Mr Johann ‘Yoni’ Epstein is the 44-year-old founder and CEO of Jamaican Customer Experience provider, itel, which employs 7,000 people in seven countries across the Caribbean, Latin America & North American region. Launched in 2012 with just seven employees, Itel now handles over a hundred million customer service transactions a year via voice, chat and email platforms for Fortune 500 companies based in the United States.
Johann ‘Yoni’ Epstein
Itel’s operating revenues topped US$93 million in 2023, up from just under $6 million in 2016. It now operates facilities in Jamaica, Colombia, USA, Belize, Guyana, Honduras and Saint Lucia.
According to the CEO of Sandals Resorts, Adam Stewart, Mr. Epstein and Itel have transformed the way Business Process Outsourcing companies are perceived in the Caribbean by providing facilities that keep employees comfortable, safe and healthy.
With an eye on his business’s social impact, Mr. Epstein formed the 4Ys Foundation in 2019, donating to Sports, Education, Innovation and the Environment. During the COVID pandemic, itel donated US$750,000 in call centre services to the fight against COVID-19 in Jamaica.
Mr. Epstein recognizes that beyond human capital, his business is driven by technology. Itel has consistently adopted next-generation technology to continue competing as a Caribbean company in the global marketplace.
Mr. Epstein has already been ranked among the 50 most influential executives for the Latin America and Caribbean… and was the Nearshore Americas Association Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016. Most recently in 2023 he was bestowed The Order of Distinction in the Commander Class at home in Jamaica.
For transforming the perception of Caribbean Customer Experience providers and becoming a significant employer of Caribbean nationals, Mr. Johann Epstein is our 2024 Entrepreneurship Laureate.