Marc Karschies, CCXP & CXPA RTP
Founder & Managing Partner KCA Consultants UAE
Customer Experience Strategy, Enterprise Governance & Organizational Transformation
Marc Karschies is the Founder and Managing Partner of KCA Consultants, a Dubai-based management consulting firm specializing in customer experience, corporate strategy, service quality, organizational excellence, and transformation.
With more than three decades of international executive and consulting experience, Marc combines strategic advisory expertise with a practical background in leading complex operations, organizational change, and service transformation across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
His approach treats customer experience not as a standalone function, but as the result of how an organization aligns its strategy, operating processes, people, technology, and governance. This integrated perspective underpins KCA’s consulting methodology and Marc’s development of the Integrated Customer Experience Management (ICXM) framework.
Core specializations: Customer Experience Strategy | Enterprise Governance & ICXM | Corporate Strategy & Performance | Business & Government Excellence | Quality & Operations Transformation | Executive Development
Professional Profile
Marc’s professional career combines senior executive responsibility, international consulting, academic teaching, professional standards development, and organizational excellence assessment.
Before establishing KCA Consultants, Marc spent two decades in financial services, holding management and executive positions with Citibank and Diners Club in Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom, followed by a senior leadership role with Emirates NBD in the UAE.
His responsibilities have included the management and transformation of international operations, service quality, customer-facing processes, technology-enabled service delivery, performance management, organizational integration, and operational risk and control structures.
This executive background shapes his consulting approach. Marc emphasizes solutions that can be governed, implemented, measured, and sustained within the realities of an organization’s operating environment. Rather than addressing customer experience, quality management, strategy, and technology as disconnected disciplines, he works to establish the management structures needed to align them.
Through KCA, Marc advises government organizations, regulated enterprises, and private-sector businesses on complex transformation challenges, combining strategic frameworks with hands-on implementation and capability development.
He has also taught postgraduate and executive education programs and contributed to professional associations, international conferences, professional publications, and excellence and award assessment programs.
Areas of Expertise
Customer & Stakeholder Experience Strategy
Development of customer experience strategies, governance structures, operating models, maturity assessments, customer insight systems, and transformation roadmaps that connect stakeholder expectations with organizational objectives and capabilities.
Integrated Customer Experience Management (ICXM)
Development and application of KCA’s Integrated Customer Experience Management framework, connecting strategic intent, operational processes, employee capability, technology enablement, and outside-in customer reality within an integrated enterprise governance architecture.
Corporate Strategy, Governance & Performance Management
Corporate and service strategy development, Balanced Scorecard implementation, integrated KPI frameworks, strategic performance measurement, operating model design, and management accountability systems.
Quality, Service Excellence & Operational Transformation
Quality management systems, Lean and Six Sigma, process improvement, service quality frameworks, IT service management, operational efficiency, business process transformation, and sustainable performance improvement.
Business & Government Excellence
Organizational excellence assessments, government service excellence frameworks, award readiness, evidence-based performance evaluation, and the integration of excellence principles into day-to-day management.
Leadership, Learning & Capability Development
Executive education, management training, professional certification preparation, leadership development, organizational culture transformation, and the design of capability-building programs that translate theoretical knowledge into practical application.
Selected Professional Contributions
The following examples reflect Marc’s broader executive and consulting experience. KCA consulting assignments are described by industry and domain, without identifying individual clients.
International Operations Transformation
Held senior executive responsibility for international financial services operations, including turnaround and restructuring activities across nine European markets. His responsibilities covered service operations, technology, process improvement, organizational integration, and operational performance.
Group-Wide Service Quality & Culture Transformation
Led service quality and customer-focused transformation activities within a major UAE banking group, supporting the alignment of service standards, organizational culture, performance management, and operating practices following a major corporate integration.
Government Service Transformation & Excellence
Led and advised on government service improvement and excellence initiatives in the GCC, including service quality assessments, customer experience management, performance frameworks, transformation roadmaps, and the application of government excellence methodologies.
Integrated Performance & Management Systems
Developed and implemented strategy-linked KPI systems, performance scorecards, Voice of Customer structures, process measurement frameworks, and management reporting approaches across service-intensive organizations.
Organizational Excellence Assessment & Award Programs
Served in senior assessor, team leadership, judging, and advisory roles across business and government excellence programs. His experience includes the Dubai Quality Award, Dubai Human Development Award, and international business and customer experience excellence programs.
Professional Framework & Standards Development
Originated KCA’s Integrated Customer Experience Management (ICXM) framework and contributed to the development of the Customer Experience Professionals Association’s CX Book of Knowledge, including leading the authoring team for the Customer Experience Strategy component.
Professional Career Highlights
KCA Consultants — Founder & Managing Partner – Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Since 2012
Founded and leads KCA Consultants, providing senior-level management advisory, transformation consulting, organizational excellence support, and professional capability development across government and private-sector organizations.
Emirates NBD Banking Group — Head of Group Service Quality – Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 2010–2012
Held group-level responsibility for service quality and supported service strategy, organizational alignment, and customer-focused culture transformation within a major banking group.
Citibank / Diners Club Europe — Operations Director / Vice President – London, United Kingdom | 2005–2010
Led operations and transformation activities across a multi-country European financial services and payment-processing environment, including restructuring, operating improvements, and business transition activities.
Citibank — Quality, IT, Internal Control & Operations Management – Germany and United States | 1993–2005
Held progressive management responsibilities across banking operations, quality management, information technology, internal control, risk management, process improvement, and international service delivery.
Academic & Executive Education Appointments
Marc has held teaching appointments at:
- Hult International Business School, Dubai — Operations and IT Management, Project Management, Leadership, and Postgraduate/Executive Management Education.
- Middlesex University Dubai — Project Management, Innovation Management and Consulting in postgraduate programs.
- American Society for Quality (ASQ) — Accredited Trainer for 11+ Certification Programs
- Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) — Recognized Training Provider and Accredited Trainer
These academic appointments complement his consulting and corporate training activities.
Education, Certifications & Professional Recognition
Academic Education
Executive MBA
Brand Management, Strategy, Entrepreneurship
London Business School, United Kingdom
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
Finance & Banking
Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Germany
Bankkaufmann
German Banking Professional Qualification
Bremen Chamber of Commerce, Germany
Professional Certifications & Qualifications
Marc’s professional qualifications and technical training include:
- Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) — Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA)
- CXPA Recognized Training Provider (RTP) Trainer Accreditation — CXPA
- Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) — American Society for Quality (ASQ)
- Certified Manager of Quality / Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) — ASQ
- Certified Quality Process Analyst (CQPA) — ASQ
- Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) — ASQ
- ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor qualification — IRCA
- Balanced Scorecard Certified Graduate — Kaplan & Norton / Palladium
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) — Project Management Institute (PMI)
- PRINCE2 Practitioner — Project Management
- EFQM Excellence Model Assessor training and qualifications
- Lean management training, including McKinsey-led programs
Awards & Recognition
ASQ Middle East & Africa — Quality Professional of the Year, 2018
Recognized in the consultant category for professional contributions and achievements in quality management.
Professional Excellence & Assessment Contributions
Marc has served as a senior assessor and team leader in organizational excellence programs and as an expert judge for regional and international business, customer experience, and service excellence awards.
Academic Recognition
His teaching contributions have included recognition for excellence in postgraduate and executive education.
Professional Associations & Standards Development
Marc has contributed to the development of the customer experience profession through involvement with the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), including regional leadership as member of the Middle East Regional Council and advisory activities.
He contributed to the CXPA CX Book of Knowledge as an author and team leader of the Customer Experience Strategy section and has led professional learning and knowledge-sharing initiatives across the region.
KCA Consultants is a CXPA Recognized Training Provider (RTP), through which Marc contributes to professional customer experience training and capability development.
Publications & Thought Leadership
Marc is a co-author of Customer Experience (CX1), Customer Experience 3 (CX3), Customer Experience 4 (CX4), and Remote Working. He also contributed to the Customer Experience Strategy section of the CXPA’s CX Book of Knowledge.
Affiliate disclosure: Amazon purchase links in this section are paid affiliate links. KCA Consultants may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Published Books
Customer Experience (CX1)
Co-author | ISBN 978-1912774418
Amazon purchase options · Paid affiliate links
Customer Experience 3 (CX3)
Co-author | ISBN 978-1912774814
Amazon purchase options · Paid affiliate links
Customer Experience 4 (CX4)
Co-author | ISBN 978-1914265099
Amazon purchase options · Paid affiliate links
Remote Working: How to Effectively and Efficiently Work from Home in Challenging Times
Co-author | ISBN 979-8632733137
Amazon purchase options · Paid affiliate links
CXPA’s CX Book of Knowledge
Co-author | ISBN 978-1958868164
Amazon purchase options · Paid affiliate links
These publications bring together insights and perspectives on customer experience, organizational performance, professional practices, and effective working approaches.
CXPA CX Book of Knowledge
Marc contributed to the CXPA CX Book of Knowledge as the Team Leader for the Customer Experience Strategy section, supporting the development of professional knowledge and practice standards for customer experience management.
Explore the CXPA CX Book of Knowledge
Articles, Research & Professional Perspectives
Marc regularly contributes perspectives on customer experience governance, organizational culture, strategic alignment, service quality, performance measurement, and the interpretation of management data and business evidence.
His professional writing reflects a practical, evidence-based approach to challenging assumptions, connecting management concepts, and distinguishing meaningful organizational outcomes from superficial performance indicators.
Explore KCA Knowledge & Insights
Speaking, Training & Professional Contributions
Marc is an experienced conference and panel speaker, workshop facilitator, executive educator, and professional award judge and chair.
His speaking and training activities focus on the strategic integration of customer experience management, organizational performance, quality management, governance, and transformation.
He has participated in industry conferences, professional association events, leadership forums, government and enterprise workshops, and executive education programs across the GCC and internationally.
Selected Speaking & Workshop Topics
Rethinking Customer Experience: From CX Activities to Strategic Value
Why customer experience must be integrated into enterprise strategy, governance, and value creation rather than managed as an isolated departmental initiative.
Integrated Customer Experience Management: The ICXM Approach
How organizations can bring strategy, operational processes, employee capability, technology, and customer reality into one coherent enterprise governance model.
Making Customer Experience Measurable and Manageable
Moving beyond surveys and disconnected CX indicators to performance frameworks that support management decisions, prioritization, and demonstrable business outcomes.
Government Service Excellence & Organizational Transformation
How public-sector organizations can integrate service quality, customer experience, excellence frameworks, and transformation programs into sustainable operating practices.
Customer-Centric Culture, Leadership & Operational Accountability
Understanding how leadership behaviors, organizational culture, process design, and employee enablement influence the experiences delivered to customers and other stakeholders.
Speaking topics can be adapted for conferences, panel discussions, executive briefings, professional development programs, and in-house leadership workshops.
Selected Professional Engagements
Marc’s speaking experience includes professional customer experience conferences, training workshops, masterclasses, in-house leadership workshops and regional CX professional community events.
He has also contributed to business and government excellence programs as a speaker, facilitator, assessor, and judge.
Connect with Marc
Marc works with organizations seeking senior-level advisory support in customer experience strategy, enterprise governance, organizational transformation, government excellence, operating model development, and professional capability building.
For consulting engagements, executive workshops, conference speaking, or professional collaboration, please contact KCA Consultants.
Contact Marc / KCA Consultants