IoW Lord-Lieutenant opens centre

Dylan Macdonaldblog

A new customer contact centre on the Isle of Wight, announced earlier this year by Scottish-based contact centre management specialist, Ascensos, was officially opened today by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the Island, Major General Martin White CB CBE JP.

Major General White unveiled a plaque at the new facility in Cowes which has been established to manage inbound telephone, email, social media and online queries for a range of blue chip retailers, including Game and B&Q.

The ceremony was attended by a selection of staff from the 340 new recruits who have joined Ascensos since operations started on-site in September. The company is on target to create a total of 400 jobs on the Island by the end of 2017.

The business selected the Isle of Wight as the location for its new operation after a UK-wide search and due to the access the Island provides to a high calibre workforce; capital investment support from Isle of Wight Council; and support in recruitment, training and development from the Department for Work and Pensions and Isle of Wight College.

Ascensos has invested over £1m in the new facility with additional support from the Isle of Wight Council, who have valued the benefit of the project to the Island’s economy at £35m.

Founded in 2013, Ascensos has since established itself as a significant force in the contact centre management sector, with a reputation for its sharp focus on customer service. Ascensos has also established a name for itself for developing its staff through training and development.

Ascensos now operates one contact centre in Motherwell and two in Clydebank, along with operations in Boxtel, in the Netherlands, and Bucharest in Romania, employing a total of 1,640 staff. The Isle of Wight facility is its first UK operation outside Scotland and, once fully operational, will make Ascensos one of the island’s largest employers.

John Devlin, CEO of Ascensos, said:

“We are thrilled to be here on the Isle of Wight and we’ve been knocked out by the welcome we’ve received. We’re also really enthused by the energy and enthusiasm that we’ve seen from our new recruits on the Island.  They’re a credit to their Island and I know they’ll be great ambassadors for Ascensos and for our clients.”

Dermot Jenkinson, Chairman of Ascensos, said:

“We are very grateful for the support we have received in establishing this facility on the Isle of Wight and to Major General White for taking the time to join us today and to perform the official opening ceremony. Having established our presence here on the Island, Ascensos is committed to building our presence here and becoming an important part of the Isle of Wight economy.”

Major General White said:

“I welcome this opportunity for new employment on the Island and I wish Ascensos and its new Isle of Wight team great success.”