LDC Top 50 2024
Ben Booth
CEO
MaxContact
Frustrated with selling contact-centre software from other vendors, Ben Booth decided to build his own. He started Manchester-based MaxContact in 2015 and the firm’s cloud-based call-centre platform now handles over 100 million interactions each month for clients including Utilita, Papyrus UK and Whistl.
“Contact centre agents are the hidden backbone of society and represent around 4% of the UK workforce. Our mission is to make their lives easier,” says Booth. The company launched its first AI tool this year and plans to open an overseas office in 2025. “Most of our competitors are giant US tech companies. We’re proud to be a fast-growing UK challenger brand.”
I measure success not on how much money we’ve made, but on how many careers we’ve built.”
Q&A
What’s your personal ambition?
I want to scale our UK-based team from 70 to over 100 over the next year and be known as a great North West business to work for. It’s about giving people the kinds of opportunities I wish I’d had when I started my career. I measure success not on how much money we’ve made, but on how many careers we’ve built.
Where will growth come from in the next five years?
We’re accelerating development in AI technology; it has huge potential to empower (rather than replace) call-centre agents. We’ve set up partnerships in Europe and South Africa this year; going international too soon can be a massive distraction so we’re testing the markets. We want to be bold without being reckless.
How and when do you get your best ideas?
I go to the gym every morning and lift weights. It’s like meditating, it gives me real clarity. I’m the kind of person who gets bored on a two-week holiday; I want to be constantly learning so I listen to about 30 audio books a year. One of my top reads is The Promises of Giants by John Amaechi OBE on the responsibility and influence of leaders. It taught me that every single conversation you have can make an impact.
