Movers and Shakers – February 2012

This month we bring you news of appointments at Interactive Intelligence, bss, data8, Teleperformance and Micron.

Interactive Intelligence appoints new Scotland manager

Interactive Intelligence has appointed Joan Hill to the new role of territory manager, Scotland, to drive sales in the region through developing new business opportunities on a direct basis, working with existing customers and developing partnerships.

With an extensive background in contact centre and telephony sales, Joan most recently worked for Mitel Networks in Scotland, where she was successful in winning key accounts in the local government and healthcare sectors. Prior to Mitel, Joan spent five years at NextiraOne, selling converged voice and data solutions, where her achievements included securing a significant multi-million pound contract with a major brewing organisation for its flagship global headquarters.

Scotland is considered a key growth area and is a significant location for contact centres in the financial services, telecommunications, outsourcing, utilities and public sector verticals, with 86,000 people employed across 400 contact centres.

“Joan brings extensive experience of contact centre and telephony solution sales in Scotland, with a network of contacts in multiple industries that will allow us to fast-track our growth in the region,” says Dave Paulding, Interactive Intelligence’s regional director UK, Middle East and Africa. “This is an exciting development for us and is the first in a number of new appointments that will be based in, and dedicated to, the Scottish market. At a time when many technology vendors are cutting headcount and freezing recruitment, Interactive Intelligence continues to grow and invest.”

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bss appoints Neil Richardson as Information Systems Director

Neil, previously Chief Information Officer of an agency of HM Cabinet Office has over 20 years’ experience and has worked with Unilever, Innospec and Ernst & Young.

Peter Calderbank, Chief Executive of bss says: “Since bss’ inception in 1975, technology has played an integral role in all of our solutions. As we strengthen our multi-channel capabilities, Neil’s technical expertise and leadership makes him the ideal person to lead our IS team during this exciting time.”

Neil Richardson says: “bss’ partnership-before-profit philosophy and its mission to help improve people’s lives through the effective use of information makes this organisation unique and I am delighted to be part of it.  My private and public sector expertise will help me to drive the organisation’s IS strategy and continue to grow its digital proposition on a variety of platforms to make multi-channel customer access seamless for both our clients and their customers.”

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Fagri Semaar joins Teleperformance as new MD of South Africa Teleperformance

A former call centre agent, Semaar has experienced a meteoric rise through the industry since his first job as a teleresources agent in 1999. After progressing through various leadership positions, he joined a skills development organisation as an equal partner in 2004 and subsequently opened his own project management and IT consultancy company in 2008.

Semaar comments: “I am very excited about this opportunity; Teleperformance is a global leader in the BPO and contact centre space and I have already started to see signs of potential growth in the insurance, financial services, utilities, public and mobile telecommunications sectors. Expansions of key accounts are also on the cards and I am confident that our operation will grow substantially by the end of 2012.”

Alistair Niederer, CEO of Teleperformance UK and South Africa, comments that under Fagri’s leadership, Teleperformance in South Africa will continue to go from strength to strength and that he will be instrumental in driving the business forward. “I am delighted to welcome Fagri to Teleperformance and wish him a long, happy and successful career here.”

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Data8 Ltd appoints two new account managers

Simon Wise has joined data8 as account manager to assist in their expansion plans for their real-time data validation service Integr8.

Antony Allen, managing director data8, said “Simon brings with him a great deal of account management experience having worked for ORC International and Bank of America. We have ambitious growth targets for data8 in 2012 and Simon joins our expanding team to help meet those targets. Simon will be concentrating on developing accounts for our real-time validation service, Integr8, which includes industry leading applications like Postcode Lookup”.

Simon Wise added, “I am pleased to join data8 at this exciting time in their development, I am sure my experience with data-centric web-based solutions will be an asset to our expanding range of clientele.”

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Sarah Delaney-Jones has also joined NBD (New Business Data is a division of data8) as account manager.

Antony Allen, managing director data8, said “We are pleased to welcome Sarah on board to help in the expansion plans for our New Business Data division. With her previous experience with Barbour-ABI she will bring a wealth of account management experience. We have ambitious growth targets for New Business Data in 2012 and Sarah joins our team to help meet those targets.”

Sarah Delaney-Jones added, “I am pleased to join New Business Data at this time. I have only been with New Business Data a short time and already feel part of the team. Our dedicated research centre supplies detailed company information which is accessed by our clients, daily, weekly or monthly.”

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Micron Technology appoints Mark Durcan as Chief Executive Officer, Director

Micron Technology has appointed Mark Durcan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. Mr Durcan will also serve as a Director on Micron’s Board of Directors. The appointments come after the company reported that Steven R. Appleton, long-time Micron Chairman and CEO, passed away in a Feb. 3 aeroplane accident in Boise.

The Board of Directors also announced the appointment of Director Robert E. Switz as Chairman of the Board and Mark W. Adams as President. Mr Switz has served as a Director since 2006 and is the former Chairman and CEO of ADC Telecommunications. He has previously served as chair of the Micron Board’s Audit and Governance committees. Mr Adams joined the company in 2006 and served most recently as Vice President of Worldwide Sales.

Mr Durcan, 51, has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Micron since 2007 and earlier served as Micron’s Chief Technology Officer. He joined the company in 1984.

“We are fortunate to be able to appoint someone with Mark’s operations and technical leadership experience to serve as the company’s CEO,” said Mr Switz. “Mark has been instrumental in Micron’s success in his role as President and COO and has garnered the respect of the company, his team members and the industry at large.”

Mr Durcan said, “We are deeply saddened by Steve’s loss and will miss his hand at the helm. I have provided the Board my ongoing commitment to work with the management team and continue to move the company forward.”