Customer Science names Johnstone Australian Chief Executive

Customer Science has appointed James Johnstone as Chief Executive Officer of its Australian business, succeeding Todd Gorsuch, who has become Group Chief Executive Officer.

The change comes as the Sydney-headquartered customer experience and digital transformation company prepares to expand beyond Australia, with North America as its initial focus.

Johnstone joined Customer Science earlier this year as Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, he will oversee the company's Australian operations while continuing to work with clients and partners as the business pursues its longer-term strategy across customer service, digital experience, AI and human-centred design.

His appointment is part of a broader management reshuffle that allows Gorsuch to focus on building the group's international business, including developing a team for overseas markets and strengthening partner relationships.

Johnstone brings more than 20 years of experience in business development, consulting, sales, marketing and account management. Before joining Customer Science, he worked at Cisco, where he led new business development and introduced governance, stakeholder engagement and partnership measures linked to growth.

Earlier in his career, he spent more than nine years at Datacom and more than five years at HPE in roles spanning operational delivery and support strategy.

Leadership change

Explaining the company's international push, Gorsuch pointed to North American demand for customer experience and AI work that moves beyond early-stage projects.

"We see a clear opportunity in North America to help organisations take customer experience and AI solutions from design through pilot to scale. Our focus is on practical changes that enable organisations to streamline processes, deploy with purpose, automate intelligently and embrace new ways of serving customers and engaging employees - changes that deliver measurable business performance," said Todd Gorsuch, Group Chief Executive Officer, Customer Science Group.

He also praised Johnstone's contribution since joining as Chief Operating Officer.

"James has already made a positive impact at Customer Science. I look forward to continuing to work with him as we execute our strategic initiatives. At Customer Science, we are constantly innovating to harness the full power of our services, delivering future-ready operations for customers that are efficient and intelligent. James's leadership qualities and insights will continue to strengthen our Australian business and help us create measurable value for our customers, partners and employees," Gorsuch said.

Australian focus

The appointment keeps day-to-day leadership of the domestic business with an executive already involved in operations and client work. Johnstone is expected to build on the company's position in the local market while reinforcing its advisory and delivery work with enterprise customers.

That domestic base remains significant. Customer Science works with more than 300 clients and more than 50 industry partners across Australia, with projects aimed at improving service experiences in areas linked to safety, health, welfare and economic outcomes.

Johnstone described the management transition as an important point in the company's development and acknowledged Gorsuch's role in founding and shaping the business.

"This transition is a pivotal moment for Customer Science's evolution. Todd's vision not only created Customer Science but also helped shape the vision of customer service among our customers in this country. It has been a privilege to serve with Todd as Chief Operating Officer, and as I continue to lead Customer Science as Chief Executive Officer, I look forward to the company continuing to benefit from his wisdom and experience, driving growth in Australia and delivering the outstanding results our customers have come to expect," said James Johnstone, Chief Executive Officer, Customer Science.

The move gives Customer Science a split leadership structure, with Johnstone responsible for Australia and Gorsuch focused on international expansion, initially centred on North America.