About Practical CSM

A message from our CEO

Why we teach Customer Success the way it is actually done, and how we help people prove they can do the job.

The Practical CSM Framework: three stages, seven phases1234567PRACTICAL CSMFramework3 stages, 7 phases

A message from our CEO

We teach Customer Success the way it is actually done.

I’m Marek Malinowski, CEO of Practical CSM. Our mission is to help existing and aspiring Customer Success professionals excel, and prove it through meaningful certification.

We have delivered more than 2,500 hours of live training, so Customer Success Managers can prove they can do the job, not just describe it. Everything we build starts from one published method, the Practical CSM Framework: the CCSMP certification (Levels 1 to 4) and Level 5 CPD, which keeps your skills and your certification current year after year.

I run the business, the training platform and our team partnerships, from certification for individuals to programs for enterprise Customer Success teams. Before co-founding Practical CSM with Rick in 2019, I spent over a decade running a technology and digital consultancy in Ireland.

Marek Malinowski
CEO, Practical CSM

Marek Malinowski, CEO of Practical CSM
150,000+learners worldwide
2,500+hours of live training
CCSMPCertified CSM Professional: Levels 1-4 permanent, plus Level 5 CPD
The bookPractical Customer Success Management, Taylor & Francis, 2018
Some of the companies whose teams have trained with Practical CSM

How we teach

Learn the Framework, practise the real work, prove it.

Knowing what a health score is does not tell you what to do when it turns red. Our programs build all three parts of KSA: Knowledge, Skills and Attitude.

K

Knowledge

The Practical CSM Framework: three stages, seven phases, from Preparation to Engagement Evaluation.

S

Skills

Practice on real situations: onboarding plans, adoption, renewals and difficult conversations.

A

Attitude

The habits and judgement that make customers trust you, tested at every certification level.

See the Practical CSM Framework

Practical Customer Success Management book cover

The author of the framework

The Framework is a published method.

The Practical CSM Framework comes from Rick Adams, who set it out in Practical Customer Success Management (Taylor & Francis, 2018). Rick built Cisco’s global Customer Success certification and has trained technology professionals in more than 30 countries. The framework is also the basis of our CCSMP certification.

Read about the book

Rick Adams, author of the Practical CSM FrameworkRick AdamsAuthor of the Practical CSM Framework

Recognition

Awards and recognition

Rick Adams, author of the Practical CSM Framework

  • 2026
    Marek Malinowski, recipient, European CEO of the Year Awards 2026 (EU Business News)
  • 2022
    Top 25 Customer Success Influencers (SuccessCoaching)
  • 2022
    Judge, Customer Success Rising Star category, Customer Success Excellence Awards, London, 15 June 2022 (Customer Success Excellence)
  • 2022
    Top 50 Customer Success Influencers (SmartKarrot)
  • 2022
    222 Top Influencers for 2022 (Engati)
  • 2021
    Top 50 Customer Success Influencers (SmartKarrot)
  • 2021
    Top 25 Customer Success Influencers (SuccessCoaching)
  • 2021
    Top 30 emerging leaders in Customer Success (Engati)

The people behind the training
Trainers, developers and the operations team.Meet the team

Ready to prove what you can do?

Certify yourself, or train your whole team. Questions? Book a call with a training specialist.

Get certifiedBook a call with a training specialist