Tara Hooey
Tara Hooey is a seasoned Customer Success professional with over a decade of experience, including five years in leadership, spanning strategy, operations, and product management. Currently serving as Sr. Customer Success Manager at Chainguard, she manages enterprise partnerships, provides strategic and technical guidance, and ensures the safety and success of companies using open-source software container images. Tara is known for her ability to dive deep into data and user experience to identify root causes of complex problems and implement innovative, long-term solutions.
Prior to Chainguard, Tara held pivotal roles at companies such as Retool, Alchemy, and HackerOne, where she built and refined customer success processes, managed Fortune 1000 accounts, and drove enterprise client retention. Her approach blends research, planning, and quick action with strong relationship-building and communication skills, making her a trusted advisor for her clients. She is also passionate about mentorship, organizational psychology, and fostering positive, accountable, and collaborative work environments.
Tara is committed to ethical work and the human side of business, valuing empathy, reflection, and learning from mistakes. Outside of her professional pursuits, she has a wide range of interests including health and wellness, arts in education, AI, personal finance, and travel. Her dedication to both her career and her personal passions reflects a holistic approach to success, combining strategy, people development, and the pursuit of meaningful impact.
• Build
• Focus
• Foundations
• PMC Level III
• Management Training & Leadership Development
• University of Southern California
• CSM of the Quarter
• Top 20 Employees of the Year
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to knowing who I truly am and understanding that every small interaction I have can make a meaningful impact.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve received is to own your career by exploring all roles within the company—meeting people, asking questions, and gaining different perspectives on their responsibilities.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to know yourself, stay confident, recognize that success has many paths, and pursue any role that genuinely interests you by doing your research and taking the leap.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are treating everyone with patience, respect, and kindness, while practicing self-awareness, accountability, integrity, honesty, and transparency. In my personal life, I prioritize fitness and self-care, exploring new cuisines, enjoying the arts, and cherishing time with my nieces and nephews—plus, I never pass up a chance for karaoke fun.