Power 100: Top 10 Telemarketers

2. SIR DAVID VARNEY, ADVISER TO THE PRIME MINISTER

If we soon start to notice improvements in the way local councils handle our calls, we may have Sir David Varney to thank. Varney left a successful business career in 2004 to run HM Revenue and Customs, from where he was plucked by Gordon Brown to advise on improving service in the public sector. His Service Transformation review of December 2006 highlighted the need for joined-up services, pointing out the frustration caused by having to ring several departments when a single call would do. Varney wants a greater use of electronic channels and more public consultation in the design of services. Local councils are scrambling to show voters that they take Varney's recommendations seriously, and suppliers with public sector contracts will have to meet new service standards.

3. JOE AND JOSEPHINE PUBLIC

Public perceptions continue to play a crucial role in shaping the way contact centres operate. The stampede to sign up with the Telephone Preference Service has subsided: the register peaked last June at 14.8 million, and has fallen slightly as telephone numbers change hands. But its effects still reverberate through the industry, while dissatisfaction with services from Indian and other offshore centres has also fuelled change. Far fewer companies now cold call prospects and instead are nurturing their existing customer base, looking for opportunities to sell on inbound service calls. This is transforming calling strategies, with technology and data being used intelligently to target likely prospects.

4. JEFF SMITH, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, TELEPERFORMANCE

Jeff Smith continues to be an influential figure in the industry. Teleperformance was one of only five global outsourcers named recently as market leaders by Datamonitor, and its growing strength with public sector contracts has made Smith an expert on the issues arising from the Varney review. Last year he led public debates at the CCA and he has spoken with Sir David Varney at government events. Now highly active on the speaker circuit, he has been giving audiences the benefit of his public sector and retail expertise. Recently he has taken a lead in security issues, and Teleperformance is one of only two outsourcers to achieve the ISO 27001 standard.

5. NEVILLE UPTON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THE LISTENING COMPANY

Upton deserves recognition as head of what is now the UK's fastest-growing telemarketing supplier. The Listening Company's turnover last year rose by 40 per cent to £36m, one reason why it was chosen as Marketing's Contact Centre Agency of the Year in December. That dizzying growth is set to continue, with turnover this year projected at £45m. The company also won Contact Centre of the Year and Best Inbound Campaign at last year's Connect Awards. One of Upton's most imaginative moves has been to combat the industry's poor retention levels by appointing England rugby star Lawrence Dallaglio as director of motivation. He has also taken a lead in social responsibility, running educational courses locally and raising environmental awareness among staff.

6. JOHN PRICE, CHAIR, DMA CONTACT CENTRES COUNCIL AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, PRICE DIRECT

Price can claim much of the credit for helping eliminate the scourge of silent calls, one of the most damaging issues to hit the industry in recent years. The new Ofcom regulations on automated dialling equipment closely mirror the DMA's Code of Practice, which he helped draft. Over the past year Price has taken his high-pressure lobbying to another level by launching a DMA Telemarketing Manifesto, which he hopes all sectors of the industry will endorse. He sees it as a platform for the long-term sustainability of outbound telemarketing. Consumers are now in control of telemarketing's future, he believes, and it's time to treat them with respect.

7. ANNE MARIE FORSYTH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CALL CENTRE ASSOCIATION

Forsyth is one of the telemarketing sector's most influential figures. This year she has presided over strong growth in the organisation, as it transforms itself from representing only call centres to include multi-channel contact centres. Membership has grown to 850, and now accounts for 45 per cent of the total contact centre workforce in the UK, up from 35 per cent last year. Forsyth wants the CCA to change attitudes about the value of customer contact, providing leadership through high-quality research and events.

8. JASON SHARPE, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SALES DIRECTOR, FIRST DIRECT

Financial services firm First Direct is arguably the UK's leading brand for customer service, with surveys showing satisfaction levels of 90 per cent, and 96 per cent of customers recommending the brand in a recent BBC Watchdog poll. As the person responsible for maintaining service quality, Sharpe occupies a high-profile position. He previously spent 10 years at Sainsbury's before moving to Asda in a similar role, and has also worked at Citigroup. Sharpe says: "At First Direct we are all about pioneering amazing service, and our aim is to create a raving fan out of every contact." An admirable goal indeed.

9. DAVID STEWART, DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS, OFCOM

Ofcom's draconian fines for companies guilty of making silent calls earned Stewart top place in last year's listing. Since then Abbey, fined £30,000 in March, is the only high-profile miscreant to have fallen foul of the regulator. However, behind the scenes Ofcom continues to be vigilant. Ultra Communications, a supplier of dialling equipment, says its clients are being required to show that they are complying with legislation, and managing director Darren Sullivan says his own monitoring shows a remarkable fall in the number of silent calls. The main nuisance now is interactive voice response (IVR) calls, he says, but these come under the remit of the Information Commissioner.

10. ANNETTE MITCHELL, DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, ORANGE

Orange's Annette Mitchell has taken a lead in stressing the need to end the reliance on outbound calls as a means to promote sales. In industry forums, including at last year's Marketing Direct Connect Awards, she has argued that the way forward is to create good customer service with a combination of outbound and inbound activity. Mitchell has 14 years' experience leading change projects across the media, telecommunications and government sectors, and has been at Orange for two years, following a three-year stint at O2. "Bright and articulate" is how one former O2 colleague describes her.