Thought Industries Announces New Learning & Intelligence Vision, Expands Leadership Team
Thought Industries, a leading customer learning and intelligence platform, has announced the appointment of Sarah Phoenix as Chief Product Officer and Julien Denaes as Chief Strategy Officer, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth journey under CEO Irana Wasti.
The leadership expansion supports Thought Industries’ strategic shift from a traditional learning platform to an AI-powered Customer Intelligence & Growth Platform, designed to connect learning experiences with measurable business outcomes such as customer loyalty, revenue growth, and long-term value creation.
A Strategic Shift Toward AI-Driven Customer Growth
“Businesses grow when their customers succeed,” said Irana Wasti, CEO of Thought Industries. “Our North Star is an AI-first Customer Intelligence & Growth Platform that unifies learning data, customer behavior, and intelligent actions. These leadership appointments are critical to executing that vision.”
The company’s new direction reflects changing customer expectations and increasingly complex data environments. By integrating learning insights with real-time customer intelligence, Thought Industries aims to help businesses better understand, engage, and grow their customer base.
A New Chapter for Thought Industries
Following a comprehensive strategic review led by Wasti after she joined the company in October, Thought Industries refined its focus around three core pillars:
- Customer Goals: Helping customers realize product value faster and more effectively
- Vision: Empowering every business to grow through customer success
- Mission: Transforming customer interactions into intelligence — and intelligence into growth
Building on its category-leading learning platform, the company plans to introduce AI-driven enhancements across learning experiences, analytics, and automation, reinforcing its position in the evolving customer education and intelligence market.
Sarah Phoenix Appointed Chief Product Officer
As Chief Product Officer, Sarah Phoenix will lead product vision and execution as Thought Industries advances its AI-powered roadmap. She brings extensive experience building data-driven, customer-centric products for global audiences.
Phoenix previously served as SVP of Product at BILL, where she led product teams supporting nearly 500,000 customers. Her career also includes senior product leadership roles at Twitter and GoDaddy, with a strong emphasis on AI, data, and user-centric design.
“Customer education has evolved beyond courses and content,” Phoenix said. “The future lies in connecting learning signals with product usage and customer behavior to measure and shape real-time value.”
Julien Denaes Named Chief Strategy Officer
Julien Denaes joins Thought Industries as Chief Strategy Officer, overseeing corporate strategy, long-term planning, and strategic initiatives to ensure alignment between product investments, market opportunities, and customer needs.
Before joining Thought Industries, Denaes served as Senior Director of Product Management at BILL, following its acquisition of Finmark, where he was VP of Business Development. His experience includes scaling financial planning and analytics solutions for high-growth businesses.
“Customers face fragmented tools and data, while expecting seamless, intelligent experiences,” said Denaes. “Thought Industries is uniquely positioned to bridge that gap by connecting learning with customer intelligence and growth.”
Looking Ahead
With a strengthened leadership team and a clear AI-first strategy, Thought Industries is positioning itself at the intersection of customer education, intelligence, and growth—helping businesses turn learning into a powerful driver of measurable success.
