Despoina Κourouvakali
Athens,I
Summary
Results-driven Service Manager with 19+ years experience in leading customer service operations and managing technical projects across multiple European telecom markets.
Achieved 99% SLA compliance, managed €20 million budgets, and drove 20% efficiency gains in incident resolution.Expertise in IMS, 5G, VAS, and matrix team leadership.
Adept at incident and problem management, service design and transition, with a solid foundation in electronics engineering.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Technical Services Manager – General Manager
Mavenir Hellas (formerly Comverse Hellas)
03.2017 - Current
- Lead service operations for Deutsche Telekom Group across 12 EU countries , Telefónica Germany, and Balkan accounts (Vodafone Group, Telenor, MobilTel, Wind etc.) covering IMS, 5G, legacy messaging, mVAS and billing systems.
- Manage end-to-end customer relationships and support contract execution, ensuring SLA compliance achieving 99% KPI targets.
- Direct incident and problem management processes, driving resolution efficiency and service reliability.
- Oversee service design and transition, ensuring seamless integration of new services into production environments.
- Deliver regular KPI and performance reports to internal and external stakeholders.
- Operational Review Meetings with customers to build connections and nurture relationships
- Resolved 500+ incidents annually, improving resolution time by 25% through process optimizations.
- Collaborate across matrix teams of 100+ people globally, including product engineering, QA, logistics, and operations to deliver high-quality services.
- Support sales activities with technical insights and pre/post-sales assistance.
- Core technologies: IMS, VoIP, VAS, Mobile Core, OSS/BSS, SaaS, Cloud, 5G, Cellular, Security and Mobile Internet.
Customer Service Manager
Comverse/Xura Hellas
09.2012 - 03.2017
- Held overall responsibility for Comverse Hellas office operations, leading cross-functional teams of 40+ people and aligning business goals with customer service excellence.
- Acted as the primary contact for clients across Central and Southeast EU managing both ongoing service contracts and new project deployments.
- Ensured SLA delivery, achieving 99% KPI targets, and continuous service improvement for mVAS solutions offered to Deutsche Telekom EU subsidiaries,Vodafone Group etc.
- Interacted well with customers on Operational Review meetings to build connections and nurture relationships.
- Oversaw global support coordination and delivery in a matrix management model.
- Led incident/problem management, service transition, and performance reporting.
- Monitored team performance, adhered to service level agreements (SLAs) and provided detailed job training.
Project Manager-Customer Lead
Comverse Hellas
09.2010 - 09.2012
- Project manager and customer lead for all the accounts in Balkans (Cosmote group, VF group, Orange group etc) with overall technical responsibility including new Projects and ongoing maintenance on VAS domain.
- Interacting (matrix management) with global support and delivery teams worldwide.
- Managed projects from procurement to commission.
Customer Lead (Operations Manager)
Comverse Hellas
05.2008 - 09.2010
- Led operational support for accounts across Greece, Albania, FYROM, and Bulgaria (Cosmote, Vodafone, T-Mobile, M-Tel, Wind).
- Managed incident resolution, system performance monitoring, and KPI reporting for VAS platforms.
- Established positive and effective communication among unit staff and organization leadership, reducing miscommunications, and missed deadlines.
Field Systems/Telecommunications Engineer
Comverse Hellas
05.2006 - 05.2008
- Provided on-site/remote support and deployment for VAS platforms (Voicemail, SMSC, FunDial, etc.) for key telecom operators across Greece and the Balkans.
Dealers and Associates department Manager(Technical Services Division)
ALTEC S.A
10.2004 - 11.2005
- Managed technical support for ALTEC's dealer network, covering client contracts in the banking, public, and private sectors.
- Oversaw dealer partnership agreements and handled financial management aspects of services offers.
Intel Installation Supervisor
Athens 2004 Olympic Games
06.2003 - 09.2004
- Supervised the deployment and support of IT infrastructure at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (Windows 2000 platform).
- Led a team of 26 specialists and a rotating group of volunteers in a high-pressure, fast-evolving environment.
Systems Engineer
DATAMEDIA S.A
03.2001 - 05.2003
- Responsible for Operational Systems, Networking and Wireless Networking (including WMS), including experience with handheld equipment (symbol, intermec).
Education
Bachelor of Science - Electronics and Telecommunications
Technology Educational Institute of Lamia, Lamia - University of Thessalia
LamiaLanguages
English (fluent- First Certificate in English) (advanced)
French (fluent- DELF Certificat de Langue Francaise), (advanced)
Learning Spanish- Level A2 (A2)
Greek (native speaker)
German (intermediate)
Timeline
Technical Services Manager – General Manager
Mavenir Hellas (formerly Comverse Hellas)
03.2017 - Current
Customer Service Manager
Comverse/Xura Hellas
09.2012 - 03.2017
Project Manager-Customer Lead
Comverse Hellas
09.2010 - 09.2012
Customer Lead (Operations Manager)
Comverse Hellas
05.2008 - 09.2010
Field Systems/Telecommunications Engineer
Comverse Hellas
05.2006 - 05.2008
Dealers and Associates department Manager(Technical Services Division)
ALTEC S.A
10.2004 - 11.2005
Intel Installation Supervisor
Athens 2004 Olympic Games
06.2003 - 09.2004
Systems Engineer
DATAMEDIA S.A
03.2001 - 05.2003
Bachelor of Science - Electronics and Telecommunications
Technology Educational Institute of Lamia, Lamia - University of Thessalia
Interests
President of Parent-Teacher Association in 15th High School (Municipality of Peristeri), Member of development committee and board for local Volleyball Team (Peristeri volleyball school).