How AI Is Changing the CS Skills We Need in 2026 and Beyond

​How can you future proof your CS skills?

​Team sizes are staying flat or getting smaller. Targets are rising. And AI is reshaping when, where, and how Customer Success teams do their work.

AI isn't replacing CS, but it's shifting the balance between what becomes automated, what moves to scaled motions, and what still requires human judgment and engagement.

Whether you are a CSM or a CS leader, the expectations for the human side of the role are changing. As AI takes on more analysis and task work, CS professionals will need to step up in new ways. Thinking more strategically. Engaging customers more effectively. Leaning into the kinds of interactions and decisions AI cannot handle.

And for CS leaders, the shift is even more pronounced. You will be designing new workflows, redefining role expectations, and guiding your teams through a period of rapid change.

Join Matt Jandorf (LinkedIn) and Jan Young (StepUpXchange) for a candid conversation about what is moving to scale or automation, what is becoming more human, and how both CSMs and CS leaders can prepare for the next era of Customer Success.

About the Speakers

Matt Jandorf , Sr. Manager, Customer Success (Govt, Academic, and Healthcare), LinkedIn
Leads CS for government, academic, and healthcare clients, focusing on AI-driven transformation in complex, high-trust environments. Matt brings a change management lens to structuring CS teams for the future.

Jan Young , Founder, JanYoungCX and StepUpXchange
Jan transforms CS leaders into business leaders in the age of AI. Founder of JanYoungCX and StepUpXchange, she also leads CxXchange, a global peer community. An award-winning leader and former VP for two exited startups, Jan has coached CS leaders and founders since 2016 to grow customer revenue and align go-to-market execution. With experience across Product, Marketing, Sales, and CS, her cross-disciplinary approach drives profitable, customer-led growth.