Our Team

Michael Gray

CHIEF STRATEGY AND MARKETING OFFICER

Michael has been at the forefront of WFH and hybrid best practice for over a decade.

After founding the UK HomeAgent Forum in 2014, he led the marketing function for the UK’s largest WFH contact centre outsourcer throughout lockdown and helped build it into the UK’s foremost homeworking brand and thought leader.

Michael has 25+ years’ international experience in consulting and in-house roles.

His specialisms include Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Work-From-Home (WFH), AI, Cloud Communications and Customer Experience (CX).

Michael has supported many high profile fast-growing businesses including Garlands Call Centres, Sensée, O2, Aspect Software (Alvaria) and Intel Dialogic.

Darron Burness

SENIOR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE CONSULTANT

Darron Burness has 30 years’ operational management experience, primarily with the AA.

He was tasked with evaluating the company’s 20-year-old homeworking (Teleworking) operation, proving its effectiveness and advocating for growth.

By implementing new technology, Darron increased productivity, improved business continuity during severe weather and peak demand, and cut costs by reducing office floor space and minimising distractions.

He also managed the AA’s Emergency Breakdown Line, handling 5 million calls annually.

After leaving in 2018, Darron led operations at Interserve and Mitie, excelling in customer service and employee satisfaction, especially during the COVID-19 homeworking transition.

Mark Walton

CHAIRMAN

Mark has been involved in managing and growing businesses throughout his career, specialising in the Business Process Outsource, Customer Management and Marketing sectors.

He has advised and assisted many major brands in Telecoms, Energy, Utilities and Financial Services with their customer contact, operating, and sales strategies.

Following building and growing the successful Data and outsourcing consultancy Aquira; In the last decade, Mark has built up extensive experience of WFH and Hybrid service operations working for two of the world’s leading WFH outsourcing brands.

As CEO of the UK’s largest 100% work-from-home BPO, Mark led the company’s growth through the Covid pandemic, creating a true thought leader in the WFH and hybrid space.

John Bennett

SENIOR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE CONSULTANT

John Bennett is an experienced senior Operations and People Leader with over 25 years of expertise across various industries, including Facilities Management, Financial Services, and Contact Centre operations.

Specialising in customer service operations, he has a proven track record of managing high-performing teams and consistently delivering exceptional service, both in-office and remotely.

John is recognised for his collaborative leadership style and his ability to develop talent, having successfully led large teams through complex operational challenges.

As Head of Customer Operations he has extentive experience of leading National mobile teams that are supported by home-based administration and support teams.

John ensures efficient performance against targeted KPIs while maintaining strong client relationships. His expertise spans operational delivery, business growth, performance management, and customer experience, with a particular focus on driving efficiency and process improvements.

John’s approach is characterised by innovative thinking, transparency, and a commitment to fostering a positive and authentic culture within his teams.

He holds a broad range of qualifications and accreditations, including BPSS and SC clearances, and is passionate about driving organisational success while creating a collaborative, customer-first environment.

Jackie O’Leary

LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT, EXECUTIVE COACH & MENTOR

Jackie is an executive coach and mentor, passionate about excellence in leadership and business success; about how people lead themselves, how they lead others and how they succeed personally and professionally.

She has over 25 years of ‘hands on’ experience, having been a senior executive in various business sectors, launching, improving and transforming businesses.

Jackie has been a senior leader and/or consultant at blue chip organisations such as Digicel, Carphone Warehouse, Orange, EE, GMAC Finance, Iridium, AOL, Kabel Deutschland, NumeriCABLE, KPNQwest, Vodafone, O2, TheTrainline.com, T-Mobile, Go Fly, ITV Digital, Eircom, Firstsource Solutions and other global outsource providers. She founded and ran her own consultancy with up to 45 Associates supporting a diverse range of organisations.

Jackie helps leaders and aspiring leaders develop strategic thinking, communication and negotiation skills, business and people management – including wellbeing, and effective leadership.

She provides clients with their own knowledge bank and guidance compass to support and fine tune their management approach, style and actions. Her services are also frequently used as part of the Succession Planning process and execution.

Her understanding of the challenges of senior executive life shortcuts the learning process, her impartiality allows distance from decisions and her challenging but supportive style ensures there is both truth and trust in every mentor conversation. She has an international and diverse client base.

Jackie is a Fellow of The Institute of Leadership and Management and has completed the Advanced Diploma in Coaching (AdvDipCoach), including:

• Advanced Coaching Development Programme
• Psychological Coaching Development Programme

She also has these qualifications from the Centre for Coaching* / Centre for Stress Management:

• Accredited Advanced Diploma in Coaching
• Certificate in Coaching
• Primary Certificate in Stress Management and Performance Coaching
• Primary Certificate in Problem Focused Counselling, Coaching & Training
• Primary Certificate in Developing Psychological Resilience
• Certificate in Psychological Coaching

They are variously recognised, accredited or approved by the following professional bodies:

• Association for Coaching
• International Society for Coaching Psychology
• Institute of Leadership & Management
• British Psychological Society
• Chartered Association of Business Administrators
• Institute of Management Specialists

* The Centre for Coaching is affiliated to the International Academy for Professional Development.

Jackie is also an affiliate member of the International Society for Coaching Psychology (ISCP).

Mark Hillary

AUTHOR, RESEARCHER & ANALYST

Mark Hillary is a writer and analyst focused on technology and customer experience. He has an MBA from the University of Liverpool Management School and his career before writing professionally involved director level roles in investment banking technology.

Mark has written 26 books about various aspects of customer experience and technology from the effect of globalisation and technology to the gig economy and WFH. One book was commissioned by the British Computer Society and one was for the UN. He hosts a weekly podcast titled ‘CX Files’ with the Canadian industry analyst Peter Ryan – it’s in the top 5% of all podcasts globally.

Mark contributes to the CX media with columns in Intelligent Sourcing and Engage Customer. He has also been published in the FT, Observer, BBC, and Computer Weekly.

Mark is also an experienced ghostwriter, helping executives across the world to publish their own books and articles about technology. His favourite “ghosting” experience was spending a few hours with Neil Armstrong writing jokes about the moon then hearing the speech delivered that same evening.

Steve Sullivan

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AND COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST

Steve Sullivan has spent over 25 years working with contact centre, customer experience and marketing teams to optimise customer engagement. He has worked with brands such as varied as Allied Irish Bank, Aldi, Burberry, Gucci, Harrods, The Guardian, Sky and the UN World Food Programme.

Steve was first introduced to home working in the contact centre and customer experience world in 2015. At that time, he helped transition a national newspaper group’s customer service function from a traditional office-based centre to an outsourced, exclusively work-from-home provider. Since then, he has helped clients navigate changing work environments to pragmatically adopt models which deliver the best colleague and customer outcomes.

Steve is Deputy Chair of the UK Data & Marketing Association’s Contact Centre Council and leads its Regulation Hub. This has been further enhanced through his being a course lecturer for the IDM and a Companion Member of the Institute of Customer Service. He provides pragmatic, clear and contextual advice for organisations looking to acquire, retain and service customers in ways that are both compliant and effective. He has extensive experience of addressing the potential compliance challenges of home and hybrid working

James Ratcliffe

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY SPECIALIST

James has 25 years experience of designing, managing, and developing customer contact and data strategies for startups, scaleups, corporates and public sector organisations. James has experience with designing optimal customer contact models, predictive modelling, machine learning/AI innovation, omni channel engagement strategies and a variety of ROI and performance led initiatives across several industries including Telecoms/Media, Utilities, Insurance & Financial services.

James has worked with and collaborated with several blue-chip companies including Telefonica, Vodafone, EDF, Just move in, Talktalk, HBOS, Aviva and many others. Projects James has been involved in range from implementing new customer contact technologies, building predictive churn and sales models, contact strategies, generating and optimising data and a range of contact centre solutions.