CareerTalk with Michael O’Brien, First Customer Contact

In this episode of CareerTalk ⁠Mick O’Brien⁠, Head of Business Integrity & Compliance at ⁠First Customer Contact Ltd⁠, tells ⁠Leigh Hopwood⁠, CEO of the CCMA about how his career of 30 years in policing morphed into fighting fraud within the contact centre.

Mick shares what he is responsible for now, and why the contact centre industry is a great place to work. Here are some of the key takeaways from the discussion

• From Policing to the Contact Centre – A Second Career With Purpose. “I never planned to join the police, let alone end up in a contact centre, but it’s become one of the best moves I’ve made. The people, the passion, the impact we make – it’s brilliant.”

• Why Fraud Prevention Really Matters. “Fraud isn’t a victimless crime. It’s a mental assault. I’ve seen people feel ashamed, frightened, even unwell because of it – that’s why we must take it seriously in contact centres.”

• Bringing a Culture of Integrity and Safe Reporting. “If you want a trustworthy business, people must feel safe to speak up. No one should fear consequences for reporting something that isn’t right – that’s the culture we’ve built.”

• The Power of Listening and De-escalation. “Our advisors deal with frustrated customers every day, and the way they listen and calm situations is outstanding. It reminds me so much of frontline policing.”

• Developing People and Growing the Next Generation of Fraud Fighters. “Nothing beats watching someone get their first fraud case across the line. Seeing that excitement – that spark – is still the best part of my job.”

• Why the Contact Centre Is a Brilliant Place to Build a Career. “There are so many paths you can take in a contact centre – quality, IT, fraud, operations, data. Whatever your skills, there’s a place to grow and people who’ll support you.”

Listen to the episode in full:

Previous and upcoming guests for the series include:

• Jon Hall, Fibrus
• Brenda Beavon, Arvato Connect 
• Hannah Ratcliff-Barnes, HSBC
• Rachel Hulme, Head of Operations, Liberata
• Kirk Bradley, BUPA 28 November, Live on Linkedin at 12pm
• Rachel Lewis, NatWest 5 December, Live on Linkedin at 12pm