Miguel Familia is the CEO and co-founder of Wise BPO. He is based between the Dominican Republic and St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.

Miguel has a long history in CX, but one year ago he decided to create a new BPO brand - serving clients from the Dominican Republic.

Peter called Miguel to learn about his story of creating a new CX brand, his background in this industry, the advantages of the DR, and his vision for the future of CX.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-familia-b0b37812/

https://wisebp.com/

SUMMARY:

Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan introduce Miguel Familia, CEO and co-founder of Wise BPO in the Dominican Republic. Miguel shares his journey from starting in BPO at 17 to establishing Wise BPO, emphasizing the importance of people over technology in customer service. He highlights the challenges of securing initial business deals and the success of engaging with new prospects. Miguel advises budding entrepreneurs to be genuine in their interactions.

This week we have a group of CX and BPO experts who recently visited Georgia. This nation of 3.6m people is positioned on the Black Sea, at the intersection of Europe and Asia, and is working hard to position itself as an attractive destination for CX and BPO sourcing.

Peter Ryan talked to people who travelled with him to visit Georgia this year to explore questions such as the ease of doing business there, the opportunity for multilingual CX, and how Georgia is attracting more digital and high-tech talent.

Featured in the discussion:

Elona Ymeri

Service Delivery Manager, Assist Digital

Tirana, Albania

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elonaymeri/

Traci Freeman

Managing Member, Believe Consulting

Johannesburg, South Africa

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracifreeman/

Jasen Shirley

Head of Customer Service and Sales, North America/Canada, SIXT

Riverview, Florida, US

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasen-shirley-688a651b8/

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https://www.investingeorgia.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/enterprisegeorgia/

https://www.enterprisegeorgia.gov.ge/

SUMMARY:

Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss a recent visit to Georgia sponsored by Enterprise Georgia, highlighting the country's potential as a CX and BPO destination. The trip involved 15 stakeholders, including Jason Shirley, Ilona, and Tracy Freeman, who all shared their impressions in the discussion. Key points include Georgia's cultural alignment with the West, fast internet, co-working spaces, and ease of business setup. The Government Services Center was praised for its efficiency and customer service. The discussion also touched on Georgia's multilingual workforce, advanced skills, and the potential for complex services. Comparisons with Jamaica and other established BPO destinations were made, emphasizing Georgia's readiness for higher-value outsourcing.

Traci Freeman holds a number of roles, including as the managing member of Believe Consulting, but in this conversation we focused on her role as a partner of the Africa Federation of GBS Associations.

This federation is aimed at unlocking Africa’s potential in the BPO, CX and ITO sectors. Enhancing Africa’s standing as a hub for innovation, knowledge exchange, and technological advancement, promoting partnerships, youth employment, and digital enablement while driving best practices and standards.

Mark Hillary called Traci at her base in Johnannesburg, South Africa to talk about the work of the federation and the opportunities for CX and BPO across all of Africa.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracifreeman/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-gbs-federation/

https://africagbsfederation.org/

SUMMARY

Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the Africa Federation of GBS Associations, an initiative led by a team including Traci Freeman to promote Global Business Services (GBS), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and IT services across Africa. The federation aims to manage perceptions of Africa as a high-value destination, foster knowledge sharing, and support regional development. Key countries like Egypt and South Africa are leveraging their experience to help emerging markets like Kenya, Rwanda, and Ghana. The federation, launched in February 2024, includes members from various African countries and aims to host global community engagement events by 2026-2027.