Evan and Davechat with Tony Bates (Twitter/LinkedIn), CEO of Genesys.
Many factors are currently contributing to the interesting and uncharted territories in which businesses now find themselves. From the global pandemic, to the continued rise of AI and the cloud, as well as the ever-evolving understanding of customer experience. For our guest today, Tony Bates, the confluence of these forces, and a desire to constantly innovate and scale both propel and ground his work.
Tony shares some reflections on Skype, and takes us through the process he went through accepting the CEO role at Genesys. We discuss some of the changes implemented since his arrival a little less than two years ago. Tony is no stranger to industry leaders and the forefront of the tech world. He explains why his current position at Genesys is the job he "has been waiting for his whole life!"
Our conversation covers the changes at Genesys since Tony arrived. He also unpacks the three-pronged approach to innovation that he subscribes to, underlining the importance of system synergies. We discuss balancing new talent with experienced minds, and Tony talks about the fusion of these two forces for a more successful future.
One of the great takeaways from our chat is Tony's explanation of the idea of experience as a service, his renewed focus on the customer journey, and how this relates to their marketing strategy at the company right now.
Key Points From This Episode
Staying busy and finding fun activities during the pandemic and quarantine.
Looking back on Tony’s time at Skype and the sale they made to Microsoft.
The Skype family and the culture of creativity and innovation that were central there.
Tony’s start at Genesys; his early thoughts and evaluation of the company.
The timeline for Tony’s assumption of the leadership of Genesys.
Tony’s reflections on his decision to jump in — almost two years in and no regrets!
Stand-out moments, changes, and challenges that Tony and Genesys have faced together.
The appointment of Barry O’Sullivan to Executive Vice President of Genesys!
Alliances that Tony and Genesys have recently announced and how this fits into their broader vision.
Looking at the motivations for multi-cloud; fitting the customer’s deployment model.
The new employment engagement division and its placement within the Genesys cloud business.
Unpacking experience as a service — making customers feel like humans!
The evolution of personalized service and how this project plays into the partnership with Adobe.
Balancing humanization with the increasing role of AI — Tony dispels the binary!
Privacy concerns in conjunction with personalization and convenience.
Dealing with customers, looking at the abuse of technology, and Tony’s philosophy around value.
The current marketing strategy at Genesys and the initiatives they are exploring.
Episode Links
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