Ian Taylor | Head of Customer Experience | Avoira

Voice Analytics | AI | Customer Experience Transformation

This event is about exploring real tools, real strategies, and real results. See how the future of CX could look for you, hear from real-world success stories that challenge your current thinking about what’s possible when technology meets human insight.

About the speaker: Ian Taylor is a multi-award-winning customer experience leader and solutions consultant, with over two decades of experience in driving digital transformation across the public sector, retail, and enterprise environments. As Head of Customer Experience at Avoira, Ian specialises in delivering AI-powered speech analytics and real-time agent assist solutions that help organisations unlock insight from every customer interaction.

From managing large-scale voice analytics deployments for 200+ seat contact centres to securing compliance through automated QA, Ian has a proven track record of transforming contact centre operations. His work has delivered measurable returns for clients, while improving compliance, customer satisfaction, and agent performance.

Ian’s consultative approach and deep technical expertise have made him a trusted advisor to FTSE 250 companies, government departments, and education providers. A regular contributor to award-winning technology projects, he is passionate about bridging the gap between human connection and intelligent automation.

Gerry De Graaf | Managing Director, Xdroid International

Voice & Speech Analytics Expert | AI-Driven Contact Centre Strategist

About the Speaker: Gerry de Graaf is a seasoned technology leader and innovator in the field of AI-driven speech analytics, with over three decades of international experience in enterprise communication, digital transformation, and customer engagement strategy. As Managing Director of Xdroid International, he leads a company at the forefront of revolutionising contact centre intelligence through cutting-edge voice and text analytics powered by artificial intelligence.

Xdroid’s solutions process 100% of customer interactions—turning each conversation into actionable insight through advanced features such as emotion detection, semantic analysis, compliance monitoring, and keyword tracking. Under Gerry’s leadership, the company has helped organisations across sectors elevate customer experience, improve agent performance, and achieve measurable operational gains.

With a distinguished career that includes senior roles at Alcatel-Lucent, ContactCenter4ALL, and Muxum NV, Gerry brings deep expertise in communication technologies and a proven track record of driving innovation at scale.

At this event, Gerry will explain “How Xdroid Transforms Every Contact into Value” and will exclusively unveil anew version of IQ, a powerful AI tool designed to act as a real-time ‘co-pilot’ for contact centre agents. This next-generation solution is built to guide agents during live interactions, surface intelligent prompts, enhance compliance, and significantly accelerate customer resolution—marking a major leap forward in AI-enabled frontline support.

Sabina Onwuka | Multi award winning Customer Experience Consultant and Strategist | Head of Customer Services | London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Top 50 Women in Customer Experience 2024 | Finalist, Women in CX Leader of the Year 2025

About the Speaker: Sabina Onwuka is a multi-award-winning customer experience consultant, strategist, keynote speaker, and industry judge, with 25 years of hands-on leadership across financial services and the public sector. Recognised among the Top 50 Women Shaping the Future of Customer Experience in 2024, and a finalist for Women in CX Leader of the Year 2025, Sabina has built a reputation as a catalyst for transformative, people-centric service delivery.

Currently serving as Head of Customer Services for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Sabina has led major operational transformations. Her most recent achievement involved implementing an inclusive speech analytics and AI platform. This innovation dramatically improved support for vulnerable residents, enabling the council to proactively identify individuals in need, respond with empathy and urgency, and enhance overall accessibility.

Sabina’s leadership is defined by combining digital innovation with deep human insight. She successfully transitioned her service teams from traditional office-based setups to fully remote, cloud-enabled operations—while embedding psychological safety, fostering motivation, and empowering employees to elevate customer interactions. She played a key role in developing “The Silent Voice of the Customer” programme—leveraging analytics to reach those who would otherwise remain unheard.

A passionate coach and mentor, Sabina brings creativity, operational rigor, and a genuine desire to exceed expectations. Her ethos bridges technology and compassion, making her a standout voice in ethics-driven CX. Ahead of her session, attendees are encouraged to explore her insights and initiatives via her website: sabinaonwuka.com.

Take 15 mins break

Rachel Burrows | Sales Conversion Director, Conveyancing Sales. Simplify Group

Inspiring Women in Property Award Finalist, Team Leader of the Year – Residential

About the Speaker: Rachel is an accomplished, tech-savvy, and commercially driven leader with over 25 years of experience across Sales, Customer Retention, and Service leadership roles. As Sales Conversion Director at Simplify Group, the UK’s leading conveyancing and property services business, Rachel is at the forefront of transforming how sales performance is delivered across the property sector.

Her leadership journey has seen her hold senior roles at some of the UK’s most recognised brands including Capita, Three UK, O2 (Telefónica UK), and Ventura. Rachel has successfully led large-scale, multi-site and multi-disciplinary teams, driven digital transformation, and delivered measurable commercial outcomes across complex, high-growth environments.

Known for her passion, authenticity, and ability to inspire those around her, Rachel is a strong advocate for innovation and customer-first thinking. Her work not only contributes to business growth but also champions the advancement of women in leadership across the property and technology sectors.

In recognition of her outstanding contribution and leadership, Rachel has been nominated for the Inspiring Women in Property Award, celebrating her impact and influence as a role model within the industry.

James Evans, Mountaineer | Leadership Coach | Sales Growth Director | Motivational Speaker | Founder, Higher Educations – www.higher-educations.co.uk

Meet the Speaker: James Evans is a dynamic speaker, leadership coach, and commercial leader whose career seamlessly blends over 30 years of international mountaineering adventures with a distinguished corporate trajectory in sales, marketing, and organisational growth. As a proven business executive, James has held senior leadership roles in both global enterprises and fast-paced SaaS start-ups, while also dedicating his energy to developing others as a leadership coach and trainer.

From scaling the Himalayas and traversing Antarctic ice fields to leading multi-million-pound commercial teams, James brings unmatched authenticity and energy to every engagement.

His experiential sessions are known for combining the grit of high-altitude expeditions with actionable lessons in resilience, leadership, and performance.

James is the founder of Higher Educations, an initiative that inspires and educates children from Year 4 to Sixth Form through captivating, curriculum-aligned sessions. Whether discussing African volcanoes or stress management strategies, his interactive sessions are tailored to build physical and emotional well-being, encourage outdoor exploration, and develop inner confidence.

A certified Enneagram Type Eight “Challenger” and supported by the “Enthusiast,” James embodies assertiveness, vision, and impact. His coaching is grounded in his passion for empowering others to lead courageously and thrive through challenge, both on the mountain and in the boardroom.

Michelle Shaw | CX Specialist, Avoira.

Speech Analytics & Real-Time Agent Assist Solutions | Panel Host and Facilitator

The panel brings together a group of experienced and forward-thinking professionals from across the tech, property, and public sectors, each with unique perspectives on how speech analytics transform performance, compliance, and customer engagement.

Panel Members

Michelle Shaw brings a wealth of experience in guiding dynamic conversations and will be leading today’s session as an experienced Customer Experience (CX) Specialist Michelle brings deep expertise in speech analytics, real-time agent assist technologies, and customer journey optimisation. With a strong background in leading cross-functional teams and driving strategic innovation, Michelle helps organisations transform customer interactions into actionable insights.

Her work enables measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, sales performance, and operational efficiency. Passionate about using technology to solve real world challenges, Michelle brings a results driven approach and a wealth of industry knowledge to today’s panel on “Speech Analytics: Insight to Impact.”

Ashley Mitchell is a lead Data & Analytics Specialist at AWS, brings deep expertise in helping businesses navigate their data transformation journeys. He partners with organisations to develop their data strategies, enabling them to unlock the full potential of their data through the adoption of data-driven cultures and modern analytics solutions.

Sabina Onwuka, brings hands-on experience in operational transformation and data-led decision-making, helping businesses get tangible results from analytics.

Rachel Burrows, Sales Conversion Director at Simplify Group, is a commercially focused leader with a proven track record in applying analytics to elevate sales performance and enhance the customer journey.

Together, they’ll explore the challenges, successes, and future potential of speech analytics in real-world environments.

We’ll reserve time for questions at the end, so please feel free to note anything you’d like to ask throughout the discussion.

Stay with us to conclude the Avoira CX Summit with an exclusive networking session.

Move to the stunning bar area for our drink’s reception. Relax and connect with fellow delegates, speakers, and industry professionals over a selection of drinks and canapés.