The Hindu Business Line : 18 years and going strong

Andrea Ayers, President, Customer Management, Convergys Corporation, belongs to a rare species in the BPO sector: she’s a long-stay employee and a unique example of career progression within Convergys.

Starting out in the company as a trainer in charge of a contact centre, she was, in time, appointed general manager of the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) business unit. With about 18 years of management experience, including assignments in customer management operations, marketing, business development, and executive management, she’s now President of Convergys’ new relationship technology management, which is focussed on the development of technology-based solutions to improve the quality of customer care that the company provides through live agents and self-care channels.

Commenting on what makes her continue to wear the Convergys badge after 18 years, Ayers says, “It’s the change in roles that kept me in the company. I have had opportunities to move out and I wouldn’t have stayed if I had not changed roles.”

10 different hats

Ayers has donned at least 10 different hats since starting out as a trainer and working her way up to be appointed an account manager.

Following a communications role in the US, she moved into an HR role where she did hiring and training. Then she moved onto a sales job where she did business development, before being appointed as VP-Operations and being placed at locations across the world.

“I wanted to be with a company that was growing. The company, in turn, was also willing to let me do things that I have not done before. But, of course, you have to show results and perform.”

Though long-stay employees are given some leeway because of their loyalty, there is a flip side to it, says Ayers. “In a new company, you can start afresh, but as a long-stay employee, expectations are high. You also have to make sure that each thing you do is in line with your aspirations to grow with the company.”

Ayers declares that she has done almost every job in the organisation, which has given her deep insights on it.

Talent development and ongoing learning and education skills development are part of the Convergys culture, she says. Besides, the industry was maturing. Though BPOs first entered India to exploit the cost advantage offered by outsourcing work here, they were now focused on the quality and customer satisfaction indices as well.

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