Executive Operations Consulting
That gap is where Lightstone works. I partner with founders, CEOs, and executive teams to build the operating infrastructure that lets complex organizations grow without breaking.
The Challenge
Most leadership teams don't have a strategy problem. They have a structure problem — and every new initiative suffers for it.
Priorities everywhere — owned by no one
Decisions get made, then re-made. Action items leave meetings and disappear.
Executives managing up instead of leading forward
The CEO is in every meeting. The org can't move without constant intervention from the top.
Transformation launches but doesn't land
Six months in, the org has reverted. Execution stalled between decision and delivery.
Customers feel the chaos before leadership does
NPS drops. Escalations rise. The team is working hard — but without the structure to deliver consistently.
About
"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. For 20+ years I've run operations, not consulted on them — Chief of Staff inside a 3,000-person global org at Dell, scaling customer success teams from 15 to 300+ across 27 locations, managing portfolios from $250K to $100M+.
Lightstone exists for organizations that need more than a framework. They need someone who has been in the work — and stays accountable to outcomes.
I've held the Chief of Staff, VP, and Director seats — inside the C-suite system, not advising from outside it.
I build operating models with your team, not for them. Success means the org still runs them after I'm gone.
Executives engage differently when you've held their seat. No ramp-up. We get to work from day one.
Services
Operating cadences, decision rights, accountability architecture — so the org moves without the CEO in every meeting.
Org redesign, M&A integration, cross-functional change — I run the execution layer between strategy and result.
Governance frameworks, KPI scorecards, executive dashboards — real visibility where there was only noise.
Lifecycle frameworks, onboarding models, retention playbooks — CS built to be a revenue engine at enterprise scale.
SLA governance, quality frameworks, escalation design — the operating model to deliver consistently at scale.
Org structure, accountability, and operational discipline redesigned for your next stage — not your last one.
How I Work
The order matters. Skip diagnosis and you design the wrong thing. Skip embed and the structure doesn't hold.
Deep listening first. Where decisions stall, where accountability breaks, where structure is outpacing itself.
A tailored operating structure — governance, meeting architecture, accountability models — built for your actual stage.
In the work, not above it. I lead implementation, manage resistance, and stay accountable to outcomes — not deliverables.
Ownership transfers intentionally. The structure holds long after the engagement ends. That's the only real measure.
Outcomes
Revenue growth at a leading IT solutions firm through lifecycle optimization and governance maturity.
Paired with 90%+ client retention — through structural improvements, not headcount additions.
Sustained SLA attainment across a Federal portfolio — zero account losses under managed governance.
Built through lifecycle governance and accountability structures at every level.
Team growth across 27 global locations without losing SLA performance or service quality.
Structure was the strategy before the headcount arrived.
Career Record
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, dashboards, and portfolio governance enterprise-wide.
Client portfolio included Starbucks · Pepsi · McDonald's · Nike · Disney · GoTo Foods · Valvoline
Stratascale (A SHI Company)
Client Operations Director — Customer Success & Transformation
~15% revenue growth and 90%+ retention through lifecycle optimization. Led M&A integration and delivery transformation. Executive communications and board materials.
Client portfolio included Truist · AutoZone · ADT
Dell Technologies
Strategy & Transformation — Chief of Staff Office
CoS structure for a 3,000+ employee global Customer Success org. Cross-functional transformation across NAMER, LATAM, EMEA, and APJ.
Dell Technologies
Senior Manager, Customer Success — Federal
99–100% SLA performance and retention across a Federal portfolio. Built customer success infrastructure and lifecycle governance supporting the nation's most demanding government clients.
Client portfolio included US Department of Defense · US Army · US Navy · US Air Force
Dell Technologies
Senior Manager, Customer Success — Enterprise & Commercial
Led customer success across a high-value Enterprise and SLED portfolio — driving retention, lifecycle governance, and account growth across Fortune 500, financial services, healthcare, and higher education clients.
Client portfolio included Microsoft · PayPal · eBay · FedEx · Honeywell · Yum Brands · Citi · Fifth Third Bank · State of Michigan · State of Tennessee · Ohio State University · Vanderbilt University · Emory University · LSU · Nashville Public Schools · Detroit Public Schools · St. Jude's Hospital · Ochsner Health
Enterprise Experience
Contact
I work with a small number of organizations at a time. All conversations are confidential.
linkedin.com/in/kimberly-m-arnold
"Where people, process,
and performance align."