August 15, 2019
CGS Team Spotlight: Steve Petruk
It’s no secret that the customer service industry is evolving amidst robotics processing automation, artificial intelligence and cultural changes. CGS wanted to elevate its outsourcing solutions to another level by bringing on new talent to tackle these new trends and challenges. If you’re Steven Petruk – the newly appointed President of the CGS Global Outsourcing division - you’re going to step up to the task. Steve brings more than 20 years of experience in leading IT infrastructure and customer service for global organizations. We recently spoke with Steve about his new role in the organization, his goals and the opportunities that lie ahead. Here’s what he had to say:
Welcome to CGS, Steve! Can you tell us a little bit about your new role and the goals you plan to achieve?
Having been a client for the last five years, I was amazed by the CGS dedication to my client goals, the professionalism of the delivery teams in support of my mission and the “family” atmosphere I witnessed as a panelist during the annual leadership conference over the last three years. I was brought on to lead the BPO team and to leverage market experience and relationships in the continued transformation of our outsourcing solutions. I am partnering with John Samuel (EVP, digital transformation, at CGS) to expedite his innovation strategy. With the continued transformation of remote support around the world, aligning our tools with what is already robust people and process solutions is paramount to our long-term success. We have an extremely strong leadership team with an entrepreneurial spirit. Arming them with the tools to compete is priority number one.
As a former customer, how will you translate your knowledge to advance the CGS Global Outsourcing Division?
With my 20 years of experience, I bring a mix of sales, delivery, P&L ownership and leadership skills I started my career in delivery and selling through delivery excellence. Having spent time on the customer side I understand what’s important to clients. I know the language they speak and what strengths and weaknesses they might see when searching for a support partner. With my background, I believe I’ll bring a fresh perspective to analyzing where we shine – our people and processes – and where we can elevate our services and invest in technology such as RPA and AI to help us continue to deliver the level of excellence that customers deserve, enhancing their competitiveness in the market. I hope that my experience and the network of contacts developed throughout my career will allow me to bring awareness to new markets that CGS hasn’t previously explored.
How will your life experiences help you at CGS?
I come from a family of IBMers. My father was with them for 34 years and my brother is still there after 30 years, as well. When I was offered a position as an advisory project leader by IBM, my dad said: “Don’t do it. You won’t last six months.” My brother’s advice was to always take someone smarter to a meeting, (in my case that was very easy) and to develop a strong network. What my brother didn’t tell me was that one’s ability to develop that network is easier if you bring value. At CGS, I want to bring out the best of the team’s skills to further their careers while enhancing our client services and ensuring the best customer experience.
How would you describe your leadership style? How will you apply this at CGS?
Former CEO of GE, Jack Welch once said, “before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” Throughout my career, my motto has been: “Work hard, help my boss attain his/her goals and when the boss moves up the chain, maybe I’ll be going along.” In my first executive position, I told my new boss about that approach, he responded that his approach was to give talented people the opportunity to succeed and when they did, maybe they’d take him with them. At CGS, I plan to partner throughout the organization and put the many smart and talented people at CGS in a position to succeed.
In closing, what do you see as one of the biggest challenges in the outsourcing business right now and how do you hope to overcome it?
The business world continues to change and as service providers, we too must progress. Customers are looking for quicker response times, customized approach to service, the best technical support and unparalleled customer experience that can adapt to their ever-changing requirements. We are continually looking to add more value to our customer support services. A recent Salesforce survey found that 51% of agents without AI say they spend most of their time on mundane tasks, versus 34% of agents with AI. The addition of next-generation technology will benefit both the client and the agent – allowing for more efficiency and purposeful projects. A win-win.
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