Pittsburgh native Lisa Loftis is the living embodiment of what another Pittsburgh native once said: "The thing I remember best about successful people I've met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they're doing." While Mr. Rogers may not have recognized the phrase "automated decisioning," he would have recognized the enthusiasm, curiosity and pride Lisa brings to her work.

Over her 25-plus year career in the customer experience field, Lisa has acquired deep knowledge of the many technological pieces of the puzzle but has never lost sight of the human (read: cultural) challenges that lie at the center. In her monthly columns she shares her experience, her curiosity and her insights into this ever-evolving field.

What's your proudest accomplishment personal or professional from 2019?

What makes me happiest is that I have both the personal and professional flexibility needed to be present to help my mother (and previously my dad) as they age. Splitting time between Arizona and Pittsburgh is not always fun and can be disruptive to life in general but it is probably the most rewarding thing I have ever done. This would not have been possible during my over 25 years of road-warrior consulting and is my living embodiment of the fact that change happens for a reason.

What gives you hope in the tech world today?

In these turbulent times, where it often feels like humanity and compassion are in short supply, theData For Good movement is a shining star. Data for Good encourages the use of data in meaningful ways to solve humanitarian issues around poverty, health, human rights, education and the environment. I am proud to be part of a company that is helping to drive the use of analytics to change the world for the better. Our free crowdsourcing app, GatherIQ, enables both individuals and companies to get involved in this vital, global movement by contributing data, analytics and more.

Which of the articles you wrote for CMSWire this year was your favorite and why?

This is by far the hardest question in the list because the topics were all so timely and fun to write about this year. Since I have to pick, my favorite is Innovation and Alignment A Customer Experience Leaders Harmonic Convergence. Not only did I get to reference Machiavelli and the ancient Aztecs in the same article (LOL), but aligning the organization and overcoming cultural obstacles for CX has been a personal soapbox issue for the last 30 years. The fact that this is still a problem for so many companies attests to both its difficulty and its importance for success in CX.

If you could wake up tomorrow and be an expert in one thing, what would it be and why?

Wilderness survival. I love to hike and mountain bike and wish-list items include thru-hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, the Te Araroa and going rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon. Actually knowing how to survive these experiences would be a plus.

What is your favorite part of the work you do?

I love the variety that my job affords me. Researching new topics, the front seat to watch trends unfold, gaining a deeper understanding of how martech products (ours and others) actually work rare is the day that passes without me learning something new.

What's an important story you'll be tracking in 2020?

The continuing focus on automated decisioning in digital transformation and CX. According to Futurum Research, by 2030 agility and extreme automation will be the twin pillars of CX. Both Gartner and Forrester agree. Gartner has coined the term continuous intelligence and Forrester the phrase the dawn of digital decisioning and both advocate for analytically-powered automated decisions to increase agility and improve personalization. This was my trend to follow last year (I was a little early on that) now the momentum is significant and the possibilities exciting.

What advice would you give someone starting out in your field today?

Learn analytics it is the future of everything.

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2019 Contributors of the Year: Lisa Loftis - CMSWire