2026 Strategic Account Plan
A transformational partnership opportunity aligned to CEO Dan Schulman's mandate for profitable growth through operational efficiency and customer-first transformation.
1
Executive Summary
Dan Schulman
CEO, Verizon
CEO, Verizon
CEO Transformation Context: Dan Schulman's Mandate
Assumed CEO role October 2025 • Former CEO, PayPal (2014-2023)
"We are determined to be an AI first company, deploying AI at scale. We will use AI to optimize our operations and fundamentally reshape the customer experience."
"We aim to be the most efficient telecom company in our industry as we continue to reduce complexity, eliminate structural inefficiencies, divest non-core assets, and deploy automation at scale."
"Make no mistake, our number one priority is to invest in our business to drive our future growth. No company ever cost-cut its way to greatness."
Dan Schulman assumed the CEO role in October 2025, bringing transformative leadership experience from PayPal where he tripled revenue from $8B to $30B and grew EPS 5x. His mandate is clear: create a simpler, leaner, scrappier organization focused on customer delight while achieving profitable growth. This strategic inflection point creates significant opportunity for ServiceNow to position as the operational platform enabling Schulman's transformation agenda.
$27.3M
Total ServiceNow ACV
(Annual Contract Value)
(Annual Contract Value)
$138.2B
Total Revenue
(FY 2025)
(FY 2025)
~90K
Employees
(Workforce)
(Workforce)
146M+
Total Customers
(Wireless + Wireline)
(Wireless + Wireline)
CEO Dan Schulman's Strategic Transformation Pillars
PILLAR #1
Customer Experience
Customer-obsessed culture. Eliminate complexity, remove pain points, make it easier to do business with us. Hyper-personalized experiences—eventually, every individual customer will have a tailored proposition.
SUCCESS METRICS
• Customer Retention ↑
• Customer Trust/Loyalty ↑
• Churn ↓
• Customer Trust/Loyalty ↑
• Churn ↓
PILLAR #2
Market Share Growth
Playing to win—no longer the hunting ground. Q4 2025: 616K postpaid phone net adds (highest in 5 years), 1M+ total net adds. Convert network advantage into market gains through activation, selling, and support excellence.
SUCCESS METRICS
• Time-to-Revenue ↓
• Speed-to-Market ↑
• Net Adds ↑
• Speed-to-Market ↑
• Net Adds ↑
PILLAR #3
Operational Excellence
AI-first, automation at scale. $5B OpEx war chest (in-year). Goal: most efficient telecom company in the industry. Reduce complexity, eliminate structural inefficiencies, deploy automation at scale.
SUCCESS METRICS
• MTTR ↓
• Cost-to-Serve ↓
• OpEx Savings → $5B
• Cost-to-Serve ↓
• OpEx Savings → $5B
CEO Transition: Hans Vestberg to Dan Schulman (October 2025)
Hans Vestberg Era (2018-2025)
"Build the Best Network"
- Infrastructure-first investment
- $20B+ CapEx annually
- Network quality = competitive moat
- Technology-led strategy
Dan Schulman Era (October 2025+)
"Delight Customers Profitably"
- Customer experience transformation
- $5B OpEx savings mandate (in-year)
- Operational efficiency = survival
- AI-first, automation at scale
⚡
100 days in — investment windows OPEN
💰
$5B OpEx target creates ROI urgency
🎯
Priority shift: IT infra → CX + Ops
🔑
"AI-first company" (Q4 2025 call)
2
Strategic Context & Business Evolution
Verizon Organizational Structure
Verizon Consumer
Services: Wireless, wireline, wholesale & FWA
- • 115M retail connections (83% postpaid)
- • 10M broadband connections (3M Fios)
- • 2025 Revenue: ~$106B
- • 76% of total Verizon revenue
Verizon Business
Services: Wireless, wireline, FWA, broadband, video, corporate networking, managed network services, security, IoT, advanced services
- • Enterprise, Business Markets & Public Sector
- • 31M wireless connections
- • 2M broadband connections
- • 2025 Revenue: ~$29B
- • 22% of total Verizon revenue
Verizon Network
Infrastructure Layer: Wireless, Wireline, Union Workforce
- • Network operations & infrastructure
- • Frontier Communications
- • Acquisition: Closed Jan 20, 2026
- • 30M+ fiber passings
- • $1B+ synergies by 2028 (doubled from initial)
- • Fiber expansion strategy
Key Financial Signals
Revenue & Margin
$138.2B Total Revenue (FY 2025)
"Stuck, growth stalled"
~12% Profit Margin
"Treading water"
Net Income bounce back from 2023 low
"Stuck, growth stalled"
~12% Profit Margin
"Treading water"
Net Income bounce back from 2023 low
Operational Health
$20.1B Free Cash Flow (FY 2025)
"Bright spot, cash is up"
$17.0B CapEx (FY 2025)
"Leveling off"
~$47.6B Adj. EBITDA
"Implied from 32.6% margin"
"Bright spot, cash is up"
$17.0B CapEx (FY 2025)
"Leveling off"
~$47.6B Adj. EBITDA
"Implied from 32.6% margin"
Segment Performance
43% Consumer EBITDA Margin
"Healthy, stable"
~23% Business EBITDA Margin
"Shrinking to survive"
VCG = 76% of revenue (protect & grow)
VBG needs to stop the bleeding
"Healthy, stable"
~23% Business EBITDA Margin
"Shrinking to survive"
VCG = 76% of revenue (protect & grow)
VBG needs to stop the bleeding
🎯 2026 Guidance (Jan 30, 2026)
Revenue: $93B
2-3% growth
2-3% growth
EPS: $4.90-$4.95
4-5% growth
4-5% growth
FCF: $21.5B+
~7% growth
~7% growth
Capital Return: ~$55B to shareholders through 2028 | $25B buyback program (at least $3B in 2026)
Verizon Company Evolution (5-Year)
2020-2021
Network Build Era
5G rollout, C-Band deployment, massive CapEx ($20B+/year). Hans Vestberg infrastructure focus.
CEO: Hans Vestberg | Focus: Build best network
2022-2023
Efficiency Pivot
CapEx reduction begins, workforce optimization (-25K employees). Wireless market saturation recognized.
Focus shifts to cash generation.
Reality Check: Network quality ≠ revenue growth
2024
Strategic Inflection
Frontier acquisition announced ($20B, 25M homes). FWA hits 5M+ subscribers.
Revenue flat, margins under pressure.
Challenge: Growth stalled despite network leadership
2025+
Transformation Era (Schulman)
"Simpler, leaner, scrappier" mandate.
More cuts coming — OpEx efficiency focus. Both segments need to do more with less.
When: Now | CEO: Dan Schulman
3
Stakeholder Relationship Map
Executive Leadership
Dan Schulman
CEO, Verizon
Transformation mandate: Customer-first, simpler/leaner/scrappier
Sponsor
Bill McDermott
CEO, ServiceNow
Status
Know
⚠️ Kyle Malady
CEO, Verizon Business
CRITICAL GAP
No engagement post-2022
Owns $11.3M Auris renewal (Dec 2026)
No engagement post-2022
Owns $11.3M Auris renewal (Dec 2026)
Sponsor
Bill McDermott
GAP
Sampath Somyanarayan
CEO, Verizon Consumer
115M connections, $102.9B revenue
ZERO ServiceNow footprint - greenfield
ZERO ServiceNow footprint - greenfield
Sponsor
Plan in progress
Unknown
Joe Russo
EVP, Global Networks & Technology
Network operations & infrastructure
TSOM/TSM deployment opportunity
TSOM/TSM deployment opportunity
Sponsor
Plan in progress
Unknown
Shankar Arumugavelu
EVP, Verizon Global Services
Central IT/Operations leader
Sponsor
Chris Bedi
Know
Alfonso Villanueva
EVP, Chief Transformation Officer
Schulman transformation agenda owner
Sponsor
—
Unknown
Sam Hammock
CHRO
5-year HRSD pursuit (Workday blocker)
105K employees - automation opportunity
105K employees - automation opportunity
Sponsor
Jacqui Canney
Know
Key ServiceNow Relationships
Wael Faheem
CIO, Global Networks & Technology
Reports to: Shankar Arumugavelu
Vivek Gurumurthy
CIO, VCG + VBG
Reports to: Shankar Arumugavelu
Jane Connell
CIO, Corporate Systems & VGS Strategy
Reports to: Shankar Arumugavelu
James Chappo
Sr Director, Enterprise Platforms
ServiceNow champion
Reports to: Jane Connell
Reports to: Jane Connell
Mufazzal Bohri
Sr Director, SRE Manager
Site Reliability Engineering lead
Reports to: James Chappo
Reports to: James Chappo
Chris White
VP of IT, VBG
Reports to: Vivek Gurumurthy
Stakeholder Relationship Gaps
Placeholder Name
Title TBD
Reports to: TBD
Placeholder Name
Title TBD
Reports to: TBD
Placeholder Name
Title TBD
Reports to: TBD
4
Current ServiceNow Footprint
Verizon Contract Summary
$27.3M
Total Current ACV
6
Active Instances
$0
Now Assist ACV
$8.5M
FY26 R4Q Pipeline
Account ACV by Product Suite
| Account | TX | CRM | CBS | PAI | RISK | CEG | ACV | Verizon BU | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Wireline | $6.9M | - | $67K | $1.6M | $3.6M | $184K | $12.4M | CSG (AYS/OneRISK) | Dec 2027 |
| VBS - Managed Network Services | $4.8M | $3.9M | - | $2.0M | - | $550K | $11.3M | Verizon Business | Dec 2026 |
| Verizon GovCloud | $123K | $258K | - | $139K | $240K | $356K | $1.2M | Verizon Business | Sep 2028 |
| Verizon GN&T | - | $28K | - | $976K | - | $175K | $1.3M | GN&T | Dec 2026 |
| VBG - Polaris | $14K | $661K | - | $218K | - | - | $935K | Verizon Business | Dec 2026 |
| Verizon Connect | - | $154K | - | $1K | - | - | $190K | Verizon Business | Dec 2026 |
| Verizon Enterprise Solutions | - | $24K | - | $1K | - | - | $25K | Verizon Business | Dec 2026 |
| TOTAL | $11.8M | $5.0M | $67K | $5.0M | $3.8M | $1.3M | $27.3M |
5
FY26 Pipeline
2026 Opportunity Scenarios
CONSERVATIVE
$6M - $10M
Defend & secure core portfolio with targeted expansion
- Moveworks & HR defense
- VBG consolidation
- Now Assist MVPs
- Natural growth
TARGET
$15M - $20M
Aggressive expansion across instances + new workloads
- VCG Now Assist + CRM expansion
- HRSD deployment
- Network AI
- Business as usual ELA
STRETCH
$30M - $60M
Transformational platform plays requiring executive sponsorship
- SFDC CRM replacement
- Enterprise Autonomous AI
- Network as a Service
- TMT AI co-innovation
2026 Big Bets
Critical
Autonomous IT Expansion (Network Operations)
$3M - $5M
2026-2027
Expand TSOM across wireless and core networks, integrate with TNI for complete network asset visibility. Aligned to Adam Koeppe's mandate: "Operate network as an intelligent platform."
Products
TSOM
TNI
AIOps
Now Assist
Key Stakeholders
Adam Koeppe (CNO Core), Srini Kalapala (CNO Wireless)
Expected Outcomes
40% reduction in critical outages, 16% MTTR reduction
High
Autonomous CRM - FWA Field Service Optimization
$1M - $2M
2026 H2
5M+ FWA subscribers represent massive field service opportunity. Optimize technician dispatch, reduce truck rolls, improve first-time fix rates. Aligned to CEO's customer-first transformation.
Products
FSMT
CSM
Scheduling Optimization
FWA Growth Context
3.0M (Q3 2023) to 5.0M+ (Q2 2025) = 67% growth
Expected Outcomes
25% improvement in first-time fix, 30% fewer truck rolls
High
HRSD - Employee Experience Platform (Culture OS)
$8M - $10M
3-Year TCV
5-year open opportunity blocked by Workday. Sam Hammock's "Culture OS" initiative creates opening. Position as employee experience platform, not HR system replacement. 99.6K employees = significant scale.
Products
HRSD
Employee Center Pro
Now Assist
Champion
Sam Hammock (CHRO) - 12 historical mentions
Strategy
McKinsey partnership, position around Culture OS
6
Competitive Tech Stack Landscape
Known Competitive Presence at Verizon
| Competitor | Footprint | Historical Mentions | Threat Level | ServiceNow Counter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarity (Broadcom) | Portfolio Management | 151 mentions | High | Position SPM as modern alternative with workflow integration |
| Workday | HRSD Blocker | 116 mentions | High | Position HRSD as employee experience layer, not HR system replacement |
| Microsoft | General IT | 61 mentions | Medium | Coexist on infrastructure, compete on operational workflows |
| Pega | VCG "Empire" | 23 mentions | Medium | Platform consolidation play, workflow automation depth |
| Salesforce | CRM | 23 mentions | Medium | End-to-end workflows beyond front-office, platform consolidation |
ServiceNow Differentiation
vs. Salesforce
"Salesforce handles front-office well, but stops there. ServiceNow orchestrates end-to-end
resolution across all departments on one platform."
vs. Microsoft Copilot
"Copilot is powerful for productivity. ServiceNow makes AI operational - executing workflows,
maintaining governance, delivering measurable business outcomes."
vs. Point Solutions
"One platform for IT, HR, Customer Service, Security - with native integration and unified data.
Reduce tool sprawl, accelerate value."
7
Stakeholder Engagement & Executive Alignment
Ally
Active Champion
Know
Working Relationship
Acquainted
Early Relationship
Gap
No Relationship - Critical
Unknown
Status TBD
CRITICAL RELATIONSHIP GAP: Kyle Malady
KM
Kyle Malady
CEO, Verizon Business Group (VBG)
GAP
No engagement post-2022
Risk: Owns $11.3M Auris renewal (Dec 2026) - 82% of renewal portfolio
Background: Nearly four decades building networks. Former EVP President GN&T. Technical leader, network infrastructure expert.
Board: Dexcom, CTIA (Chairman), NSTAC member
Action Required: Urgent Bill McDermott intervention to re-establish executive relationship
Background: Nearly four decades building networks. Former EVP President GN&T. Technical leader, network infrastructure expert.
Board: Dexcom, CTIA (Chairman), NSTAC member
Action Required: Urgent Bill McDermott intervention to re-establish executive relationship
Executive Leadership & ServiceNow Alignment
Executive Leadership
DS
Dan Schulman
Chief Executive Officer
Know
Bill McDermott
AV
Alfonso Villanueva
EVP, Chief Transformation Officer
New
From PayPal
SA
Shankar Arumugavelu
EVP, President VGS
Know
Chris Bedi
SH
Sam Hammock
EVP, CHRO
Know
Jacqui Canney
Business Unit Leadership
KM
Kyle Malady
CEO, Verizon Business Group
GAP
$11.3M Risk
SS
Sampath Sowmyanarayan
CEO, Verizon Consumer Group
Know
VCG Whitespace
JR
Joe Russo
EVP, President GN&T
Unknown
Network Exec
MP
Massimo Peselli
CRO VBG Global Enterprise
Know
Rohit Batra
Executive Engagement Recommendations
| Executive | Priority | Messaging Focus | ServiceNow Alignment | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Malady | Critical | Network operations, 5G infrastructure, ITOM/TSOM value | Bill McDermott | Urgent CEO-to-CEO engagement |
| Dan Schulman | High | Transformation platform, operational efficiency, customer-first | Bill McDermott | Executive briefing on AI Control Tower |
| Alfonso Villanueva | High | AI-first digital infrastructure, procurement modernization | TBD | New executive introduction |
| Sam Hammock | Medium | Culture OS, employee experience, HRSD as platform | Jacqui Canney | Position HRSD around Culture OS |
| Sampath (VCG CEO) | High | Consumer CX transformation, 115M connections, greenfield | TBD | VCG platform vision presentation |
8
Value Framework & Business Outcomes
ServiceNow: The AI Control Tower for Business Reinvention
The only platform that unifies Data, AI, Workflows, and Security - enabling autonomous workflows that Sense, Decide, Act, and Govern across the enterprise.
SENSE
Unlock Enterprise Data Advantage with Workflow Data Fabric
DECIDE
Use ANY AI Model with Full Context and Knowledge
ACT
Execute Work Across Every Department with Workflow Automation
GOVERN
Control at AI Speed with AI Trustworthiness Center
Quantified Business Outcomes for Verizon
Network Operations
| Outcome | Improvement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Reduction in MTTR | 40% | Forrester TEI |
| Fewer critical outages | 40% | Customer ref |
| Incident volume reduction | 60% | Telecom outcomes |
Field Service
| Outcome | Improvement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First-time fix rate | 25% | Customer ref |
| Fewer truck rolls | 30% | Telecom outcomes |
| Technician utilization | 15% | FSM benchmarks |
Customer Service
| Outcome | Improvement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Churn reduction | 8% | CSM outcomes |
| Faster order-to-activate | 50% | Telecom outcomes |
| Case resolution time | 50% | Customer ref |
IT Operations
| Outcome | Improvement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Automation rate | 70% | Telecom outcomes |
| Annual savings potential | $50M+ | Industry benchmark |
| Tier-1 incident deflection | 30% | Customer ref |
AI-First Dream Big Strategy
"We must reorient our entire company around delivering for and delighting our customers… simplify operations and address the complexity and friction that slow us down."
ROI Calculation Logic
- Total time saved across agents: ~22M hours/year
- Standard FTE: ~2,000 hrs/year
- FTE equivalent: 22M ÷ 2,000 = ~11,000 FTEs
- Net benefit per workflow: $3.75 saved
- AI cost per workflow: $3.75
- ROI: $3.75 ÷ $3.75 = 100%
Every enterprise has repeatable workflows that show up across business lines. These repeatable workflows exist across Verizon's service, network, and operations teams and still rely on human handoffs. At scale, they create friction that slows execution and increases cost-to-serve across millions of interactions each year.
Platform-Wide AI Efficiency Model
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Blended avg labor cost | ~$75K/year |
| Blended time | ~0.5 hr per workflow |
| BAU Cost | ~$18.75 per workflow |
| Future State Cost | ~$15 per workflow |
| Labor Cost Avoidance | ~11K FTEs |
| Time Back to Business | ~22M hrs/year |
| Efficiency Gain | ~20% |
| ROI per Workflow | 100% |
Verizon Growth at Scale (5-Year Projection)
| Current | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customers | 146.0M | 150.4M | 154.9M | 159.5M | 169.3M |
| Employees (Status Quo) | ~90K | 98K | 96.04K | 94.12K | 90.39K |
| Employees + AI Agent | ~90K | 94.16K | 88.65K | 83.46K | 73.96K |
| Cost Avoidance | - | $288M | $554M | $799M | $1.23B |
AI Agent Use Cases by Domain
| Agent | Domain | Volume/Year | BAU Time | Time Saved | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Issue Resolution | CRM | 55M | 30 min | 12 min | Consumer + Business support |
| Billing Resolution | BSS | 9M | 20-25 min | 10 min | Billing questions, disputes, credits |
| Mobile Activation | OSS | 30M | 30-40 min | 15 min | Device activations, upgrades |
| Network Incident Resolution | OSS | 4M | 45-60 min | 15 min | Incident coordination, remediation |
| Service Impact Intelligence | OSS | 3.5M | 20-30 min | 12 min | Impact analysis, dependency mapping |
| Service Request Automation | IT | 1M | 15-20 min | 10 min | Access, hardware, software requests |
| Employee Support | HR/IT | 400K | 10-15 min | 8 min | Policy, benefits, case management |