our people
Led by founder and CEO, Michael McKinlay, we employ only the most talented and committed people. We share a collective passion for delivering excellence and enjoy a challenging, yet rewarding work ethic. Our research and development teams are highly skilled and with over 180 man years of contact center industry experience between them, are constantly pioneering technically advanced solutions for the contact center environment. Some of our key people are profiled below.
Michael McKinlay
- Chief Executive Officer
Michael is the founder and CEO of Sytel Limited. He provided the vision and design that led to Sytel’s world-beating outbound dialing algorithms. He is highly regarded for the lead he has given in markets all over the world on responsible dialing practices and is an advisor and mentor to many of the marketing and telecommunications regulators around the world.
Originally from New Zealand, Michael spent his early computing years in IBM and Fujitsu where he held a number of senior management positions in sales and company acquisitions, both in the UK and North America. He is a graduate in Mathematics and Economics from Victoria University, Wellington.
Michael is the founder and CEO of Sytel Limited. He provided the vision and design that led to Sytel’s world-beating outbound dialing algorithms. He is highly regarded for the lead he has given in markets all over the world on responsible dialing practices and is an advisor and mentor to many of the marketing and telecommunications regulators around the world.
Originally from New Zealand, Michael spent his early computing years in IBM and Fujitsu where he held a number of senior management positions in sales and company acquisitions, both in the UK and North America. He is a graduate in Mathematics and Economics from Victoria University, Wellington.
Garry Pearson - Chief Technical Officer
Garry Pearson has served as Sytel’s CTO for over a decade. Like many of Sytel’s technical staff, Garry was a self-taught schoolboy programmer weaned on a diet of Z80 and 6502 assembler. His professional career as a software developer spans 2 decades; initial work on compilers, development tools and RDBMS technology led him into the call center and telecommunications industry in the early 1990s. During the ‘90s Garry led the R&D team at Tele-Connect Systems.
Since joining Sytel, Garry has led the development effort to take Sytel from being a dialer specialist to becoming a world leader in the arena of hosted call center telecommunications and multimedia services.
Garry is also providing the technical lead for the Network AMD Working Party. This group comprises many outbound telephony industry stakeholders, looking into setting standards for networks to provide instantly recognizable tones, so that automatic answering machine detection (AMD) can be made 100% reliable.
Garry Pearson has served as Sytel’s CTO for over a decade. Like many of Sytel’s technical staff, Garry was a self-taught schoolboy programmer weaned on a diet of Z80 and 6502 assembler. His professional career as a software developer spans 2 decades; initial work on compilers, development tools and RDBMS technology led him into the call center and telecommunications industry in the early 1990s. During the ‘90s Garry led the R&D team at Tele-Connect Systems.
Since joining Sytel, Garry has led the development effort to take Sytel from being a dialer specialist to becoming a world leader in the arena of hosted call center telecommunications and multimedia services.
Garry is also providing the technical lead for the Network AMD Working Party. This group comprises many outbound telephony industry stakeholders, looking into setting standards for networks to provide instantly recognizable tones, so that automatic answering machine detection (AMD) can be made 100% reliable.
Ken Brompton -
VP Sales, UK & Eastern Europe
Ken joined the Sytel team from Invade International in 2007 where he was Business Development Director. Former Sales Director EMEA for Harris Digital Telephones Systems Ltd, Ken joined Harris, February 1996, as the founding Sales Director and over a 3 year period built the business from scratch to a turnover of over $20mill, selling PABX and Hybrid switches thought Europe, Africa, Middle East and Russia.
Prior to this he held a number of senior management appointments with Plessey and GPT including international sales and as director of procurement for Plessey Telecommunications with responsibility for an annual spend in excess of £500 million. Prior to joining Plessey his background was in electrical engineering. He has a number of qualifications in both engineering and business studies.
Ken joined the Sytel team from Invade International in 2007 where he was Business Development Director. Former Sales Director EMEA for Harris Digital Telephones Systems Ltd, Ken joined Harris, February 1996, as the founding Sales Director and over a 3 year period built the business from scratch to a turnover of over $20mill, selling PABX and Hybrid switches thought Europe, Africa, Middle East and Russia.
Prior to this he held a number of senior management appointments with Plessey and GPT including international sales and as director of procurement for Plessey Telecommunications with responsibility for an annual spend in excess of £500 million. Prior to joining Plessey his background was in electrical engineering. He has a number of qualifications in both engineering and business studies.
Jonathan Blackburn
- VP Sales, North America
Jonathan is responsible for Sytel’s sales and business development operations across North America. He has extensive experience in the contact centre technology industry. As one of the initial members of the AMCAT European team, he helped rapidly establish their presence in the UK. As Managing Director, Jonathan has also led the recovery of a UK based outsourced call centre and built a global dealer network in the mobility industry, generating revenues of €10 Million PA. He is a Graduate in Classical Studies from Manchester University.
Jonathan is responsible for Sytel’s sales and business development operations across North America. He has extensive experience in the contact centre technology industry. As one of the initial members of the AMCAT European team, he helped rapidly establish their presence in the UK. As Managing Director, Jonathan has also led the recovery of a UK based outsourced call centre and built a global dealer network in the mobility industry, generating revenues of €10 Million PA. He is a Graduate in Classical Studies from Manchester University.
Richard Compton
- VP Sales, EMEA
Richard manages both Sytel's European sales operation and its highly successful market research division. Richard has over 25 years experience in the telecoms industry, firstly as Sales Director and shareholder at Sotel, where he gained a strong appreciation of what it takes to run a direct sales business. After successfully selling the business to Convergent (later acquired by Azzurri), he served as Senior Development Director, securing contracts with some of Europe's most successful call centre organisations, including Teleperformance, Virgin Atlantic, Shell, Esso and Global Crossing. Richard's journey with Sytel started while at Azzurri, incorporating the Sytel dialer algorithm in many of his major dialer projects. He previously held a job as a flying cowboy (for an wildlife shipping airline), is a keen fisherman and claims his biggest fish was a 300 kilo blue marlin (which he put back!)
Richard manages both Sytel's European sales operation and its highly successful market research division. Richard has over 25 years experience in the telecoms industry, firstly as Sales Director and shareholder at Sotel, where he gained a strong appreciation of what it takes to run a direct sales business. After successfully selling the business to Convergent (later acquired by Azzurri), he served as Senior Development Director, securing contracts with some of Europe's most successful call centre organisations, including Teleperformance, Virgin Atlantic, Shell, Esso and Global Crossing. Richard's journey with Sytel started while at Azzurri, incorporating the Sytel dialer algorithm in many of his major dialer projects. He previously held a job as a flying cowboy (for an wildlife shipping airline), is a keen fisherman and claims his biggest fish was a 300 kilo blue marlin (which he put back!)
Arturo Garciarubio
- VP Sales, Latin America and Iberia
Arturo came to Sytel with extensive experience in telecommunications throughout Spain and Latin America. For the last 12 years, he has promoted telecom products and solutions in those countries as regional sales and marketing director for Telspec PLC. His career took off in the late 70’s when he moved to Spain to open Mexican Televisa’s branch offices as Operations Manager for EMEA. Prior to joining Telspec PLC, he held a number of engineering and production roles for television companies like CBS, ABC, RTVE and ZDF, and motivated by the liberalization trends in voice and data communications, engaged in several pioneering ventures with carriers like MCI, C&W, BT, Teleworld and Viatel in Spain.
Arturo came to Sytel with extensive experience in telecommunications throughout Spain and Latin America. For the last 12 years, he has promoted telecom products and solutions in those countries as regional sales and marketing director for Telspec PLC. His career took off in the late 70’s when he moved to Spain to open Mexican Televisa’s branch offices as Operations Manager for EMEA. Prior to joining Telspec PLC, he held a number of engineering and production roles for television companies like CBS, ABC, RTVE and ZDF, and motivated by the liberalization trends in voice and data communications, engaged in several pioneering ventures with carriers like MCI, C&W, BT, Teleworld and Viatel in Spain.
Ian Turner - Head of Development and Support
Since graduating from Oxford with a masters degree in Physics, Ian has worked as a software designer and solutions architect for companies in a number of technical arenas, including defence, mortgage lending, interactive media and software development consultancy. Ian joined Sytel in 2003 as a Senior Software Developer, and currently leads a team of world class developers and architects in all areas of product conception and development.
Since graduating from Oxford with a masters degree in Physics, Ian has worked as a software designer and solutions architect for companies in a number of technical arenas, including defence, mortgage lending, interactive media and software development consultancy. Ian joined Sytel in 2003 as a Senior Software Developer, and currently leads a team of world class developers and architects in all areas of product conception and development.
Jamie Stewart - Marketing Manager
Jamie has had a colourful career, spending the 80s playing bass and seeing the world with a successful rock band. After coming down to earth, he settled in Canada, spending 4 years as a music producer. In the mid-90s, he caught the computer bug and spent 2 years learning graphic information and user interface design. He joined Sytel in 1998 and has worn a number of technical and design hats since then. The promotional instincts that he developed in the music industry are now being put to excellent use in his role as Marketing Manager. In addition to his marketing responsibilities, Jamie is also the art and design guru for all Sytel’s products.
Jamie has had a colourful career, spending the 80s playing bass and seeing the world with a successful rock band. After coming down to earth, he settled in Canada, spending 4 years as a music producer. In the mid-90s, he caught the computer bug and spent 2 years learning graphic information and user interface design. He joined Sytel in 1998 and has worn a number of technical and design hats since then. The promotional instincts that he developed in the music industry are now being put to excellent use in his role as Marketing Manager. In addition to his marketing responsibilities, Jamie is also the art and design guru for all Sytel’s products.
Mike McGill - Operations Manager
Mike is Sytel Operations Manager with responsibility for Customer Support, QA, Product Release Strategy and Documentation. He brings broad business experience to Sytel having held a variety of senior management positions with DuPont and Fujifilm in Customer Service, Q.A., Product Management and Business Management. Before joining Sytel in 2005, Mike was Business Manager for Fujifilm’s worldwide Image Capture business and between 1990 and 1997 he was International Customer Service Manager for DuPont’s Communications Systems business. Mike holds an HND in Electronics and Communications Systems. In his early career he developed pioneering laser system control technology for medical and scientific applications with Barr and Stroud Ltd.
Mike is Sytel Operations Manager with responsibility for Customer Support, QA, Product Release Strategy and Documentation. He brings broad business experience to Sytel having held a variety of senior management positions with DuPont and Fujifilm in Customer Service, Q.A., Product Management and Business Management. Before joining Sytel in 2005, Mike was Business Manager for Fujifilm’s worldwide Image Capture business and between 1990 and 1997 he was International Customer Service Manager for DuPont’s Communications Systems business. Mike holds an HND in Electronics and Communications Systems. In his early career he developed pioneering laser system control technology for medical and scientific applications with Barr and Stroud Ltd.
Nafaiz Mohammed -
Support Manager
Nafaiz ensures that our customers and partners get the first-class support and attention they deserve. Born in Sri Lanka, Nafaiz had his first taste of IT at school writing BASIC programs on Commodore 64, progressing through the mid-90s as a COBOL programmer for the medical industry. His first contact with call center software came as a developer of Quantrax Corporation's debt collection platform. Nafaiz was instrumental in the Quantrax integration with the Sytel dialer. Bringing many years of inside knowledge and on-the-ground expertise with Sytel software, he finally made the move to the UK in 2008 to work with Sytel full time.
Nafaiz ensures that our customers and partners get the first-class support and attention they deserve. Born in Sri Lanka, Nafaiz had his first taste of IT at school writing BASIC programs on Commodore 64, progressing through the mid-90s as a COBOL programmer for the medical industry. His first contact with call center software came as a developer of Quantrax Corporation's debt collection platform. Nafaiz was instrumental in the Quantrax integration with the Sytel dialer. Bringing many years of inside knowledge and on-the-ground expertise with Sytel software, he finally made the move to the UK in 2008 to work with Sytel full time.
