Global Director of Implementation & Onboarding at Zappi

Merlin Komenda

Rigorous by design. Joyful by default.

Merlin Komenda
i.

Teams commit to outcomes when they understand what those outcomes will actually mean for them.

Before any work starts, I make sure everyone in the room understands not just where we're going, but what it's going to ask of them. That's what turns agreement into commitment.

ii.

Teams that fixate on what they can't control burn out. It also stops them from moving what they can.

Stuck usually isn't stuck. It's misplaced focus. I help the team find what's actually in reach, and that gets people moving again.

iii.

Hard problems don't go away when you minimize them. They become manageable when you give them room to be hard.

Some of my best work has been on problems we haven't finished solving yet. Keeping a team honest, engaged, and willing to try again. That fuels learning, progress, and innovation.

Implementation · 2025–26

If you were building your function today, would you keep it the same?

We stopped building the process around our internal rhythm and started building it around the customer's. Shifted from "customer builds, team reviews" to "team recommends, customer validates." We led with our expertise and adoption followed.

50% faster time to first customer value
Merlin Komenda presenting at Propel26.
AI Systems · 2026

Phase-mapped AI integration

Eight of eleven implementation stages now have active automation tooling in production. New capabilities are added against a defined methodology instead of one-off fixes.

Enterprise Ongoing

Enterprise implementation at scale

Mid-market to Fortune 500: 60+ clients a year, repeatable outcomes, NPS above 75. We stay focused on core outcomes - delivering value, scaling adoption immediately, and pushing customer confidence in our platform.

~38% Shorter time to live
50% Faster time to first customer value
75+ NPS across enterprise relationships
60+ Implementations delivered annually
Zappi Bonterra EveryAction GiveGab

Let's do hard work together.

I want to hear from you. Genuinely. If something here sparked a thought, a question, or just a reaction, send me a note.

Prefer email? merlin.komenda@gmail.com

Rather just grab 15 minutes? Book time.