Connect Global

"We’re seeing real benefits and we’ve built a reputation within our communities as a place where people want to work, learn skills, earn qualifications, feel supported, and flourish.” - Serena Fiso (Ngā Rauru / Ngāti Ruanui / Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Chief Executive of Connect Global.

If you’re phoning an 0800 number for help with internet services, afterhours support, or to donate to a charity, there is a good chance you’ll end up talking to someone in Porirua City.

ConnectGlobal is a call centre with a difference. It’s local (it’s main centre is in Walton Leigh Ave, and it has two branches in Waverley and Ruatoria), and it’s staffed by Kiwis working for other Kiwis.

Connect Global’s business model is one of empowerment – specifically empowerment of Māori and Pacific Island and the communities that they live in. This strategy has won the company awards, recognition, support and loyalty from the clients and stakeholders that they represent.

“My husband, Siuai, and I started Connect Global in 2002 with a clear vision of employing and developing our people – Māori and Pacific Island people – who we often saw slipping through employment and not presenting well in recruitment,” says Serena Fiso (Ngā Rauru / Ngāti Ruanui / Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Chief Executive of Connect Global.

“We set up an environment that supported Māori and Pacific Island culture and one that was based where our people were – in Porirua. Siuai, who is Samoan, was born and bred here and we raised our children here. It was the obvious choice for us to set up the call centre business here.” 

Originally an inbound, helpline service, Connect Global reinvented itself in the late 2000s as many companies moved their call centre services offshore to the Philippines. What could have been disastrous economically turned out to be a boom for the company. Connect Global added outbound services, training, sales, and customer service to its offerings, and soon found it needed to expand. 

“One of our clients said to us ‘we need you to grow, and we need you to grow fast’. They offered us space in Auckland but we were not going to compromise on our vision. The Philippines model has shown us that call centres can be anywhere – which is why we set up branches in Ruatoria (Gisborne) and Waverley (Taranaki) – locations where our people desperately needed employment opportunities,” says Serena. Connect Global continues to grow and expand its operations. 

“People talk about breaking new ground. We’re breaking rocks – not just the ground – so we can plant the seeds for the future. But we’re seeing real benefits and we’ve built a reputation within our communities as a place where people want to work because they learn skills, earn qualifications, feel supported, and can flourish.” 

Talk to the team at Connect Global today to tailor a solution for your business.

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