Daniel Stiffler
San Diego
Summary
Strategic Education & Client Success Leader | Higher Ed Transformation | Institutional Partnership Growth Executive leader with 20+ years of experience in education strategy, client success, and cross-sector transformation. Proven record of building and leading high-performing teams that deliver measurable results for education institutions and SaaS clients. Skilled in aligning engagement strategies with institutional goals, coaching teams through change, and developing systems that scale. Known for a people-first approach grounded in analysis, accountability, and long-term relationship building.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Manager, Customer Success
Acquia
01.2021 - Current
- Led and mentored a global team of CSMs managing $34M ARR, consistently achieving 95%+ renewal rates and exceeding retention goals
- Developed and delivered workshops for clients and partners focused on SaaS adoption, AI integration, and data operations
- Collaborated with executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to design annual product roadmaps aimed at churn reduction, increased customer sentiment, and category positioning
- Implemented predictive retention and expansion strategies using Gainsight, Salesforce, and BI dashboards
- Designed internal enablement materials used to train over 100 client success representatives on product adoption and strategic account planning
- Partnered with BI and RevOps to forecast retention trends, analyze churn, and deliver strategic insights for executive planning
Director of Financial Aid
St. Louis College of Pharmacy
01.2010 - 01.2021
- Built and led a high-performing student success team, generating 60% of the institution’s operating revenue through enrollment and retention strategies
- Led operational transformation efforts that improved student satisfaction and reduced aid processing time by 80%
- Spearheaded scholarship strategy reform, increasing Pell-eligible student enrollment by 30%
- Collaborated with Advancement to align donor-supported scholarships with enrollment strategy and impact reporting
- Implemented CRM and business intelligence tools to support recruitment, engagement, and financial aid performance analytics
- Coached team members across advising, admissions, and finance through service realignment and institutional strategy execution
- Created dashboards and reporting structures to evaluate program performance, forecast revenue, and support continuous improvement
Associate Director, Academic Advising & Student Services
Washington University, Olin Business School
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Increased event-based recruitment yield by 60% while reducing associated costs by 25%
- Implemented degree audit and advising tools, improving academic planning and administrative efficiency
- Founded and advised student organizations that supported new program development
Education
MBA (Executive) -
University of Missouri
MA - Communications
University of Missouri
BA - Communication Studies
Fontbonne University
Skills
- Higher Ed Strategy & Transformation
- Client Retention & Growth
- SaaS Customer Success
- Team Leadership & Development
- Workshops & Enablement
- AI Integration
- Forecasting & Reporting
- CRM & Salesforce
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Change Management
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- Institutional Partnerships
Timeline
Manager, Customer Success
Acquia
01.2021 - Current
Director of Financial Aid
St. Louis College of Pharmacy
01.2010 - 01.2021
Associate Director, Academic Advising & Student Services
Washington University, Olin Business School
01.2008 - 01.2010
MA - Communications
University of Missouri
BA - Communication Studies
Fontbonne University
MBA (Executive) -
University of Missouri