Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/713415
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 10 AUGUST 2016 17 Events HSBC UK Contact Centre in Swatar celebrates 10 years of personal development AS the HSBC UK Contact Cen- tre Malta (HBEU), now employ- ing more than 450 staff, cel- ebrates ten years of success, it is also celebrating the personal career journeys and success stories of long term employees, both of the Maltese centre and the broader HSBC UK Contact Centre network. Examples of these journeys include Michael Goonetilleke, a Sri Lankan who joined HSBC in 2005 and who now finds himself in Malta. "Although I have only moved to HBEU recently, I can't help but notice that I have been as- sociated with HSBC for almost as long as HBEU's operations in Malta. In this time, I have seen many positive company changes and improvements. I have had the pleasure of working with many professionals within the wide network of HSBC, and help- ing countless valued customers," Goonetilleke, currently an Acad- emy Coach at HBEU said. The HSBC UK Contact Cen- tre, based in Swatar, forms part of the UK network of contact centres for HSBC supporting customers with UK accounts. In Malta, it was established in No- vember 2006 with a target of 250 full-time employees. Rob Durke, another long term employee, readily explains that the pace of change at the HSBC UK Contact Centre and an ena- bling environment that lets em- ployees thrive and progress in their career is a hallmark of the company's culture. "I joined HSBC in 1999 in Swansea as a customer service associate and currently work as a Department Manager with responsibility for up to 100 em- ployees. Some would think that 17 years with the same company is boring. But wearing a num- ber of hats and working with an amazing number of people have ensured there has been never a dull moment. In fact, I think every day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity to learn from someone else or pass on my knowledge to another," Durke said. This diverse and valuable sup- port system is what has driven the momentum of growth at HBEU, where exciting opportu- nities exist to join and become part of a great team. Another testament of the sys- tem is James Ryder, who joined HSBC in 2003 in Hemel Hemp- stead as customer service repre- sentative on an apprenticeship scheme but who today is a pro- ject manager in Business Steer- ing and Management (BSM). James' team are responsible for innovating and managing change across the UKCC net- work – from customer mail- ing campaigns to new product launches – from Malta. "We use a combination of tech- nology services, such as video conference, BlackBerry® and vir- tual meetings, to deliver change implementation for HSBC UKCC staff around the world. It's a really stimulating experi- ence. I have discovered my pas- sion for change in recent years and can see myself staying in this line of business for the rest of my career. As for which role, only time will tell," says James. Michael Goonetilleke Rob Durke James Ryder Make sunglasses safety a priority this summer THEY may be great fashion ac- cessories but, more importantly, sunglasses are of extreme impor- tance when it comes to maintain- ing good eye health over the years. Health and comfort are two rea- sons why people should wear sun- glasses. "From a health standpoint, you want to keep all ultraviolet light from getting into your eyes and onto the lids and the skin around them. Whilst from a comfort standpoint, some people are very sensitive to brightness and glare. By cutting down brightness and glare, you will visually perform better and be more comfortable," the general manager at TUACO Opticians, Adrienne Despott said. Ultra-violet (UV) radiation from the sun can damage not only the skin of the eyelid but also the cor- nea, the lens and other parts of the eye. UV exposure also contributes to the development of certain types of cataracts, growths on the eye and possibly macular degeneration. To maximise protection for the eyes, one must look for sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays, screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light, and have lenses that are perfectly matched in colour and free of dis- tortions and imperfections. Wearing dark sunglasses does not automatically mean that persons are protecting their eyes. The col- our and degree of darkness which sunglasses provide have nothing to do with the sunglasses' ability to block UV rays. One may also opt for wraparound sunglasses or close-fitting sunglasses with wide lenses that protect the eyes from every angle. Some contact lenses also offer UV protection, but should be worn in combination with sunglasses to maximize pro- tection. "For additional comfort, at TU- ACO Opticians, we also provide sighted sunglasses and sighted tinted polarised lenses which help the eyes focus correctly whilst still benefitting from protection," she added. Furthermore, TUACO Opticians is also offering sighted tinted po- larised lenses for clients who re- quire lenses with a high refractive index. Polarized lenses are treated with a special chemical that helps reduce glare. Those who enjoy outdoor activities, such as joggers, cyclists, water sports, boaters, and fishing find polarized lenses very beneficial and comfortable. Sighted tinted lenses with a gold, silver, blue, or red mirror, as is now the latest trend in sunglasses, are also available. A wide selection of high quality sunglasses can be found at TUA- CO Opticians, Melita Street, or St John Street, both in Valletta. For further information or to book an appointment, one can call TUA- CO Opticians on tel: 2122 1848, email tuaco.opt@gmail.com or visit http://www.TUACO.com/ Quality sunglasses help in maintaining good eye health iMovo hold Malta's first Big Data Summit M ALTA'S first Big Data Sum- mit was held on 22 June at Xara Lodge in Rabat. The first event of its kind to be held in Malta, the Big Data Summit brought together a diverse group of busi- ness and technology leaders, academics and policy makers to discuss big data and how this is transforming today's busi- ness world. The Big Data Summit at- tracted over 350 dele- gates from d i f f e r e n t s e c t o r s i nclud i ng i G a m i n g , f i n a n c i a l s e r v i c e s , t e l e c o m - m u n i c a - tions, gov- ernment, ICT and retail. The event also brought together thought leaders from some of the leading players in the industry, includ- ing Tableau, Qlik, Microsoft, Zendesk, HP and Salesforce as well as independent internation- al thought leaders from a variety of sectors. The event covered a range of key topics and issues surround- ing big data and its application today, including discussions about some of the major break- throughs in the artificial intel- ligence and machine learning arena. Also addressed were top- ics such as the concept of "data philosophy" and "data ethics". Other topics discussed were the application of Big Data in the sphere of transportation and the public sector. In particular Wilfried Grommen, the CTO for HP (EMEA) spoke about how big data has the power to change transportation. He ex- plained how multiple sources such as cameras and weather services can provide useful information to driv- ers, such as traf- fic congestion i n f o r m a t i o n and weath- er condi- tions on the roads. A l s o discussed w e r e e m e r g i n g trends and a t t i t u d e s of millenni- als who want to use cars but don't wish to own one, thus presenting major challenges to the car industry as it is today whilst potentially creating opportunities for new forms of companies to grow in this space based on sharing economy type business models. "It was amazing to see so many attendees from multiple sectors within the local economy at- tending the Big Data Summit. There is clearly a strong interest in big data and analytics and we may hold another such summit, albeit with different content and topics next year," said Daniela Castillo, one of the event organ- isers and head of marketing at iMovo.