About Testimonials Experience Education Skills My Work Contact
✦ SaaS Customer Success Leader ✦
Ellie Grace

Ellie Grace

CS Ops & Strategy B2B SaaS CS Enablement Customer Obsessed People-First Leader
Get In Touch LinkedIn Profile →
About Me

A Journey of
Expertise

Hello and welcome to my portfolio! I'm Ellie Grace — a SaaS Customer Success leader with a passion for delivering exceptional results and solving complex challenges. My career has been a thrilling adventure filled with opportunities to hone my skills in customer data analysis, project management, and technical proficiency.
I've successfully led initiatives that transformed customer onboarding processes, drove remarkable product adoption rates, and elevated customer health scores. My dedication to fostering strong client relationships has been instrumental in reducing churn rates and increasing revenue — guided always by a people-first approach and commitment to excellence.
$40M+
ARR Portfolio Managed
95%+
Gross Revenue Retention
Kind Words

What They're
Saying

"

"Ellie is a phenomenal people-first leader. Her commitment to the success and well-being of her team members is nothing short of exemplary..."

JM
Jazmyne Mitchell Longley, M.ED.
Manager of Customer Success
"

"Ellie is a process-oriented leader. She excels with finding the gaps, enhancing workflows and change management..."

EW
Emily Weinberger
SaaS Enterprise Client Success Manager
"

"Innovation, Compassion, and Efficiency are the top three words that come to mind when working with Ellie..."

HR
Hillary Robbins, M. Ed
Client Success Manager
View All Recommendations on LinkedIn →
Career History

Experience

NWS
Newsela
Remote · Nashville, TN
Manager, Enterprise Customer Success
Jan 2024 – Present
  • Lead Enterprise Customer Success strategy across a $40M+ ARR portfolio, achieving 95%+ GRR and driving a 12% YOY increase in NRR through structured expansion and adoption initiatives.
  • Increased expansion revenue by 30% by embedding proactive renewal planning and value realization checkpoints into lifecycle workflows.
  • Reduced onboarding time-to-value by 30 days by implementing milestone-based activation frameworks, increasing early product adoption across enterprise accounts.
  • Improved renewal forecasting accuracy by 13% by redesigning customer health scoring models and risk indicators to proactively identify churn and growth opportunities.
  • Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Product, and Technical teams to ensure seamless handoffs, accelerating deal-to-implementation timelines and reducing delays.
  • Coach Enterprise CSMs through accountability, data-driven escalations and high-risk renewals, ensuring timely issue resolution and preserving long-term revenue.
  • Deliver executive business reviews linking product adoption to measurable customer outcomes, strengthening renewal positioning and expansion conversations.
Enterprise CS Strategy ARR & NRR Growth Health Scoring Renewal Forecasting CSM Coaching Executive QBRs Expansion Revenue Edtech B2B SaaS
K12 Insight
K12 Insight
Remote · Nashville, TN · May 2019 – Sep 2023
Senior Manager, Client Success
Jun 2022 – Sep 2023
  • Led Client Success across all segments of accounts, maintaining 95%+ retention while increasing NRR through expansion-focused account strategies.
  • Managed and developed a CSM team supporting complex SaaS implementations, improving team performance metrics and renewal readiness.
  • Increased customer adoption rates by operationalizing usage data into actionable health frameworks and proactive engagement plans.
  • Reduced churn risk by embedding structured renewal forecasting and risk review cadences across the team's portfolio.
  • Improved executive alignment and expansion outcomes through standardized QBR frameworks and measurable ROI reporting.
Team Leadership Retention Strategy NRR Growth Health Frameworks Renewal Forecasting QBR Frameworks Gainsight SaaS
Senior Client Success Manager
Jan 2021 – Jun 2022
Client Success Manager
May 2019 – Jan 2021
Achieve3000
Achieve3000 · a McGraw Hill company
Remote · Nashville, TN
Curriculum and Implementation Success Manager
May 2016 – May 2019 · 3 yrs
  • Managed enterprise implementations across multi-site organizations, achieving 95% retention and 98% CSAT.
  • Contributed to 30% revenue growth through improved implementation strategy and post-launch adoption optimization.
  • Reduced onboarding friction by coordinating cross-functional technical integrations and resolving escalations efficiently.
  • Increased renewal likelihood through executive stakeholder engagement and change management support.
Enterprise Implementation 95% Retention 98% CSAT Change Management Stakeholder Engagement Edtech
View Full Experience on LinkedIn →
Academic Background

Education

Johns Hopkins
M.Ed., Transformational Leadership and Teaching
The Johns Hopkins University
2013 – 2015
University of Kentucky
BS, Family and Consumer Sciences
University of Kentucky
2003 – 2007
Credentials

Certifications

🏅
Gainsight End User Certificate
Gainsight
View Credential →
🌟
Customer Success Leader Certified Professional
Gainsight Pulse
View Credential →
⚙️
Customer Success Operations Certificate
Gainsight
View Credential →
🛡️
Gainsight Level 1 NXT Associate Admin Certificate
Gainsight
View Credential →
📈
Reporting & Dashboards (Horizon Analytics) Certificate
Gainsight Level 2
✦ In Progress
🗺️
Journey Orchestrator & Surveys Certificate
Gainsight Level 2
✦ In Progress
Professional Development

Training

🎯
Gainsight 101 Admin In-Person Training
Gainsight
⚡
Gainsight Pulse Conference 2022
Gainsight
🌍
America Achieves Fellowship
America Achieves
🏫
Teach For America CT 2008
Teach For America
Natural Strengths

Skills &
Capabilities

🤝Accommodating
Prioritizes customer satisfaction and exceptional service — building lasting client relationships through genuine care and attentiveness.
📊Analytical
Data-driven decision-making, process optimization, and strategic planning through deep analysis — connecting information to drive meaningful outcomes.
🎯Deliberate
Patient, thoughtful leadership that mitigates risk and builds stakeholder trust through consistent, well-planned execution.
🔮Anticipates Problems
Proactive foresight that prevents issues before they arise — leading to higher customer retention and smoother operational outcomes.
🧠
Predictive Index: Artisan
Assessed February 2023

An Artisan is thoughtful, deliberate, and precise, with an eye for managing detail-work and always following through. They're collaborative, but also work quietly and diligently on their own. Not self-promoters, but deeply appreciate recognition for their efforts and the quality of their work.

Portfolio

Professional
Work Examples

Let's Connect

Get In Touch

Ready to work
together?

I'm always open to discussing new opportunities, partnerships, and how I can bring value to your organization's customer success strategy. Let's start a conversation.

Connect on LinkedIn
✓ Thank you! I'll follow up with you shortly.