Sitecore expertise is shaped not only by those who build and implement the platform, but also by the customers who use it every day. In Part 3 of The Sitecore Water Cooler’s MVP series, co-hosts Maggie Burke and Rick Bauer spoke with Sitecore customer MVPs Morgan Domsohn, Sitecore Xperience Manager at Citadel Credit Union; Rogelio Villanueva, Director of Global Marketing at Shure; and Charles Hong, Product Owner of Digital Signage at United Airlines. Their experiences highlight an often-overlooked reality: some of the most valuable contributions to the Sitecore community come from the people responsible for making the platform work inside their organizations every day.
For customers who have considered becoming more active in the Sitecore community, their stories of becoming an MVP offer a useful roadmap. The path is not reserved for developers or architects. Customer leaders across a wide variety of teams and roles all have perspectives that can help others solve problems, make better decisions, and influence the future of the Sitecore ecosystem.
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What Is a Sitecore Customer MVP?
A Sitecore customer MVP, officially known as an Ambassador MVP, brings the perspective of someone responsible for applying the platform within an organization. That responsibility may include setting strategy, managing content, supporting internal users, coordinating with implementation partners, and connecting platform decisions to business needs. The role differs across organizations, but the common thread is sustained, practical experience with Sitecore.
The Sitecore MVP program also includes Strategy and Technology MVP categories. Technology MVPs are often recognized for their technical expertise and contributions to the developer community, while Strategy MVPs focus on using Sitecore to drive business and marketing outcomes. Ambassador MVPs are distinguished by their ability to influence customers, partners, and decision-makers through real-world experience, advocacy, feedback, and community involvement.
The Value of Customer Voices in the Sitecore Community
Every Sitecore implementation eventually reaches the same point: the project ends, but the work continues.
Customers are the ones responsible for governing content, training users, managing workflows, measuring results, and connecting platform decisions to business outcomes. They see firsthand which features drive adoption, where teams struggle, and what improvements would create the greatest impact.
That operational experience gives customer MVPs a perspective that complements both implementation partners and Sitecore itself. Partners bring expertise in architecture, implementation, and best practices. Sitecore provides product strategy and direction. Customers contribute the realities of day-to-day usage, organizational adoption, and business priorities. Together, those perspectives create a more complete picture of what organizations need to succeed.
“Partners bring implementation expertise and best practices. Sitecore brings guidance, vision, and strategy. But customers are the ones who live it on a daily basis. We’re the ones living the successes and challenges every day.” — Rogelio Villanueva, Director of Global Marketing, Shure
For prospective MVPs, this is an important point. You do not need to create products or write code to contribute meaningful insight. Simply sharing what happens after implementation can help other organizations avoid mistakes, improve adoption, and get more value from their Sitecore investments.
“Since customers are in the everyday workings of the CMS, we can bring a different perspective on how to enhance the Sitecore platform.” — Morgan Domsohn, Sitecore Xperience Manager, Citadel Credit Union
Recognition, Credibility, & Career Growth
One of the most common misconceptions about MVP recognition is that it is only an external achievement. In practice, many customer MVPs find that the recognition leads to change within their own organizations.
Organizations often need internal champions who can translate technology decisions into business value. Because MVPs get special access to Sitecore resources and are connected to the broader Sitecore community, they gain exposure to new ideas, emerging trends, and lessons learned from other organizations. That knowledge allows them to bring more informed recommendations to leadership teams and internal stakeholders.
Just as importantly, MVP recognition can help establish credibility. Whether evaluating new features, shaping a roadmap, or advising leadership on platform investments, MVPs are often viewed as trusted resources who understand both the product and the broader ecosystem.
Community, Networking, & Knowledge Sharing
Ask almost any MVP what they value most about the program, and the answer is rarely the award itself.
Instead, they talk about relationships.
The Sitecore community creates opportunities to exchange ideas with professionals facing similar challenges across industries and business models. Whether through Sitecore Symposium, MVP Summit, community groups, speaking engagements, or informal conversations, those connections expose members to new perspectives that would otherwise be difficult to find.
Those conversations often generate practical benefits:
- New approaches to governance and content operations
- Lessons learned from migrations or platform upgrades
- Ideas for increasing user adoption
- Strategies for measuring business impact
- Recommendations on tools, integrations, or workflows
The result is a community where knowledge is continuously shared rather than siloed within individual organizations. For new Sitecore customers, becoming active in the community can be one of the fastest ways to develop real platform expertise.
Learning from Diverse Customer Experiences
No two organizations use Sitecore in exactly the same way.
A financial institution, an airline, a manufacturer, and a retailer may all use the platform, but their priorities, audiences, and operational challenges differ dramatically. Exposure to those differences helps community members think beyond their immediate environment and identify new opportunities for improvement.
This is especially valuable for customer MVPs because they sit at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and user experience. When they hear how another organization solved a problem, managed a rollout, or measured success, they gain ideas that can often be adapted to their own teams. Community participation becomes a form of accelerated learning.
Instead of discovering every lesson firsthand, customer MVPs can learn from the successes and challenges of dozens of other organizations across the Sitecore ecosystem.
Encouraging More Customers to Participate & Help Shape Sitecore's Future
Many customers assume they do not have enough experience to contribute, or that MVP recognition is reserved for highly technical professionals. But Domsohn, Hong, and Villanueva all challenged that assumption directly. They say more customer voices are needed and encourage anyone interested to share what they know, seek mentorship, and become more active in the community.
Mentorship can play an especially important role in that process. Experienced MVPs can help prospective applicants understand the program, identify opportunities for contribution, and gain confidence in the value of their expertise. As more customer MVPs join the community, that pathway becomes increasingly accessible to others.
“What may seem ordinary to you could be exactly what other people are expecting, wanting, or needing to hear. Never underestimate yourself.” — Rogelio Villanueva, Director of Global Marketing, Shure
Customer participation benefits more than individual careers. It also helps influence the future of the platform itself. Because customers work with Sitecore every day, they are uniquely positioned to identify opportunities for improvement, share feedback, and advocate for the needs of their organizations. Their input helps Sitecore, partners, and the broader community better understand what users need to succeed.
“As customers, we’re gathering feedback and serving as the voice of our whole company: what’s working, what’s not working, and where we can develop new solutions.” — Charles Hong, Product Owner of Digital Signage, United Airlines
More Voices Create a Stronger Community
The strength of the Sitecore community comes from the diversity of experiences represented within it. For customers considering a deeper level of involvement, the message from current MVPs is straightforward: participate, share what you know, and do not assume your experience is too ordinary to matter. The lessons learned inside your organization may be exactly what another Sitecore customer needs to hear.
Listen to The Sitecore Water Cooler, Today!
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Connect with:
- The Sitecore Water Cooler: Website // Twitter // Instagram // Facebook
- Maggie Burke: LinkedIn
- Rick Bauer: LinkedIn
- Morgan Domsohn: LinkedIn
- Charlie Hong: LinkedIn
- Rogelio Villanueva: LinkedIn
- Resources: Sitecore Consulting & Website Development | Sitecore - Website
About: For years, ‘water cooler talk’ has been a natural way for people in the workplace to come together and connect on common interest topics in what would otherwise be a formal environment; it boosts morale, improves culture, and gets the creative juices flowing! Some of the best workplace ideas and conversations happen through face-to-face conversations around the ‘water cooler,’ so just as the name implies, The Sitecore Water Cooler podcast is a casual conversation between colleagues and peers centered around all things Sitecore. This podcast is an outlet for various Sitecore experts within the Sitecore community to have a meaningful discussion around the latest with Sitecore products, every day topics, challenges and successes associated with this top-of-line digital experience platform. Each podcast episode will range in topic, but will be geared towards quick-hitting initiatives that affect how business is done today. Whether you’re a new Sitecore user, a Sitecore MVP, or just someone who wants to learn more about Sitecore technology and capabilities, then meet us at the water cooler!
