Paul Herdsman – COO of NICE Global

Paul Herdsman is an experienced entrepreneur, and current COO of NICE Global, the full-service BPO Jamaican based company specializing in service delivery for other business looking to outsource. As a co-founder of the company, Paul Herdsman is responsible for various aspects of daily operations, strategic partnerships, long-term growth planning, and is poised to become the company’s CEO prior to this year’s end. The married father of two successfully juggles the demanding schedule bestowed upon successful entrepreneurs, as well as taking the time to bond with his family, whom he considers to be an integral part of his life.

Describe your typical day. What does it look like?

Though each day is strenuous, and filled with an incredibly full agenda, I make certain to start each day with my children, and end each day with them as well. Personally, I find it extremely valuable to spend time with them in the morning, assisting with getting them off to school successfully. Then, there is a controlled level of chaos throughout the remainder of the day. During a typical work day, I am often faced with several schedule changes, and nuances that come with running a company in another country. Thus, I always attempt to streamline processes, and create several tangible goals to achieve throughout a given day. For me, streamlining equates to speaking concisely, and voicing my opinion, desire, and direction in a manner that is straightforward. Additionally, I focus on avoiding busy work, and try to keep my eye on the proverbial prize.

What excites you about working in your industry?

There are certain shifts that have begun happening within the industry, and the present is a very exciting time to see the benefits of these changes. Overall, more companies are beginning to see the advantages of utilizing nearshore companies versus offshore companies for their outsourced needs. With our high quality customer engagement standards in place, companies are recognizing, and valuing the benefits of nearshore companies. For NICE Global, this shift in attitude has opened up the market, and has allowed us to parlay our perfected business model into successful partnerships. I am absolutely thrilled to welcome the increasingly open minded nature of other decision makers looking to outsource their needs.

What advice would you have for young COO’s and entrepreneurs?

When running a business or company, it is absolutely crucial that all individuals involved in the company understand the role, responsibility, and results happy wheels demo of every facet of the company. Throughout my first position post-matriculation, my former employer tasked me with attending each department of the company, and truly finding out what that department was responsible for, what tasks each member completed, and what role each department played within the scope of the entirety of the company. In gaining understanding of how each piece fits within the entire puzzle, one can not only appreciate the role of each facet of a company, but also be able to step in as needed in order to maintain operations as needed. Thus, I would certainly recommend this exercise for team members of all ranks within a company.