From a keynote speaker to a colleague

Coming from an IE and MBA background with CX on her mind, Olga believes the future is already here; from smart stores to AR-guided EX within organizations… the call to arms for the CX battleground has sounded!

So, as she was the keynote speaker at the Gulf Customer Experience Awards 2020 in Dubai. we decided to ask Olga a few questions:

“Leading towards the event, I was amped with excitement and anticipation; it was my first time attending this event. Arriving at the event, I felt instantly connected with the Awards team. It was a very welcoming environment and an absolute delight being part of such a prestigious event. I even had the chance to attend a few presentations, which I found absolutely fascinating. With so many things happening at once, it was hard not to feel the build-up to the Awards ceremony. I suppose in a way it paralleled the heightened senses of the nominees themselves.”

When we met Olga at the Gulf CX Awards earlier this year, we were thrilled by her positive energy. So, we wanted to know who we need to thank for bringing her to our event:

“I was invited by a mutual connection who introduced me to Neil Skehel and to the Awards International team, and the rest was history. Ian Golding was kind enough to make the introduction, commenting afterwards at the event that we have developed the habit of “meeting at glamorous locations all over the world.”

Our events are designed in a way so you can learn, connect and win! What does Olga think about networking with hundreds of other professionals?

“It didn’t feel like your standard run of the mill networking, the kind where everyone makes an obvious effort… it felt natural and organic. I had the pleasure of running into different judges and participants, some people I already knew and a lot of new people with whom I was able to reconnect. I have added a few more cards to my Rolodex (I’m a tad old fashioned this way…) and a couple of WhatsApp groups with scintillating chats, event commentary and most importantly photos…”

As we conduct the “We connect people” campaign, we want to share stories of people who have made meaningful connections at any of our events. Olga told us more about her experience at the Gulf Customer Experience Awards 2020:

“There were a lot of connections that were forged or rekindled during the GCXA 2020. Most notably was being introduced to Neil Skehel, reconnecting with Ian Golding, finally meeting Anna Karadimitriou in person, and connecting with Marleen van Wijk… to mention a few. Each connection had a different flavour, I’ve had inspiring conversations with CX thought leaders who have flown thousands of miles just to be at the event, we’ve explored mutual partnerships in the fields of CX, discussed projects we’ve been working on or were dreaming up at that moment, and most importantly reflected on the great profession of CX and the different flavours of CX professionals. Each connection was a window to another world, another country, another path to success.”

Would you like to know what Olga is up to next? 

“If I tell you this, I may have to… just kidding, we have a very ambitious CX roadmap in my company. There are quite a few reformations we are looking at: we never adhere to the old adage “if it is not broken, don’t fix it”… we are constantly looking at the experiences we deliver and reimagining them. Whether this means a new data science use case or warehouse automation, it is always cutting edge. We are fully focused and dedicated to advancing our Customer-Centric culture and ensuring this is translated into a recipe for success and not referred to as a fluffy dreamy concept. We have a few experience surprises up our sleeves that will be announced in due course so … stay tuned.

Facing current circumstances with COVID-19, our teams are working to ensure all necessary precautions and safety measures are taken and continue to monitor the impact on our customers and their experiences.

On a personal level, I have had the pleasure and privilege to work with an exceptional coach to define my personal vision and goals, so in a sense, you can say, “I” am one of my next projects. There is immense satisfaction that comes from self-reflection and personal development, I believe each year should be labelled as a new personal growth project… here’s to 2020 and many more projects in the making.”

Just to add – you will definitely see more of Olga collaborating with Awards International in the future! But, you’re going to have to wait just a little bit longer to find out how.

If you have a story to tell – CONTACT US! We would be more than happy to hear what you have to say and to share it with the rest of the Awards International world.