Fourteen Unstoppable Years: How Challenge Became Our Greatest Strength
By Yoni Epstein, CD
Founder & CEO, itel
What is strength if it isn’t tested? What is success without challenge?
I have been thinking about this lately, as itel celebrates its anniversary. Nothing great was ever built without struggle. Every bold vision has been tested at some point. Years ago, few believed that the Caribbean could be anything other than a tourist destination. Yet, here we are. After fourteen years, we have helped build an industry that has employed tens of thousands of people, attracted millions in global investments and given rise to new opportunities for young workers. Each test made us more resilient. Each challenge made us stronger. And throughout it all, I have been inspired by how much we have learned and grown.
We have always faced long odds, even from the beginning. Our legacy was built in a small office in Montego Bay, a homegrown call center with second-hand furniture and just seven employees. Who knew that within 13 months, we would expand into our first international location, and by year two, we would employ hundreds of people.
When COVID 19 brought the world to a standstill, everything we built was tested. Health risks and government lockdowns threatened our entire industry. When overseas call centers were shuttered, clients turned to us to keep their customer operations running. No one thought we could pivot fast enough or adapt safely. Then, we transitioned to work from home rapidly and set new standards for employee health and safety. We built some of the first ‘COVID-ready’ contact centers in the region, a business strategy that not only protected our team members but allowed us to expand and hire when many other industries were contracting; earning our company the "COVID-19 Resilience" award from the Global Services Association of Jamaica.
Last year, when a once-in-a-generation hurricane made landfall in Jamaica, impacting over 60% of its BPO sector, it threatened not just livelihoods, but the very lives of our employees. The devastation was vast, and we were called upon not just as employers, but as fellow citizens, to help rebuild the communities that our team members call home. I can honestly say that I have never seen such generosity of spirit, such willingness to reach out and help those in need. From team members who worked day and night to ensure operational continuity for our clients, to generous donations gathered through our “Rise for Resilience” campaign, and even client representatives who personally insisted on bringing care packages to our teams, the compassion and perseverance shown by so many was what allowed us to quickly recover and to rise stronger than ever before.
When old models shifted under new artificial intelligence technologies, rather than being left behind, we evolved into an insight and intelligence hub. We did not depend on what others built but created our own AI models trained to understand our people, our customers, our clients and deliver the outcomes needed to move forward as industry leaders. Our training programs also evolved, so that AI literacy would position the next generation for even greater success – preparing today’s youth for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities.
There are many crossroads where we could have delayed or strayed. We could have been fearful. Instead, we dove in headfirst - confronted every obstacle, stood strong through every headwind. The proof of our efforts: in fourteen years, we expanded across 9+ countries, earned over 15 global industry awards, served over 40 international clients and rewrote the rules for Caribbean contact centers.
When many thought we could not compete, we continued to prove them wrong. Each setback taught us a new lesson. Every objection made us even more ambitious; which goes back to why we are truly unstoppable: because of the commitment of our people, the support of our clients, and the boldness we gained, not despite certain challenges, but because of them.
