Could you share some insights into your background and how you came to join GCX?

I was born in Mexico City and lived there until year 2009. I studied Electronic Engineering and worked as a Service Delivery Project Manager, and later as a Customer Service Manager, for Telefonica Data Mexico (data network – merged with Movistar in 2006) for around 10 years. I then moved to a satellite services company (Axesat Mexico) and worked for them for 3 years as a Sales Support Engineer, until I moved to the U.K. Since this was a fresh new start for me, I decided it was the time to tick one of my pending projects in my bucket list. So I enrolled to an MBA degree at the University of West London. That was a very illustrative journey because it allowed me to fully immerse myself into the English and International business world. Once I graduated I started looking for a job and soon I was interviewed to work as a contractor for GCX. I started working for GCX in 2012 as a Partner Service Manager. A couple of years later I was offered the permanent position and have continued working with them since then. 

What motivates you in your role at GCX, and how do you maintain your inspiration?

I see my job as a never ending journey. I can say it’s like climbing. Customers will choose us to climb their mountains, because they trust us as an expert partner. What keeps me inspired is that every climb is different and requires joint efforts. Trust is built from the bottom and every step of the way. The path is always full of surprises, and those leading need the mindset to guide, quickly correct the path, and keep the pace forward.

Every step motivates me, because there will be different stages, difficult, risky, or impossible paths, as well as easy and restoring walks. But conquering the top will be the sum of the end to end path. And those who chose to climb with us, shall never be left behind. And then, when you think you are there, you just realise that conquering one top only marks the start of a new ascent to a higher mountain. Hearts and minds working together to reach higher and higher skies.

Is there a specific project or achievement at GCX that you are particularly proud of?

My most valuable achievement is the close relationship I have with all my customers. Working with them year after year has helped me understand their pains and gains. And being there to help them find solutions is always a great achievement. 

Apart from that, keeping in mind that in this busy world customers may only have limited time to understand how their services are performing, and being honest, also after looking at other providers’ examples, I sat down to prepare a report which would allow my assigned customers to quickly understand the overall performance of their services, trends, but also have access to key details. This tool or dashboard report, as I call it, has really made a difference when we need to review how we are doing. 

How do you approach challenges and overcome obstacles in your work?

Like I always say, “one day at a time”. Every day is different. Some days may be quiet and will give me some time to reflect and plan. But then there are days in which there is so much action, that I really need to be creative to be able to stay focused and answer to our customers. 

The way I see it is: A challenge will always be an opportunity to learn and even develop my creativity. There have been times that demand more than the usual way to solve a problem and that’s when my creativity needs to kick in. 

So, I first try to understand what the obstacles are and identify if this time I should find the way to jump over them or work around them, to get to the other side….or yes, cry for help! Once I figure a way, most probably it will not be a personal effort, but a Team effort.  Building Team force then becomes the second challenge, but also the most rewarding. I have found that clear communication leads to common understanding. Once understanding is there, the challenge transforms into the opportunity to solve, to learn, to serve, to improve and in the end to make customers happy. 

What role do your colleagues and team members play in your success at GCX?

They play a pivotal role. Without their care, support and feedback I would not be able to even do half of my job. I have been successful in my role because I have a strong Team behind me. They look after the services, they fix issues, they sell more and more, and they are also a great source of information,  because they know our customers in many different ways. 

That is very valuable information for me, because when I put it all together, the understanding of our customers, and their experience with GCX every step of their journey, that allows me to see the big picture. 

When you can see the big picture and understand the full customer journey, you are able to identify the magic moments that will help keep the victory feelings appearing every step of the way.  

Are there any mentors or individuals who have had a significant impact on your career here?

Every colleague in GCX has been a mentor in some way. Because in working together, I am always learning from them. But if I had to mention the ones from which I have learnt the most I would say that my line Manager, Mani Sastry, has been a source of energy and positive attitude because he has taught me that there is always a solution, you just need to keep your mind open to the possibilities, and never give up.

Our COO, Brad Kneller, has taught me to be practical and just focus on the best possible solution. A former colleague once told me: “Life has taught me that when you panic, you cannot see beyond the problem, so don’t panic, breath and observe, the solution will soon be clear. And if there is no solution, don’t panic, be honest and negotiate the best possible alternate option”

How has your role evolved since joining GCX, and how have you grown as a professional?

My role has evolved with the company. I started looking after a few customers and every time our company goes through a big change, my role also changes. I started looking after 5 customers and now I am looking after 15 customers. I started working only with customers based in Europe and now I work with Customers from all over the world.  

In working with customers I come to learn more about their industry and what they value. 

I can tell that my professional growth is directly linked to my customers’ success and therefore GCX success. All that knowledge and collective experience has enriched and strengthened my professional skills. I started as a Service Manager and I have evolved to become GCX Customer Experience Manager.

What advice would you offer to new employees or those striving to excel in their careers at GCX?

I would tell them to keep two things in mind: 

• In life and in business, it is all about the experience. Always strive to understand your customers, their values, needs and expectations. Keep in mind than inside and outside GCX, every person who comes to you is a customer. Strive to wow them and enjoy the process. In doing so, you will create value for them and your professional experience will also become more valuable.  

• Do not let the thought: “I don’t know” stop you. When I was first interviewed for the job at GCX, I mentioned to the interviewer that I did not know if I had all the technical knowledge required. He just replied to me: “I can see you have the willing and the ability, the rest is just about learning”. So never stop learning and excellence will be the consequence.