Get to Know Anna Bielikova, the New COO at Simply Contact

Simply Contact welcomes Anna Bielikova as our new COO!

With nearly a decade of experience in internal operations, Anna is here to make our work more effective internally and enhance client collaboration. Her arrival marks an exciting shift in how we operate.

Get to know Anna from our recent conversation.

Anna, how did you first get into the industry? What was your career path like?

My journey into customer service was quite unconventional: I started in debt collection. Although I have a financial education, my first job wasn’t directly tied to my background. I didn’t specifically aim to work with banks—it was more of a direction I gravitated toward.

My first company was a call center that specialized in loan repayment for debts at various stages of delinquency. My role there was as a Key Account Manager. Rather than working directly on debt recovery, I managed relationships with banks that used our services. It was about building and maintaining those partnerships.

After a while, I felt it was time for a new chapter—and that’s when I joined Teleperformance .

The focus was different there—it was a contact center oriented more toward customer care. My role centered on Account Management and Client Relations. Over six years, I worked with a diverse range of clients, managing accounts with varying levels of complexity.?

From early on, I realized that effective client management required a solid grasp of operational processes. To explain performance issues or provide solutions, I had to understand how things worked behind the scenes. That said, my work has always had an operational component.

In early 2022, I was promoted to Deputy General Director for Operational Work. Much of my work at the time revolved around stabilizing the company, and we maintained the business steadily.

By late 2024, I was offered an opportunity to join Simply Contact. I accepted, and here I am today, continuing my journey in operations and leadership!

What does a COO do?

The role of a COO is often described through responsibilities like KPI control, process optimization, and operational oversight. While these are important, I prefer to focus on the bigger picture—building an environment where the team is empowered and equipped to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively.

At Simply Contact, my primary goal is to optimize, standardize, and strengthen processes. The business is already running successfully, with clear strengths like financial efficiency and resource management. However, there’s room to enhance operations by providing the team with the right tools and structure to perform at their best.

In larger companies, processes are highly standardized. Every role—team leader, operations manager, quality specialist, trainer—follows a well-defined framework. This level of consistency ensures that no matter the site or project, operations run smoothly under a unified standard.

While this standardized approach is highly effective, it doesn’t leave much room for flexibility or creativity. Simply Contact operates differently. Here, flexibility is a core strength. Processes can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each project, so we can adapt and deliver exceptional results for our clients.

That said, flexibility can sometimes benefit from structure. My role is to create a solid foundation that supports this adaptability. By balancing standardization with the freedom to customize, we can maintain our effectiveness while empowering the team to excel.

Was there a moment in your career that changed your perspective on business?

Early in my career, I experienced a period of rapid client and agent growth within the company. Scaling quickly can reveal cracks in resources and project management if proper systems aren’t in place. During this time, we struggled to meet KPIs, and as an Account Manager, I had to step in to salvage client relationships.

It was a challenging experience. On one hand, operational performance was failing, and on the other, I had to convince clients to trust us, stay on board, and believe in the potential of our partnership. This situation forced me to think deeply about operational metrics and their direct impact on client satisfaction.

I realized that strong client relationships are crucial, but they need to be backed by solid operational processes. It taught me the importance of aligning both sides to ensure long-term success.

How would you describe your personality?

Last year, at my previous company, we had some discussions about women in business leading up to International Women's Day. During those discussions, our general manager gave comments about each team member. When I asked her, “What am I like?” Her response was, “You? You’re a machine.” That caught me off guard—what kind of machine?

Machines can vary. When I joined Simply Contact, Konstantin (Konstantin Ryzhov, CEO at Simply Contact - Ed.) told me I was a bulldozer. But deep down, I feel more like a Formula 1 car—a race car built for speed and precision. For me, it’s about balancing the power of a bulldozer with the drive of a race car!

What keeps you motivated in your role and life?

Two things: the people and the clients.

The people—my team—motivate me every day. They inspire me to push for results, embrace change, and challenge myself. Their drive keeps me moving forward.

The clients are equally motivating. They’re focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences to their own customers. This dynamic—motivated teams working alongside passionate clients who invest in the right tools—fuels me. When clients share that vision, their energy is contagious.

We’re happy to have Anna on board and look forward to working together to keep driving our operations forward! Find more insights on our blog, and let's stay in touch for more news and announcements.