WEBINAR Inside the Google Cloud CAB Program: Evolving Customer Advisory Boards

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How did Google Cloud transform advisory boards into a trusted C-level community of strategic influence?

Google Cloud has created a highly engaged, invitation-only group of CxO leaders who bring candid insight, form lasting peer connections, and drive business impact.

These aren’t just one-off meetings. They’re year-round, strategic programs built on trust, relevance, and continuous value exchange.

In this session, Liz Lan, Lead, Customer Advisory Boards at Google Cloud, talks about how her team evolved the CAB experience from 65 members to 25. And as a result deepened customer relationships and turned members into true strategic partners and advisors.

Overall Key Takeaways from the Session:

  • Smaller, Strategic Cohort: Google Cloud scaled down their CAB from 65 members to a tight-knit group of 25 CIOs/CTOs leading to deeper relationships, trust, and candid conversations.
  • Year-Round Engagement: Google Cloud evolved from a meeting to a program with continuous engagement throughout the year. The program includes monthly virtual deep dives, an annual in-person meeting, and exclusive Google Cloud events to maintain continuous dialogue and momentum.
  • Strict Peer Alignment: Only C-level members are invited (no delegates), with hand-picked recruitment and a two-year commitment to build a consistent and trusted cohort.
  • Interactive, Member-Led Format: Meetings feature co-creation workshops, peer sharing, and behind-the-scenes previews, moving beyond traditional feedback sessions. They even remove tables from the room — CAB members are in rolling chairs, surrounded by whiteboards for maximizing engagement at meetings.
  • Measuring Impact: Google Cloud leverages their CAB to spearhead new partnerships, strengthen executive customer relationships, and influence strategy and deals.

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Webinars Google Cloud CABs

Webinar details

  • Title: Inside the Google CAB Program – Evolving Customer Advisory Boards
  • Duration: 45 minutes
  • Featured speaker: Liz Lan, Lead, Customer Advisory Boards at Google Cloud

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Final Words of Advice from Liz:

  • Reflect on your business needs and CAB maturity: Are you seeking broad feedback from a larger group, or deeper relationships and strategic input from a smaller, more focused cohort?
  • Shift from meetings to a program: Evolving to a high-touch, continuous engagement model — with thoughtful agendas and multiple touchpoints — can significantly increase member participation and impact.
  • Push the boundaries of engagement: The more you bring members into your “inner circle,” the more open, trusting, and self-sustaining the conversations become.

Here’s what we talked about (video chapters)

00:00 Welcome and Housekeeping
02:21 Liz’s introduction
02:48 Overview of the Google Cloud CAB Program
03:41 Evolving the CAB: From 65 to 25 Members
09:35 C-level Member Recruitment
10:36 Building the Cohort – Scaling Down from 65 (to Zero) to 25
14:31 Year-Round CAB Engagement and Deep Dives
17:46 Factors to identify the ideal members
18:38 CAB Cohort Titles – Focus on Roles and Responsibilities
19:39 Recruitment and Member Tenure
21:54 How to Handle Excluding Clients from CAB
23:05 Meeting Cadence Early On
23:46 In-person Meeting Duration
24:09 Who at Google Drives Deep Dives
25:02 CAB Engagements – Google Cloud Next + Member Interviews
27:08 CAB Program Management Team
27:21 Going Beyond Just Feedback to a Highly Interactive Experience
31:04 Tracking CAB Member Feedback + Closing the Feedback Loop
33:00 Meeting Topics – How to Keep them Fresh
34:37 Mutual Value Exchange
36:48 Measuring Impact and Closing Feedback Loops
39:00 Final Advice and Key Takeaways