Michael Smith
Chief Customer Officer | Customer Operations & Service Excellence | EMBA
Zürich, Switzerland
Chief Customer Officer at Viseca, responsible for 1st and 2nd level operations, back office, risk management, business analytics, and operations excellence. Prior to this, held the role of Customer Service Director and executive board member at Fuchs-Movesa AG, and spent over 14 years at Digitec Galaxus AG progressing from frontline representative to Head of Customer Service with accountability for 400 employees across five international locations. Holds an International Executive MBA from ZHAW School of Management and Law.
Professional Experience
May 2025
Chief Customer Officer
Viseca
C-level role with full ownership of customer operations across five functional areas in a financial services environment.
- Accountable for Operations Management 1st Level
- Accountable for Operations Management 2nd Level & Back Office
- Accountable for Operations Risk Management
- Accountable for Business Analytics
- Accountable for Operations Excellence
Oct 2022 – Apr 2025
Customer Service Director, member of the executive board
Fuchs-Movesa AG
Executive board member with full directorial responsibility for customer service at Fuchs-Movesa AG.
- Executive board member with full directorial responsibility for customer service at Fuchs-Movesa AG
Feb 2013 – Aug 2022
Head of Customer Service
Digitec Galaxus AG
Led the entire customer service organisation across four departments and five international locations for Switzerland's largest online retailer.
- Led 4 departments with 25 functions spread over 400 employees
- Held operative, strategic, and financial responsibility for the department
- Responsible for five international customer service locations
- Project manager for customer service solutions
- Company representation before justices of the peace
- Negotiations and implementation of software solutions
Jan 2011 – Feb 2013
Manager E-Services
Digitec Galaxus AG
Managed three customer-facing teams totalling 30 employees across e-mail support, customer care, and back office.
- Responsible for 3 teams with 30 employees: e-mail support, customer care, and back office
- Personnel, professional, and administrative leadership across all three teams
Mar 2010 – Jan 2011
Team Leader E-Mail Services
Digitec Galaxus AG
Led a team of 9 in the e-mail services function, responsible for performance, compliance, and daily operations.
- Personnel, professional, and administrative leadership of 9 employees
- Responsible for ensuring defined KPIs, productivities, and SLAs were met
- Enforced and monitored compliance with company guidelines
- Constant optimization of processes within the team
- Personnel planning on a monthly and daily basis
- Handled highly demanding customer escalation cases
Aug 2008 – Mar 2010
Customer Care Professional
Digitec Galaxus AG
Handled escalations, returns, and high-value goodwill decisions in a specialist customer care capacity.
- Processing of cancellations and returns
- Solving and de-escalating customer escalation cases
- Budget authority for high-value goodwill decisions for customers
- Providing custom-tailored solutions to achieve customer satisfaction
- Regularly worked on Saturdays to support retail stores
Apr 2008 – Aug 2008
Customer Service Representative
Digitec Galaxus AG
Frontline customer service role covering product consultation, order management, and post-sale support.
- Consultation on electronic products
- Creating and editing customer orders
- Providing information on delivery dates
- After-sales support
- Resolving customer complaints
Apr 2005 – Dec 2007
Game Master
Blizzard Entertainment
1st-level customer support role handling player cases via live chat ticketing system.
- Solving 1st-level customer cases
- Working via live chat ticketing system
May 2025
Chief Customer Officer
Viseca
C-level role with full ownership of customer operations across five functional areas in a financial services environment.
- Accountable for Operations Management 1st Level
- Accountable for Operations Management 2nd Level & Back Office
- Accountable for Operations Risk Management
- Accountable for Business Analytics
- Accountable for Operations Excellence
Oct 2022 – Apr 2025
Customer Service Director, member of the executive board
Fuchs-Movesa AG
Executive board member with full directorial responsibility for customer service at Fuchs-Movesa AG.
- Executive board member with full directorial responsibility for customer service at Fuchs-Movesa AG
Feb 2013 – Aug 2022
Head of Customer Service
Digitec Galaxus AG
Led the entire customer service organisation across four departments and five international locations for Switzerland's largest online retailer.
- Led 4 departments with 25 functions spread over 400 employees
- Held operative, strategic, and financial responsibility for the department
- Responsible for five international customer service locations
- Project manager for customer service solutions
- Company representation before justices of the peace
- Negotiations and implementation of software solutions
Jan 2011 – Feb 2013
Manager E-Services
Digitec Galaxus AG
Managed three customer-facing teams totalling 30 employees across e-mail support, customer care, and back office.
- Responsible for 3 teams with 30 employees: e-mail support, customer care, and back office
- Personnel, professional, and administrative leadership across all three teams
Mar 2010 – Jan 2011
Team Leader E-Mail Services
Digitec Galaxus AG
Led a team of 9 in the e-mail services function, responsible for performance, compliance, and daily operations.
- Personnel, professional, and administrative leadership of 9 employees
- Responsible for ensuring defined KPIs, productivities, and SLAs were met
- Enforced and monitored compliance with company guidelines
- Constant optimization of processes within the team
- Personnel planning on a monthly and daily basis
- Handled highly demanding customer escalation cases
Aug 2008 – Mar 2010
Customer Care Professional
Digitec Galaxus AG
Handled escalations, returns, and high-value goodwill decisions in a specialist customer care capacity.
- Processing of cancellations and returns
- Solving and de-escalating customer escalation cases
- Budget authority for high-value goodwill decisions for customers
- Providing custom-tailored solutions to achieve customer satisfaction
- Regularly worked on Saturdays to support retail stores
Apr 2008 – Aug 2008
Customer Service Representative
Digitec Galaxus AG
Frontline customer service role covering product consultation, order management, and post-sale support.
- Consultation on electronic products
- Creating and editing customer orders
- Providing information on delivery dates
- After-sales support
- Resolving customer complaints
Apr 2005 – Dec 2007
Game Master
Blizzard Entertainment
1st-level customer support role handling player cases via live chat ticketing system.
- Solving 1st-level customer cases
- Working via live chat ticketing system
Education
International Executive MBA · in General Management & Leadership
Jan 2016 – Dec 2018ZHAW School of Management and Law
Switzerland · Advanced General Management
Specialist in Leadership and Management — Federal Diploma of Professional Education and Training in Management & Leadership · in Management & Leadership
Jan 2012 – Dec 2015Schweizerische Vereinigung für Führungsausbildung (SVF)
Switzerland · First obtained the Leadership & Management certificate as a prerequisite, then completed the Specialist in Leadership diploma