Lightstone Consulting | Kim Arnold — Fractional Executive · Operations · People

Who I Work With

Four types of organizations. One thing in common.

The challenge looks different depending on where you sit — but it comes from the same place. The organization has outgrown what its current leadership infrastructure can support.

Operations

CEOs & Founders whose org is scaling faster than its structure

Priorities owned by no one. The CEO in every meeting. Transformation that launches and quietly reverts. You need an operational executive who builds the system that runs without you — and stays accountable to results, not a deck.

→ Executive Ops · PMO · Transformation

People & Culture

CHROs & CPOs who need an embedded people operations partner

Engagement slipping. Communications reactive. Succession planning nonexistent. ER issues piling up with no one to own them. You need someone who has built the whole people operating model — investigations, policies, ERGs, comms — not just advised on it.

→ HR · ER · Engagement · Succession · Comms

Customer Success

CCOs & CROs whose CS function isn't returning what it costs

Retention inconsistent. NPS declining. The CS team is working hard without the lifecycle frameworks or governance to deliver at scale. You need a CS architect who has sustained 98-99% retention across 300+ enterprise accounts — and built the model that made it possible.

→ CS Architecture · Retention · NRR Growth

Transformation

Organizations navigating M&A, redesign, or major strategic change

The strategy is sound. But there's no one accountable for the execution layer — the place between decision and delivery where most transformations fail. You need a fractional executive who runs the execution, not a consultant who documents it.

→ M&A Integration · Change Management · OCM

About

The only fractional executive who started in HR, crossed into enterprise technology, and never stopped doing both.

"The rarest thing in enterprise leadership is someone who has actually done all of it — not advised on it. Done it."

I'm Kim Arnold. I began my career as an HR professional — recruiting, generalist work, building college recruiting programs, mentoring frameworks, and new hire orientation from the ground up. When the company I worked for was acquired, my internal IT clients pulled me into their world — and I spent the next 25 years doing both simultaneously.

That crossover is everything. I don't bring operations expertise with a side of HR awareness. I bring deep formal foundations in both — and 25 years of enterprise proof that they work together.

The origin most fractional executives don't have: Formal HR practitioner → enterprise IT operations → Chief of Staff for a 3,000-person global org → back to people, culture, and CS simultaneously. Every role reinforced both sides. That's why I can walk into a leadership team and own the operating model AND the people model at the same time.

Tell Dell Rockstar — 15 of 17 years. Dell's top employee satisfaction designation for people leaders. Voluntary team attrition under 1% across 17 years and 140+ team members hired and developed. 16 team members promoted into people management roles.

You get results faster

I've held the Chief of Staff and Director seats — so there's no ramp-up teaching me how your world works. We diagnose the real problem in week one and start building immediately.

The work sticks after I leave

Most consulting engagements produce a deck. I build operating models your team owns and runs long after the engagement ends — because I build them with you, not for you.

Your leadership team finally has breathing room

When accountability is clear, decisions stop recycling, and the org moves without the CEO in every meeting — that's the goal. Every engagement is designed to give leadership back their time.

One person who covers the whole operating picture

Operations, people, culture, HR, and customer success — most organizations hire three different consultants for what I bring as one embedded fractional executive. That's a structural advantage.

Chief of Staff HR Generalist ER Investigations Director of CS PMO Director Operations Director Transformation Lead Workforce Planning M&A Integration People Communications

How I Engage

Seven ways a fractional executive changes what's possible.

Every engagement is tailored — never packaged. I work as a true fractional executive: embedded in your leadership team, accountable to outcomes, and designed to transfer ownership when the work is done. Available as retainer, project, or advisory.

Executive Ops & Chief of Staff

Operating cadences, decision rights, accountability architecture — so the org moves without the CEO in every meeting. Governance that creates visibility without bureaucracy.

Operations

Transformation Execution

Org redesign, M&A integration, OCM — I own the execution layer between strategy and result. Change management that lands because someone is accountable for the landing.

Operations · Transformation

PMO Governance & Visibility

Governance frameworks, KPI scorecards, executive dashboards — real portfolio visibility where there was only noise. Built for leaders who need to see the full picture in one place.

Operations

People, Culture & HR Operations

Employee relations investigations, policy development, HRBP partnership, ERG strategy, succession planning, engagement campaigns, internal communications, workforce planning, and onboarding design. The full people operating model — owned, not advised.

People · Culture · HR

Workforce Strategy & Talent Architecture

Workforce planning, recruiting frameworks, contingent staffing models, hiring pipelines, and onboarding programs built for scale. Built from scratch at 15-person startups and 3,000-person global orgs alike.

Workforce · Talent

Customer Success Architecture

Lifecycle frameworks, onboarding models, retention playbooks, VOC programs, NRR/GRR inspection models, and CS team operating structures — built to turn CS into a revenue engine at enterprise scale.

Customer Success

Scalable Operating Model Design

For organizations growing faster than their infrastructure can support. Org structure, accountability model, and operational discipline redesigned for the next stage — not the last one.

Operations · Scale

Outcomes

What changes when the right executive
is actually in the work.

Not projected outcomes. Not benchmarks. Real results from real engagements — across operations, people leadership, and customer success.

Customer Success Results

Customer Success · Client Retention

0–99%

Sustained retention rate across 300+ enterprise accounts over a 7-year period — Fortune 500, Federal, healthcare, and higher education.

When accounts were exited, it was a strategic decision — not a client loss. Zero involuntary churn across the managed portfolio.

Customer Success · VOC Score

Sustained Voice of Customer satisfaction score across a 200+ account enterprise portfolio — Microsoft, PayPal, Boeing, eBay, and US Federal agencies.

Achieved by lean teams of 8–15 CSMs over 7+ consecutive years — well above the enterprise tech industry average of 75–80%.

Customer Success · Net Revenue Retention

+0–15%

Average YoY upsell across the full account base — clients consistently expanding into additional products, services, and divisions.

Industry average NRR for enterprise tech is 105–110%. Sustained 113–115% NRR puts this in the top tier of CS organizations globally.

People, Culture & Operations Results

People · Employee Engagement

15 of 17

Years recognized as a Tell Dell Rockstar — Dell's top annual employee satisfaction designation for people leaders.

Voluntary team attrition under 1% across 17 years of people management spanning 11 teams in 12 countries.

People · Leadership Development

Team members promoted into people management roles under direct leadership — across global, cross-functional, and enterprise environments.

140+ team members hired and developed. A track record of building leaders, not just managing them.

Operations · Org Scale

15 → 300+

Built the Dell Data Center Services Field Delivery org from scratch across 27 global locations over 6 years.

Every layer designed from the ground up: hiring pipelines, contingent staffing, governance, QBRs, KPIs, and standardized training.

Career Record

Where the experience was built.

2025–26

Zones, LLC

Global Director, PMO & Service Operations Transformation

Consolidated multiple PMO and delivery orgs into scalable structures. ~400 global personnel across US, Pakistan, and India. Built KPI scorecards, executive dashboards, and portfolio governance enterprise-wide.

Client portfolio includedStarbucks · Pepsi · McDonald's · Nike · Disney · GoTo Foods · Valvoline

2023–24

Stratascale (A SHI Company)

Client Operations Director — Customer Success & Transformation

~15% revenue growth and 90%+ retention. Led M&A integration and delivery transformation. Collaborated with HRBP on policies and team dynamics. Executive communications and board materials.

Client portfolio includedTruist · AutoZone · ADT

2022–23

Dell Technologies

Strategy & Transformation — Chief of Staff Office · People, Culture & Communications

Sole ownership of People, Culture, and Communications strategy for the SVP of Customer Success — effectively the CXO of a 3,000-person global org. Led succession planning, ER strategy, ERG expansion, employee engagement, and executive communications across NAMER, LATAM, EMEA, and APJ. Directed Dell's first-ever global Sustainability and Ethics campaign for Services. Built KPI frameworks, NRR/GRR inspection models, and engagement dashboards. 30% increase in operational efficiency and 15% improvement in retention.

2021–22

Dell Technologies

Senior Manager, Customer Success — Federal

99–100% SLA performance and retention. Managed ER issues and conducted investigations related to discrimination, harassment, and policy violations. Developed career progression plans and coached managers on performance and development.

Client portfolio includedUS Department of Defense · US Army · US Navy · US Air Force · West Point

2014–21

Dell Technologies

Senior Manager, Customer Success — Enterprise & Commercial

Led Enterprise and SLED CS across 8 states. 98-99% retention, 99% VOC, 13-15% YoY NRR growth. Cut onboarding ramp time 43%. Built standardized mentoring program for 500 Account Managers across North America. Coached managers, managed ER, and developed career progression frameworks.

Client portfolio includedMicrosoft · PayPal · eBay · FedEx · Honeywell · Yum Brands · Citi · Fifth Third Bank · State of Michigan · State of Tennessee · Ohio State University · Vanderbilt · Emory · LSU · Nashville Public Schools · Detroit Public Schools · St. Jude's Hospital · Ochsner Health

2008–14

Dell Technologies

Senior Manager, Data Center Services — Field Delivery

Built the Dell Data Center Services Field Delivery org from scratch — 15 to 300+ across 27 global locations over 6 years. Designed hiring pipelines, contingent staffing models, governance, QBRs, KPIs, and standardized training. Delivered 5 million units contributing to $1B revenue. 99% customer satisfaction SLA.

Cloud clients includedMicrosoft Azure · PayPal · eBay

What Leaders Say

Trusted by the people who've seen the work up close.

From colleagues, direct reports, and senior leaders across Dell Technologies, Stratascale, and beyond.

"Kim's contributions were instrumental in the successful partnership between Dell and Microsoft. She embodied leadership qualities and served as a mentor and coach, significantly influencing the operational success of our services teams and driving key performance indicators for customer engagement."

Dr. David Van Goethem, DSL, RSM™, ITIL®

Data Center IT Operations Manager · Microsoft

"In the 14+ years I have known Kim she has excelled at everything she has done. She is a Pro that can balance many complex things at once. I have personally seen her in very challenging situations and handled them with professionalism and dedication."

Jeff Strickland

Customer Success Executive · Dell Technologies

"Throughout nearly a decade of collaboration, Kim has consistently displayed exceptional leadership qualities, delivering outstanding results. Her ability to build strong relationships became evident when she partnered with our sales teams, leading to substantial business growth in our regions."

Brent Ross, MBA

Senior Regional Manager · Dell Technologies

"Kim's individual credibility raised the credibility of our team and our company in the eyes of our customers. I would highly recommend Kim whenever there is a need to put top talent in front of a customer to win them over."

Brad Steadman

Formerly, Enterprise Account Manager · Dell Technologies

When your org needs to perform at a higher level.

Four types of organizations. One thing in common.

The only fractional executive who started in HR, crossed into enterprise technology, and never stopped doing both.

Seven ways a fractional executive changes what's possible.

A structure built together,
not handed over.

What changes when the right executive
is actually in the work.

Where the experience was built.

Trusted by the people who've seen the work up close.

Depth across the most demanding environments.

Ready to bring in a fractional executive who's actually been in the work?

When your org needs to perform at a higher level.

Four types of organizations. One thing in common.

The only fractional executive who started in HR, crossed into enterprise technology, and never stopped doing both.

Seven ways a fractional executive changes what's possible.

A structure built together,not handed over.

What changes when the right executiveis actually in the work.

Where the experience was built.

Trusted by the people who've seen the work up close.

Depth across the most demanding environments.

Ready to bring in a fractional executive who's actually been in the work?

A structure built together,
not handed over.

What changes when the right executive
is actually in the work.