Celebrating 10 Years of itel
A special message from Founding Chairman and CEO, Yoni Epstein
itel is celebrating 10 years…
On June 18, itel celebrates its 10th anniversary, and it is a company milestone of which I am immensely proud. To put this in perspective, 10 years ago, back in 2012, this company started with just 7 people. Our first site was outfitted with furniture that my wife, Lisa, and I had bought from an auction. I remember the early days with Duane Williams, our first employee, who today is our Chief Technology Officer. And now, to see our company becoming a true international player, with 7,000 team members, 15 industry awards, and an impressive footprint across 9 countries... I am, to say the least, truly honored.
The past 10 years have held some incredibly special moments for me. Growing out of Jamaica to expand into The Bahamas after just 13 months in operation, landing our first big Fortune 500 client and acquiring new companies that opened us to other markets. Our impressive growth continued, even during a global pandemic, when we were able to quickly pivot to widen our work-at-home platform. This allowed us to continue our expansion, adding 3 new countries in one year, creating thousands of new jobs, and opening world-class facilities with truly inspirational workspaces.
I had always hoped that we would become this dynamic, disruptive force in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. That together, we could prove to the world the potential of Caribbean-born companies and their ability to compete on a global scale. Most importantly, I believe we have shown to the world the potential of our people, whose talent, drive, and skill are the reasons we have been so successful.
Yet, we have achieved even more than that. Through our investments in technology and our Innovation Lab, we have moved beyond simply providing contact center services. We are a customer experience (CX) delivery partner that can supply clients with cutting-edge solutions to their greatest CX challenges.
We have made an economic impact through job creation, but also through the connections we have made locally, with vendors, service providers, and businesses, who benefit from our investments in the local economy. We also make an impact that goes beyond profit. Through our 4Ys Charitable Foundation, and other local engagement campaigns, we have had a real impact on people’s lives, on their families’, and in the communities we serve.
But for me, the personal highlight over the past 10 years has been to see our people grow within the company. I still receive messages regularly from people who work with us, even those who have moved onto other jobs, expressing how much itel has done for their career. It truly is an environment where people feel inspired, where they come to know their potential, and the many possibilities that exist for themselves and the company. This is what excites me – to know that we have supplied those opportunities, that we’ve inspired people to dream big.
The past 10 years have been hectic, fun, stressful and frightening at times, but together, with the support from the entire itel team, the board, shareholders, and our families, we continue to succeed.
We may not know what the next 10 years will bring, but we will continue to move toward our strategic goals in the next 3-5 years, of reaching over 11,000 engaged employees, entering new countries, and growing with our clients, building strong partnerships with both existing and new ones.
And I want my itel family to know that I may have been the visionary and face of this company, but it is you who have brought this dream to life. It could not have happened without the dedication and determination of all our team members, who work tirelessly to make sure we exceed client expectations, meet deadlines and the goals that I set as CEO.
I wanted it. I wished it. But you made it happen. You are what makes us itel. And I want to thank all of you, as well as our clients, for your continued hard work and for getting us to where we are today.
Here’s to the next 10 years! Keep it up & keep soaring because the sky is the limit!
Big up!
Yoni
