Crescendo appoints Will Newman as Vice President, EMEA

Crescendo has appointed experienced technology executive Will Newman as its new Vice President for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, following the recent launch of the company's European operations in April.

The appointment forms part of Crescendo's broader international growth strategy as the customer experience software provider looks to accelerate its expansion across key global markets.

In his new role, Newman will oversee the company's commercial growth and regional operations throughout EMEA, with a focus on strengthening partnerships, expanding enterprise adoption and increasing Crescendo's market share in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence-powered customer service sector.

Crescendo says the move reflects increasing demand from businesses seeking AI-driven customer support platforms capable of improving response times, reducing operational costs and enhancing customer engagement across digital channels.

Newman joins the company with more than 12 years of experience spanning enterprise sales, strategic partnerships, regional market expansion and operational leadership across artificial intelligence, data infrastructure and edge-computing industries.

Over the course of his career, he has worked with a range of high-growth technology businesses scaling their international operations and revenue capabilities.

Prior to joining Crescendo, Newman served as Head of Worldwide Sales and Partnerships at Ditto, where he led global go-to-market initiatives and partnership development efforts.

Earlier in his career, he was among the first 40 employees at data streaming company Confluent, where he played a role in building the company's international revenue organisation ahead of its eventual initial public offering.

Newman also helped establish and expand EMEA operations at data integration company Rivery and AI observability platform Truera, contributing to regional growth strategies and enterprise customer acquisition across European markets.

Founded in San Francisco in 2023, Crescendo specialises in AI-powered customer experience solutions and says it now supports more than 500 AI deployments worldwide.

The company works with organisations across multiple industries, including retail, financial services, healthcare, technology and consumer services, as demand for automation and AI-enhanced customer engagement tools continues to rise globally.

Expansion push

The appointment brings in an experienced go-to-market executive as software suppliers compete for corporate spending on customer support automation and related AI tools. Many businesses are reassessing older systems as they look for ways to manage customer interactions across chat, voice and digital channels with fewer disconnected products.

Newman has been hired to help establish and scale Crescendo's regional business during its next phase of international growth. The company positions its platform as a single system for customer experience operations rather than a collection of separate tools.

Michelle Donnelly, Crescendo's Chief Revenue Officer, said Newman had a strong track record of building in new markets.

"Will knows what it takes to build in new markets," Donnelly said. "He's done it repeatedly at companies operating at scale and velocity, and he understands how to turn technical differentiation into commercial momentum. He's a builder, and he's bringing that mindset and energy to Crescendo as we continue to expand across EMEA."

Newman said the size of the market and the company's approach were key factors in his decision to join.

"What drew me to Crescendo was the scale of the customer experience market and the team's approach to solving it. Customer experience has become a board-level priority, but most organisations are still trying to manage it through disconnected tools. Crescendo is taking a different approach, and that creates a compelling value proposition in a market that's ready for change," Newman said.