A time for big ideas
As we individually and collectively navigated the continued COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, many of us have been forced to accept a seemingly constant state of change and uncertainty. The rapid pace of change has been unprecedented as people around the world were required to work from home longer-term, often while trying to raise and teach children at home full-time, without a clear understanding of when this pandemic will end.
Jeffrey Puritt and former First Lady of Guatemala helped build a school in Guatemala.
The persistent and increased focus on online collaboration, hyper-connectivity and fast-moving decision-making continues to drive accelerated technology and social advancements.
It’s a time for big ideas and creative solutions, with technology and talent fueling so much of this bold new future we are shaping, now, together.
Talent should underpin every business decision
While much of 2021 was consumed with the impacts of the pandemic, inevitably the current crisis will recede. Employees have become more intentional about how, when, where, for whom and why they choose to work. We are seeing an increased demand for flexible work schedules as part of the gig economy, the chance to upskill core and soft skills and the opportunity to do meaningful work with and for people we care about, aligned to personal values. This changing labor market competition and companies’ ability to attract, retain and replace talent is becoming the true differentiator moving forward. As a result, we believe talent should underpin every strategic choice and other business decisions smart companies are making.
Affectio societatis – desire to be together
“Affectio societatis” is a legal concept; that a company is not a company unless it is rooted in a desire to be together. This year’s annual report theme, “Honoring our purpose by caring for our customers, our people and our planet”, draws from this same desire for togetherness. For us, this concept highlights our ongoing commitment to bringing our caring culture to life for all our stakeholders.
But defining purpose in slogans and statements is the easy part. What makes purpose real is following through on its implications and having it guide the choices you make.
We believe that investing in the strength of our team powers our success, especially during these unprecedented times. As a company, we are further fueled by a desire to share with others by giving back to the communities where we live, work and serve.
It’s a time for big ideas and creative solutions, with technology and talent fueling so much of this bold new future we are shaping, now, together.
Drawing inspiration from a global leader
While TELUS International is now a publicly traded company, we continue to be inspired by our parent company, TELUS’ – a world-leading communications technology company with $17 billion in annual revenue and 17 million customer connections – focus on making the future friendly. Indeed, since TELUS International’s inception in 2005, TELUS’ global leadership in social impact and legacy in this regard shapes our culture and further propels our impressive achievements.
A caring culture as the foundation for agility in uncharted territory
Never before has culture been more critical to thriving in uncharted territory than throughout 2021. Our caring culture has served as the solid foundation our company needed to leverage our agility to sustain business continuity, while maintaining the health and safety of our team and enabling our continued ability to recruit and retain talent in this competivite global talent environment. As we embrace the future, we look to enhance our caring culture with a focus on ‘meta-skill’ development.
Meta-skills — bold experiments and new ways of working are now everyone’s business
Organizations that equip their employees with meta-skills of learning how to learn, adapt and change quickly will be better able to thrive and succeed. We know it’s not enough to just support team members to do their jobs – we can and should help them innovate, take risks and be at the forefront of change.
Delivering meaningful, diversified and sustainable revenue and profitability growth for shareholders
At TELUS International, we know that taking smart risks and embracing change can drive impressive results. In 2021, we continued to deliver meaningful, diversified and sustainable revenue growth at scale, with $2.2 billion in total revenue and 39 per cent revenue growth from the prior year, driven by robust 17 per cent organic growth, as well as inorganic growth from acquisitions. At the same time, TELUS International offers a leading profitability profile and robust cash flows achieved through a combination of revenue growth, strategic business and client mix shifts, and technology enabled efficiency gains. We rely on best-in-class technology to power what we do and we are keenly focused on efficiency, including tech innovation and automation within our own business operations that we also leverage within our client engagements. Our complex, end-to-end technology service offerings and differentiated caring culture help delight our clients and their customers, while fueling our continued growth. We remain focused on a healthy balance between growth and profitability, with long-term, sustainable value creation in mind.
A consistent, well-executed strategy
It has been just one year since accessing the public markets in February of 2021, however, our company strategy has been consistent over many years now:
- An enhanced focus on people – our team and our communities
- The focused pursuit of profitable growth and excellence through innovation and automation
- Our thoughtful approach to acquisitions which have enhanced our capabilities, expanded our global coverage and accelerated our customer growth.
When it comes to ESG, impact is what matters most to us. Harnessing our team’s minds, hearts and hands to make a real difference on our planet’s biggest challenges, while partnering with customers who feel the same way, is the basis of our approach.
We remain focused on a healthy balance between growth and profitability, with long-term, sustainable value creation in mind.
Embedding Environmental, Social and Governance priorities into company strategy
As a company driven by Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities and principles as core to our business success and infused in our holistic strategic approach, we have included ESG data in this annual report. While in some ways we are at the beginning of a formal ESG program, I hope you will see how embedded our caring culture is in all we do.
When it comes to ESG, impact is what matters most to us. Harnessing our team’s minds, hearts and hands to make a real difference on our planet’s biggest challenges, while partnering with customers who feel the same way, is the basis of our approach.
Our ESG priorities are:
- Hiring, motivating and promoting our diverse, talented team who exceed customer expectations, including through impact sourcing programs
- Giving back to the communities where we live, work and serve by creating meaningful, lasting impact through the efforts of our team members
- Supporting a sustainable planet for all by embracing the principles of refuse, reduce, repurpose and recycle
- Adhering to principles of strong corporate governance.
You can expect us to continue to update, enhance and disclose ESG data annually.
We rely on best-in-class technology to power what we do and we are keenly focused on efficiency, including tech innovation and automation within our own business operations that we also leverage within our client engagements.
Pride in success
Having been a part of TELUS International since 2005, I am immensely honored to have led our team through its strategic growth and change over the last 13 years in particular, growing from a single operation in the Philippines to a truly global next-generation digital solutions leader leveraging our design, build and deliver framework, all while enhancing our unique culture that is grounded in taking care of our customers, our team members and our communities.
I remain ever enthusiastic and excited for our future. The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Puritt President and CEO TELUS International
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donated by our team’s hearts and hands around the world.