Expivia Interaction Marketing Group Inc.

Thomas Laird serves as the CEO of the distinguished USA contact center outsourcing company, Expivia Interaction Marketing Group. An industry trailblazer, he is the creator/host of the popular podcast "Advice from a Call Center Geek" and author of the companion book, "Advice from a Call Center Geek 3.0". His notable contributions to the industry have earned him recognition as a Top 25 CX and Contact Center thought leader by ICMI.

Under his leadership since 2011, Expivia has flourished from a modest team of four to a dynamic workforce of over 600 dedicated professionals. The company's remarkable growth trajectory was acknowledged when it received the 2016 Erie PA Startup of the Year award.

Expivia's approach seamlessly melds the capabilities of a quality-focused contact center with a forward-thinking software company. By leveraging state-of-the-art technology such as Speech Analytics, AI, WFO, API Integrations, and Advanced Routing Techniques, and combining it with tried-and-true education and employee engagement strategies, Expivia has established itself as a benchmark in contact center outsourcing.

In addition to his role at Expivia, Thomas has the privilege of serving on the NICE CXone Executive Advisory Board and the NICE Cxone Omni-channel Board. These selective panels consist of NICE CXone customers who provide crucial insights to guide the development of new products, features, and future innovations.

Before founding Expivia, Thomas led the contact center operations for a large BPO specializing in financial services. This experience provided him the opportunity to manage numerous service and sales programs for the majority of the top 15 largest financial institutions in the USA.

As a further testament to his expertise, Thomas's book on call center operations, "Advice from a Call Center Geek 3.0", is available on Amazon. His podcast of the same name consistently draws a large audience, recently surpassing 175,000 total downloads. 

www.expiviausa.com.

Author of two call center operations and strategy books published on Amazon and available in digital and paperback.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WT6KHBH

Author of "Advice from a Call Center Geek! and "Advice from a Call Center Geek 3.0!"

OttoQa

Leading the transformative journey at OttoQA, where we are integrating cutting-edge AI solutions like ChatGPT to revolutionize quality assurance for contact centers. Our mission is to elevate the QA process for contact centers, steering them away from traditional spreadsheets towards more intelligent and adaptive solutions. With a deep belief in the power of artificial intelligence, we're building a community of forward-thinkers, innovators, and industry disruptors. As we prepare for our pre-launch, I am committed to driving excellence, embracing innovation, and positioning OttoQA as a beacon of the next-gen QA landscape!

Chief Executive Officer

Expivia Digital

Expivia Digital (ExD) is a technology spin-out of Expivia Interaction Marketing and will be one of the first high-end, full-service, outsourced customer service providers for NFT (Non-Fungible Token) and Web3 project development companies. 

ExD is creating an enhanced customer service and support system for these digital currency production companies to enhance their customer’s success and increase the value of the NFT’s being minted.

Advice from a Call Center Geek Podcast

"Advice from a Call Center Geek" is the #1 weekly podcast in the contact center industry, focusing on providing actionable insights to help supervisors, managers, and executives operate their contact centers at optimal levels. 

This podcast highlights technology, training, operations, and industry trends, offering perspectives from industry leaders on the current state and future direction of the industry.

The podcast is hosted by Tom Laird, the founder and CEO of the award-winning Expivia Interaction Marketing Group, and an ICMI Top 25 Contact Center thought leader. With 25 years of experience across all facets of contact center operations, Tom shares the highlights of his experience to change how call centers are run. His past expertise has enabled him to run many service and sales programs for most of the top 15 largest financial institutions in the USA.

As the top-rated podcast in the call center space, we currently have around 4,000-5,000 downloads per month and are closing in on a total of 170,000 downloads. Our listenership is highly targeted toward contact center managers and C-level executives.

Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform or on the online home of ACG here:
expiviausa.com/podcasts

Creator and Host

ICMI

Named one of the Top 25 most influential thought leaders in the contact center and CX space for 2022.

ICMI Top 25 Contact Center and CX Thought Leader 2022

Telatron Marketing Group, Inc.

I was in charge of the P&L and operations of a 700 seat BPO Call Center with a focus in the financial services industry.

Head of Call Center Operations

As a Production Supervisors I was in charge of a team of between 16 to 20 representatives.    I was to make sure that each individual team member met and exceeded their individual goals for specific programs. 

Responsibilities included: 
• Daily team and individual attendance 
• Making sure each team member met or exceed their individual daily goals 
• Motivating and leading the representatives 
• Providing weekly agent analysis reports to the AM Production Coordinator

Production Supervisor

Join our Linkedin Group  (Call Center Tips and Tactics): https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/ 

Hi There!

I am the founder and CEO of the award-winning Expivia Interaction Marketing Group. Expivia is a USA BPO omnichannel contact center located in Pennsylvania. I have 25 years of experience in all facets of contact center operations.  

Expivia is a bridge between a high-quality contact center and a high-tech software company.  We have integrated the latest technology (Speech Analytics, AI, WFO, Chatbots, API Integrations, Advanced Routing Techniques) with time-tested education and employee engagement tactics to create what we believe is the new standard in call center outsourcing.

I have the honor of being a member of the NICE inContact ICVC Board. The iCVC is a select group of inContact customers selected to join as trusted advisors to help InContact validate ideas for new products and features and plans for future innovations.

Prior to starting Expivia, I was the head of call center operations for a large BPO that specialized in financial services.  Having this past know-how has given me the honor of running many services and sales programs for most of the top 15 largest financial institutions in the USA.

I am also the author of the call center operations book "Advice from a Call Center Geek" which can be found on Amazon.  I also host a weekly podcast by the same name (Advice from a Call center Geek) and it can be found on iTunes, Spotify, Sticher, Google Play or here:
https://expiviausa.com/call-center-geek-podcast/

For more info on Advice from a Call Center Geek:
Text me: 814.247.0366
Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/ (Call Center Tips and Tactics)
Watch us: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIMsfiynnK02IKwPZZmxmg

Thomas Laird

NWIRC

I lead a mission-driven team dedicated to advancing manufacturing across 13 counties in northwest Pennsylvania: Erie, Warren, McKean, Potter, Crawford, Forest, Elk, Cameron, Mercer, Venango, Clarion, Jefferson, and Clearfield. We work side-by-side with small and mid-sized manufacturers to improve performance, grow talent, and spark innovation — helping them compete and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

NWIRC provides specialized support and training in areas such as:

-Business growth - strategic planning, sales, marketing support
-Continuous improvement - lean, operational excellence, quality, safety
-Employee development - culture, leadership, coaching, talent stream initiatives
-Industry 4.0 technologies, including automation, data analytics and AI
-Supply chain, including supplier scouting

This role involves guiding the strategic direction of the organization, cultivating relationships across industry and government, and ensuring that services evolve to meet the real-world needs of manufacturers. The focus remains on aligning efforts with measurable outcomes — reducing waste, growing talent, and implementing solutions that drive sustainable growth.

At its core, this position is about stewarding people, mission, and momentum — building on a strong foundation and advancing NWIRC’s impact across the region.

President & CEO

I’m currently serving as Transitioning President/CEO of NWIRC — a mission-driven organization dedicated to helping small and mid-sized manufacturers thrive across Northwest and Central Pennsylvania.

This unique transition period allows me to work alongside and learn from Bob Zaruta, NWIRC’s retiring President, whose leadership over the past decade has built a strong foundation of impact, innovation, and community trust.

During this time, I’m focused on:

Immersing myself in NWIRC’s programs, partnerships, and culture

Collaborating with the talented team to align on priorities and opportunities

Building relationships with manufacturers, stakeholders, and the broader regional ecosystem

Preparing for a seamless leadership handoff ahead of officially stepping into the President/CEO role on July 1, 2025

With a background in manufacturing, data, and continuous improvement, I’m passionate about helping businesses grow — not just through tools and tactics, but by unlocking the full potential of their people.

Transitioning President & CEO

Leverage4Data

Founder

GE Transportation, a Wabtec company

Leading a team of project managers who break down functional barriers to solve business problems, with technology based solutions. Our approach combines tools from the Lean Six Sigma toolkit, as well as Project Management from PMI and design thinking.

Senior Director - Project Management

Virtual Leverage LLC

Chairperson - NWIRC

-Led the centralized team of data scientists and product owners to improve productivity within GE Transportation
-Deliver digital solutions by leveraging Salesforce.com and Reliance (ETQ) to drive continuous improvements, with a focus on a reduction of cost of quality.

Senior Director - Data & Analytics

GE Transportation

Quality Pillar Application Leader

Quality Technical Advisor

General Electric

Quality Engineer

Making things easier with process improvements and data analytics | My views are my own.

Mission Statement: To leverage my passion for innovation, excellence, and mentorship to inspire and empower individuals and organizations to realize their full potential. By embracing challenges, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and sharing knowledge, I aim to contribute to the development of solutions that address real-world problems, enhance efficiency, and drive sustainable growth. Through my actions, I commit to being a catalyst for change, encouraging others to explore their capabilities, and making a positive impact on the world around me.

About me:

Sara is an experienced problem solver using data and technology, specifically in an industrial business. Over the last 11 years, she has led digital transformation in a variety of roles, each with increased responsibility. These include Program Management, Product Ownership, Digital Thread Manager, Senior Director of Data and Analytics, and recently Continuous Improvement Director. In this new role, she will align the continuous improvement toolkit with the digital strategy to deliver a step function change in processes.
 
At GE Transportation, now a Wabtec Company, Sara implemented a global quality pillar application with minimal resources, created products in the data lake and led teams that have built custom web applications, using the latest technologies. Her unique blend of passion for data & technology, deep industry domain expertise and creative problem solving creates an ability to deliver digital transformation efficiently and fast. Continuous improvement and continuous learning with a laser focus on the people are her mantra. 

Most recently, she has started a side hustle, Leverage4Data, a software company providing manufacturers web applications to manage suppliers.

The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wabtec.

Specialties: lean six sigma, ISO standards, software development, data science understanding, data analysis, manufacturing processes, product development, strategy, creating a positive work culture, inclusive leadership, seeing how to solve problems with technology, finding alternatives, brainstorming

taplio

The Battle

Thomas Laird

🌞Sara Hanks, LSS MBB

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