Built the entire customer success organization from zero — Implementation Engineering, Technical Account Management, and Professional Services — creating the operational foundation that helped position Manta for acquisition by IBM's Data & AI division.
Manta built an enterprise data lineage platform that automated metadata extraction across heterogeneous data environments — Oracle, SQL Server, Snowflake, Databricks, Informatica, SSIS, and more. Growth-stage and venture-backed, the company was preparing for strategic acquisition in a market defined by data governance, compliance (GDPR, CCPA), and data cataloging.
Growth-stage, venture-backed, preparing for strategic acquisition by Tier 1 buyers
Enterprise data governance, regulatory compliance, data cataloging & lineage
When I joined Manta, there was no formal customer success function. Sales closed deals and handed them to support. For a company selling complex data lineage integrations to enterprise buyers — and preparing for scrutiny from acquirers like IBM, Oracle, and Informatica — that was an existential risk.
No implementation team, no technical account managers, no onboarding playbooks. Customers were left to figure out complex data integrations on their own.
Data lineage requires deep integrations across heterogeneous environments. Customers were struggling to reach "first value" — their first lineage diagram — and stalling.
Tier 1 acquirers audit customer operations during due diligence. Manta had no health scoring, no documented escalation processes, and no predictable retention model.
Created three specialized teams from scratch — each designed to own a different stage of the customer lifecycle:
Built repeatable processes that could scale from 20 customers to 200 without breaking:
Made every customer-facing process audit-ready — designed knowing a Tier 1 buyer would scrutinize it:
IBM acquired Manta for their Data & AI division. The customer success organization — built from zero during my tenure — became a core part of Manta's operational readiness for acquisition, demonstrating repeatable implementation processes, predictable retention metrics, and enterprise-grade compliance documentation.
I've also held CS leadership roles at data.world, which was later acquired by ServiceNow — bringing my track record to two companies where I helped build the post-sales foundation that preceded a major exit.
"Shane joined Manta when we had no formal customer success function and built it from the ground up. He's hard-working, process-oriented, and relentlessly focused on disciplined execution. Whether designing scalable systems or jumping on tough customer calls, he always showed up. He led his team with care and clarity, invested in their growth, and built a culture of trust and accountability. Smart, loyal, and a real fighter when things get ugly — someone I trust deeply and am proud to call a friend."
As a former Oracle Principal Architect, I could speak credibly to data architects and CTOs about metadata extraction, governance, and compliance.
TAMs needed to understand SQL, ETL tools, and database administration to be credible with Manta's technical buyer.
Tier 1 buyers scrutinize operational processes during due diligence. If it's not documented, it doesn't exist.
Every process, metric, and documentation package was designed knowing an acquirer would eventually audit it.
The same framework I used at Manta is what I bring to every engagement through CCO2Go.ai — whether you're Series A building from scratch, Series C preparing for exit, or anywhere in between.
Whether you're building from zero or preparing for due diligence, the conversation starts the same way — an honest look at where you are today.