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Michael Brandt

Founder & Senior Consultant at Michael Brandt CX-Excellence

Lugano, Switzerland

Michael is a Customer Experience Strategist with extensive experience designing and implementing CX programmes across global, multicultural organisations. With over 25 years in customer-facing operations, he now supports companies in shaping their CX strategy, mapping customer journeys, developing Voice of the Customer programmes, and improving complaint handling and customer care processes.

He holds qualifications in Lean Six Sigma, Quality Management, Net Promoter System 2, and Risk Management, and studied Business Economics at the University of Zürich in Switzerland.

Michael is frequently invited to speak at CX events and serves as a judge for several international customer experience awards. In 2025, he was recognised as one of the Top 25 Global CX Influencer by CX Magagzine. He is also a professional member of the Experience Management Global Collaborative (XMGC).

In addition to his work in customer experience, Michael brings years of leadership experience managing cross-cultural, multi-site teams. He regularly provides education and coaching on people management and leadership, as well as customer experience-related topics.

Available For: Advising, Consulting, Influencing, Speaking
Travels From: Zürich or Milan
Speaking Topics: CX as a Growth Strategy, From Feedback to Action: Driving Real Change, Teaching CX in the Corporate World, Is Hyperpersonalisation worth it?

Speaking Fee $3,000 (In-Person), $1,500 (Virtual)

Michael Brandt Points
Academic 35
Author 28
Influencer 88
Speaker 27
Entrepreneur 20
Total 198

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Company Information

Company Type: Individual
Theatre: Global
Minimum Project Size: N/A
Average Hourly Rate: $200-$300
Number of Employees: 1-10
Company Founded Date: 2020
Media Experience: 15 years
Last Media Interview: 03/26/2025

Areas of Expertise

AI 30.04
Analytics
Big Data 30.06
Business Strategy 31.16
Change Management
Coaching 30.49
Customer Experience 32.00
Customer Loyalty 32.89
Leadership 30.02
Management 31.63
Marketing 30.49
Project Management
Risk Management
Transformation

Industry Experience

Agriculture & Mining
Engineering & Construction
Industrial Machinery & Components
Manufacturing
Metal Products
Oil & Gas
Travel & Transportation
Utilities

Publications

14 Article/Blogs
Leveraging Webinar-Based Learning for Consistent, Global CX Training
Lexden Customer Experience Consultants
April 01, 2025
Series: Spotlight on training formats in CX. Article #2 Webinar-based learning

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Tags: Customer Experience

The Enduring Power of Instructor-Led Training
Lexden Customer experuence Consultants
March 26, 2025
Series: Spotlight on training formats in CX. Article #1 instructor-led training

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Tags: Customer Experience

Marketing and Customer Experience - The Essential Partnership You Can't Ignore
cx-excellence
February 26, 2025
Businesses are constantly vying for the attention of consumers bombarded with endless messages and choices. Amidst the noise, two critical pillars stand out as defining elements of lasting success: marketing and customer experience. Much like two dancers performing in perfect synchronization, these components create a harmonious relationship that not only attracts customers but also encourages loyalty and engagement. Recognizing that one cannot thrive without the other is crucial for any brand seeking to not just exist but to genuinely stand out in the modern marketplace.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Marketing

Marketing and Customer Experience - The Essential Partnership You Can't Ignore"
LinkedIn
February 25, 2025
Businesses are constantly vying for the attention of consumers bombarded with endless messages and choices. Amidst the noise, two critical pillars stand out as defining elements of lasting success: marketing and customer experience. Much like two dancers performing in perfect synchronization, these components create a harmonious relationship that not only attracts customers but also encourages loyalty and engagement. Recognizing that one cannot thrive without the other is crucial for any brand seeking to not just exist but to genuinely stand out in the modern marketplace.

See publication

Tags: Coaching, Customer Experience, Management

Smaller Companies Can Excel at Customer Experience Without Breaking the Bank
CX-Excellence
February 07, 2025
When people think of customer experience (CX), their minds often jump to big corporations with massive budgets and entire teams dedicated to CX strategy. But here’s the truth: smaller companies have a unique advantage in delivering outstanding CX. Why? Because CX isn’t about how much money you spend. It’s about building genuine connections, listening to your customers, and committing to improvement.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Marketing

Finding Harmony Between Hyper-personalization and Simplicity in CX Design
cx-excellence
February 06, 2025
Personalisation is key to enhancing customer experience, but it must go hand in hand with simplicity to avoid overwhelming your audience. Hyper-personalization can elevate interactions when executed thoughtfully, but a complex approach can lead to confusion and mistrust. Balancing innovation with ethical practices is imperative to maintain customer loyalty and respect their privacy. In this article, we'll explore actionable strategies to achieve harmony in CX design, ensuring that personalised offerings are both effective and easy to navigate.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Marketing

Rethinking CX Metrics: Why CSAT, NPS, and CES Shouldn't Be the Whole Story
LinkedIn
October 28, 2024
Looking at today's CX world, metrics have become a core part of companies' CX strategy. From Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) to Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Effort Score (CES), these metrics often take centre stage in dashboards, guide key decisions, and serve as performance benchmarks. But as CX continues to evolve, it’s time (and has been for a while) to ask: Are these numbers telling us the full story?

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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Management

Empathy in Action: Why It’s Essential for Both Customers and Staff
LinkedIn
October 23, 2024
Who has never thought to themselves: “Stop the world. I want to get off!”? In today’s world of fast-paced, often stressful environments, empathy has become a cornerstone of exceptional customer service. It’s widely acknowledged that understanding and responding to the needs and emotions of customers leads to better experiences and, ultimately, stronger business outcomes. But there’s an equally important aspect that is sometimes overlooked: the role empathy plays in managing and supporting staff.

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Tags: Coaching, Customer Experience, Management

The Quiet Power of Assurance: Leadership Beyond Hierarchy
LinkedIn
August 26, 2024
When discussing leadership, we often hear that "leaders are born, not made." While this has its roots in the idea that certain innate qualities lend themselves to effective leadership, I believe it oversimplifies the complex nature of what makes someone a great leader. In truth, leadership is not merely a function of rank or position but of presence, character, and the quiet assurance that one brings into any situation.

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Tags: Coaching, Customer Experience, Management

Do all your staff know how they affect customer outcomes?
CX-Excellence
July 20, 2022
One day we delivered a component for a piece of engine equipment that required testing on a testbed. During this test in the customer's factory, a bolt came loose and disappeared into the engine. The operator pressed the "Emergency Stop" button and the search for the bolt begun. It took two days to find the missing bolt and, as a result, the customer's test schedules were delayed also. Naturally, the customer was extremely unhappy and filed a complaint.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Marketing

No business is too small to think about Customer Experience
Michael Brandt
August 06, 2021
Even small businesses need to think about how they communicate with customers.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

Leaders Wanted!
Michael Brandt
August 08, 2020
Leadership is not just about hierarchy. It is about culture and personality.

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Tags: Leadership

Is the result all that counts or does the journey to get there matter also?
LinkedIn
January 11, 2020
Some years ago, I was responsible for a service sales operation for large equipment used on diesel engines. Routine service on larger products was generally planned well in advance, however for smaller products the demand for service was often more immediate, i.e. a phone call from the customer saying "When can I bring my equipment in for a service?". We had a very successful operation and we expanded quite quickly. We hired more engineers and they were working at capacity virtually immediately. But, despite our success, there were grumblings in the market place from dissatisfied customers and we were unable to pin down the reason. Or product was good, our service quality was excellent and availability of spares was second to none

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Tags: Coaching, Customer Experience, Management

Over the hill at 60?
LinkedIn
August 11, 2019
This morning I was reading an article in the well-respected Zürich daily newspaper the Neue Zürcher Zeitung about ABB’s search for a new CEO (NZZ, Saturday 10th August 2019, "Der neue Chef von ABB sollte keine Autoritäre Person sein, möglichst keinen Schweizer Pass besitzen und sich in der digitalen Welt auskennen"). The article mentioned the person currently rumored to be the first choice in financial circles, current Sandvik CEO Björn Rosengren. Some of ABB’s major investors have, apparently, voiced their support for this candidate given Sandvik’s performance under his stewardship

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Tags: Coaching, Customer Experience, Management

1 Book Chapter
Customer-oriented Issue Resolution as a Market Differentiator
American Society for Quality India Pvt
November 01, 2015
Explains how a customer-oriented complaint resolution plan can differentiate a company from its competition

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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

1 Founder
CX-Excellence
CX-Excellence
January 01, 2020
CX-Excellence offers consulting services and training for Customer Experience Management, Customer Journey Mapping, Voice of Customer programs and Complaint Management.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Marketing

1 Instructor
Customer Journey Mapping
Michael Brandt CX-Excellence
March 04, 2025
An interactive two-day workshop looking at practical applications for Customer Journey Maps

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Tags: Customer Experience

2 Media Interviews
Customer Experience Measurement and Management in 2025
ICS Digital
March 26, 2025
Podcast with Martin Calvert of ICS-Digital

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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

Preview of the Course: Lexden's Customer Experience Management Training Programme
Lexden CX
May 17, 2024
A live preview of Lexden's Customer Experience Management Training programme. A short, informative session where Michael Brandt and Christopher Brooks will give you a taste of:

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Marketing

1 Podcast
S4E3 - Intélligence artificielle, mais encore..
CX au quotidien
May 15, 2024
Aujourd'hui, on plonge dans le futur de l'expérience client avec Michael Brandt de CX-EXCELLENCE!

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Marketing

2 Speaking Engagements
From Chaos to Clarity: Finding Harmony Between Personalisation and Simplicity in CX Design
CX Summit 2025, Athens
January 30, 2025
Balancing personalization and simplicity in customer experience

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Tags: AI, Big Data, Customer Experience

You owe your customers an answer!
Futurelab
November 03, 2022

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Tags: Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

4 Trainings
Interactive Voice of Customer Programmes Workshop
CX-Excellence
October 06, 2022

See publication

Tags: Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

Interactive Customer Journey Mapping Workshop
CX-Excellence
September 22, 2022
2-day interactive customer journey mapping workshop

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Tags: Customer Experience

Interactive Customer Journey Mapping Workshop
CX-Excellence
September 21, 2022

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Tags: Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

Customer Journey Mapping
Weventz SIngapore
December 15, 2021
A 2 half-day workshop on Customer Journey Mapping

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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

3 Visiting Lecturers
Measuring Customer Satisfaction
Zurich University of Applied Sciences - School of Management & Law
October 25, 2024
Guest lecture to CAS Strategic Marketing Students on Measuring Customer Satisfaction

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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

Service Excellence in B2B
ZHAW School of Management & Law
March 23, 2021
Guest Lecture ZHAW School of Management & Law - "Service Excellence in B2B" (2020, 2021)

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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

Service Excellence in B2B
ZHAW Zürich School of Management & Law
March 10, 2020
Guest Lecture ZHAW School of Management & Law - "Service Excellence in B2B" (2020, 2021)

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Tags: Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

3 Webinars
3 steps to improve your CSAT score
Engati
February 03, 2021
Customer Satisfaction and Complaint Management

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Tags: Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

B2B CX, the difference from Customer CX
Sandsiv
January 28, 2021
The difference between CX in a B2B and B2C environment

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Tags: Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

Do companies care about your feedback?
Vantta
February 07, 2020
Discussion about whether customer feedback matters

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Tags: Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

Thinkers360 Credentials

2 Badges

Radar

Blog

1 Article/Blog
The Case Against Line Authority in CX: Leading Without Command
Thinkers360
April 05, 2025

Should CX Managers have direct line authority? This blog makes the case for influence over control, showing why CX leaders are more impactful when they coach, guide, and empower others rather than manage through hierarchy. Drawing on leadership theory and practical examples, it outlines the skills needed to lead without authority and build a truly customer-centric culture.

See blog

Tags: Coaching, Customer Experience

Opportunities

1 Business Consulting
Customer Experience Strategy & Transformation Consulting

Location: Global -Onsite/ Virtual    Fees: 300 / Hr

Service Type: Service Offered

I help organisations design and embed customer experience strategies that drive sustainable value. With over 25 years of experience in customer-facing operations and global leadership roles, I support companies in aligning CX with business goals, mapping customer journeys, implementing VoC and complaint management programmes, and building internal capabilities through training and leadership development. My approach is pragmatic, culturally sensitive, and tailored to each organisation’s maturity and context, ensuring CX becomes a strategic enabler, not just a function.

I'm available either on-site or remotely. Dates by arrangement.

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