Visionary Headliners, Rockstars
and Fab Facilitators

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Headliners

John McCahan

Vice President Customer Care
FTD

John joined FTD as VP of Customer Care in 2019 and was brought in to lead service transformation post-bankruptcy. He brings a broad range of customer centric Contact Center and CX strategic leadership, attained in various industries including; banking, logistics, manufacturing, business services, and retail. He has led customer service transformations for both public and privately held companies. Prior to FTD, John held leadership positions at Avon, Milacron, Fifth Third Bank, Target and Equifax. John was a paratrooper and served 8 years in the US Army as a Captain on humanitarian and combat missions.

Kyle McDowell

Leadership Coach and Best-Selling Author
Begin With WE

As a Senior Executive who led tens of thousands of employees around the globe, Kyle amassed an impressive track record of delivering great results inside some of the biggest companies in America. Kyle’s passion for people and proven ability to cultivate truly authentic and courageous leaders were born from an unwavering belief that there’s a better way to thrive in Corporate America.

Haley Morse

Chief Customer Officer
Baker Hughes

Haley brings almost 3 decades of experience in Customer-focused leadership roles to the forefront of enterprise success, consistently placing the customer at the core of her endeavors. Most recently, as Baker Hughes’ inaugural Chief Customer Officer, Haley has been at the helm of pioneering their first ever Customer Success Organization bringing enterprise solution delivery, consulting services and Customer Success together driving value delivery for her customers.

Darren Stavely

Vice President, Operations | Card Services |
Shared Services | Call Centers
FLEETCOR

As a 20-year veteran in the financial services industry, Darren 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.

Julie Weingardt

Chief Operations Officer
Turo

Julie strives to transform customer touchpoints into powerful relationship- and brand-building events using innovative thinking and highly efficient business practices. With 30 years of operations and contact center experience, she is particularly skilled at developing and executing solutions in partnership with product and design departments using combinations of internal and outsourced teams.

ROCKSTAR INSIGHTS

Bernie Arnason

Industry Principal
Frost & Sullivan

A member of the CX team at Frost & Sullivan, Bernie brings over 25 years of Information & Communication Technologies industry experience. As an Industry Principal, Bernie focuses his research on important CX trends in the contact center. Prior to Frost & Sullivan, Bernie spent close to 18 years as a principal and partner at a boutique management consulting firm in the telecom industry and is a past Editor-in-Chief of Telecompetitor.com, an online industry publication.

Nate Brown

Co-Founder
CX Accelerator

Nate is a perpetual student of the world’s greatest experiences and the people who create them. Having spent the first decade of this career managing a complex technical support environment for Occupational Health and eLearning software, Nate transitioned to Customer Experience in 2015. After authoring The CX Primer, Nate was dubbed the “CX Influencer of the Year” by CloudCherry in 2019, and a top global CX thought leader, Exceeders, Netomi, Martech and many more. As a passion project, Nate created CX Accelerator, a first-class virtual community for Customer Experience professionals.

Mark Clauson

Chief Technology Officer
Charitable Adult Rides & Services (CARS)

With an automotive career spanning over three decades, Mark currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer at Charitable Adult Rides & Services (CARS). Mark’s pivotal role at CARS encompasses call center management for over 14 years, operational oversight, and data analysis, helping to shape the organization’s customer contact and experience domain. His transformative leadership style and adeptness in processing extensive data sets empower him to offer data-driven solutions for advancing CARS’ initiatives.

Lydia Clayton

Assistant Vice President,
Contact Center Operation & Center of Excellence
Cox Automotive

Lydia is a passionate advocate for problem-solving, innovation, and effective leadership. She is often the first to lead enterprise-wide transformational ventures focused on improving client loyalty and team member experiences through process optimization, platform modernization, and digital enablement. Her breadth of experience spans from technology to operations, marketing to sales, and strategic planning to logistics across private sectors and the Department of Defense.

Colin Crowley

Vice President of Customer Support
Maven Clinic

Colin has spent over 15 years managing global customer experience organizations and promoting technological changemaking. He specializes in building customer service departments from the ground-up, with a focus on scalability, infrastructural agility, product innovation, and gold-standard quality and efficiency.

Lisa Fleming

Training and Development Project Manager
Allergan Aesthetics, an Abbvie Company

Lisa is an Austin-based Learning and Development expert with 20+ years’ experience in development of employees, process and productivity, performance management and curriculum design. Proficient in adult learning theory and methodologies – (ADDIE) Exceptional developmental skills in all phases of project management and delivery of blended learning solutions and work-integrated training.

Bill Haneke

Senior Vice President, Contact Center Director
Hancock Whitney Bank

A contact center veteran of nearly 30 years, Bill has worked for and supported numerous Fortune 500 companies in a wide variety of verticals with emphasis in Financial Services. Ranging from large organizations down to more boutique and specialty clients, he has the ability to deliver great ROI, no matter the work. Currently, Bill leads the care Client Services group for Hancock Whitney Bank – a mid cap sized bank with headquarters in Gulfport, MS and a footprint spanning the Gulf South and beyond. He is passionate about the continual journey of blending the best people along with cutting edge tech to reach Clients with the world class service they expect.

Leza Holston

Director of Group Reservations
MSC Cruises

Leza brings a robust 18-year background in contact center management and customer experience. Her role involves crafting and implementing innovative strategies, fostering competitive differentiation, and deploying cost-effective solutions to enhance customer experiences. Leza’s diverse career includes leadership roles across various sectors, including SaaS, telecommunications, higher education, healthcare, waste management, and consumer products, where she has successfully driven engagement strategies to prevent revenue losses and generated substantial revenue by modernizing business processes.

Joel Kell

Vice President, Customer Solutions
Elevate

Joel is a seasoned Operations and CX executive with two decades of experience transforming the value of customer interactions and experiences in the fintech industry. Renowned for his innovative strategies and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, Joel has consistently driven bottom-line growth through his visionary leadership. Joel brings invaluable insights into harnessing technology and empathy to create exceptional customer journeys.

Katherine Ketter

Associate Vice President, Customer Experience
Jefferson Health Plans

Kat is a seasoned healthcare leader, public speaker, and board advisor with a passion for people. Kat leads the organization in its voice of the customer program and customer experience strategy, as well as programs for employee mentorship and engagement. With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and contact centers, Kat is passionate about creating high-touch, unforgettable experiences for customers and employees alike.

Patrick Kokoruda

Vice President – Clinical Access
Management/Contact Center
Geisinger

Patrick leads Access Strategy & Operations, which includes, a Contact Center operation with over 500 employees, supporting over 6,000,000 member contacts annually, Nurse Triage team, Capacity Management, Access Analytics & Technology teams.

Bill Lewis

Senior Director, Contact Center & Telephony Operations
AdaptHealth

Over his 11+ years with the company, Bill has progressively moved into roles of increased responsibility based in part, on his talent for quickly mastering technology and business processes. In his current role, Bill leads a team focused on contact center technical operations. AdaptHealth is increasing its focus on leveraging AI and digital solutions to enhance the patient experience and Bill is instrumental in helping to execute on that vision.

Gina Marchese

Senior Director, Consumer Connections
LIXIL

With over two decades of experience, Gina is a seasoned professional in customer service leadership. She specializes in building contact centers from the ground up and has a proven track record of implementing innovative systems to enhance overall efficiency and consumer satisfaction.

Angela McCann-Lair

Vice President, Sales and Marketing Operations
TruStage

A perpetual student of data, technology, and human behavior, Angela relishes bringing people, process, and technology together to serve consumers. She believes in the power of coaching combined with analytics to drive sales results. She is passionate about mentoring, leadership development and community involvement. Angela’s career has spanned Consumer Product Goods, Retail, and Insurance. She currently has the honor of leading the TruStage Sales and Marketing Operations and serving on the TruStage Foundation Board.

Michael Pace

Vice President, Global Member Services and Operations
Virgin Pulse

Michael believes that wildly successful companies start with successful customers and associates. Currently, he builds those experiences for Virgin Pulse, as their Vice President of Global Member Services and Operations. Michael has deep expertise in constructing pillars of a customer experience strategy for contact center or customer care teams.

James Pavlovich

Vice President Customer Experience and Operations
Straumann Group

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.

Derek Pawsey

Senior Director of
Customer Support (Self-Service)
Wix

With a decade of experience in fast-paced startups, ranging in size from 50 to 5000+ employees and 100 to 10,000,000+ users, Derek has helped launch and scale most types of customer centric teams. Currently focused on agent performance improvement and optimizing the self-help experience at WIx, he’s most excited about learning how to utilize GenAI to evolve customer care.

Tatiana Perez

Senior Director, Guest Port Services
Carnival Cruise Line

Hailing from Miami, Fl, the cruise capital of the world, Tatiana has been in the biz for close to 15 years. In between, she achieved significant operational successes and accolades at ADP, Inc, where she took a 10-year hiatus from the travel industry. All throughout her journey, regardless of sector, she’s had one north star – make the customer happy by making her team members happy.

Sean Rajaram

Former Senior Director Digital Service &
Automation Delivery
SmileDirectClub

Passionate about the transformative potential of digital channels and automation, Sean has consistently stayed ahead of industry trends, leveraging data and emerging technologies to drive digital transformation and create impactful customer experiences.

Timothy Rauschenbach

Vice President of Patient Engagement
Millennium Physician Group

Tim has served in customer success roles in high growth, startups, and corporate transformations since he began his career at Disney. His teams are built on a foundation of a cultural lifetime relationship model for both team members and customers and evolve from the typical cost center structure of service operations to a high ROI business unit, positioned as the “heart” of the organization, driving both organic and lasting customer and financial growth.

Feroz Rehman

Vice President of Business Transformation
Del-Air

Feroz, currently the Vice President of Business Transformation at Del-Air, has responsibility over strategic initiatives and supply chain. He started his career in the US Air Force with service in Afghanistan and various global locations. Feroz has spent time with the US Department of Treasury, Direct Energy, Service Experts and ARS/Rescue Rooter in various strategy, product, and operations roles.

Paul Russo

Learning & Development Technologist
Allergan Aesthetics, an Abbvie Company

Paul is an innovative Learning & Development Technologist at Allergan Aesthetics, driving high impact training solutions using state-of-the art digital training methodologies. Paul has over 30 years of learning and development experience and is passionate about elevating the learning experience and producing measurable and sustainable results.

Clare Santos

Director, Knowledge &
Quality, Customer Service Experience (CSX)
Aviso Wealth
Customer Engagement Leadership Council Member

An avid believer that learning is the foundation to one’s success and development, Clare is dedicated to fostering a culture of learning alongside people who are passionate about building the right solution for learning in any environment. Clare has been in Learning & Development (L&D) for over 18 years within various industries like insurance, technology, & eCommerce, and is experienced in Contact Centre Operations, Quality Assurance, Customer and Employee Experience as well as L&D in both corporate and frontline settings. Before joining Aviso Wealth, she led Priceline’s Customer Care Training Team overseeing the training for their BPOs and was with Sonnet Insurance leading their Training, Communications, and Knowledge teams.

Cippy Seidler

Director, Consumer Care Center
Banner Health

Speaking to and working with many diverse contact groups around the world has inspired and enlightened Cippy. It has brought positivity, new ideas and creativity to an already open mind about the importance and truly critical nature of the contact center environments. She has worked most of her career in Retail and Health Care contact centers helping others appreciate why internal and external customer service and brand loyalty begins in the contact center.

Le Quiche Singletary

Enterprise Customer Service Director
Pediatric Associates

Le Quiche is responsible for customer experience improvement programs, frontline training curriculums, reputation management, and grievance advocacy for 100 + locations. Her philosophy toward work is based on good leadership – “It’s my job to inspire my staff, to provide them with guidance, and to lead them by example. Only then can we reach our goals.” As an expert in the field of customer experience, she is passionate and enthusiastic about her ability to invoke organizational change!

DeWayne Trainer

Digital Product Owner
Edward Jones

DeWayne has been working in, web design, merchandising, marketing, e-comm, content strategy and search for nearly 20 years. He currently serves as the Product Owner for Edward Jones’s enterprise search strategy and implementation.

Samuel Vazquez Jr.

Former Vice President, Application Support &
Incident Management
JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Samuel is a distinguished figure in the contact center industry, boasting over two decades of profound expertise and leadership. Throughout his illustrious career, Samuel has been instrumental in elevating the performance and support services of prominent companies such as Verizon, Nationwide Insurance, and JP Morgan Chase. His keen understanding of the sector’s dynamics and his emphasis on prioritizing the human element has consistently resulted in the delivery of superior customer service experiences.

Fab Facilitators

Randy Arellano

Head of Sales & Marketing
DATAMARK

With more than 30 years’ experience in the contact center and BPO industry, Randy is known as an expert at solving complex business challenges for his clients He has created advanced CX solutions for many of the F100 brands in all industry verticals, beginning with in-depth business assessment to identify gaps and needs, followed by the application of advanced processes, technologies, and cutting edge thought leadership focused on the customer journey.

Amy Bouthilet

Vice President, Global Talent
Alta Resources

With 15+ years of consumer care experience, Amy has a proven track record of increasing employee engagement and, in turn, helping global brands maximize customer experiences. She has made employee engagement a primary focus within her current organization and recent engagement results have classified them as a world class engagement culture. Whether in a corporate support role or in direct management of a consumer care team, Amy has a personal passion to deliver results.

Mary Ann Chandler

Vice President, National Accounts
Intradiem

Mary Ann is a seasoned sales leader in the technology space. Her passion, energy, and unwavering dedication are evident in her commitment to surpassing customer expectations throughout their automation journey. Prior to joining Intradiem in 2011, Mary Ann was in the financial industry.

Ginger Conlon

Thought Leadership Director
Genesys

An award-winning editorial leader, Ginger Conlon is currently thought leadership director at Genesys, where she crafts research-led content on customer experience and co-hosts the “Tech Talks in 20” podcast and “CX Green Room” livestream show. Additionally, she serves on the Environmental Defense Fund’s Digital Advisory Council. In her prior roles as chief editor of Direct Marketing News, 1to1, and CRM magazines, she set the editorial vision and strategy, which led to increased readership, reader engagement, and revenue. Ginger, a founding board member of CXPA, was selected as the 2023 CXStars awards’ #1 CX industry influencer by CX Magazine.

Casey Denby

Vice President of Sales, Former Global Leader of Training & Operations
Zenarate

Casey is an experienced global leader of Operations & Training organizations with a rich background in contact center operational success. Casey has led multiple global Training organizations, including at Western Union and RE/MAX, overseeing training delivery, quality assurance, knowledge documentation, creative & interactive design and LMS.

Fred Fontes

General Manager, Implementation and Delivery
Replicant

Fred leads the Delivery organization at Replicant and specializes in applying generative AI in contact centers and beyond. With a background in data and analytics both as a practitioner and a leader at McKinsey & Company, Fred’s expertise spans across industries and functions, having spent time in his career driving transformations from Retail to Banking and Marketing to Supply Chain.

Dan Giatrelis

Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development
Interactions

Dan is a distinguished professional with over 20 years of experience in the information technology and services industry. Renowned as a seasoned sales leader and conversational AI expert, Dan has a proven track record of delivering remarkable results for leading companies in the fields of Conversational AI (CAI), Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), and data center sectors.

Phil Gray

Chief Product Officer
Interactions

Phil leads innovation initiatives at Interactions, collaborating with customers and partners to create and operationalize disruptive technology inventions that transform customer experience. He has extensive experience with Conversational AI and customer experience technologies. Prior to joining Interactions, Phil founded and led Versay, a natural language, speech applications company. He also held leadership roles at Nuance and Eloyalty.

Jim Iyoob

Chief Customer Officer
Etech Global Services

Jim is a 34-year veteran of the call center/BPO industry with an impeccable track record of innovation and advanced business intelligence. He has been featured in numerous publications, including CIO Review, Contact Center Pipeline, and Connections Magazine. Additionally, he has been listed as one of the ‘Top 10 Business Leaders Transforming their Industry in 2023’ by CIOLook and named in the ‘Top 20 Influential People to Follow’ on Twitter by “Iwantitnow”.

Ali Karim

Director of Engineering
DATAMARK

Ali “Let’s automate that” is a seasoned contact center professional with a deep passion for innovation and a keen understanding of cutting-edge technologies like Generative AI. With a diverse background as an aeronautical engineer, Apple Genius Bar employee, Lululemon ambassador, and barista, Ali brings a unique perspective to solving complex business challenges across different industries.

Jaclyn Lo

Senior Customer Success Manager
ProcedureFlow

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.

Tom Luther

Director, Channel Partnerships
Outsource Consultants

Tom is a strategic thought leader with 20 years in the world of CX and Digital Transformation. Tom’s career has been dedicated to enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty through strategic CX initiatives. His deep understanding of customer needs and market trends has allowed him to spearhead transformative projects that have elevated overall customer experience. Tom’s CX approach is always grounded in the marriage between reliable labor and customer-friendly technology.

Brian May

Director of Solutions Consulting
PolyAI

For the past 5 years Brian has led consultation, design, deployment, and ultimately the transformation of dozens of contact centers across a diverse set of clients from MidMarket to Fortune 100 firms, with a focus on integrating Machine Learning, Conversational AI and now Generative AI into these projects.

Sean Minter

Founder and Chief Executive Officer
AmplifAI

Sean is a strategic visionary dedicated to elevating large organizations by harnessing the synergy of technology, people, and processes. With a career centered on converting average KPIs into exceptional results, Sean believes that the core of any successful transformation is its people, guided by leaders committed to fostering positive change. His approach intertwines innovative thinking with next-gen technology to drive organizational excellence.

Devin Poole

Senior Product Marketing Manager
Coveo

Devin has been researching and advising executives on customer service and customer experience strategies for the past 15 years as an Analyst at two leading research firms. He writes and speaks on topics such as digital customer service experience, service channel strategy, personalization, AI, the Effortless Experience, and the agent experience. Throughout his career, he has worked across the globe, advising companies from Fortune 50 to technology startups.

Ian Tempro

Chief Operating Officer
IA Solutions

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.

Fiona Vanderlinde

Product Marketing Manager
Upland Software

With a multifaceted background in CX, Knowledge Management, and Incident Management, Fiona brings strategic insights and innovative solutions to facilitate operational enhancements and bolster customer experiences. She has cultivated deep connections with clients, harnessing their unique insights to drive transformative change across diverse industries.

Visionary Headliners, Rockstars and Fab Facilitators