ICMI Announces Brad Cleveland as 2012 Recipient of its Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award

SEATTLE, May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) today announced Brad Cleveland as the recipient of ICMI's 1st Annual Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his nearly 30 years of contributions to the call center industry.

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A revered customer service industry guru, Brad Cleveland has worked tirelessly with organizations across 60 countries, helping them raise the strategic value of their customer service by improving their call center operations and empowering their people. He has worked with many of today's service leaders including Apple, HP, American Express, USAA, Coca Cola, and others, and has advised governments in the United States, Australia, Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Brad is author and/or editor of eight books, many of which have been translated into over a dozen languages. He has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, CNN Money, Kiplingers, the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, and the New York Times, as well as on major television networks (PBS, CNBC, Fox, MSNBC, and others), and NPR's All Things Considered. He has received numerous industry awards in the customer service field, and was nominated for the prestigious Computerworld Smithsonian 21st Century Pioneering Award. Most notably, Brad is the author of the bestselling industry handbook, "Call Center Management on Fast Forward," long touted as a must-read for all call center professionals.

In his current capacity as a senior advisor and consultant to the call center industry, Cleveland is regularly called upon to help organizations – particularly at the executive level – elevate customer service as a strategic imperative for their business. He frequently provides insights on industry trends in mainstream media, contributes blog entries, and remains an active champion for great customer service.

"Brad Cleveland is the embodiment of loving what you do. He truly believes that great customer experiences are the foundation of great companies – no matter the product, the service or the industry," said Tara Gibb, Global Brand Director for ICMI. "Through his many years of standing side by side with customer management professionals to help them improve their approach, Brad has inspired thousands of customer management professionals to provide best-in-class customer service and in so doing, improved the customer satisfaction of millions of consumers globally."

ICMI will choose a new recipient of this award annually, and will focus on recognizing individuals who have contributed most to the contact center industry's growth and success.

About ICMI
The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) is the leading global provider of comprehensive resources for customer management professionals – from frontline agents to executives – who wish to improve customer experiences and increase efficiencies at every level of the contact center. Since 1985, ICMI has helped more than 50,000 organizations in 167 countries through training, events, certification, consulting, and informational resources. ICMI's experienced and dedicated team of industry insiders, trainers, and consultants are committed to helping you raise the strategic value of your contact center, optimize your operations and improve your customer service. For more information, visit www.icmi.com.

ICMI is a part of UBM (www.ubm.com), a global live media and B2B communications, marketing service and data provider.

SOURCE International Customer Management Institute (ICMI)/UBM