Bringing the world’s business home

By Crystal OkusaBraving the odds in the business sector to launch into uncharted waters is Gilda Odera, an entrepreneur who is at the forefront of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). BPO means that an organisation contracts a third party to undertake some it’s business functions on it’s behalf, for instance sales, accounting, market surveys, customer service or helpdesk services. Countries such as India have powered their economies through this sector. BPO is becoming popular with developing countries as developed countries seek to have specific functions handled offshore. Gilda’s two sons and [Inset] her husband Chacha Odera. Photos: Courtesy"My father, Samuel Okeyo, was among the first pioneers of ICT sector in Kenya. He was then working with East African Airways, now known as Kenya Airways. He started Skyweb Technologies as a family business in 1999 and he left it to my brother and I in 2005," says Gilda. She has since founded a call centre, Skyweb Evans company Ltd, which she co-owns with a Canadian partner. "I’m glad that many others have since followed suit. This is a great thing for this sector and country," explains Gilda.Room for expansionAfter graduating with a degree in Sociology in 1989, Gilda worked as project manager with Marketing Society of Kenya, working her way up to becoming the director.She worked there for 12 years before leaving to join Skyweb Technologies an Internet Service Provider in 2001.Her company is the second international call centre in the country and Gilda says that the sector is still young with room for expansion. Kenya, she says, needs to become better known as an offshore outsourcing destination. "We should be training thousands of youth in basic skills, especially in the area of human resource. That way, companies will spend less and waste less time training," she recommends.She says that if the youth can be trained manpower, the corporate sector will come in as the client. The US is the biggest client for call and contact centres. She points out: "With a strong economy, companies will grow and need to outsource some functions. Secondly, the perception of the country is key in encouraging any investors to set up shop in Kenya. It is also crucial in encouraging companies in other countries to outsource work to Kenyan companies. So, image is everything." Immense successGilda says she has had to overcome many challenges to get her business on it’s feet.She says: "High bandwidth costs, limited capital, high cost of training and a lack of understanding by local companies of what BPO is. There was also the high marketing cost incurred in selling Kenya as opposed to selling my company. We had to get international companies to trust the country before they could trust us." But the drawbacks did not deter her from working her way to the top of the Kenya BPO and Contact Centre Society. She has also received two awards for her role in growing the outsourcing industry in Kenya: runner up for Top ICT African business woman, 2005, and best Kenyan entrepreneur of the year, 2006. In 2008 was she presented with an award for developing the outsourcing industry in Kenya by the Computer Society of Kenya.She was recently appointed to chair the BPO/ITES Working Group by the Government. Although she has no past training on the ICT sector, she credits all her success in that business to personal interest and work experience."I attend a lot of workshops to learn more and also share my expertise. I am always open to learn more. However, in my businesses, I specifically handle the management areas, leaving others with the proficiency to handle other technical areas," she says.Enjoys community workBeing among the pioneers of BPO sectors in Kenya, Gilda has represented the country abroad speaking in several conferences that affect ICT sector, in Toronto, Tunis and New York and at numerous local workshops too. She also enjoys community work and is a member of the Rotary Club and has served as the community service director and club secretary. A wife and a mother of two boys— 16 and 13 years—she still finds time for her family."I keep a strict working schedule during the week so that I can spend the weekends with my family," says Gilda.She also manages All About Kids, an organisation that deals with events management of children and she recently got the franchise from BCI, the world’s leading BPO certification organization to roll out the highest level of BPO certification programmes in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Nigeria.

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