Welcome to the June / July 2025 edition of the CX Talent Ltd newsletter. Kate Baird and Jo van Riemsdijk are incredibly pleased to have had the chance to interview the fabulous Will Plummer – Chief Experience Officer at Indeemo . We are hugely grateful to Will for his time, insights and advice for those looking to move into the wonderful world of CX. We hope that you enjoy this edition as much as we do!

1. Will, you’re currently Chief Experience Officer at Indeemo – can you tell us what your role entails and what a typical day looks like (if there is one)?

As Chief Experience Officer, my role is all about championing the human side of our business. That means deeply understanding the needs and experiences of our customers, their research participants, as well as empowering our internal teams – from engineering and product to support and sales. The goal is to ensure everyone has what they need to continuously elevate our customer experience. No two days are the same, it really depends on the priority initiatives but I love having such variety. Ultimately, it’s about keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do and making sure our teams are equipped to deliver exceptional experiences.

2. Your career spans a wide range of sectors and roles across customer experience, insight and transformation. What have been some of the key values that have guided your journey?

I’ve been so fortunate to work with so many amazing teams and people. VML and Deloitte particularly offered so many opportunities and inspiring people to work with. Throughout my career in customer experience, insight, and transformation, there’s lots of values I’ve developed along the way (we’re all a constant project) but three values that have stood the test of time are:

• Curiosity: always asking ‘why,’ digging into the context behind every request. Getting to the right question is the goal of curiosity.
• Being human-centric. Indeemo has a line that is “understanding the humans that matter to you, in the moments that matter to them” which I really like. Whether the context is customers or colleagues, big programmes to small workshops, focussing on who you’re creating for and being inclusive of them and their needs is a reliable north star.
• Finally, resilience has been crucial. Personally and professionally. The path to delivering meaningful experiences isn’t always smooth … life happens, companies change, and being able to persevere and come out stronger helps make the ups and the downs equally beneficial experiences.

 

3. You’ve worked with some of the most recognisable global brands and within agile start-ups. How has your approach to CX needed to adapt in each?

My approach to CX has always been anchored in understanding the humans, the business, and the context – whether that context is a competitive landscape or the unique culture of an organisation. The difference for me lies in how I approach getting traction. In agile start-ups, you can pivot quickly, test ideas rapidly, and see immediate impact. In larger, more established organisations, change is often a slower journey because there are more people to align with, more processes to navigate, and a greater aversion to risk. It’s like steering a speedboat versus a cruise ship – one can turn on a sixpence, while the other requires careful, incremental adjustments. So continuous development of a toolbox of methods to rise to opportunities and take people along the journey is critical. As is identifying the right influencers, helping them succeed, and understanding the organizational barriers so you can navigate them effectively.

4. What’s been the most challenging or rewarding CX project you’ve worked on – and what did you learn from it?

One of the most challenging and rewarding projects I worked on was my first major project at VML about 15 years ago, creating a digital web experience for the Premier League. It was a high budget engagement with all the complexities you can imagine – huge scope, large design and development teams, intricate infrastructure for peak traffic during match days, and real-time data integrations. It taught me invaluable lessons that I’ve carried throughout my career.

I learned the importance of building a versatile toolbox of skills that endure beyond any single role. I’d been through lots of different methodology training by this point, but by cherry picking components from each I could have high impact. Lots of small to medium impact changes can lead to a significant difference.

That project and many others underscored that success hinges on the people you work with – so understanding their needs, fostering positive relationships, and navigating the human dynamics ultimately drive a project’s success.

Finally I took away just to get stuck in, I remember being in many scenarios where I felt out of my comfort zone. At the time my internal talk track was one of not having enough experience so took this as a mandate to prepare prepare prepare, but in hindsight I have realised that there’s so many opportunities where you’re not comfortable and don’t feel ready but by jumping in and doing your best your comfort zone expands and you can find great fulfillment and success.

5. When building high-performing CX functions, what capabilities or characteristics do you value most in team members?

I look for three key characteristics: curiosity, adaptability, and passion.

• Curiosity is essential because it drives us to constantly ask questions and dig deeper into understanding problems.
• Adaptability is crucial in a world where the pace of change is relentless; having team members who can navigate and embrace change ensures both personal and organisational growth.
• And finally, passion is what sets great teams apart – people enjoy working with those who genuinely care, and that authenticity shines through in every client interaction and every project.

 

6. AI is transforming customer engagement. What are the most exciting (or risky) developments you’re seeing right now from a CX perspective?

The pace of change in AI is so hard to keep up with. Last week it was exciting playing with Veo. Whatever the hot topic, the thread of excitement that links each evolution is that AI is dramatically lowering the barrier from idea to market. Last month, I built a mindful birth web app for my partner in just a few hours using replit. I went from a logo and an idea of the customer experience I wanted, to a deployed, functional app with no coding input whatsoever. Vibe coding seems to be the moniker for this kind of work but going from concept to a functional product almost instantly – is incredibly exciting and opens up so many possibilities for enriching experiences. I also find the philosophical conversations that are coming out of the woodwork like the simulation hypothesis fascinating.

Risk wise I listen to the debates about AGI and the likelihood and potential impacts. The e/acc crew seem adamant that even if there is risk it is important “we” need to do it or “they” will (to me feels maybe true, but certainly a self-fulling prophecy). On a more day to day level, the risks are a rise in more sophisticated scams and other forms of misuse. It’s a double-edged sword but there’s no stopping the train now.

7. Many junior professionals are starting their CX careers now. What advice would you give to someone just entering the field?

Be curious, learn, and actively engage. While there’s a lot of noise about AI disrupting jobs, history has shown (so far at least) that new technologies like the transition from agricultural to industrial and pre-internet to internet will disrupt and cause impact to “legacy” jobs but go on to create even more opportunities in the long run. By immersing yourself, staying curious, and continuously learning, you’ll be more likely to set yourself apart and build a strong foundation for the future. Also find mentors and don’t be afraid to ask.

8. What role has professional networking played in your career – and how would you advise others to build meaningful connections?

I’ve never been a fan of forced networking or large-scale networking events. Instead, I’ve found that the most meaningful connections in my career have come from working closely with people and building one-on-one relationships. I like to focus on cultivating genuine connections with colleagues and collaborators rather than trying to build a vast network. Quality over quantity has worked well for me, and it’s led to a good set of authentic and lasting professional relationships.

9. If you were asked to build a CX team from scratch for a business in transformation – what would your dream team look like?

My ideal team right now would be composed of adaptable, AI-native individuals who can innovate and deliver. It’s already true that we need less people to do the same amount of work as 5 years ago so I want the people that can use the tools and know the right questions to ask. Rather than relying on rigid, compartmentalised roles, I’d focus on a team that’s continuously learning and capable of making both small, impactful changes and larger strategic shifts.

10. Finally, if you could design your next ideal challenge or role, what would it involve?

If I could design my next ideal challenge or role, it would blend my passion for helping people with cutting-edge technology. My father was an anaesthetist, as was his and my mother also in medicine. It was a big decision for me not to follow in the medical footsteps but I don’t regret it and there’s so much opportunity to help people with well crafted experiences and technologies I’ll be focusing my energy on those kinds of projects. Indeemo is great in this regard, there’s so much research taking place on the platform that goes on to have tangible impact to people. So whatever the next challenge is I’d love to work on something that advances proactive healthcare or nutrition with the goal of creating something truly impactful, surrounded by a team of curious, adaptable people who share that vision.

Thanks so much for inviting me to be part of the newsletter I’ve greatly enjoyed previous iterations and am honoured to be part of it.

Kate Baird Baird and Jo van Riemsdijk would like to thank Will Plummer for making time to speak to us and sharing his insights and thoughts.

2025 continues to be difficult for recruitment and for CX. If you have a desire to hear from someone from a specific industry or a particular Leader you would love to hear from – please do let us know and we will do our best to accommodate! To subscribe to these newsletters – please do hit the subscribe button to make sure you don’t miss out!

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