Tell us a bit about you

I’ve had a successful and varied career in the contact centre industry for just over 11 years now and in that time I’ve worked for a large UK general insurer focusing on varied operational, strategic, and technical roles. After completing a degree in Customer Contact Management and Planning at the University of Ulster, I became a presales solution architect for a contact centre SI (system integrator) who specialised in digital CX transformation and cloud adoption.

I’ve now been at Davies for six months and have bought with me that experience of working on both the client and SI side of the fence.

Tell us about your role. What do you do, and what do you find most interesting about it?

I love being a senior consultant for automation and technology because it’s a wide-spanning role that is hugely challenging and rewarding. Primarily I work as a technology Subject Matter Expert on consultancy-led projects ranging from CX Tech procurements, an operational review, or a CX technology review which could be focused on CRM, CCaaS, robotic process automation, and more.

I get to work with clients of all shapes and sizes, on projects of all different types. The great thing about working for Davies is, it’s not just about continuously hopping from one client project to the next – you can really get involved in shaping proposals and delivery methods too.

What made you want to work in this industry?

Working in the contact centre industry has been an organic career growth for me, all my personal and professional development choices have been focused towards building a long-term career in the industry. Most recently, I chose consulting as the right choice to actively pursue further development. I saw an opportunity to build a strong tool kit of both soft and hard skills and develop my expertise and knowledge across wider industries and technologies. Clients come to Davies to solve complex challenges – and that makes what I do really interesting.

What do you see as the biggest challenge to your industry in the next year?

The technology sector is very fast paced, and businesses are expanding rapidly, so keeping up with the speed of technological change will continue to be a challenge. On top of that, the complexity of contact centre technology products, licencing, and services can all be difficult to keep on top of.

What are we doing as an organisation to help that challenge?

Davies has built relationships with suppliers, vendors and SIs to make sure we’re always on top of any industry changes and ensure we keep our market, technical knowledge, and capabilities up to scratch so we can get clients the outcome they need – that’s what it’s all about. Importantly, Davies have made significant acquisitions within the digital CX transformation, analytics, and automation space. This brings further expertise, experience, and manpower to our division which is exciting!

What do you expect to see happen in the industry in the next 12 months?

As we continue to deal with the impact of Covid, it looks like the last 12 months will inform decisions made in the next 12. Businesses have had to rethink and implement changes in very short time frames. With no signs of the pandemic going away, businesses will have to continue to think about what their optimum operating model may look like, their customer expectations now vs the experience they are currently getting and the best technology to enable that.

What challenges do you face in your role?

Managing time across multiple and sometimes concurrent running projects can be a challenge. You need to make sure you keep communication open both internally and with you clients, ensuring everyone’s expectations are aligned. The pace and development of the industry can’t be ignored. You need to make sure you use your time to time conduct vital research and building long-lasting client relationships.

With consulting you need to get used to being thrown a lot of curve balls. Whether that be a sudden change in client circumstances, timelines of a project, outcomes of a project or resource challenges. You need to be able to adapt quickly.

What are the key things you’ve learned in your career?

1. Be a sponge, take every opportunity you can to learn and collaborate with others. No matter how senior you are there’s always room to grow your experience and skill set.
2. Don’t hold back, flex your creative muscles. Don’t wait for someone else to make their mark, make your own.
3. To not be afraid of no, expect to hear it and plan for it. Be resilient against obstacles as growth is unlikely to happen without failures.

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