Televerde promotes from within its ranks after CEO exits

Originally Published on PBJ

Phoenix-based Televerde LLC promoted from within to replace CEO Chris McGugan, who has unexpectedly departed the company.

Televerde has promoted chief strategy and growth officer Vince Barsolo to fill the open position, effective immediately. Barsolo has been with the company since 1997.

Barsolo is now in charge of Televerde’s unique business model, which offers online marketing and sales services through the employment of incarcerated women in prisons across the world. He played a role in the international expansion into Scotland and Argentina as well as extending the model to three prisons in Indiana and one in Florida.

Barsolo said Televerde has a growth trajectory of about 15% this year and he doesn’t expect revenue or operations to change much.

“We’ve got processes established to onboard and service the accounts as well as training plans that are in place to develop the skill sets within our teams,” Barsolo said. “I looked at enhancing those, but I don’t see major changes.”

McGugan was hired as CEO in Nov. 2022 after previous CEO Morag Lucey announced her retirement. He stepped down in order to spend more time with his family, a Televerde representative told the Business Journal.

“People’s priorities change in life, we get it. Chris is still a friend of the business and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Barsolo said.

After joining the company in 1997, Barsolo served as Televerde’s chief operating officer before changing positions. Already familiar with the company’s fast growth and expansion, he will oversee all aspects of Televerde’s global operations and will continue serving on the company’s board of directors.

Televerde: Eyeing other markets for growth

While the company doesn’t have any specific expansion locations in mind, Barsolo said Televerde is always looking to grow in other markets.

“We’ve got our eyes on them all the time. Since we’ve been around in 1994, the correctional industry, especially in the U.S., are very familiar with us,” he said. “We talk with those guys frequently, and as we grow the business more, we’ll look at other opportunities to expand the model.”

Of Televerde’s 10 call centers, seven are entirely staffed by women incarcerated in Arizona, Indiana and Florida correctional facilities. There are also call centers in Argentina and Scotland.

“We recruit generally for language capabilities and in-country culture,” Barsolo said. “If we’re marketing into France or Germany, we have people who can speak the language and know the variance in cultures between them.”

Additionally, 70% of Televerde’s global workforce of 600-plus employees are incarcerated women.

Phoenix Business Journal listed Televerde at No. 18 on the Best Phoenix-Area Places to Work – Midsize rankings for 2023. The company has generated $12 billion in revenue for international B2B companies since 1995, including SAP, GE, Adobe-Marketo, and Securus Technologies.