Interviewed by Anel Arapova

Khatija Ameerally is a Customer Experience Program Manager at Orange, a role she masterfully acquired after formerly consulting with the Orange Group. As a talent in our WTP Program, Khatija discusses her career in customer experience, her take on a successful strategy, her vision of leadership and more!

You started your career at Orange when you were a student, first as a phone advisor, and then as a saleswoman in an Orange retail location. How did that operational experience prepare you for your future career in Customer Experience?

To work in Customer Experience, it is essential to place yourself in the customers' shoes. It seems obvious, but after having accompanied several companies, in France and abroad, I have first-hand knowledge that it is not inherently natural. Being in direct contact with customers has allowed me to better understand their expectations and needs.

This is also why our frontlines are the key to our business. If you want your customer experience strategy to be effective, a healthy employee experience is essential. Ultimately, happy employees make happy customers.

Ultimately, happy employees make happy customers.

For five years, you worked in Orange Consulting, a consulting subsidiary of Orange Business Services. In particular, you accompanied several companies in their Customer Experience strategies. According to you, what are the key components of a successful Customer Experience strategy and what should be kept in mind when developing one?

I am convinced that developing a strong Customer Experience strategy allows companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors. An effective customer experience begins before they enter a shop and continues long after they leave it.

Customer Journey Mapping is therefore a fantastic tool to assist companies in grasping the “extended” characteristics of the customer experience. Within the organisation, the customer experience strategy should involve all employees, from the salesman to the CEO. Working on customer experience transversally is a key factor of success.

Working on customer experience transversally is a key factor of success.

In 2017, you were promoted to Customer Experience Program Manager at the Group level, giving your career an international dimension. How does working with professionals from other countries enrich your experiences and the overall results of your work products?

Working at an international level with many countries in Europe and Africa allows me to meet colleagues of other cultures and diverse ways of working and engaging in practice sharing, all of which have helped me to develop my professional network and experience.

You are a participant in our 5th edition our Women Talent Pool Program, which “aims to train and promote the next generation of female leaders in Europe.” Why did it seem the right moment for you to take part in such a program and what have been the key takeaways thus far?

Taking part in the Women Talent Pool Program aids in my own professional and personal pursuits, while working together and learning from other female leaders. A colleague encouraged me to apply, explaining that WIL could assist me in exploring topics such as gender equality, which is of great interest to me.

Additionally, during a professional review, I was encouraged to further develop my leadership skills and strategic vision, which was another motivation for applying to the program. WIL events, roundtables, trainings and networking sessions are very useful. When I come to a WIL event, I always feel like I am in a “caring bubble”.

When I come to a WIL event, I always feel like I am in a “caring bubble”.

You have a three-year-old daughter. What lessons and advice on leadership do you want to pass down to her?

I am from Mauritius, a family-oriented culture. It is an important dynamic I wish to keep with my daughter. Recently, I noticed that she was differentiating toys by gender: “Cars are for boys” or “Dolls are for girls,” which I found surprising because this type of behaviour is not practised in our home. External interactions and environments can also shape a child’s worldview.

I may not be able to master everything about my daughter’s environment and interactions, but I will always be here to remind her the most important message I want to pass on to her: everything is possible and she can achieve anything she desires.

I will also tell her that according to me, leadership is a mix between confidence, optimism and engagement:

• Confidence: be self-confident and trust the people and activity you lead
• Optimism: be positive and have no limits
• Engagement: show everybody that you are fully involved and that you aim to involve all the people, the company with you

Proust Questionnaire: Who is your favourite heroine in fiction?

Bridget Jones. Although she met challenges on her path, she ultimately succeeded and married Marc Darcy!