Sam Wilson, CEO of 8x8, discusses strategy execution and why WorkBoard is essential to his success. He shares how they thread long range strategy to current quarter strategic priorities and OKRs, to the operational meetings and 1on1s that move people and decisions forward. For Sam, WorkBoard is to strategy+execution what Salesforce is to sales, Workday is to HR, and NetSuite is to finance – the essential system and foundation for driving transformational strategy achievement.
Sam C. Wilson stepped into the 8x8 CEO role after serving as interim CEO and CFO, bringing more than eight years of leadership across the company’s strategy, operations, and customer engagement.
He has guided 8x8 through a decisive shift in focus, prioritizing CCaaS growth while unifying UCaaS, contact center operations, and AI capabilities for more than fifty thousand enterprise customers. His leadership has centered on clarity of direction and operational discipline in a rapidly changing market.
Before 8x8, Sam led finance functions at MobileIron through its IPO and significant revenue expansion. Earlier in his career he founded Taos Global Investors and was a real estate partner at CoffeeTree. As a CFA charterholder, he blends financial rigor with operational focus to drive strong execution and predictable outcomes.
Deidre Paknad has founded and led three tech startups, acquired companies and been acquired, and led a high-growth business as an executive at IBM for several years; this affords her a unique perspective on using both speed and scale to drive growth. In her role as CEO at WorkBoard, she works with senior leadership teams at some of the world’s largest companies to clarify, align, and drive strategic priorities with greater speed and agility. She is a frequent speaker on Outcome Mindset™ and tapping into ambition.
Deidre has over a dozen patents and has twice been inducted into the Smithsonian Institution for innovation. Goldman Sachs named her one of the 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs of 2019. Deidre hosts The OKR Podcast, which focuses on accelerating outcomes and fostering an outcomes culture.