David Kay
Principal
A Thought Leader with a Track Record
David has been innovating in the use of technology for knowledge-intensive businesses like customer support since 1984. His work spans customer service, library science, software development, and national intelligence analysis.
A Focus on Customer Support
David is a trusted advisor to service and support executives at NetApp, Unilever, Farmers Insurance, Citrix, and Extreme Networks. He speaks frequently at industry conferences and webinars. The Consortium of Service Innovation (CSI) recognized him as an Innovator in 2003. Additionally, the KCS Academy certified him to teach the Knowledge-Centered Service Practices, Coaching, Leadership, Knowledge Domain Analysis, and Intelligent Swarming workshops. He holds five patents for his work in knowledge management technology.
His current work leverages over thirty-five years of experience in envisioning, developing, marketing, and rolling out KM technology. David is co-author of Collective Wisdom: Transforming Support with Knowledge, available on Amazon.com. David also instructs the LinkedIn Learning courses on Customer Service: Knowledge Management (KCS) and Customer Service with AI and Machine Learning.
Developing Product Strategy for a Software Innovator
He held leadership roles at Kanisa Inc., a leader in knowledge-empowered customer service from 1998 to 2002. There, he developed product strategy and oversaw Kanisa’s transition from a custom software house to an application service provider to a software company.
Prior to that role, David led TRW Search Access, a software start-up delivering a new way for researchers and librarians to access multiple information repositories seamlessly. He also held product management and marketing positions at NeXT Software and Apple Computer. David started his career building knowledge tools for national intelligence analysts. He graduated from Dartmouth College with an A.B. in Computer Science.
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Jennifer Crippen
Principal Consultant
Jennifer joined DB Kay & Associates, Inc., in July of 2010 with 25 years of experience in Customer Support. She was most recently KCS Program Manager at VeriSign, Inc., where she actively participated in Knowledge-Centered Service since its launch in 2001.
She started her career in the natural food industry, working her way up to Store Manager where she independently oversaw store operations. This experience provided her with continued focus on customer experience, budgets, employee development, and business operations.
A Track Record of Successful KCS Programs
Then, she decided to change gears and move into high tech. Jennifer joined VeriSign, starting as an agent in the call center, then a supervisor, and then a business analyst. As a business analyst, she took responsibility for internal control audits and all operational reporting for Support. She then moved over to KCS program management, where she drove the Knowledge-Centered Support Program for about 4 years. During this time, she managed an InQuira implementation and launched a new self service site to thousands of customers worldwide.
Jennifer actively participates in the work of the Consortium for Service Innovation. She helped develop the KCS Academy’s professional certification criteria. Additionally, Jennifer contributed to the to the KCS v5 and v6 Practices Guides, and coauthored the KCS v6 Adoption Guide. The CSI recognized her as an Innovator. The KCS Academy granted her KCS v6 Practices KCS Trainer certifications. Jennifer spends most of her time delivering KCS workshops and assisting clients with launching and maintaining their KCS programs. She has a wealth of experience in KCS practices and implementations, support, and self-service localization strategy.
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