Company: CyraCom International, Inc., Tucson, AZ
Company Description: CyraCom International, Inc. is the largest provider of Over-the-Phone Interpretation (OPI) operating solely in the US. OPI is a three-way call between an interpreter, an English- speaking representative, and a non- English speaking customer. CyraCom provides 200 languages and has more than 3000 clients, including some of the largest healthcare, insurance and financial services companies in
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Business Services

Nomination Title: CyraCom International, Inc.

Tell the story about what this nominated organization achieved since January 1 2012 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

In 2012, CyraCom’s Chairman and CEO, Jeremy Woan, won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Mountain Desert Region, and CyraCom’s CFO, Susan Sweeney, won CFO of the Year Award of the Arizona Chapter of Financial Executives International. The Hire Power Awards by Inc. Magazine recognized CyraCom as the 46th top privately owned job creator in the United States and included it for the sixth time on the list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

These recognitions are just the beginning indications of the whole company’s overall success. In 2012, CyraCom not only exceeded previous company records, but it also built a strong foundation for further growth. Since the beginning of 2012, CyraCom created over 300 new US-based jobs, reaching a new total of 950 employees.  CyraCom needed to hire more staff to handle a dramatic increase in sales volume, which had been achieved by CyraCom attracting many new customers with its unique business model.

By creating a business model of serving customers through US-based employee interpreters located in secure contact centers, CyraCom addressed a specific market need. Other companies in the Over-the-Phone Interpretation industry are known for offshoring interpreter jobs to Central America or having interpreters work from home with limited training and oversight. When Jeremy Woan became CEO in 2008, CyraCom determined that with a US-based contact center operation, it could implement aggressive new quality standards required by customers because of increased regulation. Many of the Company’s new customers could visit and audit its contact centers on US soil and were reassured of the security of CyraCom’s operations.

The Company was the first – and currently only - major Over-the-Phone Interpretation provider in the US to receive ISO 9001:2008 certification and in 2012, CyraCom was successfully re-awarded its ISO 9001:2008 certification. CyraCom became ISO certified by adopting international quality standards and creating quality management systems and processes, such as being audited by third parties and rigorous quality monitoring. CyraCom’s internally documented processes and regular ISO audits prepared it for the multitude of audits for security and confidentiality that clients conducted in 2012,  most notably the “flow down” audits by large clients that contract with CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).

The Company maintained profitability in a year where industry prices significantly decreased and competitor’s off-shore operations provided them with lower supply costs. CyraCom was able to remain cost competitive by vastly improving the efficiency of its operations and reducing the unit costs without lowering the wages and benefits provided to the employee interpreters. Revenues increased from 43.7 to 48.7 million in 2012.

CyraCom also led the industry in 2012 by expanding its Over-the-Phone Interpretation services to make the interpreters accessible through Video Remote Interpretation, enhancing communication through technology. By simply logging in to a web portal, customers can quickly get access to a live, in-person interpreter through video.

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Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader of this nominated organization:

In 2012, Jeremy Woan won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Mountain Desert Region and was honored as Entrepreneurial Fellow by the University of Arizona’s McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship. Before joining CyraCom as CEO in 2008, Jeremy led a venture capital investment and advisory firm. He also built a high performance notebook computing technology company and an electronic patient record systems technology company through to IPO. Jeremy worked for several leading international investment banking firms where he specialized in the international growth and financing of technology companies. Jeremy received two graduate degrees, law and public international law, from Cambridge University.