Ann Samuel

About Ann Samuel

I bring clarity to complexity and transform operations into strategic growth engines.For 20+ years, I\'ve built and led high-performing operations and customer success teams at Splunk, DocuSign, and Oracle—consistently recognized for translating complex technical challenges into clear, actionable solutions that drive measurable business outcomes. WHAT I DELIVERMeasurable operational excellence through empowered teams:→ 35% reduction in change-related incidents through structured ITSM governance→ 99%+ SLA compliance with 35% improvement in P1/P2 MTTR→ Built and scaled global teams of 95+ across Incident, Problem, Change, Release, and Service Level Management→ Led programs supporting $1.1B+ ARR across 4,500+ hybrid cloud environments→ Pioneered AI-driven support transformation improving CSAT from 4.1 to 4.6 while handling 10K+ cases monthly MY LEADERSHIP APPROACHI lead with empathy, clarity, and a steadfast focus on solutions. Colleagues describe me as a \"force multiplier\" who elevates not just my team but everyone around me. I create environments of trust and psychological safety where people feel empowered to take initiative, grow, and deliver their best work.My superpower is decomposing complex problems into phased solutions that cross-functional teams can rally behind. I\'m calm under pressure, remove roadblocks proactively, and maintain strong partnerships across Product, Engineering, and Customer Success—even when organizational priorities compete. MY MISSIONTo prove that operations doesn\'t have to be a cost center—it can be a strategic differentiator. With the right leadership, operations teams become growth engines: improving customer retention, accelerating product adoption, and feeding insights that make products better. WHAT DRIVES METhree things energize me:1. Building teams where people thrive - Zero attrition while scaling isn\'t luck, it\'s culture2. Solving complex problems - The intersection of technology, operations, and human behavior fascinates me3. Servant leadership - I founded Women of OCI (70→300+ members) and co-founded WITAlign mentoring platform because I believe in motivating others to be their best BASED IN RALEIGH, NCLet\'s connect if you\'re building or scaling operations teams, exploring AI transformation in customer-facing functions, or passionate about diversity and inclusion in tech.Always open to conversations about operations excellence, leadership, AI innovation, and women in tech!

Experience

1. Sr Dir, Global Technical Support

   Contrast Security

   Jan 2026 — Present · Raleigh, NC, US

   Leading global technical support for Contrast Security\'s Application Detection and Response (ADR) platform, delivering exceptional customer experiences for DevSecOps teams worldwide.Key Focus Areas:• Building and scaling high-performing global support teams across multiple time zones• Driving operational excellence through metrics-driven insights and continuous improvement• Partnering with Product and Engineering to translate customer insights into product improvements• Implementing AI-powered support tools and automation to enhance resolution speed and quality• Establishing follow-the-sun support coverage ensuring 24/7 customer success• Developing technical enablement programs to maintain deep application security expertise across the team• Fostering a customer-obsessed culture focused on proactive support and measurable outcomes

Education

• Bharathidasan University

  MCA, Computer applications

  1993 — 1996

• Bharathiar University

  B.Sc, Comp science

  1991 — 1993

Skills

• Oracle
• Software Development
• Quality Assurance
• Weblogic
• Soa
• Oracle Application Server
• Java Enterprise Edition
• Sdlc
• Oracle Forms
• Oracle Reports
• Test Automation
• Agile Methodologies
• Shell Scripting
• Requirements Analysis
• Software Project Management
• Software Quality Assurance
• Application Servers
• Integration
• Cloud Computing
• Adf
• Oracle Applications
• Unix Shell Scripting
• Solaris
• Test Planning
• Solution Architecture
• Cqa Certification
• Itil V3 Foundations Certified
• Silk
• Oracle Enterprise Manager
• Oracle Cloud
• Testing
• Software Development Life Cycle (Sdlc)
• Service-Oriented Architecture (Soa)