On this episode of Grit Daily Startup Show, host Jordan French sat down with Darryl Kelly, the CEO of Aspect. Kelly, known for a leadership style that blends creativity, humanity, and innovation, has taken on the challenge of modernizing a legacy enterprise while staying true to its roots of technological innovation. The mission? To empower employees, enhance customer interactions, and inject fresh energy into a complex and evolving industry.
A Legacy of Innovation
Aspect’s journey began with innovation: the creation of automatic call distribution technology. Over five decades, the company has become a cornerstone of workplace tools, serving some of the world’s largest enterprises. But as Kelly acknowledges, maintaining momentum in a company with such deep roots comes with its challenges.
“We’re a 52-year-old company that has gone through everything. We have history. We have baggage. We’ve survived and thrived through various waves of innovation,” says Kelly. This history informs Aspect’s current focus: a return to its core competency of innovation.
Centering Humanity in Technology
Kelly’s goal goes beyond technological advancements. He aims to put humanity at the forefront of workplace solutions. To that end, the company’s tools are designed to provide employees with a sense of agency and self-service, a concept inspired by modern gig economy platforms like DoorDash and Uber.
“Right now, you can go on DoorDash, you can go on Uber, you can go on the variety of sites and you really can choose your own destiny. You don’t see that as much in the traditional typical contact center space and so that’s what we’re pursuing is ensuring that we can give humanity to agents,” explains Kelly.
By prioritizing user experience, Aspect is ensuring that its tools are both functional and intuitive, a principle Kelly compares to the engineering elegance of Lego.
Play as a Catalyst for Innovation
Speaking of Legos, creativity is a cornerstone of Kelly’s leadership philosophy. In his office, Legos serve as a symbol of ingenuity and play, values he believes are critical to tackling hard problems.
“Play is a part of doing really hard things,” says Kelly. Incorporating elements of fun can inspire fresh thinking and better outcomes, so he brings this spirit into the workplace to foster a culture where innovation flourishes.
Leveraging AI to Enhance Connections
A significant focus for Aspect is the use of artificial intelligence to transform customer and employee interactions. Kelly described the importance of leveraging real-time data to proactively support employees. Instead of waiting weeks for performance reviews, AI-driven insights allow employees to make adjustments in real time, improving their interactions with customers.
“Every single time you call, every single time you chat, it says, ‘This interaction may be recorded for quality and insurance purposes.’ Well, that quality and insurance purposes typically is a reactive type engagement,” Kelly explains. “And what that looks like is over a few weeks or over a month, you’re going to get some type of report that says, here’s your performance as an employee.”
Aspect’s approach is different, focusing on proactive solutions that enhance both employee performance and customer satisfaction.
Adapting to Complexity
But what is the cause of the change in customer service and customer experiences? Part of it is the modern customer journey, which is more fragmented than ever, often involving multiple touchpoints across digital and physical platforms. Kelly highlights the need for conversational continuity, a seamless experience where customers feel understood at every step of their interaction.
“Your identity, your lifecycle with an organization is becoming more dynamic,” Kelly says, pointing to data silos as a significant challenge. Aspect’s tools aim to bridge these gaps, creating smoother and more meaningful interactions between customers and companies.
Building a Better Future
Under Kelly’s leadership, Aspect is reinvesting heavily in research and development, allocating over 25% of its resources to innovation. This shift reflects the company’s commitment to staying ahead in a competitive and rapidly changing landscape.
“We’re really excited about that,” Kelly said, describing how Aspect is expanding its focus to include smaller enterprises while maintaining its foothold with large-scale organizations. By adapting to the unique needs of diverse markets, Aspect is poised to make an even greater impact.
Kelly’s approach — a blend of creativity, humanity, and cutting-edge technology — offers a blueprint for the future of work. As Aspect continues to evolve, its mission remains clear: to create tools that empower people, foster meaningful connections, and make even the hardest challenges a little more enjoyable.
