With over two decades of diverse experience in both technical and leadership roles, Sohail Sarwar has forged a path as a dynamic leader at the forefront of customer support and technical innovation. His journey spans across industry giants like Hewlett-Packard (formerly 3Com Corporation), BCBS of Massachusetts, Riverbed, VMware (formerly Pivotal Software), and Okta to fast-paced startups like Motive and XOPS, Sohail Sarwar stands at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and customer support leadership. His unique blend of deep technical knowledge and transformational leadership has helped redefine customer experiences, elevate team performance, and drive significant growth.
Sohail’s technical acumen is rooted in his early career, where he worked on pioneering technologies like Checkpoint firewalls, Nokia IP440, and Cisco routers, laying a foundation for his expertise in network security, unified messaging, and incident response. At BCBS, Sohail’s work as a Senior Security Engineer helped protect critical systems for thousands of users. At Riverbed, his leadership in the Global Technical Assistance Center (TAC) revolutionized customer support operations, reducing case resolution times by 20% and driving a 15% increase in customer satisfaction.
However, it’s Sohail’s leadership that truly sets him apart. As Director of Technical Support & Escalations at Motive, he orchestrated a complete transformation of the customer support model, shifting from a traditional tiered system to a highly specialized PODs model. This strategic shift resulted in an 85% improvement in customer satisfaction and a 157% reduction in average resolution time. His ability to implement AI-driven automation at XOPS and Motive reduced manual tasks by 72%, boosting overall team efficiency while generating over $6.7 million in revenue growth by securing key clients.
Throughout his career, Sohail has consistently demonstrated a capacity for innovation and forward-thinking. At Okta, he scaled the support team from 2 to 19 engineers, spearheading integrations that streamlined workflows and improved critical incident response by 16%. His leadership was recognized with the Excellence in Collaboration Award, a testament to his ability to build cross-functional partnerships that deliver exceptional customer outcomes.
Sohail Sarwar is more than a technical expert—he is a visionary leader dedicated to revolutionizing how companies deliver customer support in today’s fast-evolving digital landscape
Sohail’s impact is not just operational but deeply strategic. His Voice of Employee (VOE) initiatives have boosted team retention by 30%, while his efforts to align support operations with broader business objectives have driven long-term customer loyalty and reduced churn risk. He is also a strong advocate for leveraging data and KPIs to continuously optimize performance, whether reducing escalation rates by 40% at VMware or achieving 87% First Contact Resolution (FCR) at Motive.
Sohail’s leadership style is defined by a hands-on approach, deep empathy, and a relentless focus on results. He doesn’t just solve problems—he anticipates them, crafting solutions that drive measurable improvements in both customer satisfaction and team dynamics. His work has not only transformed support operations but also created lasting cultural shifts within the organizations he’s led.
