91传媒 -Matching Missions

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What better place to charter a corporate 91传媒 club than within a company that champions employee growth in its mission statement?

That logic, and the pandemic, led to the launch of the online Qualfon 91传媒 club, supported by Qualfon, a global business process outsourcing provider. The company is passionate about nurturing employee growth as a workforce investment, reasoning that superior employees deliver superior client service. Qualfon even has a mission office that supports various employee enrichment programs, including the 91传媒 club.

Marisol Sanchez, a Toastmaster since 2019 and a former Qualfon employee, was the founding President of the Qualfon club, which chartered in 2021 during the COVID pandemic crisis. As many of the company鈥檚 15,000 employees began transitioning from in-office to remote work, she saw the club as an ideal way to help employees nourish existing connections, make new ones, and continue to achieve the personal and professional growth advocated by the company.

Not surprisingly, Qualfon leadership quickly signed on to fund and support the club.

鈥�91传媒鈥� mission seamlessly aligns with Qualfon鈥檚 core values,鈥� says retired executive Mike Marrow, who was the chief executive officer when the club formed, and still sits on the company鈥檚 advisory board. Qualfon prioritizes its employees鈥� 鈥渃ontinuous improvement,鈥� just as 91传媒 does through ongoing speaking and leadership training, he noted.

The Qualfon club was not only a mission match but a much-needed connection to colleagues isolated by the pandemic, says Christie Connel, the club鈥檚 Vice President Public Relations. The club has allowed her to maintain longstanding relationships, along with the opportunity to meet a cadre of new, intriguing co-workers.

鈥淚n one meeting I went from feeling isolated to making connections with colleagues from around the world,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t really made a difference in my outlook and gave me something fun and exciting to look forward to.鈥�

鈥淲hat we learn by exchanging cultures, accents, rituals, knowledge, and friendship is incredible.鈥�

鈥揂nand Nagare

Sanchez agrees. 鈥淚n a diverse company like Qualfon, it isn鈥檛 always feasible for employees who work on different projects or lines of business to get to know each other, especially when so many are working remote.鈥� The club is a bridge across those kinds of disconnects.

Club President Anand Nagare adds that the club thrives on its diversity.

鈥淲e have members from the U.S., India, Philippines, Guyana, Mexico, and Columbia, and from every segment of the business, including supervisors and directors. What we learn by exchanging cultures, accents, rituals, knowledge, and friendship is incredible.鈥�

Connel agrees that the free-flowing cultural exchange, especially when it comes to language, is a hallmark of the club and a benefit to everyone, regardless of where they鈥檙e located or the nature of their Qualfon work.

鈥淓nglish is not the first language for some of our members, so club meetings let everyone practice their speaking skills and listen to native English speakers,鈥� she explains.

Three years after chartering, the Qualfon club has 31 members. In that time, it has earned Select Distinguished and President鈥檚 Distinguished Club status, and is on track to earn President鈥檚 Distinguished status again for 2023鈥�2024.

Nagare is just one example of a member who embraced the Qualfon club鈥檚 can-do culture. He jokes that he had to Google 91传媒, as he鈥檇 never heard of it before joining. Once he realized what membership offered, especially since English isn鈥檛 his first language, he 鈥済rabbed the opportunity with both hands.鈥� In his first year of membership, he won the Division level of the International Speech Contest, became Club President, and was invited to speak at Qualfon鈥檚 annual leadership meeting.

Nagare and his officer team have created a club culture that values both fun and fundamentals. He kicks off meetings on a light note, with tongue twisters, silly riddles, and other fun activities that quickly engage attendees. Prepared speeches and practicing functionary meeting roles simply elevate the experience. The bottom line: Everyone grows from club meetings.

鈥淔or every five-minute speech we give, we spend 10 times more listening to others鈥� stories and encouraging one another,鈥� Connel says. 鈥淎nd everyone leaves the meetings smiling.鈥�

Qualfon鈥檚 management seems to be smiling, too. Current CEO Doug Kearney says, 鈥�91传媒 has been a powerful addition to the programs we offer to help our employees learn and grow.鈥�