In our new blog series, Meet Castlight, we’re featuring some of the best hearts and minds that drive our business. In this Q&A, we learn more about Shamim Gillani, our VP of Customer Success.

What’s your role? How does it support Castlight’s mission?

As the leader of our Customer Success organization, my role is laser-focused on creating an amazing experience for all our customers. That means working closely with the entire team to ensure our customers are delighted with their daily experience using our world-class health navigation platform and helping each customer maximize the power of the platform to reach their desired outcomes.

Healthcare changes constantly, and it’s deeply personal. The pandemic has further highlighted how confusing it can be to navigate and how critical it is to be able to have answers readily available at your fingertips. Castlight’s navigation platform empowers members to make more informed healthcare decisions by providing hyper-personalized, data-driven recommendations so they can get the right care, at the right time.

My team makes sure each and every customer, their employees, and employees’ families are able to easily access our platform and get the most out of it.

What led to your decision to join the Castlight team?

I first used Castlight back in 2015 — as a consultant for the Advisory Board Company, we used it to help a client with a project — and have been following the company ever since. In 2020, Castlight leaned into adding value at an enormous scale with the COVID-19 Test Site Finder, and the company was developing other necessary products at a fast clip that benefited the masses. I wanted to make an impact at this scale and move at that speed. I was so inspired by the conversations I had with leaders during my interview process that I knew I had finally found my tribe! Since joining the team, I’ve been even more inspired by the culture and our unified mission.

What’s your mantra in a few words?

How can I help?

What’s your go-to quarantine activity?

Exploring my neighborhood! I moved to a new part of town before the pandemic and quarantining has allowed me to really support the local businesses, explore the green space nearby, and meet my neighbors on our daily walks.

What’s the biggest challenge and opportunity for leadership with a remote workforce?

Feeling genuinely connected to one another is an area of focus for me and something I hope to model with my team. It requires more than showing up to meetings, turning on your video, and producing results while balancing happy hours and sponsoring fun events.

To truly feel connected to your team, the company, and the culture, you need to be able to bring your whole self to work and share your life with the team in whatever way you’re comfortable. We all work from home, and sometimes our workspace is the dining room table instead of a dedicated office — invite me over to sit next to you (virtually) and we can eat lunch together, or tell me it’s protected time on your calendar so you can have better work-life integration.

My goal is that everyone on my team is comfortable being who they are and sharing what they need to in order to feel both connected to their career and rooted in their personal values.

What are you most excited about in digital health?

Data, data, everywhere! The amount of healthcare data is constantly growing, and there’s enormous potential to harness it in order to drive better patient outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for digital solutions ranging from virtual care, to connecting patients with their families in times of need, to easy scheduling tools that need to work for all segments of the population.

Castlight has more than 10 years of data, which has allowed us to create personalized solutions that serve all populations at scale. The upcoming decade will bring even more innovation in digital health, and the last 10 years have set our organization up to be at the forefront of it all.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

Volunteering is something I am passionate about and have engaged with since I was a Girl Scout. I met my husband while we were both volunteering at a youth development camp and we continue to focus on mentoring the youth with our skill sets, time, and terrible jokes!