The Importance of Developing Your People

Developing your contact centre teams goes beyond simply focusing on skills and processes. It is fundamentally centred around behaviour and mindset. Prioritising the growth and development of your people is crucial for maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and ensuring operational efficiency. When organisations invest in employee training and development, they do more than enhance the technical skills and confidence of their teams. They also nurture a culture of engagement and motivation. Such an environment actively encourages team members to be involved and committed to their roles.

Drawing on industry insight and real-world experience, we will examine why prioritising people development is critical to delivering consistently high customer satisfaction while maintaining operational efficiency. We will explore how investment in training does more than build technical capability – it shapes culture, boosts engagement, and creates motivated teams who are committed to delivering great service.

We will also consider how a strong focus on talent development supports organic workforce growth, helping organisations build resilient, high-performing contact centres that benefit both customers and the business.

Join our panel of experts as we discuss:

Why behaviour and mindset are as important as skills and processes in contact centre performance
The link between employee development, engagement, and customer satisfaction
How training and development programmes help build confidence and motivation
Creating a culture that encourages ownership, involvement, and commitment
Developing talent to support organic growth and long-term workforce sustainability
The impact of people-first strategies on customer and business outcomes

Hear from Kieran Holdcroft, Head of Operations at ManyPets, Michelle Draper, Contact Centre Manager at Bright Horizons and Mel Lomax, Learning and Accreditation Manager at the CCMA.

About the Speaker

Kieran Holdcroft, Head of Operations, ManyPets

Kieran joined ManyPets, a leading UK based pet insurer, in 2024. He is passionate about creating a high performing environment that nurtures talent and allows people to grow and achieve their goals. Before joining ManyPets, Kieran built a diverse career across senior customer‑facing and operational roles within Operations, Banking, and Financial Services, working with organisations including Cushman & Wakefield and the Royal Bank of Scotland. His broad experience and commitment to continuous improvement underpin his focus on delivering exceptional customer and business outcomes.

Michelle Draper, Contact Centre Manager, Bright Horizons

Michelle is an experienced Contact Centre Manager with eight years at Bright Horizons, where she has led operational growth, cultural transformation, and sustained high performance. She heads a consistently top‑performing operation, excelling in KPIs, customer satisfaction, retention, and colleague engagement. She is especially proud of developing a strong leadership pipeline that has supported progression across the organisation. With senior leadership roles at Barclays and John Lewis, Michelle has contributed to major restructures and centralisation programmes. She brings a strategic focus to people development, operational excellence, and organisational growth.

Mel Lomax, Learning & Accreditation Manager, CCMA

Mel brings over 26 years of contact centre industry knowledge to support members in elevating their contact centre operations. Prior to joining the CCMA, Mel was Head of Learning & Development for Acorn Insurance, responsible for the L&D strategy across the group. Prior to this Mel was a Consultant, working with numerous contact centres across Financial Services, Telecommunications, Local Government, and Retail to deliver cultural and transformational change through the lens of Leadership and People Development.

Supported by

Where and when?

Date: Thu 26 Mar 2026

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

Location: Online

Who is it for?

Open to all members and non-members. 

Why should you go?

Discover why developing your people is the key to outstanding contact centre performance. This session explores how mindset, behaviour, and targeted training drive engagement, confidence, and customer satisfaction. Join our experts to learn how a peoplefirst approach builds motivated teams, supports sustainable growth, and strengthens longterm business success.

How much is it?

Free to attend.