GTACC PANEL:
Women in Contact Centre Technology
Thursday, April 11 | Virtual Webinar
Panel Members
Shannon Flanagan
VP, GM, Retail & Consumer Goods, Talkdesk
Shannon has been retailing it since college, working in stores as a merchant, consultant, sales leader, technologist and strategist. She spent many years as an executive with Gap Inc., Land's End and Macy's, leading strategic initiatives, with expertise in omnichannel transformation.
During her time at Accenture, Infor, Slalom, and now Talkdesk, Shannon has partnered with hyper-growth companies, to Fortune 500 companies. In her current role as VP|GM of Retail & Consumer Goods, she helps create happy path experiences for customers and agents alike. In addition, Shannon is a ReThink Top Influencer, DE&I Board Member, Mental Health advocate and speaker & founder of Retail Women in Tech. Retail is never boring and she loves it!
Afshan Kinder
CEO, Switchgear Ltd and elevate2Great, a division of SwitchGear
Afshan was voted by her clients to be in the ICMI top 25 thought leaders in North America. This recognition stems from her consistent track record of surpassing her clients’ expectations, establishing, and helping them maintain world-class standards in customer experience and employee engagement.
When her clients implement her innovative strategies aimed at cultivating customer-centric mindsets and enhancing leadership capabilities, they experience heightened levels of customer and employee satisfaction and productivity. Layered onto these strategies are her thought leadership and recommendations to judiciously leverage cutting-edge technologies such as AI. The end result are clients who are thrilled that they have a practical roadmap and confidence that their teams will be well-prepared for whatever the future holds.
To ensure high adoption and sustainment of newly introduced changes, Afshan has created a unique leadership and coaching program called the elevate2Great Leadership and Coaching Series which has been certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Away from a client’s site, Afshan sits on the GTACC Advisory Board and is a contributing author to 3 books, Call Centers FOR DUMMIES, Game Changing Ideas: 10 Years of SwitchGear Insights, and Amazon Kindle best-selling book, Called to Action. Afshan is also a proud member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Women Business Enterprises (WBE) and a requested speaker.
Stephanie Gomez
Vice President Marketing, ProcedureFlow
Stephanie Gomez is a highly accomplished marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in transforming customer experiences. With a deep understanding of consumer behavior and a passion for innovation, she has successfully implemented strategic marketing campaigns, driving business growth and increasing brand visibility. Stephanie's expertise in digital marketing, brand management, and customer relationship management has made her an invaluable asset in helping organizations deliver exceptional experiences. Her relentless drive for excellence, coupled with her ability to analyze market trends and develop customer-centric strategies, sets her apart as a marketing professional who truly understands the power of putting the customer at the center of every business decision.
Amanda Traynor
Territory Director, Canada, Miratech
With 25+ years of experience in sales, marketing, and operations leadership, I specialize in B2B/SaaS sales, customer acquisition, and partnership development for enterprise software and services.
I am passionate about empowering and developing people, especially women in technology. I am a fierce advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and beyond. I have the honour of being the twice elected President of the Women in Technology ERG, where I worked with amazing females and male allies to amplify the need for more women in technology. I am also one of the key women at Miratech who created the Women of Miratech ERG, to lift and support female colleagues across the globe. I am a lifelong learner, having completed the MBA Essentials program from Rotman School of Management and several online courses. I believe that learning new skills and perspectives enriches my personal and professional growth.
Elda Helc
Omilia
With over two decades technology sales experience Elda empowers organizations to embrace cutting-edge solutions, optimizing operations and enhancing customer experiences.
At the forefront of innovation, she inspires transformative initiatives in Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) and drives adoptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies revolutionizing the way businesses engage with their customers.
As a newcomer to Canada and one of the very few women studying Computer Science in the 90’s Elda draws on her personal experience of resilience to advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, inspiring and empowering generation of young girls to choose careers in STEM.
Moderator
Elizabeth Sedlacek
VP of Client Relations and Partnerships, ContactPoint 360
Elizabeth Sedlacek serves as the VP of Client Relations and Partnerships at ContactPoint 360, a global provider of cost-effective omnichannel solutions dedicated to enhancing customer experience (CX) and retention. Armed with a BA in Psychology and Sociology from Memorial University of Newfoundland, her expertise lies in marketing communications and new business development.
Elizabeth has a robust background in the contact center and BPO industry spanning over 25 years, and has navigated various verticals and markets. She draws upon her profound understanding of operations, processes, and best practices to deliver tailored and inventive solutions that align with her clients' needs and expectations. As a servant leader, she empowers and supports her team, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. Beyond her role, she wears multiple hats as a coach, fundraiser, and contributor to the best-selling book "Called To Action," where inspiring stories of courage, vision, and impact are shared. Her overarching mission is to guide organizations and individuals towards realizing their full potential and catalyzing positive change in the world.