Rod'sPod

In this deeply engaging episode, I’m joined by Adam Craker – CEO of iqbusiness and a defining figure in SouthAfrica’s contact centre and consulting space. We take a nostalgic journey through the early days of Merchants under Dimension Data, explore the rise of iqbusiness as the country's leading digital integrator, and take a powerfulturn into civic purpose with Adam’s co-founding of JozI my Jozi...

In this episode of Rod's Pod, I sit down with one of South Africa’s most quietly formidable figures in the contact centre and BPO space – Mark Essey, Founder of Debt-IN and Co-Founder of what is now Custom Connect South Africa. We trace Mark’s unconventional career path – from steel yards in Krugersdorp to stockbroking, debt collections, and eventually, the launch of a cross-continental BPO op...

In this episode of Rod’s Pod, I sit down with David Neale, a seasoned BPO leader, to discuss his groundbreaking new venture—a first-of-its-kind independent BPO accreditation model. What’s in this episode? The origin story of David’s venture and why the traditional BPO model needs a shake-up. How his Golden Triangle approach combines client needs, operational delivery, and sales strategy. The probl...

In this episode of Rod's Pod, I sit down with Kobus van der Westhuizen, a true pioneer in South Africa's call centre, contact centre, CRM, customer experience and BPO/GBS, sectors. With a career spanning decades, Kobus has been at the forefront of building, scaling, and transforming businesses. From his early days in tech sales to founding Interact CRM, leading workforce management innovat...

Welcome to the very first episode of Rod's Pod for 2025! In this engaging and thought-provoking conversation, Rod Jones sits down with Elvis Melia, a global development and economic policy expert, for an insightful discussion on the dynamics of economic growth, the evolution of the BPO and GBS sectors in Africa, and the profound impact of artificial intelligence on global industries. Elvis shares...

In this punchy 10-minute episode of Rod'sPod , I sit down with David Rumble, co-founder of The Knowledge Group (tkg) and an advisory board member for CapeBPO, to explore the critical shifts impacting the South African and global BPO/GBS landscape. David unpacks the ripple effects of the UK’s 2024 budget and labour reforms, highlighting why South Africa is perfectly positioned to capitalise on thes...

In this episode of Rod’s Pod, we sit down with Dave D'Arcy, founder of Laughing Leadership and a seasoned BPO expert with over 30 years of experience in the customer experience and outsourcing industry. Dave shares invaluable insights and Top 10 Tips for South African BPO executives looking to attract new business from UK buyers. From building strategic relationships to offering deep analytics and...

What an adventure! I spent the afternoon with BPO/GBS industry stalwart and long-time professional colleague and social buddy Avesh Singh, in his one-of-a-kind man cave dedicated to the football team that he's more than somewhat passionate about, Liverpool Football Club. While we chatted about the BPO industry and his remarkable career, Avesh prepared a truly amazing lamb curry. This is the fi...

Audio of the webinar panel discussions held on 12th March 2024 with my guests, Simon Kriss, Mithum Singh and James Guthrie. Dive into the heart of AI's role in customer experience (CX) with our dynamic webinar. This session brings together industry giants to unpack AI's transformative influence in the CX and contact centre landscape. Hear from Simon Kriss of the CX Innovation Institute, Ja...

In this episode of Rod'sPod, I'm thrilled to welcome Sadiq Mohammed, a beacon in the contact centre outsourcing industry, who seamlessly transitioned from a solid foundation in corporate finance at leading institutions like HSBC and Lloyds, to becoming a distinguished figure in professional BPO consulting and outsourcing brokerage. Sadiq's voyage into the BPO sphere commenced at Experi...

Please join me on Rod'sPod as I sit down with Yaron Assabi, a dynamic entrepreneur whose journey in ICT began over 25 years ago. I've known and worked alongside Yaron for decades, and I can attest to his rare brand of infectious positive energy. From the inception of Digital Solutions Group (DSG) in 1998 to its evolution into a beacon of innovation in relationship marketing solutions, Yaro...

Meet Mithum Singh Welcome to another episode of Rod's Pod, where we delve into the dynamic world of Customer Experience (CX) and Artificial Intelligence in contact centres. Today, we're thrilled to have Mithum Singh, the Chief Services Officer at CCI, joining us. With a remarkable 21 years steering the helm of contact centre operations across diverse sectors, Mithum is a vanguard in Busine...

Embark with me on an enlightening audio journey in the fascinating company of the formidable Shelli Ryan in the latest episode of my podcast. Shelli, hailing from Las Vegas, is not only the founder but also the driving force behind Ad Hoc Communication Resources, a globally recognised on-demand marketing services powerhouse in the realms of technology and BPO. Dive into Shelli's fascinating ev...

Dave D’Arcy is an independent consultant and the Founder and Managing Director of Laughing Leadership (Dave D’Arcy Limited). With over 35 years of experience in customer operations and contact centre business leadership, Dave is an expert in strategic design and delivery, operational excellence, change management and project and program delivery. Dave has vast experience leveraging employee engage...

Join us on Rod'sPod for an exhilarating episode featuring the trailblazing South African entrepreneur James Guthrie! James ' journey has been remarkable with a career spanning over 35 years, from humble beginnings as a support engineer to his ascension as a call centre CIO and COO. Now, he is the founder of a pioneering omnichannel contact centre platform, Smartz Solutions. His hands-on ex...

Mark Mitchell's remarkable commitment to the advancement of business development and operational effectiveness has been a cornerstone of his more than 15-year tenure at Ignition Group. His steadfast dedication and expertise have been pivotal in his ascent to the crucial position of Chief Operating Officer. With Mark at the helm, the Operations Team at Ignition Group has achieved considerable t...

A Super Fired-Up and Focused BPO Entrepreneur Clint Crowster, a dynamic entrepreneur and author, stands at the forefront of innovative business strategies with his flagship venture, askOsca.com. With a passion for empowering individuals and businesses to harness their full potential, Clint has carved a niche in the realm of B2B Marketing and personal development. His entrepreneurial journey is mar...

Meet Sean Wright... The man also driving Unlimited BPO2SA Starting his career at The Unlimited in 2007, Sean Wright held various positions within the company before taking on the role of Managing Director of The Unlimited International.  He has been an integral part of the design and execution of the group's International Strategy and has a goal to create an additional 2,000 jobs in the next f...

In this special edition I chat with a number of special guests; some of whom attended the recent 2023 BPESA BPO/GBS Conference held in Cape Town between 7th and 9th November. We chatted about the conference, the speakers, the awards, BPO networking and the future prospects of the South African BPO/GBS sector. My guests included: ·       Neville Cousins - BPESA (Future Skills) ·       Debby Webster...

Clinton Cohen Take a well-seasoned mixologist with an entrepreneurial flair. Add several generous measures of business acumen and a couple of tots of sound, common sense. Add a pinch of adventure. Blend with an amazing combination of great people, sound processes and appropriate technologies and top up with Clinton Cohen’s personal touch of unfettered enthusiasm and energy. It’s a BPO cocktail to...

Last week, whilst on my whirlwind visit to the London, I had the privilege of finally meeting co-founder and COO of The Knowledge Group (tkg), Joel Walker face-to-face over a delightful ‘Full English Breakfast’ and perhaps too many cups of coffee. And what an insightful chat it was too. There are few professionals in the BPO/GBS space with more hands-on experience in large-scale contact centre ope...

In this special edition I interview several of the guest speakers immediately after we concluded a Thought Leadership Breakfast Briefing held in The House of Lords, Westminster under the auspices of Lord Nathanael Wei and hosted by The Retail Trust, Sabio and NutunCX on Wednesday 20th September 2023. The subject of the event was "The Retail Sector: The Future of CX, AI Innovation and BPO to S...

In this episode I share time with Henriette Potgieter who is one of the most operationally experienced CX contact centre specialists that I have the great pleasure of working with day-to-day. With 20 years’ experience in the field, Henriette has a solid understanding of Contact Centres, with a strong background in customer service and outsourcing. Her experience in the Contact Centre industry rang...

In this episode, I sit down for a candid chat with Franco Cotumaccio, a luminary in South Africa's BPO/GBS sector. With an impressive career spanning over two decades in financial services across the UK and South Africa, Franco has been instrumental in shaping many aspects of the industry. Known for his dynamic business acumen and charismatic personality, he has been a driving force in sustain...

In this episode I chat with Alistair Niederer , a highly regarded and experienced CX/BPO executive with specialised knowledge and expertise in the complex field of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance). ESG is fast becoming a significant component of BPO RFP's and Alister sheds light on how his organisation is assisting both on the buyer and the provider sides of the the global GBS indust...