The closure of the Lloyds TSB call centre in Newcastle was heralded as the death of the industry in the region. But earlier this month, it was back in business for a different corporation. Deputy Business Editor Dan Jenkins meets the County Durham woman behind its success.

Nearly 1,000 jobs were lost last year when Lloyds TSB closed its Newcastle call centre and moved operations to India.

The practice of offshoring jobs has meant the past two or three years have been nervous times for thousands of North-East workers in the region's contact centres.

But once the initial wave of panic passed, the situation in the industry appeared to improve.

Several companies are proving the region is a viable place for call centres. Among them is Convergys.

The corporation this month announced it was creating up to 400 jobs at the Lloyds TSB site.

The woman behind the move was Stephanie Wilson, vice-president of European operations for Convergys' customer management group.

The world's largest operator of outsourced call centres, it already employs more than 600 staff at its centre in Baron House, Neville Street, in Newcastle.

"There is a trend to offshore and that will continue," she said.

"But within the marketplace, we are seeing that clients want a balanced approach. Not every organisation wants to place its whole business in India.

"A lot of the work that has gone is not really call centre work, it is back office or processing, but it all gets tagged the same.

"Nothing lasts forever, but we have always found Newcastle a good place to do business."

She joined the company when its UK operation was set up 12 years ago at Baron House, only yards from Newcastle Central Station.

It provides customer services in ten European languages for clients in financial services, IT, pharmaceuticals and communications.

"It is a meritocratic organisation and has given me opportunities I maybe wouldn't get in other businesses," she said.

"I have had a lot of exposure to offshoring and to our European and US business, looking at different types of service delivery."

Despite women senior executives still being a rare breed in the North-East, she does not believe in the glass ceiling.

"With most, if not all of the organisations I have worked for, gender was never an issue," she said. "If you work hard, you get rewarded.

"Perhaps at the beginning of your career, you maybe work a little harder, but as time has gone on, it makes less difference.

"Maybe, 20 years ago, there were less female executives and perhaps companies had a different way of working.

"For good or bad, we have moved away from heavy industry in the North-East and that was male-dominated.

"Now, 90 per cent of managers at Convergys are female and a lot have come up through the ranks.

"It is not about gender any more, just whether you are the right person for the job.

"Growth helps, because we create senior positions as we expand."

While exact figures are not published, the Newcastle operation has enjoyed double-digit growth for the past decade.

Born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, she lives in a village on the outskirts of York and commutes to Newcastle by train.

Her husband, Steve, goes in the opposite direction - he works at Asda's head office in Leeds.

"I was a very sad child - I always wanted to be in business, from being a little girl," she said.

"I have always liked the idea of it, even if the reality was sometimes very different."

Her first job as a teenager was at a shop in Spennymoor, County Durham.

"I absolutely loved it, I loved the service aspect and developing relationships with customers.

"And I really liked the thought of making money from it."

On leaving school, she joined a small company in Newcastle, followed by a post at Shulton, in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, which is now part of Procter and Gamble.

"I have always been in customer services and always enjoyed it. In those days, it wasn't called contact centres, it was simply the ladies in customer service.

"When I joined Convergys, its turnover was something like £25m and now it is in the billions.

"The growth has been phenomenal for us and outsourcing in general, as companies look to cut their costs.

"Success for the business is very satisfying, because everybody gets to share in it.

"It provides more jobs and more chances for career development.