Audacious Impact: Mike Clifton & Max Schwendner Of Alorica On Leading An Audacious, Visionary, Impact-Focused Program
An Interview With Rachel Kline
Reposted from Authority Magazine
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share a bit about your background and what has led you to your current role?
Mike: I’ve been with Alorica for about three years and started as the Chief Information and Digital Officer, and prior to becoming co-CEO, I was the Growth & Transformation Officer. I have to say, the biggest lesson that has led me to where I am today is that I learned that being an effective, transformational leader is all about people. Inspiring those on your team and driving change within a business doesn’t happen because of technology or a business strategy. It happens because people are inspired to make it happen. Whether it’s technologists, business professionals, or associates — you have to find the perspective that resonates with them. They need to feel connected to your energy and vision. That, above all, is the key lesson I’ve taken away from my experience.
Max: I’ve been involved with Alorica in various forms since 2016, but officially joined in 2019 as Chief Financial Officer and later added the role of President of Global Services. Prior to joining Alorica, I spent over a decade on Wall Street at J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley as an investment banker and private equity investor. Throughout my career, I’ve always looked for ways to push myself, learn new things, and be curious so when the opportunity arose to step into an operating role, I jumped at it. By staying curious — whether about technology, finance, or operations — I’ve been able to adapt, think nimbly, and innovate, which has led me down different paths that I may not have always expected.
What inspired you to start or join your organization, and what is its core mission?
Mike: When I was interviewing, I had a position within Cognizant that was to lead innovation globally, linking centers around the world global centers and our best clients to drive transformation in response to industry challenges. I was seeking a company that I could sit within an executive team that had the same characteristics and vision. Andy Lee, the founder of Alorica, clearly had that DNA, and Max, as the financial leader at the time, had the chops to align to that vision.
Max: Alorica is an amazing place and a great place to work. I had the privilege of working alongside our chairman, Andy Lee, and our Board of Directors for many years so when the opportunity arose to join the Company and help lead it forward during a transformative period, I jumped in with two feet. The thing that makes Alorica such a special place is the caliber of our team and thought process — we genuinely like working together, solving problems collaboratively, and approaching a very competitive, multi-dimensional market as a team. Our core mission ‘to make lives better — one interaction at a time’ is something over 100,000 of our associates across 17 countries takes extremely seriously.
Could you tell us about your journey in the industry and any significant experiences that have shaped your approach to impact-focused programs?
Mike: I started in customer service by helping manufacturing and software companies with modeling and design challenges, giving me firsthand insight into the impact of solving complex problems in enterprises. I quickly realized that support wasn’t my future, but being the “business” was. I didn’t know what that meant at the time. I just wanted to be in front of clients helping solve problems while being paid well to do it. I delved into consulting, learned many of the basic constructs, then I matured into starting companies in service and later in software. As the dot-com adrenaline left the market so did VC funding and I decided C-Suite and corporate was my next destiny. I joined an insurance company that was poised for change. The CEO at the time was x-McKinsey partner that I knew could teach me and sponsor my aggressive desire to grow personally. That was an informative and educative 10 years, which put me back to business consulting and ownership of a practice. The P&L of multi-national complex practices excited me, and I learned for another 10 years what some of the biggest companies in the world were doing and the plays they were executing. Alorica was poised for transformation, and this led to the role I share with Max today, shaping CX into a digital-first, service-as-software model.
Max: I start everything with a healthy (I think) amount of curiosity and a voracious appetite for learning, reading, developing mental models, and understanding new problems. Building and successfully running a company that handles millions of transactions and touches countless people around the world is a monumental task and one that I’ve had the pleasure of learning about through a multitude of dimensions — financial, operational, and strategic. With complexity, though, can come simplicity if you look for it hard enough, and at Alorica, one of the biggest differentiators and what makes us the company of the future in our space is our team. We are building and shaping a digital-first company that will solve countless new challenges for our customers around the world utilizing cutting edge technology, but at our core, we need to have a great team where people have opportunities to be rewarded, recognized, and celebrated.
Can you describe your company’s mission? Does your organization solve societal problems? If so, tell us how. What customer problems are you solving?
Alorica is on a mission to make lives better — one interaction at a time. We blend people, processes, and innovation to deliver exceptional customer experiences while staying true to our clients’ brand and culture. On the customer front, we tackle CX optimization, operational efficiency, and AI-driven insights, helping brands boost revenue, streamline operations, and enhance satisfaction.
Our ability to achieve these outcomes starts with empowering our workforce. We do this by hiring, training, and developing talent from diverse backgrounds, creating meaningful career opportunities, and providing enriching resources — like our podcast, Double Take with Mike and Max — which equips our teams with insights to propel their careers forward.
Beyond professional growth, we encourage our employees to drive change in their local communities through our employee-led nonprofit, Making Lives Better with Alorica (MLBA).
From partnering with local causes — like donating tech to visually impaired individuals in Puebla — to awarding over 14,200 grants for housing, food insecurity, utility bills, and medical expenses, we’re passionate about making a real difference.
Do you have a big hairy audacious goal for your organization and its impact on the planet?
At Alorica, our audacious goal is to transform our industry and make a lasting impact by being the absolute best in everything we do whether that be in technology, performance, or people. We’re committed to pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks in innovation, leveraging advanced technology and exceptional talent to drive meaningful change. This vision propels every decision we make, ensuring our solutions are sustainable and beneficial to communities worldwide.
That’s why our boldest sustainability goal is to reduce total carbon emissions by 15% by 2035, and we’re making measurable progress. Earth is all we have — there is no Plan(et) B.
In 2023, we improved carbon emissions across all scopes by 10%, and from 2021 to 2022, we cut total emissions by 10% and Scope 2 emissions by 25%. Our Alorica Anywhere work-at-home program now enables over 50% of our U.S. workforce to work remotely, significantly reducing commuting-related emissions. But true sustainability isn’t just about the environment — it’s about people, too. That’s why our CSR strategy is built on Philanthropy, People, and Planet. Through MLBA, we combine social and environmental impact — like in Latin America, where employees turned 1,044 kilos of recycled materials into funding for pediatric cancer treatments. By integrating sustainability into everything we do, we’re making sure the future is greener — and more equitable — for everyone.
Can you describe one of the most audacious impact-focused programs your organization has pioneered? What was the inspiration behind it?
Making Lives Better with Alorica (MLBA) was created because as a CX company, our business is about supporting people — our customers and our employees. Life is unpredictable, and we saw a need to provide immediate relief when our people face hardships. Since its inception in 2015, MLBA has raised $9.3 million, awarded over 14,200 grants, and provided nearly $423,000 in just disaster relief alone. What makes MLBA unique is that it’s entirely employee-driven — ensuring the people closest to the challenges are also the ones leading the solutions.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while developing and implementing this program, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was ensuring MLBA remained both sustainable and truly employee-led. Rather than taking a top-down approach, we built a model where employees drive the decision-making — selecting and fundraising for causes that matter most to their communities. A key example is our Angel Program, which has grown every year, expanding to all Alorica locations in 2024 and raising $24,000 for 45 local charities in the past year alone. By empowering our people, we’ve created a movement that continues to scale with purpose.
Tell us how your program has been received by customers. What struggles have you had generating customer interest? Please share what successes you’ve had with customers.
Aligning corporate giving priorities across industries can be challenging, but our clients recognize that empowering people isn’t just a side initiative for us — it’s who we are. Many have joined us in driving social change, whether through direct contributions to MLBA or collaborative sustainability efforts. In the Philippines, we partnered with a major financial institution to provide essential hygiene kits to new mothers at Fabella Hospital, combining our employee fundraising efforts with their support to maximize impact. Similarly, through the ‘My Dream in a Shoebox’ project, our employees worked alongside a global banking client to donate nearly 200 school supply kits to children in underserved communities — equipping them with the tools they need to succeed. Beyond supporting our initiatives, clients often encourage their own employees to participate, transforming a business partnership into a shared mission for good. This type of engagement strengthens relationships while amplifying the reach of our collective impact.
How do you measure the customer success, business success and impact of your programs? Can you share any specific metrics or outcomes?
We measure success through business longevity, employee engagement, and tangible community impact. As we mark over 25 years in CX, many of our longest-tenured clients stay with us not just for our expertise, but because they align with our values. Internally, career growth is a key metric — nearly 6,000 employees were promoted in 2024, almost half of whom were women. Beyond professional development, our people find purpose in giving back through MLBA. This is reflected in real outcomes — 68% of MLBA grant recipients in the U.S. and Latin America who received rent or utility assistance maintained stable housing for at least three months, proving that our impact surpasses the workplace. These and other key impact insights are detailed in our annual Impact Report and Philanthropy Fact sheet, available on the Alorica and MLBA websites.
How do you ensure that your programs are sustainable and scalable over the long term?
Sustainability and scalability are built into our strategy by ensuring our impact extends beyond just employment. We’re not only creating and maintaining jobs in socially and economically disadvantaged communities, but we’re also strengthening local ecosystems by supporting grassroots organizations and nonprofits. As we expand, so does our ability to drive change — most recently, we launched MLBA chapters in Honduras (2023) and Bulgaria (2024), bringing our total to 40+ chapters worldwide. These employee-led chapters ensure localized, long-term impact by directly addressing the needs of the communities where we operate. Additionally, by collaborating with business partners who share our values, we amplify our efforts, exchange best practices, and drive sustainable change at scale.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Bring An Audacious Idea to Fruition”? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
- Purpose-Driven Leadership — A bold idea won’t succeed without a clear mission. For us that means tying everything back to supporting people — whether through CX or CSR.
- Employee Empowerment — The best ideas don’t come from the top — they come from the people living the reality. That’s why MLBA is employee-driven, ensuring the most relevant, localized impact.
- Transparent Reporting — Actionable insights guide progress. We measure sustainability, employee engagement, and CSR impact with third-party assessments and employee feedback.
- Authentic Partnerships — When purpose is shared, collaboration is stronger.
- Long-Term Accountability — Sustainable impact requires continuous improvement — Don’t just talk about change — make it happen.