YONI Epstein has been recognised among the 50 most influential executives in nearshore outsourcing in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Jamaican businessman, who is the principal of Island Outsourcers in the Montego Bay Free Zone, was ranked 23 on the list compiled by Nearshore Americas, a news source that describes itself as the “ultimate authority” for the emerging Americas’ offshoring industry.
  Yoni Epstein, CEO of Island Outsourcers |
Nearshore Americas noted on its website that the ranking is the result of a five-month nomination and review process that aims to highlight “the spark and inspiration” behind the nearshore business community. The selection came from 16 different countries in the region, including the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, United States of America, Canada, amongst others. Awardees were dubbed “Power 50: Architects, Advocates and Visionaries for the Business Process Outsourcing Industry in the Americas”.
Epstein, in a press release, said he was “ecstatic” to be amongst the selectees.
Island Outsourcers offers inbound and outbound solutions, contact centre and back office operations, customer service and sales. The firm employs some 50 persons.
Epstein also serves as president of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ), which he helped formed last year to act as the premier national entity geared towards improving the operating and regulatory business environment, to assist member companies as a group in positioning the interest of the industry, and to help promote and enhance the image of the sector in Jamaica, the region and globally.
Prior to his achievement, Epstein served 12 years in contact centre management at Sandals and Beaches contact centre — Unique Vacations Limited — where he managed over 400 employees in five countries simultaneously.
As the head of the BPIAJ, Epstein has been a strong voice calling for the development of space on the island to support the BPO sector.
Along with sufficient space to accommodate call centre seats, Epstein said a drive to attract more local investment and a better training model are strategies needed to accelerate ICT activity.
Epstein has suggested that state promotion agency Jampro can contribute to the BPO sector by not solely looking at foreign investors, and having more local investor involvement. According to the businessman, if Jampro went on a campaign to find 50 additional seats for each of the 26 BPO players in Jamaica, approximately 1,300 new jobs would be created.
This, he said would significantly contribute to the Jamaican ICT industry which employs some 12,000 persons and generates $3.1 billion in payroll and consumption taxes annually for the Government.