 2026 and Beyond
News

World Creativity and Innovation Day 2026: Martech Innovations That Will Boost Revenue in 2026 and Beyond

Three martech innovations for 2026: AI-powered hyper-personalization, AI agents, and privacy-first measurement for B2B revenue growth.

Sean Nolan · 21 Apr 2026
Can You Prove Observability ROI Across Your CX Stack?
Explainer

Can You Prove Observability ROI Across Your CX Stack?

A buyer-ready framework to prove observability business value across the CX stack, linking detection and resolution improvements to ROI.

Sean Nolan · 21 Apr 2026
Highspot and Seismic Are Set to Merge - What Does It Mean for the Sales Enablement Market?
News

Highspot and Seismic Are Set to Merge - What Does It Mean for the Sales Enablement Market?

Highspot and Seismic plan to merge. Here’s what it means for sales enablement platform buyers and AI-powered revenue enablement.

Sean Nolan · 20 Apr 2026
Are Sales Enablement Tools Driving Revenue or Adding Noise?
Explainer

Are Sales Enablement Tools Driving Revenue or Adding Noise?

Learn how to evaluate sales enablement software with metrics that prove revenue impact, not noise. Explore this practical buyer's framework.

Sean Nolan · 15 Apr 2026
How Often Do Contact Centers Fail and What It Really Costs
Explainer

How Often Do Contact Centers Fail and What It Really Costs

Contact center reliability statistics reveal failures are frequent. Learn how downtime impacts revenue using CX infrastructure research.

Sean Nolan · 14 Apr 2026
Salesforce CEO: AI Sales Tech Won't Be The End of Human Reps
News

Salesforce CEO: AI Sales Tech Won't Be The End of Human Reps

Benioff says Agentforce for Sales won't replace your reps. Here's what AI-powered selling really means for go-to-market teams.

Sean Nolan · 14 Apr 2026