Agenda
Underscoring The Value of the Contact Center in Driving Company Success
Explore four days of transformative discussions designed to redefine customer success strategies and enhance industry networking.
Collaboration Zones
Customize your agenda! Stick to one zone or explore others. Engage in PowerPoint-free sessions, encouraging creativity and idea sharing.
Schedule
7:00 pm
Suggested Arrival Time
Arrive Saturday to participate in one of the networking activities on Sunday.
Sunday, April 6, 2025 | Networking Day
Link in, relax, meet-and-greet during special activities devoted to making new contacts and new friends.
8:00 am
Welcome Breakfast for Customer Engagement Leadership Council Members
*Please note participation is exclusive to Council members only. For more information on the Council, click here.
9:00 am
Seas the Day Sail
Set sail for a day of relaxation and adventure! We’ll soak up the sun & sip refreshing drinks aboard a luxurious yacht. Don’t miss your chance to unwind & create unforgettable memories with newfound friends. Lunch & Transportation to be provided.
3:15 pm
Sponsor Workshop
4:45 pm
Sponsor Registration & Orientation Reception
6:00 pm
Presenter & Engagement Leader Orientation
An essential meeting for Headliners, Rockstars, Fab Facilitators, and Engagement Leaders to preview the event, highlight your roles, and network with fellow peers.
6:45 pm
Participant Meet ‘n’ Greet
7:30 pm
Welcome Networking Reception & Event Kickoff
Meet your fellow peers and colleagues as we engage in an ice breaker over cocktails to get the conversations started and set you up for an event whose foundation is built on collaboration. Dinner & passed hors d’oeuvres to be served.
Monday, April 7, 2025 | General Session and Solutions Hall
7:45 am
Registration, Continental Breakfast, and Solutions Hall
8:30 am
KICKOFF and HEADLINER – Uncovering CX-Driven Growth Opportunities
Darren Stavely, Vice President, Operations, Corpay
Has your growth become stale? Business development stagnant? Is your market tapped out? Even if you own 99% market share (and let’s face it, we both know you don’t), there’s still opportunity for 1% more. Instead of looking for new business, why not make your current customers true disciples or evangelist of your brand?
Action Items:
- Deploy best practices for an obsession over customer experience
- Be effective, then efficient
- Retain and retrain to drive revenue
Headliner:
Darren Stavely
Vice President, Operations
Corpay
Why You Should Listen to Darren:
As a 20-year veteran in the financial services industry, Darren Stavely is obsessed with customer experience and solving big problems. He has had the good fortune to serve the underbanked as well as the most affluent of clients. Passion for people and building relationships is what makes his energy so contagious and a sought-out speaker in the business community.
9:10 am
Energizer
Take your thinking cap off and break up your day with a fun, five-minute energizing activity.
9:15 am
CASE HISTORY – Aligning EX, CX and BX for Better Business Performance
9:40 am
Navigating the 21st Annual Customer Contact East: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange
9:45 am
Session to Session Travel Time
9:50 am
CONCURRENT COLLABORATION ZONES – CASE HISTORIES
Case Histories explore a specific use case and include informal conversations that draw upon the experience and expertise of the featured executive and participants.
Zone 1. Agent Assist for Next Level Effectiveness and Experience
Caillin Grosse, Customer Experience Manager, Professional DataSolutions Inc. (PDI)
Scott Schaper, Executive Vice President, Program Operations, Professional DataSolutions Inc. (PDI)
Jon Lunitz, Director of Sales, DATAMARK, Inc.
Abstract:
This interactive session will tackle contact center challenges with AI-powered Agent Assist, enhancing agent performance and customer satisfaction. The opportunity lies in leveraging AI to deliver personalized, efficient support. Their strategy involves seamless integration of AI Assist platforms, fostering collaboration between technology and agents, thus transforming client engagements and operational effectiveness.
Action Items:
- Integrate AI-driven analytics to continuously evaluate agent performance, enabling targeted improvements
- Collaborate internally to customize AI solutions, ensuring alignment with unique business needs and goals
- Empower agents with real-time AI insights, enhancing decision-making and elevating customer interaction quality
Fab Facilitators:
Caillin Grosse
Customer Experience Manager
Professional DataSolutions Inc. (PDI)
Why You Should Listen to Caillin:
Bio is forthcoming.
Scott Schaper
Executive Vice President, Program Operations
Professional DataSolutions Inc. (PDI)
Why You Should Listen to Scott:
Bio is forthcoming.
Jon Lunitz
Director of Sales
DATAMARK, Inc.
Why You Should Listen to Jon:
With over two decades of experience in the BPO industry, Jon has developed a keen understanding of both the buyer’s and seller’s perspectives, having led international teams in business development and strategic sourcing. He understands that AI integration is not just about automation but about creating a seamless and enhanced experience for both agents and customers.
Zone 2. Mapping Your Investment in the Customer Journey
Jim Simmons, Executive Director WFM and Contact Center Consulting, Queueless, Former Vice President Productivity & Initiatives, Synchrony
Keegan Sanders, Enterprise Sales Director, Intradiem
Abstract:
Despite the proliferation of channels your customers use to receive support, a live phone agent handles the most complex inquiries -making or breaking your brand. Cultivating a people-first approach for your contact center teams will enable you to deliver exceptional customer experiences and set you apart from competitors.
Action Items:
- Identify the key steps in creating a people-first strategy
- Integrate people-first tactics that actually drive down your costs and increase efficiency
- Reimagine the right combination of people and technology for delivering great service
Fab Facilitators:
Jim Simmons
Executive Director WFM and Contact Center Consulting, Queueless
Former Vice President Productivity & Initiatives, Synchrony
Why You Should Listen to Jim:
Jim is a seasoned operations and analytics professional with over 25 years of contact center experience in a large banking environment. He has spent much of that time as a Vice President at Synchrony Financial developing a deep domain expertise specializing in WFM, speech analytics, customer journey mapping, and cost benefit analysis. As an advocate for both CX and EX he excels at identifying pain points, improving operational efficiencies, and implementing innovative solutions to complex operational problems.
Keegan Sanders
Enterprise Sales Director
Intradiem
Why You Should Listen to Keegan:
Keegan is a contact center strategist dedicated to optimizing customer service operations. Keegan is passionate about leveraging technology and data analytics to enhance service delivery and contact center innovations. When he’s not transforming contact centers, you’ll find him on the soccer field coaching the next generation of student athletes, bringing the same passion for teamwork and strategy to the game.
Zone 3. The Path to Successfully Introducing AI into Contact Center and Service
Zone 4. The Power of Voice AI: What You Don't Know About It's Potential to Change the Game
10:50 am
Solutions Hall, Networking and Refreshments
11:15 am
INTERACTIVE CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Choose one of the following interactive sessions:
SOLUTIONS WHEEL
Play the “wheel” to find out which of the industry’s products and services will help you solve your challenges. It is a series of rapid fire, one-on-one meetings with leading sponsors – both intense and fulfilling.
-OR-
THE FIX – Crowdsourcing Tactical Solutions to Our Most Vexing Challenges
Share your smarts! Choose between four themed brainstorming sessions and crowdsource solutions to the most vexing challenges facing customer experience and customer contact today. These are twenty-minute rapid fire sessions with three rotations. First come, first serve, so choose wisely! Each brainstorming group will build upon the other to build a list of readily operationalized ideas to these common challenges.
The Fix on Aligning Technology and Software with Objectives
Gary Dunbar, Director of Digital Engineering and IT, Customer Care – North America, ENGIE North America
Hosted By:
Gary Dunbar
Director of Digital Engineering and IT, Customer Care – North America
ENGIE North America
Why You Should Listen to Gary:
Gary is a proven leader with a deep understanding of Lean Six Sigma, digital transformation, and global supply chain optimization. Gary has spearheaded initiatives resulting in millions in cost savings and significant efficiency gains. He’s passionate about building high-performing teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and leveraging data-driven insights to achieve exceptional outcomes.
Optimizing ChatGPT and Advanced Tools for Cost Effective Solutions
Brian Klaja, Senior Director, Operations Strategy & Enablement, Brex
Hosted By:
Brian Klaja
Senior Director, Operations Strategy & Enablement
Brex
Why You Should Listen to Brian:
With 20 years in contact center and back-office operations, Brian has a proven track record of developing strategies that drive both customer satisfaction and cost efficiency. Learn from his expertise on leveraging generative AI and advanced tools, from enterprise-level implementations to startup solutions.
The Fix on AI Governance in the Contact Center
Rich Wilder, Director, Customer Experience, CHEP
Hosted By:
Rich Wilder
Director, Customer Experience
CHEP
Why You Should Listen to Rich:
Rich is responsible for the development and execution of the customer experience strategy across all CHEP customers in the US business. He has had the opportunity of working in a number of roles for organizations in small business management, logistics execution, and has supply chain experience across multiple B2B retail and CPG manufacturing industries. Rich is a passionate about improving customer experience as well as considering the delicate balance that the employee experience has on CX.
The Fix on Working with Sales & Marketing on Continuous Improvement
Hosted By:
Daniel Burks
Vice President of Sales Operations
America’s CAR-MART, Inc.
Why You Should Listen to Daniel:
With over two decades of experience, Daniel is a seasoned professional in customer service leadership, specializing in building high-performing businesses and thriving teams. His diverse background spans Army Aviation, IT Leadership, Product Management, Field Operations, and Corporate Leadership in both Operations and Customer Experience roles. Daniel brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to any audience.
-OR-
STRATEGIC DISCUSSIONS: For the Seasoned Practitioner Only
Join this group of veteran customer contact and customer experience executives to discuss high-level decision-making that can significantly impact the customer care organization.
Hosted By:
James Pavlovich
Vice President Customer Experience and Operations
Straumann Group
Why You Should Listen to James:
Known for his ability to lead teams through successful organization transformations utilizing innovative technologies, James focuses on developing customer-centric metrics and creating empowered teams to make data-driven decisions. Working in high-growth businesses for the bulk of his career, James is currently tasked with making Straumann Group a company that is easy to do business with.
12:30 pm
Food For Thought Luncheon – Networking Roundtables Hosted by Industry Leaders
Practitioners and solution providers host a menu of luncheon discussions on pertinent industry issues. Dine and dish with industry experts.
1:30 pm
Session to Session Travel Time
1:35 am
Navigating the 21st Annual Customer Contact East: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange
1:40 pm
EXECUTIVE INSIGHT – Directing Your Efforts Toward Achieving Your Ideal Customer Journey Outcome
Abstract:
This session explores the crucial link between customer journey optimization and achieving desired business outcomes. We’ll examine how to strategically align customer journey efforts with overarching business goals to drive impactful results.
Action Items:
- Identify key touchpoints in your customer journey that directly influence desired outcomes
- Develop a measurement framework to track progress and demonstrate the impact of journey optimization on business goals
- Implement strategies to personalize the customer experience at each touchpoint, enhancing engagement and driving conversions
Rockstar Insight:
MQ Qureshi
Head of Direct-to-Consumer Strategy & Sales
Ford Motor Company
Why You Should Listen to MQ:
MQ is a Digital Product, Strategy, and Transformation Executive with a proven track record across industries, leading strategy and execution for companies like McDonald’s, Grainger, and PUMA. Now at Ford Motor Company, MQ serves as Head of D2C Strategy & Sales Acceleration for BlueCruise, Ford’s L2 Hands-Free Driving service. He brings his expertise to help Ford, a 120+ year-old automaker, reinvent itself at the intersection of technology and vehicle innovation.
2:05 pm
Session to Session Travel Time
2:10 pm
CONCURRENT COLLABORATION ZONES – THINKTANKS
ThinkTank sessions employ interactive team exercises in a “roll up your sleeves” learning environment.
Zone 1. Operationalizing Knowledge Across the Enterprise
Travis DeWolf, Senior Manager, Digital Initiatives Delivery, RBC Insurance
Jaclyn Lo, Director, Customer Success, ProcedureFlow
Abstract:
This interactive session will explore how to craft a robust knowledge strategy, the importance of stakeholder engagement, and how centralized versus decentralized models can drive efficiency. We will dive into common challenges, the role of AI and automation in knowledge management, and practical approaches to scaling knowledge across departments.
Action Items:
- Design a knowledge strategy tailored to your organization’s structure, challenges, and goals, balancing centralized and decentralized approaches
- Implement best practices to address common obstacles in operationalizing knowledge, including governance, stakeholder alignment, and the integration of AI for innovation
- Scale knowledge across departments to enhance customer experience, enable continuous improvement, and drive measurable outcomes for your business
Fab Facilitators:
Travis DeWolf
Senior Manager, Digital Initiatives Delivery
RBC Insurance
Why You Should Listen to Travis:
Travis is an energetic and solutions minded leader, working in the insurance industry for 8 years. She leads a team of digital initiative delivery specialists at RBC Insurance responsible for change management, execution, and process design, as well as promotion of digital tools. Expert at executing on complex initiatives and building value for stakeholders to ensure cohesion and adoption and thinking outside the box to find digital solutions to everyday problems.
Jaclyn Lo
Director, Customer Success
ProcedureFlow
Why You Should Listen to Jaclyn:
Jaclyn is a CX leader specializing in onboarding, digital adoption, and change management strategies within Contact Centers. Passionate about employee empowerment and driving sustainable results, her expertise lies in identifying potential roadblocks, managing stakeholders, and implementing effective communication plans to drive successful software implementations.
Zone 2. Optimizing Self-Service Opportunities and Adoption
Samantha Middlebrook, Vice President of Product Strategy & Marketing,
Upland Software
Abstract:
Your customers want quick answers and easy issue resolution, but many don’t know about your self-service capabilities. Your mission is to make these powerful tools not just available, but the natural first choice for customer support.
Explore practical and value-driven strategies to optimize your self-service experience and maximize user adoption.
Action Items:
- Analyze the current customer journey and identify the exceptional (and embarrassing) moments
- Design a streamlined self-service experience across your omnichannel
- Drive digital adoption through AI enablement
Fab Facilitator:
Samantha Middlebrook
Vice President of Product Strategy & Marketing
Upland Software
Why You Should Listen to Samantha:
Samantha, the bridge between tech and business teams, is a passionate CX and KM strategist. Her mantra is you can’t throw technology at a business problem and hope it sticks; focusing instead on human-centered design and curating memorable moments for customers through every interaction they have with a business.
Zone 3. A Results-Driven Method to Customer Experience Enhancements
Ryan Vaughn, Vice President, Solutions Consulting, Nextiva
Abstract:
Delve into a time-proven 8-step discovery process to identify practical plans for implementing automation and workflow enhancements for your contact center.
Action Items:
- Implement a proven approach to teamwork and goal setting, including setting proper expectations between stakeholders and agreeing on overarching workflows, setting the stage for a full discovery project
- Classify transactions into a functional taxonomy, unlocking the ability to analyze customer development through a maturity model focusing on the most meaningful customer experience enhancements
- Create a single source of truth with structured and unstructured data and analyze both volume and complexity to identify key automation and workflow opportunities
- Get familiar with rationalized business policies to streamline operations and implement customer experience templates steeped with proven best practices
Fab Facilitator:
Ryan Vaughn
Vice President, Solutions Consulting
Nextiva
Why You Should Listen to Ryan:
Ryan joined Nextiva in 2025 as VP of Solutions Consulting. Before that, he spent a decade at Salesforce leading pre-sales for top Technology customers and another decade in consulting, managing complex cloud technology deployments for global companies. Known for his innovative, results-driven approach, Ryan focuses on improving processes and driving efficiency.
Zone 4. Should Measuring Productivity Still Be This Painful?
Sean Minter, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AmplifAI
Abstract:
Getting all our data together and building reports is hard enough. Strategically acting on it to drive company goals—not just a single KPI—can feel impossible, especially when we’re missing key data. Sound familiar? This interactive session explores why CX leaders are building AI-ready data hubs to fast-track productivity improvement.
Action Items:
- Identify where you are getting stuck measuring performance
- Make it easy for everyone to understand their performance
- Use AI to prescribe actions in line with leadership objectives
Fab Facilitator:
Sean Minter
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
AmplifAI
Why You Should Listen to Sean:
Sean is a strategic visionary dedicated to the improvement of large organizations by harnessing the synergy of AI, people, and processes. Sean believes that people are at the heart of every successful transformation, and that tomorrow’s great transformation will be driven by those augmented by the right technology.
3:30 pm
Solutions Hall, Briefing Sessions, Networking and Refreshments
4:15 pm
ACTION PLAN – Developing a Toolkit for Better Decision-Making
Leaders in organizations today are continuously under pressure to drive better performance, whether that is improving customer loyalty, reducing costs, driving greater adoption of self-service or leveraging AI capabilities. In order to achieve these goals and make them a reality, leaders must first ensure they have the right organization, the right structures, and the right information at their disposal to make the best decisions. This session will help you understand the components that make up this toolkit and strategies to get you there.
Action Items:
- Identify key components that are critical to translating high level goals into an operational business plan
- Understand what type of information and routines are needed, and evaluating whether they exist or need to be built
- Evaluate the impacts that your actions will have across the rest of the business and gain buy-in from key stakeholders
Rockstar Insight:
Matt Goldsmith
Senior Vice President Member Services
Digital Federal Credit Union
Why You Should Listen to Matt:
Matt has over two decades of experience leading customer support organizations across a wide range of industries. Matt’s breadth of experience includes directly leading both small and large contact centers as well as deep knowledge across all the supporting functions of successful customer support operations. Matt has achieved industry leading results throughout his career while also driving significant gains in efficiency and cost to serve.
4:45 pm
CAPSTONE – Megatrends: Forecasting and Preparing for Future Customer Landscapes
Customer service and experience is evolving under the weight of societal, economic, technological, and labor megatrends. Organizations must balance their pursuit of technology with human connections that foster trust and loyalty. This session explores how to anticipate and adapt to these transformations, blending innovation with empathy to create future-ready experiences for both employees and customers.
Action Items:
- Anticipate megatrends and adapt to societal, economic, and technological shifts impacting customer service
- Work on balancing human tech to enhance efficiency without losing emotional connections
- Plan for workforce evolution and reshape hybrid work, wellness priorities, and upskilling in the new age
Headliner:
Sean Albertson
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
CX4ROCKS
Why You Should Listen to Sean:
Sean is a globally respected thought leader, keynote speaker, and advisor with over 25 years of experience transforming customer service and experience strategies for startups to Fortune 200 companies. As the author of the award-winning 4ROCKS: Reduce Effort, Drive Loyalty, Transform the Customer Journey, Sean reveals how to create loyalty-driving experiences at the intersection of technology and human engagement.
5:15 pm
Networking Reception
End your day with some newfound friends over tasty bites & beverages. A special prize will be raffled off before we close out the evening so be there or be square! Passed hors d’oeuvres, beverages & a specialty drink to be served.
6:30 am
Early Risers Run/Walk
Invigorate your body, mind, and soul as you run or walk just feet away from the white sands of Ft. Lauderdale while watching the sun rise over the Atlantic. It’s the perfect way to get ready for a great day of content and networking.
6:30 am
Early Risers Yoga
Calling all yogis! Get energized while building strength and flexibility with us. This creative yoga practice will link breath and movement to keep you present and centered.
7:45 am
Continental Breakfast and Solutions Hall
8:30 am
HEADLINER – The Power of Predictive and Personalized Experiences
Headliner:
Anindya Sundar Das
Senior Director, Head of Global Service Design
Uber
Why You Should Listen to Anindya:
Bio is forthcoming.
9:15 am
Energizer
Take your thinking cap off and break up your day with a fun, five-minute energizing activity.
9:20 am
Session to Session Travel Time
9:25 am
CONCURRENT COLLABORATION ZONES – ROUNDTABLES
Roundtable sessions capture the power of all participants’ voices, insights and experiences via group discussion and exploration of the issue at hand.
Zone 1. Unlocking the Power of AI: Supporting Agents for Superior Customer Experience
Abstract:
Transforming customer experience requires more than just adopting AI—it requires empowering your agents to use the technology effectively. In this session, we will discuss how AI can provide actionable insights that help agents work cohesively and resolve customer issues with minimal friction. Discover how data-driven AI can enable smoother, more impactful customer service interactions.
Action Items:
- Employ best practices for coordinating AI and live agents across channels
- Use specific keys to overcoming resistance to AI and organizational change
- Ensure consistent customer experience with AI-augmented training
Fab Facilitator:
Ian Tempro
Chief Operating Officer
IA Solutions
Why You Should Listen to Ian:
As an industry veteran with 20 years of experience in steering contact center operations, Ian’s leadership as COO of Insta Answer has been instrumental in incorporating service focused technology to drive improved customer engagement. He is committed to helping brands reach their CX goals and is recognized for his ability to build truly bespoke programs across diverse industries.
Zone 2. Channel Strategy: It's Not the Medium; It's the Message!
Abstract:
In today’s service landscape, organizations invest heavily in perfecting channel strategies to align with evolving customer expectations. Yet, a critical element often goes unnoticed: the content—especially knowledge—that powers these channels. Despite being the unifying factor across all mediums, knowledge frequently takes a back seat, leaving gaps in consistency and customer experience.
Action Items:
- Shift Your Perspective: Evaluate whether your focus on channel optimization compared to the underinvestment in the knowledge and content that fuel them is disproportionate
- Leverage AI for Consistency: Find opportunities to bridge silos, enhance knowledge-sharing, and maintain a consistent experience across diverse channels by leveraging AI
- Adopt a Channel-Agnostic Approach: Develop a unified knowledge strategy designed to transcend individual channels, ensuring seamless experiences wherever customers engage
Fab Facilitator:
Juanita Olguin
Senior Director, Product Marketing
Coveo
Why You Should Listen to Juanita:
With over 15 years of diverse experience, Juanita has successfully led key initiatives, including establishing offshore centers in India and Guatemala, launching innovative solutions, and crafting go-to-market strategies. Juanita is dedicated to helping enterprises navigate advanced technologies while empowering employees to drive meaningful change within their organizations.
Zone 3. When AI CX Goes Wrong: Avoiding an Epic Fail!
Zone 4. Elevating Your Contact Center: Unified Data Driving CX Strategy & Profits
Abstract:
Every company supporting a contact center aims to excel in delivering valuable customer insights, building unified streams of data, and transforming staffing costs into increased revenue and loyalty. For decades, this goal has been the holy grail of the contact center industry. While technologies to enhance and optimize contact centers are rapidly advancing, is your organization keeping pace? Is your organization investing in building unified data sources that allows “data to lead the way”? Join your peers to collaborate and share insights to step towards elevating your contact center into a powerhouse.
Action Items:
- House key data feeds, use them to drive your dashboards and to gain momentum
- Assess where best practices shared can be applied in your own organization
- Share ideas and examples to implement impactful solutions with your executive management and your team
Fab Facilitator:
Brian Zempel
Executive Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer
Gatestone BPO
Why You Should Listen to Brian:
Brian has a diverse background in financial services and operations management, including leading contact center environments for organizations like HSBC, Kohl’s, and Bridgestone. Brian has witnessed first-hand the power of managing customer experiences for strategic gains and higher profits. Having a robust CX game plan isn’t an option- it’s table stakes to win in any industry and marketplace. People talk a good game about harnessing data for strategic advantage- let’s put words into action.
10:25 am
Solutions Hall, Networking and Refreshments
Dash into our Hall to uncover innovative products and services designed to address the challenges and opportunities you face in your daily tasks and responsibilities.
10:50 am
ASK THE EXPERTS! Panel Discussion – #GSD: Tangible Ways That Really Work to Drive Change
Daniel Burks, Vice President of Sales Operations, America’s CAR-MART, Inc.
Panelists Include:
Neal Dlin, Vice President, Customer Service Experience, Aviso Wealth
Customer Engagement Leadership Council Member
Matt Goldsmith, Senior Vice President Member Services, Digital Federal Credit Union
Lydia James, Chief Transformation Office, The Pivot Solutions Group
James Pavlovich, Vice President Customer Experience and Operations, Straumann Group
Jorge Rubi, Vice President Customer Service South Region, Pitney Bowes
In this panel discussion, we will explore actionable strategies to overcome common challenges in driving organizational change. Our focus will be on practical steps to shift mindsets, secure executive buy-in, and foster a culture of innovation and adaptability.
Action Items:
- Strategize for disruption and secure C-suite buy-in to support workforce evolution and technological advancements
- Create enterprise champions to ensure the contact center is indispensable to the entire organization
- Implement strategies to navigate initial resistance and guide teams to embrace change with empathy and respect
Moderator:
Daniel Burks
Vice President of Sales Operations
America’s CAR-MART, Inc.
Why You Should Listen to Daniel:
With over two decades of experience, Daniel is a seasoned professional in customer service leadership, specializing in building high-performing businesses and thriving teams. His diverse background spans Army Aviation, IT Leadership, Product Management, Field Operations, and Corporate Leadership in both Operations and Customer Experience roles. Daniel brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to any audience.
Panelists Include:
Neal Dlin
Vice President, Customer Service Experience
Aviso Wealth
Customer Engagement Leadership Council Member
Why You Should Listen to Neal:
Neal is a human experience (HX) executive with 30 years of expertise in customer and employee experience, known for building award-winning service organizations. A status quo-challenger, Neal inspires leaders to rethink interactions through core human needs, delivering humor, energy, and “a-ha” moments that boost CX and EX results. As the founder of Chorus Tree Inc. and Unsung Heroes Productions, Neal blends personal lessons from overcoming poverty with creative initiatives, having donated over $500K to charity through musical theatre that fosters community and compassion.
Matt Goldsmith
Senior Vice President Member Services
Digital Federal Credit Union
Why You Should Listen to Matt:
Matt has over two decades of experience leading customer support organizations across a wide range of industries. Matt’s breadth of experience includes directly leading both small and large contact centers as well as deep knowledge across all the supporting functions of successful customer support operations. Matt has achieved industry leading results throughout his career while also driving significant gains in efficiency and cost to serve.
Lydia James
Chief Transformation Office
The Pivot Solutions Group
Why You Should Listen to Lydia:
Lydia is a Chief Transformation Officer, CX Thought Leader, and Business Transformation Strategist with over 20 years of experience leading high-impact enterprise transformations across the Department of Defense, Retail, and Automotive industries. She specializes in AI-driven CX innovation, digital transformation, operational excellence, and post-merger integration—refining service strategy, unifying technology platforms, and optimizing workforce strategies. As Founder of The Pivot Solutions Group, Lydia empowers organizations to scale efficiently, elevate customer experiences, and drive sustainable business growth through AI, automation, and predictive analytics.
James Pavlovich
Vice President Customer Experience and Operations
Straumann Group
Why You Should Listen to James:
Known for his ability to lead teams through successful organization transformations utilizing innovative technologies, James focuses on developing customer-centric metrics and creating empowered teams to make data-driven decisions. Working in high-growth businesses for the bulk of his career, James is currently tasked with making Straumann Group a company that is easy to do business with.
Jorge Rubi
Vice President Customer Service South Region
Pitney Bowes
Why You Should Listen to Jorge:
With almost 25 years as a very effective leader in customer service, Jorge has demonstrated an uncanny ability to drive positive change within the organization. Jorge’s focus on consistent, transparent, and engaging communication has been the foundation for building cross functional relationships thus effectively building trust with his team and partners. Delivering on that trust has been a key building block of a career filled with success and driving positive change.
11:35 am
INTERACTIVE CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Choose one of the following interactive sessions:
SOLUTIONS WHEEL
Play the “wheel” to find out which of the industry’s products and services will help you solve your challenges. It is a series of rapid fire, one-on-one meetings with leading sponsors – both intense and fulfilling.
– OR –
PROBLEM-SOLVING CROWDSOURCE – Do You Like, Actually Know Your Customers?
Hosted By:
Nate Brown
Head of CX Advisory
Metric Sherpa
Why You Should Listen to Nate:
Nate Brown loves two things very much…customer experience and community. Fortunately, these concepts go hand-in-hand! As a community builder, Nate co-founded CX Accelerator in 2018. Quickly growing to well over four thousand members, this vibrant collection of CX leaders is helping one another to maximize their career and accomplish remarkable things in service to others. Nate also heads up Advisory Services for Metric Sherpa, a research firm helping organizations to transform customer interactions.
12:50 pm
Food for Thought Luncheon – Networking Roundtables Hosted by Industry Leaders
Practitioners and solution providers host a menu of luncheon discussions on pertinent industry issues. Dine and dish with industry experts.
1:50 pm
Session to Session Travel Time
1:55 pm
CONCURRENT COLLABORATION ZONES – ROUNDTABLES
Roundtable sessions capture the power of all participants’ voices, insights and experiences via group discussion and exploration of the issue at hand.
Zone 1. Personalizing the Supervisor/Agent Relationship
Abstract:
Supervisors face the challenge of fostering authentic connections with agents in high-pressure environments. This session explores strategies to personalize these relationships, enhancing engagement, trust, and performance, and highlights the opportunity to create a supportive culture that drives team success
Action Items:
- Create personalized coaching plans based on agents’ strengths, goals, and growth areas
- Host team culture workshops to establish shared values and recognition practices
- Implement regular trust-building check-ins with open communication and clear boundaries
- Conduct role-play exercises to help supervisors navigate employee challenges with empathy and proper escalation
Fab Facilitator:
Lauren Kindzierski
Head of Strategy & Innovation
VXI Global
Why You Should Listen to Lauren:
With over 18 years of experience in customer service industry, Lauren has proven track record of figuring out strategies that improve agent engagement, builds company culture, and ultimately enhances the overall customer experience. She was recognized by Gulfshore Business Magazine as Top 40 under 40. In 2016, Lauren received a Silver Stevie Award for Women in Business – Executive of the Year.
Zone 2. A Human-in-the-Loop Strategy for Contact Center Success
Abstract:
Customer service leaders are under increasing pressure to deploy Generative AI to improve efficiency in the contact center. As leaders explore AI use cases for 2025 and beyond, concerns around hallucinations, bias, data privacy, and ultimately, the ability to confidently drive measurable ROI hinder widespread deployment. This interactive session focuses on the critical role of human expertise in the AI revolution. We’ll discuss how a human-in-the-loop approach, combining the power of best-of-breed AI with the nuanced understanding and reasoning of human expertise, can address these challenges.
Action Items:
- Share diverse use cases with your organization to demonstrate a human-in-the-loop AI strategy, while proactively mitigating AI risks in the contact center
- Confidently chart a path for AI development by learning from successful human-in-the-loop AI implementations
- Integrate feedback into the AI development process to continually optimize for customer effort across automated and human-assisted channels
Fab Facilitator:
Lisa Michaud, Ph.D.
Director, Product Management
Interactions
Why You Should Listen to Lisa:
Lisa has deep expertise in driving exceptional omnichannel customer experiences with conversational AI. She has been a published NLP scientist, an educator, a system architect, and an engineering leader before becoming a product director at Interactions. She is an established thought leader and evangelist on the topics of adaptive, personalized interfaces and the need to create consistent, equitable experiences that maintain context across all channels of communication.
Zone 3. Catapulting CX with AI Powered Quality Management
2:55 pm
Session to Session Travel Time
3:00 pm
Energizer
Take your thinking cap off and break up your day with a fun, five-minute energizing activity.
3:05 pm
FIRESIDE CHAT WITH ALPA AND NAT – Transitioning a Project from Pilot to Full-Scale Implementation
Alpa Shah, Global Vice President – CX Practice, Frost & Sullivan Customer Engagement Leadership Council Member
Rockstar Insight:
Natalie Beckerman
Global Head | Customer Support Operations
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Why You Should Listen to Natalie:
Described as a fixer in the customer experience and customer contact space, Natalie has run top tier, large scale operations driving transformation and change, leading strategy, while conquering operational and service excellence across the Globe. She is known to build new business, increase revenue and turn around performance, while at the same time reenergizing and invigorating businesses and leaders. Natalie has done this in the telecommunications/mobile, Home Services, Hospitality and Fintech/Financial services industries.
Alpa Shah
Global Vice President – CX Practice
Frost & Sullivan
Customer Engagement Leadership Council Member
Why You Should Listen to Alpa:
Alpa has vast professional and volunteer experience in developing business and volunteer organization strategies; analyzing product, regional, and vertical markets; planning and executing events; sales and marketing; writing growth opportunity insights; and, most importantly, creating and inspiring teams to be best in class. Her current area of focus is on CX; she runs think tanks and customer surveys to uncover growth potential for businesses in the CX environment.
3:35 pm
Solutions Hall, Briefing Sessions, Networking and Refreshments
Dash into our Hall to uncover innovative products and services designed to address the challenges and opportunities you face in your daily tasks and responsibilities.
4:20 pm
CASE HISTORY – Balancing AI and Human Customer Service: Enhancing Experience without Sacrificing Connection
Nancy-Ellen Martin, Director of Customer Service, ThredUp
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform customer service, organizations face the challenge of balancing automated solutions with human touch. While AI can streamline operations, provide faster responses, and personalize interactions, it can also frustrate customers when not deployed thoughtfully. From poorly designed chatbots to rigid self-service options, AI has the potential to create friction if it doesn’t align with customer expectations or fail to offer an effective fallback to human agents when needed. In this presentation, we’ll focusing on the key factors that ensure technology enhances, rather than detracts from, the customer experience.
Action Items:
- Augment, Not Replace – streamline customer interactions without losing empathy and problem-solving capabilities
- Personalize and Be Flexible – design your AI systems to adapt to customers’ needs and provide seamless transitions to human support when necessary
- Human Agents in the Age of Automation – while AI handles routine tasks empower your agent to create more meaningful connections with your customers
Rockstar Insight:
Nancy-Ellen Martin
Director of Customer Service
ThredUp
Why You Should Listen to Nancy-Ellen:
With 30 Years of Leadership in Customer Service, in the Insurance, Tech, and Retail industries, Nancy-Ellen has a track record of driving exceptional customer experiences across both the tech and retail sectors. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a unique ability to blend operational excellence with a deep commitment to culture-building and customer satisfaction.
4:50 pm
CAPSTONE – Conversational Intelligence: Unlocking Customer Insights Through Dialogue
Joep Everts, Senior Vice President Customer Support and Order to Cash, Elsevier
Finding the insights that are hidden in all the conversations between your customers and your agents across all channels is crucial. In this session you’ll learn how to leverage these insights to improve the quality of your agents’ conversations and your products and processes.
Action Items:
- Ensure your agents understand and are bought into your journey
- Understand the possibilities as well as the limitations of customer interaction analytics
- Be clear about what you want to achieve with the customer insights
Rockstar Insight:
Joep Everts
Senior Vice President Customer Support and Order to Cash
Elsevier
Why You Should Listen to Joep:
With a background in Finance and Technology, Joep was asked 5 years ago to significantly improve the satisfaction of Elsevier’s customers. By leveraging Interaction Analytics, Elsevier improved CSAT from 86% to 93% and is now capitalizing on the opportunities that GenAI has to offer.
5:20 pm
21st Annual Customer Contact East Olympics Team Captain Reveal
Gather ’round beach lovers & spirited competitors! The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here – it’s time to choose our Beach Olympics Team Captains!
Get ready for a tidal wave of excitement as the fearless leaders who will guide us through sandy challenges and sun-soaked victories reveal themselves.
5:30 pm
General Session Concludes
6:00 pm
21st Annual Customer Contact East Beach Olympics
8:00 pm
Karaoke After Hours!
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | General Session, Solutions Hall and CX Women’s Alliance Workshop
7:00 am
Walk and Talk
Invigorate your body, mind, and soul as you soak up some tropical tranquility watching the sun rise over the Atlantic. It’s the perfect way to get ready for a great day of content and networking.
8:15 am
Continental Breakfast and Solutions Hall
8:45 am
HEADLINER – Leadership Transitions: Growing and Developing Your Rising Stars
Headliner:
Bobby Thompsom
Director of Operations
Beazer Homes
Why You Should Listen to Bobby:
Bio is forthcoming.
9:20 am
CONSECUTIVE QUICK INSIGHTS
Empowering the Future: Strategies for Employee Engagement, Career Workforce Development, and Generational Learning
Jaysa Boyer, Head, Employer Engagement, Ultimate Medical Academy
This session will explore innovative strategies to boost employee engagement, drive workforce development, and enhance learning across generations. Participants will gain actionable insights to foster a culture of continuous improvement and retain top talent.
Action Items:
- Develop effective training programs that support career growth and skill development
- Build a career architecture plan to create clear pathways for advancement
- Implement engagement initiatives that inspire employees and drive long-term retention
Rockstar Insight:
Jaysa Boyer
Head, Employer Engagement
Ultimate Medical Academy
Why You Should Listen to Jaysa:
Jaysa joined UMA in 2014 and has spent the past 11 years expanding Employer Partnerships to 150+ national partners, helping place thousands of graduates. Passionate about healthcare education, she is dedicated to bridging workforce gaps, strengthening talent pipelines, and creating customized solutions for healthcare recruiting. Jaysa is committed to improving employee engagement and empowering women across industries, making a lasting impact on both graduates and employer partners in the healthcare community.
* Preventing the Talent Drain!
Arretta Stivers, Former Director of Client Success, Realtor.com
Contact centers are the cornerstone of exceptional customer experiences, yet they often grapple with the critical issue of talent drain. High turnover rates not only escalate operational costs but also undermine service quality. This presentation delves into proven strategies to attract, retain, and empower top talent, fostering a high-performing contact center workforce.
Action Items:
- Develop impactful engagement and retention programs
- Utilize technology to alleviate workload and prevent burnout
- Create pathways for professional growth and career advancement
- Deploy forward-thinking approaches to boost employee satisfaction, enhance workforce stability, and achieve long-term organizational success
Rockstar Insight:
Arretta Stivers
Former Director of Client Success
Realtor.com
Why You Should Listen to Arretta:
Arretta is a seasoned contact center expert with over 20 years of experience as a results-driven operations executive. Known for her strategic vision and leadership excellence, she has spearheaded transformative initiatives that have enhanced revenue, optimized operations, and reshaped organizational architecture across diverse industries. An accomplished public speaker, Arretta shares her insights on driving performance and innovation in contact center management.
10:05 am
🎉 PEOPLE’S CHOICE CELEBRATION 🎉
Get ready to cheer as we unveil the winners of our high-spirited superlatives! 🌟 Join us for a lighthearted celebration honoring your fellow participants who stood out in delightful ways, including:
🏅 Best Networker
🎖️ Most Enthusiastic Olympian
🧐 Most Inquisitive
🎁 Has the Most Tchotchkes
…and many more! Prizes and bragging rights await, so don’t miss this exciting gathering. Let’s share some laughs, applause, and unforgettable moments together!
CX WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE WORKSHOP | Owning Your Growth Journey
10:30 am
WELCOMING REMARKS
What Makes Today Unique? Defining Purpose, Values, and Vision
Rockstar Insight:
Natalie Beckerman
Global Head | Customer Support Operations
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Why You Should Listen to Natalie:
Described as a fixer in the customer experience and customer contact space, Natalie has run top tier, large scale operations driving transformation and change, leading strategy, while conquering operational and service excellence across the Globe. She is known to build new business, increase revenue and turn around performance, while at the same time reenergizing and invigorating businesses and leaders. Natalie has done this in the telecommunications/mobile, Home Services, Hospitality and Fintech/Financial services industries.
10:40 am
EXECUTIVE INSIGHT – Women’s Issues and Leadership: Defining Your Path Forward
The session will be focused on those who want a change, or want to understand how to identify your values, make a change and create your destiny ahead. Discussion will focus on creating a strong set of values, boundaries, and non-negotiables to get you where you want to go.
10:50 am
INTERACTIVE – Showing Up For You: A Value Assessment and Growth Mapping Diagnostic
What’s important to you? What does showing up for you actually look like? This session will be an interactive session on plotting your growth journey. Evaluating how you “show up for yourself” involves reflecting on various aspects of your life. Here are some steps you can take:
- Self-Reflection: Spend some time thinking about your needs and values. Are you prioritizing them in your daily life?
- Assess Your Boundaries: Are you setting healthy boundaries with others? Are you able to say no when needed to protect your time and energy?
- Emotional Check-In: Notice how you feel most days. Are you in tune with your emotions? Do you allow yourself to express them?
- Self-Care Practices: Evaluate your self-care routine. Are you engaging in activities that recharge you, like exercise, hobbies, or relaxation?
- Goals and Aspirations: Are you actively working toward your personal goals? Reflect on whether you’re taking steps to pursue what matters most to you.
- Support Systems: Consider the people in your life. Do you surround yourself with supportive individuals who encourage you to be your best self?
- Mindfulness: Practice being present in the moment. Are you aware of how you feel and what you need at any given time?
- Forgiveness and Compassion: Are you kind to yourself? Reflect on how you respond to mistakes or setbacks.
12:00 pm
Networking Luncheon
12:45 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION – Conversations with CX Women Trailblazers
Natalie Beckerman, Global Head | Customer Support Operations, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Panelists Include:
Colleen Beers, Chief Executive Officer, Athena Vantage Consult
Jaysa Boyer, Head, Employer Engagement, Ultimate Medical Academy
Lisa DeFalco, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, TPG, Inc. & Anna Technologies
Nancy-Ellen Martin, Director of Customer Service, ThredUp
This session is an interactive panel to meet those who have done this and lived their values.
Moderator:
Natalie Beckerman
Global Head | Customer Support Operations
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Why You Should Listen to Natalie:
Described as a fixer in the customer experience and customer contact space, Natalie has run top tier, large scale operations driving transformation and change, leading strategy, while conquering operational and service excellence across the Globe. She is known to build new business, increase revenue and turn around performance, while at the same time reenergizing and invigorating businesses and leaders. Natalie has done this in the telecommunications/mobile, Home Services, Hospitality and Fintech/Financial services industries.
Panelists Include:
Colleen Beers
Chief Executive Officer
Athena Vantage Consult
Why You Should Listen to Colleen:
Colleen brings over 30 years of expertise in customer experience and is known for being a formidable leader, helping customers solve their customer experiences goals.
Jaysa Boyer
Head, Employer Engagement
Ultimate Medical Academy
Why You Should Listen to Jaysa:
Jaysa joined UMA in 2014 and has spent the past 11 years expanding Employer Partnerships to 150+ national partners, helping place thousands of graduates. Passionate about healthcare education, she is dedicated to bridging workforce gaps, strengthening talent pipelines, and creating customized solutions for healthcare recruiting. Jaysa is committed to improving employee engagement and empowering women across industries, making a lasting impact on both graduates and employer partners in the healthcare community.
Lisa DeFalco
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
TPG, Inc. & Anna Technologies
Why You Should Listen to Lisa:
Lisa founded the Independent Quality Assurance market, introducing the phrase “this call may be monitored for quality assurance”. Opening TPG in 1996, she designed methodologies used by Fortune 500 companies to define “good calls,” now implemented globally in 9 countries, 13 languages, and over 180 million interactions. A 30-year contact center veteran, Lisa chaired the American TeleServices Association, established the industry’s Self-Regulatory Organization, and advanced compliance standards with federal regulators. As CEO of TPG, she led its transformation into an AI-driven firm with the Anna® Conversational Intelligence Platform, revolutionizing call evaluation and behavioral optimization.
Nancy-Ellen Martin
Director of Customer Service
ThredUp
Why You Should Listen to Nancy-Ellen:
With 30 Years of Leadership in Customer Service, in the Insurance, Tech, and Retail industries, Nancy-Ellen has a track record of driving exceptional customer experiences across both the tech and retail sectors. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a unique ability to blend operational excellence with a deep commitment to culture-building and customer satisfaction.
1:30 pm
INTERACTIVE – Empowering Women Through Meaningful Connections- Coaching Each Other and How to Get Better
2:00 pm
THE FIX on Your Personal Journey – Creating Your Action Plan
The Fix on Switching Careers, Industries or Roles
Christina Glogowski, Director, Digital Solutions Customer Experience, North America, Straumann Group
Hosted By:
Christina Glogowski
Director, Digital Solutions Customer Experience, North America
Straumann Group
Why You Should Listen to Christina:
Christina brings 17 years of expertise in the software and medical device industries, excelling in sales, training, mentoring, and leading high-performing teams. She has a proven track record of driving success in the field and fostering growth among her teams.
The Fix on Focusing on Myself
Arretta Stivers, Former Director of Client Success, Realtor.com
Hosted By:
Arretta Stivers
Former Director of Client Success
Realtor.com
Why You Should Listen to Arretta:
Arretta is a seasoned contact center expert with over 20 years of experience as a results-driven operations executive. Known for her strategic vision and leadership excellence, she has spearheaded transformative initiatives that have enhanced revenue, optimized operations, and reshaped organizational architecture across diverse industries. An accomplished public speaker, Arretta shares her insights on driving performance and innovation in contact center management.
The Fix on Nurturing Myself for Growth
Lydia James, Chief Transformation Office, The Pivot Solutions Group
Hosted By:
Lydia James
Chief Transformation Office
The Pivot Solutions Group
Why You Should Listen to Lydia:
Lydia is a Chief Transformation Officer, CX Thought Leader, and Business Transformation Strategist with over 20 years of experience leading high-impact enterprise transformations across the Department of Defense, Retail, and Automotive industries. She specializes in AI-driven CX innovation, digital transformation, operational excellence, and post-merger integration—refining service strategy, unifying technology platforms, and optimizing workforce strategies. As Founder of The Pivot Solutions Group, Lydia empowers organizations to scale efficiently, elevate customer experiences, and drive sustainable business growth through AI, automation, and predictive analytics.
2:30 pm
THE KEY TAKE AWAYS
Natalie Beckerman, Global Head | Customer Support Operations, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Rockstar Insight:
Natalie Beckerman
Global Head | Customer Support Operations
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Why You Should Listen to Natalie:
Described as a fixer in the customer experience and customer contact space, Natalie has run top tier, large scale operations driving transformation and change, leading strategy, while conquering operational and service excellence across the Globe. She is known to build new business, increase revenue and turn around performance, while at the same time reenergizing and invigorating businesses and leaders. Natalie has done this in the telecommunications/mobile, Home Services, Hospitality and Fintech/Financial services industries.
2:45 pm
Content for the 21st Annual Customer Contact East Concludes
See you and your team October 19th – 21st in Tucson at Customer Contact West!
Register Now!
For further information or to register, call Adam Geiger at +1-305-450-1099, or email him at [email protected]