Europ Assistance SA's Team Leader of the Year

2007/09/10

The call centre environment is one that demands total dedication to the clients. If you’re a team leader in such an environment then the demand is even greater because you’re expected to lead from the front.

Four such leaders at Europ assistance SA are Liezl de Wet, Marie Fitzpatrick, Nontombi Vilakazi and Viloshnie Pillay, who were nominated as the company’s top team leaders in each of its respective 24-hour call centres.

But it was Nontombi who walked away with top honours at Europ Assistance SA’s recent Team Leader of the Year Gala evening.

“The Team Leader of the Year Competition is used to measure our team leader’s consistent performance over 12 months and then to determine the best team leaders,” said Rouxlé van Molendorff, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, “It was quite a journey that the four finalists embarked on, but they put their best feet forward and maintained a high standard throughout the competition.”

Rouxlé added the competition is exceptionally difficult as it entails keeping to a constant level of performance while managing time, their team, clients and always keeping the service at the highest level.

“It is therefore a great honour to be rewarded as the Team Leader of the Year,” said Rouxlé.

“When I first heard that I had been nominated as a finalist, I was quite nervous,” says Nontombi, “as I had to continue working as hard if not harder, than before. But the important thing is that we all work hard at what we do and in the end it pays.”

“I believe in being passionate about what you do no matter what and that just because others didn't get nominated or win the first prize it doesn't mean they are not doing a good job,” Nontombi said as she encourages her colleagues to always aim as high as possible.

Nontombi’s prize consists of a week in France and the UK where she will be exposed to the work conducted by Europ Assistance Worldwide and will be able to bring important lessons back with her, but she will also be able to experience what life on a different continent means to a woman from Africa.

The runners-up in the Team Leader of the Year Competition were: Viloshnie Pillay in fourth, Marie Fitzpatrick in third and Liezl de Wet second place, all recipients of fantastic prizes.

And what makes a good team leader?

“According to me, I think it is listening, patience and a willingness to admit to your own mistakes,” said Nontombi as inspiration for the potential finalists for Team Leader of the Year 2008.