Meet Liam Smith: Customer Success Manager at Mintra

At Mintra, customer success is at the core of everything we do. Up until 2023, our customer service division focused solely on problem-solving, addressing the immediate needs of safety-critical workers and our clients. Ticking dockets. However, in 2023 Mintra separated the services and made the strategic decision to bring problem-solving to the forefront of everyone’s minds and make sure new clients hit the ground running with the creation of a team solely focused on Customer Success.

This new Customer Success Team sits within the Product Team and has made a significant shift to how Mintra looks after clients. Ultimately, they are responsible for ensuring best practices and retention for the Trainingportal platform. Their expertise means they are working with clients before they’ve even joined the business, anticipating challenges and streamlining the onboarding process to fit the unique needs of each client. This leaves the customer service team free to focus on the immediate needs of safety-critical workers as a matter of priority.

Senior leaders who had witnessed Liam's growth found him a natural choice for the Customer Success team. He’s been with the business since 2013 and exemplifies Mintra’s commitment to customers with his organisational skills, drive, and ability to remain calm under pressure.

As a Customer Success Manager, Liam focuses on engaging with customers from the decision-making stage. He’s no longer ‘putting out fires’ but thinking proactively about customer care, building strong relationships, and ensuring a seamless journey for clients from the outset. Whether it’s overseeing the migration of 20,000 seafarers or handling the transfer of 500 vessels.

Liam shared with us, “Being proactive and actively listening to customers is rewarding. I find great satisfaction in ensuring a smooth experience for everyone involved. It’s exciting to be able to seek solutions and innovate to make sure Mintra delivers above and beyond customers’ expectations.”

Hailing from the picturesque town of Stonehaven in Aberdeen, Liam’s early years were defined by a love of sports and an academic interest in PE, Geography, and Science. He recalls fond memories of playing football, a passion that has followed him into adulthood, alongside more recent interests such as golf, and walking his very energetic cocker spaniel. Liam also has a thrill-seeking side, with a love for roller coasters and a bucket list goal of visiting the top 50 water parks in the world. The more drop slides the better!

Not one to sit still for long, Liam’s career trajectory reflects his tenacity and commitment to growth. He joined Mintra fresh from college in Aberdeen, where he’d gained a HND in Computing. Back then, there were just 20 employees at Mintra, spread between Aberdeen and Norway. Liam was the 1^st line of support, handling everything from office IT to onboarding new customers and resolving their challenges. This hands-on experience gave him a deep understanding of our systems and a passion for problem-solving.

“I always enjoyed Customer Service - driving the team to improve our service and trying new systems to assist safety-critical workers quickly in their moment of need,” says Liam.

Liam’s role evolved with the business, and he worked up the ranks before becoming Customer Service Manager for six years. By 2023, the customer service team, with Liam at its helm, had expanded from a team of four operating from 9 am to 5 pm, to sixteen people, operating from 6 am to 10 pm, seven days a week. This expansion has ensured that safety-critical workers can receive support as close as possible to their moment of need.

"I’m incredibly proud of what I achieved in Customer Service and grateful for the support and opportunities given by Senior leaders who trusted and challenged me as Mintra grew. I have benefitted greatly from their experience since joining in 2013 and have massively enjoyed the pathway that was created for me to grow into different roles."

"Mintra is a fast-growing company that puts its employees first, there is lots of opportunity to learn and progress. Now that I am fully focused on Customer Success, I can use everything I've learnt to support clients and their safety-critical workers on a much larger scale. I find that incredibly rewarding.”

Today, Liam works closely with the commercial team to onboard new customers and manage their transition to Mintra, creating strategies and managing the projects to ensure a seamless experience. Building strong relationships with stakeholders, including crew managers, training managers, and IT teams, is a vital part of Liam’s role. Internally, he connects with the product, marketing, and development teams to focus on design and development improvements. The flexibility to meet and collaborate with so many key Trainingportal clients and a variety of internal teams is something Liam particularly enjoys.

Unsurprisingly, Liam lists organisation and timekeeping among his superpowers and tells us that, “One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the versatility. Often, I am discussing maritime roles for vessels one minute and diving into energy sector safety specifics the next. The environment, language, and terminology are very different, but I’m lucky to be able to switch gears and provide tailored support to both.”

There is no doubt that Liam’s passion for problem-solving, collaborative spirit and proactive approach will continue to drive success for Mintra and our clients. Whether overseeing complex transitions or building strong relationships across industries. His deep understanding of client needs and Mintra’s solutions ensure that new customers not only hit the ground running but also thrive long-term. We are lucky to have him on board!

If you’d like to learn more about Mintra and our Customer Success solutions contact info@mintra.com.