Finding Purpose in a Phoenix Contact Center After 30 Years in Silicon Valley

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, I don’t think any of us were prepared for how much it would change the world around us in just two short years. It altered the way we work, how we interact with one another, and how we participate in our communities. Seemingly overnight, our lives moved primarily online. Family gatherings, team meetings, and Friday happy hours had to happen over Zoom, as most of our important interactions changed from face-to-face to screen-to-screen.

For me, the pandemic created a tectonic shift in my priorities. Being able to spend more time with my family, friends, and loved ones took on even greater meaning for me. After more than 30 years of working for some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley, I had collected plenty of feathers in my cap. I was ready to take a break to focus on other pursuits (and maybe get in a few extra rounds of golf while I was at it).

I’m at a point in my life and career where pursuing purpose and finding opportunities to help people, especially helping others grow personally and professionally, are massive drivers for me. It’s why I am actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America and Parents Helping Parents. It’s also why I was excited to learn that Televerde was looking for a new CEO.

I learned a lot about Televerde during my time at Avaya and developed a deep admiration for its model. I knew it as a company that helped Avaya create and accelerate pipeline. They did this extraordinarily well too as the company had strong support across the business. But that’s not all. Televerde had managed to strike a perfect balance between addressing a significant business need in the market while also driving forward a compelling mission. You see, Televerde operates prison-run contact centers in Arizona, Indiana, and Florida where incarcerated women learn business acumen, sales, and marketing and then put those skills to immediate use through meaningful work experiences. These women are the beating heart of the company, working hard every day to delight customers. Since 1994 when Televerde first opened its doors, more than 3500 women have graduated from the prison program with a 5.4% recidivism (reconviction) rate.

I’ve been eager to find a way to work more closely with Televerde. At the time, I wouldn’t have guessed that it would be as their new CEO. But when the opportunity became available, I knew I had to throw my hat in the ring. My decision was solidified after I had a chance to meet with the incarcerated teams in Arizona.

I was immediately impressed by how remarkable and resilient these women are. As someone who has led teams of incredibly talented individuals, I was still blown away by how knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and dedicated they are to customer success. I noticed that Televerde’s agents are not relying on scripts or canned responses. They are building authentic, human connections, and every one of them has put in the work to learn everything they can about the products and solutions they are helping to sell.?I’m not sure that I’ve seen a stronger culture, especially in a contact center.

I left that visit inspired, not only from hearing the stories these women shared and seeing the contact center in action but also because I quickly recognized the potential that this company has. Everyone who works for Televerde, incarcerated or not, is dedicated to the company’s mission to provide more opportunities to incarcerated women. To do that, the company needs to grow. And I’m confident that we have the talent, drive, and market opportunity to achieve that growth.

If you know me, you know that I’m a “people person,” and I place a lot of value on getting to know everyone I’ll be working with. As I settle into my first few weeks as Televerde’s CEO, I’m ready to hit the ground running. I’ve already made plans to visit all our U.S. contact centers before the end of the year, and I’ll be traveling to our international centers early next year.

I firmly believe in the importance of understanding your workforce because I’ve learned that the key to growth for any business is to provide an environment where people are set up to grow with the business. I’m excited to meet all our teams and learn about what drives them, personally and professionally. This company already has a strong culture of camaraderie and mutual support. It is a joy to step into that kind of environment. And as we take our first steps into this new adventure together, I can’t wait to continue building on that solid foundation so we can take Televerde to new heights.