Reprint of CIO Global's Featured article- Nora Osman: Leading Norvana to Transform Customer Experience

This is the article that was published in August 2024 on CIO Global. It was one of "8" women featured for recognition as "disruptors."

Nora Osman, the CEO of Norvana, is a leader passionate about customer experience. Her journey into the world of technology began unexpectedly. Initially starting in an accounting role, she soon found herself drawn into the tech world during her first job. Over the years, she gained extensive experience in infrastructure, applications, and support, ultimately leading significant service management initiatives in both the healthcare and financial services sectors. These diverse roles equipped her with a unique blend of skills in customer experience, IT strategy, and leadership. This unique mix inspired her to prioritize customer experience optimization, leading to the founding of Norvana. Her company focuses on helping businesses achieve operational excellence through a strong emphasis on customer experience. We at CIO Global, are proud to introduce Nora Osman as one of the Market Disruptor: Women Leaders, 2024.

Nora’s journey to becoming a market disruptor started with a deep commitment to understanding and solving customer pain points. She believes that every interaction with a customer is a critical “moment of truth,” where the provider is either a hero or a zero. At Norvana, Nora challenges conventional approaches by introducing innovative, customer-centric solutions. Her focus is on ensuring that the combination of people, processes, and technology creates positive outcomes for both the business and the customer. This approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement, driving transformation and setting new standards in service management. By leveraging technology like AI and RPA, Norvana enables efficiencies that help companies thrive.

The inspiration to start Norvana came from Nora’s realization of the significant gaps in customer experience across various industries. In today’s “experience” era, businesses cannot afford to overlook the importance of customer experience without facing consequences. Organizations that prioritize and perfect their customer experience strategies stand out from their competitors. Nora’s leadership experience allows her to guide organizations in adopting best practices and driving meaningful change, ensuring they not only win against their competitors but also redefine industry standards. Nora brings a unique perspective to her industry, shaped by her diverse background in different sectors and IT. Her approach is rooted in empathy and a customer-centric mindset. She emphasizes understanding each client’s unique needs and challenges and applies the “Platinum rule”—treating everyone as they want to be treated. Nora tailors strategies that drive both immediate and long-term success, suited for the real world. This perspective, combined with a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, sets Norvana apart in the industry.

Navigating challenges and setbacks is a daily reality for Nora. She embraces the mantra of being comfortable with discomfort, ready to pivot quickly and not overthink decisions, expecting some mistakes and failures along the way. Nora remains positive, viewing challenges as opportunities for growth. She leverages her team’s diverse strengths to overcome obstacles and surrounds herself with strong and diverse talent. Design thinking and creativity are her secret weapons for problem-solving, making all the difference in navigating challenges successfully. Nora Osman, the CEO of Norvana, actively fosters diversity and inclusion within her organization. As a first-generation American, she has witnessed how immigrant parents and newly naturalized citizens work tirelessly to build a life for themselves and their families. She believes that diversity in thinking, culture, and language is core to creativity. At Norvana, Nora prioritizes creating an inclusive environment where every team member feels valued, not just the customers. Her teams actively seek diverse perspectives and encourage open dialogue. By recognizing and leveraging the unique strengths of each team member, she fosters a more innovative and effective organization. This creates a psychologically safe environment, which is essential for innovation.

Nora’s advice to aspiring women leaders looking to disrupt their respective markets is to be authentically themselves. She encourages embracing unique strengths and not being afraid to challenge the status quo. Building a strong support network and seeking mentorship are crucial steps for valuable guidance. Nora believes that the path less traveled is the one most likely to be rewarding, so she advises doing what scares you. She also highlights the importance of expecting and learning from failures, as they are the best teachers. Balancing professional success with personal well-being is important to Nora. She emphasizes the need for clear boundaries and prioritizing self-care. She schedules time for activities that rejuvenate her, such as gardening, designing food spreads, and harvesting organic ingredients for use in recipes and skincare. Nora enjoys creative projects, spending time outdoors, and traveling to unique destinations. When in work mode, she remains fully engaged, allowing work and life to coexist harmoniously.

Nora sees significant opportunities for growth and innovation in her industry by leveraging technology to enhance service delivery and customer experience. Emerging technologies like AI and data analytics enable better understanding and meeting of customer needs. For instance, using AI to gather extensive background knowledge about a customer’s preferences and history allows Norvana to apply the Platinum rule, customizing products and services to what customers want and need. Nora is excited about the potential of GenAI to radically improve customer experience. To drive her business forward, Nora harnesses AI as a tool to explore and rethink possibilities without limits. She believes it’s essential to continuously explore and reimagine what’s possible with AI. In a recent article, she wrote about how AI, the “genie out of the lamp,” is not limiting us to three wishes. AI tools help Norvana make informed decisions and continuously improve their services. Staying ahead of technological advancements ensures they provide cutting-edge solutions that drive their clients’ success.

Nora hopes to leave a legacy of innovation, empathy, and empowerment. She wants to be remembered for driving positive change in the customer experience space across different industries and creating a culture where diversity, inclusion, and continuous improvement are valued. Nora aims to inspire others to focus on the “human” experience, applying the Platinum rule and finding creative ways to solve problems and deliver sustainable value.

To access the full url, here it is (though Linkedin doesn't like us navigating away from its core site, hence why I'm embedding the full article!)

https://thecioglobal.com/nora-osman-leading-norvana-to-transform-customer-experience/