Full Segment Notes
As technology organizations evolve, technical roles are becoming increasingly fluid - particularly at the intersection of product, engineering, and customer success. This conversation explores what it means to be a modern sales engineer and how the role is increasingly expanding into responsibilities often associated with forward deployed engineers: translating complex technical capabilities into real-world outcomes, solving customer challenges in real time, and serving as a critical bridge between product teams and end users. At the center of this evolution is a customer-first mindset - one that prioritizes listening, adaptability, and long-term partnership. As organizations race to innovate, the companies that stand out will be those that remain deeply focused on customer needs while empowering technical teams to operate beyond traditional role boundaries.Segment Resources:2026 CISO AI Risk Report: https://saviynt.com/ciso-ai-risk-report-2026The 4 Identity Risks of AI Agents: https://saviynt.com/the-4-identity-risks-of-ai-agentsIdentity: The Operating System of AI Security: https://saviynt.com/blog/identity-the-operating-system-of-ai-securityYou Can't Secure What You Can't See: Posture Management for AI Agents: https://saviynt.com/blog/posture-management-ai-agentsThis segment is sponsored by Saviynt. Learn more or get a free demo at https://securityweekly.com/saviyntidv
Key Moments
- 0:00 - Introduction – Identiverse 2026 & Guest Setup (Saviynt Solutions Engineering)
- 0:24 - Shifting SE Role from Demos to Business Outcomes
- 0:59 - Forward-Deployed Engineering and Fast Customer Feedback Loops
- 01:33 - AI’s Role in Modern Sales Engineering and Efficiency
- 02:28 - Customer Pain Points: Visibility into AI Agents and Risk
- 03:16 - Extensibility, Active Listening, and Customer Problem Solving
- 04:49 - Real-World Example: Manufacturing, Supply Chains, and Agent Risk
- 05:44 - Measuring Success in Sales Engineering Teams
- 06:21 - Turning Customer Discovery into Actionable Insights
- 07:10 - Needs vs Wants in Security Buying Decisions
- 07:32 - CISO Priorities: Risk, Budget, and Business Alignment
- 08:14 - Beyond AI: Modernization and Tool Consolidation
- 09:04 - Avoiding Shelfware and Maximizing Existing Investments
- 10:02 - Build vs Buy in the Age of AI and Automation
- 10:39 - Will AI Replace SE Work? Efficiency vs Human Expertise
- 11:38 - Why Human Experience Still Matters in Security Decisions
- 13:15 - AI as a Catalyst for Faster Cross-Team Collaboration
- 13:42 - Closing Thoughts – Humans + AI Working Together
Guest
Jaime Lewis-Gross is the Senior Vice President of Solutions Engineering at Saviynt, where she leads technical strategy and the Solutions Engineering organization supporting enterprise identity security initiatives. She partners with customers and executive leadership to help organizations modernize identity governance while advancing AI-driven approaches to identity governance, risk & security.
