ArvatoConnect appoints new leaders as AI reshapes service

ArvatoConnect has appointed Richard Maynard as Chief Operating Officer and Amjad Khan as Director of Operations as it targets regulated organisations reviewing customer service models in the AI era.

Maynard joins with senior leadership experience at Vodafone, while Khan brings experience across financial services, utilities, insurance and housing. The appointments are intended to strengthen ArvatoConnect’s UK operations as routine customer service work shifts to digital agents and businesses reassess the balance between automation, compliance and human support.

The company, which employs about 800 people in the UK, is positioning itself around a model that combines AI-led processes with UK-based teams handling more complex interactions. The approach is aimed at sectors where customer operations are closely tied to regulation, treatment of vulnerable customers and brand risk.

Research cited by ArvatoConnect suggests attitudes to reshoring are changing. It found that 73% of UK customer experience leaders would bring customer service operations back to the UK if cost were not a factor, 34% plan to do so within 12 months, and 46% already run some customer service activity in the UK.

The shift reflects a wider change in contact centre economics. Work once sent offshore because it was repetitive and high-volume is increasingly being handled by AI systems, reducing the labour cost advantage that underpinned many offshoring decisions.

Operational focus

Maynard has more than 20 years of experience in large-scale UK and international contact centre and business process outsourcing operations. In his new role, he will oversee operational standards and service delivery as the company expands.

“Customer service is moving beyond a simple volume model. AI can increasingly handle routine activity and improve the customer journey, but the interactions that remain human often matter more to the customer and to their brand,” said Richard Maynard, Chief Operating Officer, ArvatoConnect.

“I was drawn to ArvatoConnect by the opportunity to strengthen operational discipline while building on an already strong culture – one that clients rely on when service is not just about efficiency, but about protecting relationships, reputation and long-term value,” said Maynard.

Khan brings more than 15 years of experience in customer operations transformation, including work on AI, automation and digital change programmes. He will oversee customer experience and business process outsourcing delivery across ArvatoConnect’s UK sites.

His background also includes experience with Financial Conduct Authority regulation and Consumer Duty requirements, areas that have become more prominent as regulated firms face closer scrutiny of customer outcomes and service governance.

Regulated sectors

Businesses in banking, insurance, utilities and housing have been under pressure to cut costs while showing that automated and outsourced processes do not weaken compliance controls. That has increased demand for providers that can demonstrate how operational design, oversight and staff behaviour align with regulatory expectations.

“In regulated sectors, it’s not enough for providers to say they understand regulation and compliance. They have to prove it in how services are designed, governed, measured and continuously improved – as well as translating it into day-to-day behaviours,” said Amjad Khan, Director of Operations.

“What stood out to me about ArvatoConnect is its maturity in embedding regulatory thinking into everyday operations, so clients can protect customers in every interaction, support good outcomes and reduce operational risk,” said Khan.

ArvatoConnect is part of Bertelsmann and is headquartered in Datchet, with other offices in Swansea, Newcastle and Willerby. It works across private and public sector organisations, with an emphasis on customer and citizen service operations.

Debra Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer at ArvatoConnect, said the hires reflect a broader market shift away from traditional volume-driven contact centre contracts.

“Richard and Amjad join us at a pivotal moment for the customer service market, as clients look for more than a traditional contact centre or volume-based BPO model,” said Debra Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer, ArvatoConnect.

“Regulated organisations are under pressure to reduce cost, adopt AI responsibly and protect customer trust at the same time. Our difference is that we bring those priorities together through a UK-based model, deep regulatory expertise and the long-term investment needed to redesign customer journeys properly. Their appointments further support us in leading this shift,” said Maxwell.