Convergys' top exec finds path to success in risk-taking: Andrea Ayers, who got her start in Utah, heads up call-center division

Oct 04, 2008 (The Salt Lake Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- CVG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- You've been there.

When you've called a company with a question or complaint, you've had to tell your story over and over as your call got bounced to different departments. Or you've had to listen to one telephone prompt after another without connecting to a human.

Andrea Ayers, a top executive at Convergys Corp., said those days are quickly coming to an end -- and she's in a position to know.

Ayers heads up the division that operates 84 call centers worldwide. Among clients are nine of the nation's top 10 communications companies and health care providers. They also answer calls for financial services, technology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as retailers and e-commerce organizations.

"We're getting more demanding in what we expect from the companies we do business with," said Ayers. "I expect service 24/7. I expect access to up-to-date information on the company's Web site 24/7. And I expect answers to my questions the first time I call."

Perhaps those types of demands come from starting in the industry from near the bottom and then working her way into the executive ranks.

Ayers, a Louisiana native, got her start in Utah. After graduating from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, she began her career at United Savings Bank in Ogden.

"One of my bank customers who worked at Convergys, then called Matrix Marketing, recruited me to work as a call center trainer," she said. "I had no experience, but I loved the industry."

She went to work at the call center in Ogden in 1990. Through the years, she's worked at four of the five call centers in Utah, from Orem to Logan (excluding Cedar City). The round-the-clock work is particularly appealing to people needing night shifts, students and single parents, she said.

Ayers, herself a single mother, was able to juggle home and job responsibilities "because I was fortunate to find a company with a flexible work schedule and promotion track.

"I was careful about the types of roles I took, mapping those to [son] Kyle's age and what he needed from me," she said. "In his early teens, I took a role in the company that allowed me to stay home more because I knew it was a time that he needed more guidance and support from me."

On the company side, Ayers frequently conferred with executives and mentors, and was told that in order to advance, she would have to learn about every aspect of the company. Over the course of 10 promotions and four cross-country moves, she worked in relationship technology management, financial services, marketing, human development and direct broadcast services. She also led development efforts for Convergys' customer call outsourcing for government, health care, retail and finance markets.

"Taking a risk is scary for everyone, but it's an important part of developing your career path," she said. "We learn when we're outside of our comfort zone. Women particularly can struggle with that but you take on tough assignments. You take on things that need to be fixed. I embraced this in my career."

Said Margaret McDermott, site director of the Ogden Center, who has worked with Ayers for 14 years: "She gets things done, and and she cares. Her consistency is incredible. She can talk to the board, the CEO and front-line team members. She's simply a joy to be around."

In April, Ayers, 44, was named president of Customer Management, Convergys' line largest division, which accounts for two-thirds of the company's revenues. She lives in Cincinnati, near the company headquarters, with her 18-year-old son.

Ayers frequently returns to Utah, on company business and to visit her son's paternal grandparents.

"Utah is one of my favorite places," she said. "It has to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in my life. There's also a strong work ethic and a high degree of integrity. It's a terrific place to live and work."

Fast facts

Convergys, based in Cincinnati, employs 75,000 workers in 84 calls centers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin and South America. In Utah, 3,500 workers are employed at the following sites:

--SALT LAKE CITY, established in the early 1980s, supports clients in the communications, technology, entertainment, health care and pharmaceutical industries.

--CEDAR CITY, est. 1987, manages customer contacts for clients in a number of high-growth industries, including communications, financial services and direct response marketing.

--OGDEN, est. 1988, handles retail and credit card calls, and is the largest Utah site.

--OREM, est. 1996, manages customer contacts for a variety of Fortune 500 clients.

--LOGAN, est. 1997, manages contacts for clients in the telecommunications and satellite industries.

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