The CX Iconoclast
If you’re exhausted by traditional approaches to CX, impatient with the stunning lack of progress in the field, and done re-hashing the “best practices” that don’t change anything, you’ve found your podcast. Here’s what we know: Companies gain competitive advantage through exceptional customer experience, and customer insights are the best decision-making tool there is. But traditional CX approaches have run their course and it’s time for the next revolution in CX. Tune in every two weeks as Richard Owen, co-founder of OCX Cognition, hosts conversations and interviews with business leaders, academics, and thinkers whose ideas can guide the CX profession to think in new ways about what success looks like. Most of them aren’t CX professionals, but all of them have something to teach us about CX. We’ll take a clear-eyed look at the problems that have hampered the discipline and explore the compelling ideas behind a re-engineering CX for a modern world. Come disgruntled, leave inspired. Find us at www.ocxcognition.com
The CX Iconoclast
What 25 Years of Tech Research Tells Us About the Future of AI - With Cornell's Chris Forman
What happens when leading-edge academic research meets real-world customer dynamics? In this episode, OCX Cognition CEO Richard Owen welcomes Chris Forman, Professor of Strategy, Innovation, and Technology at Cornell’s Dyson School, to discuss how technology adoption, data integration, and organizational readiness shape B2B outcomes. Together, they clarify the critical differences between collecting data and using it—and why even sophisticated firms often struggle to translate tech investments into competitive advantage.
From early-stage AI to platform lock-in, from Salesforce implementation challenges to the dynamics of central versus local decision-making, Chris brings the data-backed clarity of academic insight to questions every CX and strategy leader should be asking. Whether you're working your way through enterprise-wide digital transformation or trying to turn customer intelligence into action, this conversation offers both a grounding in research and a playbook for growth.
Chris Forman is the Peter and Stephanie Nolan Professor of Strategy, Innovation, and Technology at Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. He earned his Ph.D. in managerial economics and strategy from Northwestern University (2002) and holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Cornell, Chris served on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School, Georgia Tech’s Scheller College, and was an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon. He also worked as an associate economist at Lehman Brothers. His award‑winning research spans company-level IT value, digital platforms, enterprise software ecosystems, and the strategic adoption of AI.
Find out how predictive CX analytics can help your business: https://ocxcognition.com/
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Connect with Richard Owen on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richard-owen-98ba3
