Q1. Why are you nominating this person?  What contribution(s) and achievement(s) qualify the nominee for this award? Was their contribution(s)/achievement(s) for their organization, business, or client?

Born in Brazil, Mariana Diniz is a dynamo at Foundever. In 2017, she started with the company (then known as Sitel Group) as a Digital Strategist and in 2020 she was promoted to the Director of Digital and Learning Delivery for LATAM. In 2021, she was promoted to VP, Global Head of CX Digital for the organization in which she reports directly into Laurent Uberti, the organization’s founder & CEO. Today, she leads the Foundever go-to-market product development and product strategy for our digital offerings including conversational AI products (chatbots, digital agents, etc.), social engagement and self-service content. She also manages the global delivery in five countries (Brazil, United States, Netherlands, France and Philippines) for our organization globally. In 2022, she moved to Paris from Brazil to lead our entire digital team, 70% of which are women.  She held her first leadership position at just 23 years old and has grown as a digital leader throughout her career. As a working mother, she was promoted to a director-level position at Foundever six months after she returned from maternity leave, becoming the first woman in Brazil to hold the director title at the company. Mariana has +20 years of experience in digital and managing international teams.

Q2. What metrics, if any, coincide with this nomination (e.g., financial, business growth, or client satisfaction impact)?

• Chatbot development to automate 80%- 90% of first-level support calls in customer contact center from customer experience journey mapping, UX, content strategy, bot training and KPI monitoring (Entertainment and Retail industries)
• Havaiana’s chatbot received ABT Awards (case of the year and best case of innovation and technology) and Aivo Awards (best case of global expansion of the year)
• Mariana was responsible for the implementation of the first project of image automation/deep learning of the group for automated image analysis, with an accuracy of automation of 80% of the cases

Q3. Please describe their influence. Is it internal via leadership roles, chairing groups, etc. or external via social media, speaking engagements, thought leadership, etc.?

In Mariana’s role, she has displayed vast influence during her time with Foundever. She not only is a well-respected leader in the organization, but she also has examples of where she used her tenacity to keep clients that were looking to go with a different firm. In the case of a major retail client, she was persistent and proved to the customer that they would surpass their expectations with this project and ultimately proved to the client that Foundever was the right choice.

Q4. What personal qualities have they demonstrated that would qualify them for this nomination (e.g., promotes collaboration, great communicator, supports other women, leads by example)?

Mariana is a team player, advocate for women (70% of her team are women), an inspiring leader and a great storyteller. With her team, she always takes the time to check in on her team members’ mental health and quality of life as she understands this makes them better employees, feeling supported. Not only does Mariana support other women, but she has tremendous emotional intelligence, energy and tenacity. She is driven by challenges and always figures out a way to prove herself and her solutions to customers.

Q5. Is there any other information you would like us to consider?

From Question1 Mariana says that being a Latin woman in the BPO world can be challenging, but she overcomes this by focusing on results, sharing the purpose and future of how digital will impact the business and connecting with her team members on a personal level. As the Global Digital leader for Foundever, Mariana has made numerous contributions to the organization. One of her most notable projects is her project with Havaianas, developing a bespoke chatbot and persona for the brand which is now used in 32 countries and six languages. This chatbot went beyond the “digital world” and eventually became the brand ambassador for this retail brand in their other digital channels and marketing campaigns.  Mariana implemented the first project within Foundever regarding Deep Learning and Annotation Data to provide Automated Image Analysis. This project won “Case of the Year” and “Best Case of Innovation and Technology” in Brazil’s ABT Awards. These were also the first awards that the organization was awarded around digital in Brazil. Mariana has contributed digital expertise and leadership for the Foundever business as well as our clients. In the Havaianas example, not only was this project successful and recognized in Brazil, it is also one of the most successful chatbot projects that Foundever has ever implemented to date. In 2022, Mariana, together with her team, launched a chatbot for an upscale, popular American beauty brand which generated $3.2 million in savings.

Nomination Summary

Mariana has contributed digital expertise and leadership for the Foundever business as well as our clients. In the Havaianas example, not only was this project successful and recognized in Brazil, it was also the most successful chatbot project that Foundever had ever implemented to date.

In which of the following years did the nominee demonstrate these qualities/achieve these results? Select all that apply.

2021, 2022, 2023