Narayan AmmachchiAtento’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alejandro Reynal has announced his resignation, ending a seven-years reign in the BPO provider that he transformed from a tiny subsidiary of Telefonica into a powerful player in the Latin American call center industry.
Reynal, who became CEO in 2011, has been credited with taking the company public and aggressively expanding its footprints across the Americas.
He will continue in his role until a new CEO is appointed, the Spanish customer services provider stated in a press release, without disclosing as to why he is stepping down.
Until a decade ago, Atento was a small customer service provider, with its parent company Telefonica its main client. But Reynal, a graduate from the prestigious Harvard Business School, changed its fortunes in a matter of years.
Today Atento earns more than 60% of its revenue from clients other than Telefonica, and its shares are traded on the New York stock exchange.
It is the second largest private sector employer in Brazil, where it runs call centers in just about every major city. Reports say as many as 79,000 Brazilians work for the company and that there are more than a dozen Atento facilities in Sao Paulo alone.
Even in little-known Brazilian states such as Santo André, Ribeirão Preto, and Porto Alegre, Atento’s call centers have a presence.
With a total headcount of 150,000, Atento has offices in 13 countries across the world.
“Seven years ago, I embarked on a fascinating journey to lead the best team in the industry in executing the transformation of Atento into a successful independent company at the forefront of its industry,” Reynal stated.
Under his leadership, the BPO provider increasingly focused on digital technologies that improve customer experience. Atento Digital emerged, with Reynal continuing to persuade his subordinates to experiment with new technologies.
Last year, the BPO provider employed an artificial intelligence-powered bot to identify the right hires for its offices in Mexico.
Add comment