Sandra De Zoysa
Group Chief Customer Officer
Dialog Axiata
Sri Lanka
Sandra is the 2019 CX Leader of the Year!
Sandra is a pioneer of customer-centric thinking, having risen from customer service manager to group chief customer officer during a 21-year tenure at Dialog Axiata, Sri Lanka’s leading telecoms company.
Sandra has led Dialog’s customer experience programme, transforming the company's culture in the process through initiatives such as the establishment of a customer experience group leadership committee with c-level representation, the creation of a Customer Service Training Academy (which has trained over 13,000 professionals since 2000), and the implementation of a Group CX governance structure and framework.
In addition, Sandra was also responsible for conceptualising and launching a company-wide culture transformation programme in 2012 –‘Service from my heart’ – led by the Group CEO, which remains successful and active to date.
To ensure an ongoing focus on CX in the organisation, company-wide NPS and Voice of the Customer programmes were established by Sandra and her team in 2008, to monitor performance and drive continuous improvement. As part of these programmes, monthly mystery shopper studies are conducted, a speech-to-text analytics tool has been implemented to evaluate the Quality CX Interaction Centre, and a CX Pulse NPS feedback and close looping platform was established. Currently over 12 touchpoints measure NPS, whilst industry benchmarking is also carried out quarterly.
As a result of Dialog’s focus on delivering great CX and value through its products and service delivery, Dialog continues its commercial success by maintaining a leadership position in Sri Lankan telecoms that it has held for nearly two decades, increasing its customer volume in a crowded marketplace.
“For over three decades I have dedicated my life’s work towards building service delivery and CEM capabilities in Sri Lanka on par with global standards. I feel I have been instrumental in facilitating the training and development of over 13,000 young Sri Lankan trainees, resulting in the enrichment of their lives and enabling rapid growth of the service industry."
As 2019’s CX Leader of the Year winner, Sandra's application stood out among our judging panel for numerous reasons:
“Sandra is a wonderful example of a customer experience leader who demonstrates that through courage, patience, persistence and rigour, customer experience can be embedded into the way an organisation works.
“In a world where the overwhelming majority of organisations are finding it almost impossible to sustain their focus on CX, her achievements over such a long period rightly deserve the global recognition that this award will provide. Sandra’s ability to connect the customer journey with operational process is the key (in my opinion) to driving continuous improvement to the customer experience – something many others are failing to do." – Ian Golding
"I was inspired by Sandra’s story, drive and passion. She seems to be unstoppable and rooted in a philosophy that all CX leaders should share" – Chantel Botha
“Sandra is a true pioneer in the field of customer experience and her achievements and dedication to the cause speak for themselves" – Adrian Swinscoe
“Excellent thought leader, champion and influencer for CX. Recognized in the industry. Great mixture of digital and human to transition her brand into a CX value provider. Significant contributions to building the CX discipline and demonstrating the successes and achievements of effective leaders in the CX space.” – Diane Magers
Return to CX Leader of the Year 2019 finalists>>>
