Company: DHL Express UAE, Dubai, UAE
Company Description: DHL Express is the global leader in the logistics industry, specializing in international shipping, courier services and transportation.
Nomination Category: Customer Service & Call Center Awards Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Contact Center Manager of the Year
 Nomination Title: Futoun Koudsi
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2021 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below.
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 194 words used.
Futoun's journey, marked by resilience after surviving years of turmoil in Syria, led her to join DHL UAE as a recruitment manager. Her HR accomplishments quickly distinguished her, making her the first female in DHL UAE selected for a prestigious 6-month leadership program. With a promotion to lead the Contact Center team of 70 advisors and 4 supervisors, Futoun achieved international "Center of Excellence" certification and displayed exceptional operational competence. Over two years, she delivered a remarkable 22% revenue growth.
Her strategic acumen and leadership led her team to excel in all KPIs, including call quality, upselling, and topline growth in 2022 & 2023. She made history by winning the Front Line Team of the Quarter three times consecutively within DHL MENA, outshining 15 countries.
Under Futoun's guidance, the call center transformed into a multi-million revenue-generating unit, contributing significantly to the country's 13% year-on-year growth and securing the highest number of qualified sales leads in 2023. Her exceptional contributions were acknowledged with the Country Manager Award in 2019 and Employee of the Year - Runner Up in 2023, outshining 44 middle managers at DHL UAE. Futoun's story exemplifies triumph through determination and strategic brilliance.
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2021 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
Proficient in Lean methodologies, Futoun recognized the pivotal role her team's insights played in enhancing customer experiences. She initiated regular feedback sessions and cross-functional projects to analyze failures and develop solutions, resulting in four successful projects completed in 2023, leading to notable improvements.
Her team's achievements were remarkable, boasting an 83% NPA score, a 97% rating in Customer Centricity and Quality, and the acquisition of DHL continuous improvement awards. Advisors were empowered with frequent dialogues, brainstorming sessions, and problem-solving tools.
Simultaneously, Futoun addressed the growth of E-commerce's impact on logistics, identifying consumer trends and enhancing the consumer journey with feedback, empathy, and individualized attention.
Being experienced in talent development, Futoun emphasized the importance of motivated employees in building customer loyalty. She arranged team competitions, offering a range of incentives from monetary rewards to cinema tickets, login early or logout late, creating a culture of recognition for exceptional performance. As a result, her team was recognized as the best customer service advisors in DHL among MENA countries.
Futoun's worked on her team development plans, she actively supported advisors in pursuing their preferred career paths, with five working on projects aligned with their interests, resulting in three advancing to their aspired roles in Commercial and Key Accounts departments.
Futoun's remarkable leadership was further evidenced by employee opinion survey scores that surpassed the overall company scores by 15%. Employee engagement scored an impressive 95%, leadership reached 92%, and teamwork achieved 92%, showcasing her profound impact on her team's morale and success.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 245 words used.
Futoun had powerful ability to drive progress and lead in periods of change by inspiring employees and earning their trust. Being certified assessor for Occupational & Personality tests by British Psychological Society, Futoun identified quickly individual’s strengths, areas of development and motivations, she consistently assisted team members in setting SMART goals, coached them regularly and involved them with challenging projects to promote growth.
Feedback and coaching session with advisors and supervisors, targets and rewards were agreed collectively, and supervisors focused on coaching and training to drive team to achieve these targets. Such approach led to having higher engagement where team scored 92% in employee opinion survey.
Futoun strongly believed that people are more effective when they feel valued and fulfilled. She had frequent one-on-one coffee and lunch meetings to discuss thoughts or concerns. She gave working mums the flexibility to take unscheduled day off to care for their sick child despite HR limitations. She also liaised with HR to roll out awareness sessions on managing personal finances to support advisors with financial difficulty. And she offered learning opportunities and financial support by hiring employees’ family members as interns or temp contracts.
Futoun focused on promoting healthy eating, hydration, diabetes prevention, and mental health awareness. Team members actively participated in charity runs, and community events such as making yarn-wigs for children with cancer, supporting kids with special needs, tree planting, and beach cleaning. Advisors earned bonus points for their CSR involvement, enhancing their chances of recognition.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 17 words used.
Employee of the Year Award
Contact Center Show
Customer Service Week
Full Team CS
Team Cultural Celebration
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