New Company
Sykes Enterprises Inc.
New Position
Chief strategy and marketing officer
New Company Website
Former Company
Symphony Ventures Inc.
Former Position
Co-founder
Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated, Chief Executive Officer Chuck Sykes is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Barkin — co-founder of global intelligent automation (IA) and robotic process automation (RPA) leader Symphony Ventures, Inc. — as chief strategy and marketing officer.
In November, SYKES acquired Symphony Ventures, making it the first front-office business process outsourcer (BPO) with significant automation capability. The Symphony transaction is the latest in a series of recent strategic acquisitions and partnerships that redefine SYKES as a digital customer experience company. While its suite of solutions traditionally focused on post-sales support, the portfolio now extends across the entire customer lifecycle, from marketing to sales to care. By investing in Symphony, SYKES further expands its services to support clients’ RPA and IA initiatives with a trusted global leader in designing, implementing and managing digital operations.
“Bringing Ian aboard is paramount to quickly and efficiently combining Symphony’s capabilities with those of SYKES and our other recent investments,” Sykes states. “Ian will help drive the organization to the next level, working with the team to advance the SYKES brand and service suite.”
In his role, Barkin will help spearhead SYKES’ ongoing commitment to be the digital partner of choice for world-class enterprise brands.
“The visionary leadership at SYKES is shaping the evolution of outsourcing,” Barkin notes. “They recognize an imperative to transform and have created an unrivaled portfolio of the capabilities that enterprises are looking for in a digital transformation partner. I am proud and excited to join this team and, together, define and build the future of work.”
As Symphony co-founder and CSO, Barkin helped the firm become an RPA leader and directed marketing and branding efforts that established it as a top brand in the marketplace. He’s held leadership positions within consulting and BPO industries and has led innovation initiatives across our industry.
“Building strategic partnerships with relevant, leading brands continually positions SYKES at the cutting edge of our industry,” Sykes says. “We are thrilled to welcome Ian to the team and work closely with him as we continue to establish ourselves as the clear partner of choice for forward-thinking enterprises.”
