In today’s contact centers, scheduling is no longer just about filling shifts, it’s about empowering people, building flexibility, and creating an environment where agents feel engaged and supported. Because when agents are happier, they deliver a better experience for your customers.

That’s precisely what Lego, The AA, and Macmillan Cancer Support - all proud Calabrio customers - are doing. And now, they’re coming together to share how they’re rethinking forecasting and scheduling to create better outcomes for both their agents and their organizations.

In this session, you’ll hear how these leading brands are tackling some of the biggest challenges in workforce management. In an honest conversation, we’ll chat:  

•    Designing flexible shifts that work for agents and the business - including smarter holiday and leave planning
•    Using AI to empower agents with self‑service 
•    A deep dive into what’s working, what’s not, and what’s on the horizon
•    And how Calabrio brings it all together

Whether you’re a WFM leader or contact centre manager, you’ll walk away with real-world insights and practical ideas to build a smarter, people-first scheduling strategy that leads to happier agents and stronger results.

Speakers: 

•    Host: Phil Anderson, Director at the Forum 
•    Guest Host: Scott Budding, Sales Engineering Manager at Calabrio 
•    Simone James - Scheduling Manager, The AA
•    Mhairi Drummond-Smith, Resource Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support  
•    Jo Gilbert-Button, Global Scheduling Manager at Lego

Bios: 

Simone James - Scheduling Manager, The AA

Simone James is Scheduling Manager at the AA, where she has been making significant contributions for the past 19 years. Starting as a customer advisor, Simone advanced to a scheduler role, later taking on leadership positions overseeing real-time and scheduling teams. Simone is dedicated to fostering a people-first planning culture and raising standards across customer operations. Always looking to push boundaries and be brave, most recently Simone led the team to deliver guaranteed holidays, recharge days and "MyTime”. A proud Geordie, Simone lives in the North East and often enjoys a night out on "the toon."

Mhairi Drummond-Smith, Resource Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support  

Mhairi is a Resource Manager with Macmillan Cancer Support.  She works with the Macmillan Support Line, offering data and insights to forecast demand, build schedules and contribute towards data-driven decisions and recommendations.  She has spent her career in contact centre environments in many roles across many different clients, eventually finding her way to Workforce Management and Resource Planning, spending 9 years in Workforce Management to date.  Mhairi is passionate about data-based decisions and driving positive change through insights, balancing numbers with staff wellbeing.