Public Speaking

I speak from the inside out. Everything I talk about on stage I have built, run, or lived firsthand — at enterprise scale, across multiple companies and markets.

30+ engagements. 15+ countries. The topics have evolved — from inbound PR to Customer Success to AI — but the approach has always been the same: practical, direct, and grounded in real execution.

My current speaking topics:

  • The Post-Sales Operating System, Powered by AI — how enterprise SaaS companies can move from reactive CS to a predictable revenue driver using AI as the intelligence layer
  • Building Signal-Driven Customer Health Systems — what a real health system looks like versus a health score, and how to build one that drives action
  • Why AI Adoption Fails in Customer Success — and How to Fix It — the design and incentive problem most CS leaders are solving wrong
  • CS as a Predictable Revenue Driver — the reframe that changes how boards and CFOs think about post-sales investment
  • Leadership in Ambiguity — building and running high-performance teams in fast-moving, undefined environments
  • Can Women Have It All? — on ambition, career, and navigating leadership as a female executive

I speak at conferences, executive summits, leadership offsites, and fireside chats. I tailor every session to the audience — whether that's a room of CSMs, a C-suite leadership team, or a conference stage.

If you have a topic in mind that isn't listed, get in touch. I'm open to custom formats where the conversation is worth having.

Get in touch about Public Speaking

Upcoming Appearances

  • TBD

Past Appearances

2021

2019

  • 10 November 2019 - Customer Success at Cisco at DNA User Group Cisco NL, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • 31 May 2019 - How to do Inbound PR: 8 Steps to Running your Successful Campaign at DIGITALK, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • 17 May 2019 - Getting Started with Inbound PR at HubSpot User Group Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • 16 May 2019 - Getting Started with Inbound PR at HubSpot User Group Eindhoven, the Netherlands
  • 9 May 2019 - Getting Started with Inbound PR at HubSpot User Group Manchester, the UK
  • 4 April 2019 - Getting Started with Inbound PR at Digital Gaggle, Bristol, UK
  • 5 March 2019 - Keynote: Do You Live and Breathe Digital Communication? for Danske Bank in Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 4 February 2019 - Keynote: Getting Started with Inbound PR at HubSpot User Group London, UK

2018

2017

2016

2015

 

The Global Locations Where Iliyana has Presented

world map speaking gigs Iliyana

Watch Iliyana in Action

Iliyana has a unique presentation style, always ensuring to educate, motivate and engage the audience by keeping people's attention for long and also making them laugh.

Watch One of Iliyana's Recent Talks!

The Latest Posts from Iliyana's Blog

How to Get CSMs to Actually Trust AI Signals

How to Get CSMs to Actually Trust AI Signals

There's a common assumption in CS leadership: CSMs don't act on AI signals because they don't trust them. That's not quite right. In most cases, the signal isn't the problem. The gap is what comes after it. A CSM sees a risk score drop. An alert...

Read more

Why AI Adoption Fails Inside Customer Success Teams (And It's Not What You Think)

Why AI Adoption Fails Inside Customer Success Teams (And It's Not What You Think)

Every Customer Success leader I know is under pressure to adopt AI. The tools are being deployed. The dashboards are being built. The announcements are being made. And yet — adoption stalls. CSMs quietly ignore the signals. Workarounds emerge....

Read more

Retention as a Capital Efficiency Lever in SaaS

Retention as a Capital Efficiency Lever in SaaS

Retention is often discussed as a Customer Success metric. It's tracked as a percentage, reviewed in quarterly reports, and used to evaluate the performance of CS teams. When retention improves, it is seen as a positive signal. When it declines, it...

Read more

Want to talk?

Iliyana_stareva

I'm always happy to chat about what I do, why and how, and how we can work together. Get in touch with me and start the conversation. I'd love to hear from you.

Contact Me