Hello, I am Isabela Girlea
Support Operations & AI Automation Lead
Based in Transylvania 🧛♂️, Romania (EU).
Bridging the gap between technical requirements and scalable agent workflows.
I don't just manage people;
I optimize the environment they work in.
Support Ops Manager (15+ Years Exp.)
I am a Technical Support Engineer at my core, now focused on leading Support Operations. I partner with Zendesk Admins, Product Managers, and QA teams to build scalable support ecosystems.
My expertise lies in analyzing support data to identify AI automation opportunities (achieving 50-60% deflection rates) and defining the logic that ensures tools actually solve business problems.
My Expertise
Operational Strategy
Defining the logic and workflows that Admins implement, ensuring support tools align with business goals.
AI Adoption & Automation
Optimizing content and agent usage to achieve 50-60% ticket deflection rates through smart AI integration.
Zendesk Administration
Managing complex instance mergers, building custom dashboards in Explore, and maintaining system health.
Technical Liaison
Acting as a translator between Support, Dev, and QA. I speak the language of engineers to expedite resolutions.
Team Leadership
Mentoring high-performance global teams with zero turnover, maintaining high morale during acquisitions and migrations.
CX Strategy
Providing actionable insights to leadership that influence product roadmaps and reduce churn.
Professional Experience
SaaS Analytics
Customer Support Manager (Hotjar)
Leading a global support team through acquisitions, system migrations, and AI adoption. Recognized as a top performer with 96% CSAT.
- Implemented AI-driven ticket deflection (50–60% success rate).
- Managed a three-way Zendesk instance merger post-acquisition.
- Designed onboarding programs that raised agent performance and consistency.
Remote Operations
Head of Customer Experience (Pyjama Bosses)
Built and scaled the company’s customer support function from the ground up, managing a global team across Americas, EMEA, and Australia.
- Achieved >90% CSAT and <2h response times.
- Designed Zendesk workflows and self-service Help Centers.
- Spearheaded platinum-tier onboarding to reduce churn.
Enterprise Support
Senior Technical Support Engineer (Crossover for Work)
Delivered high-quality technical support to enterprise customers (Finance, Aerospace, Retail) while acting as a liaison to QA and Dev teams.
- Maintained CSAT above 96% on complex, high-priority cases.
- Optimized knowledge base content to empower customer self-service.
- Mentored new hires to accelerate team ramp-up.
Recommendations
It is rare to find a leader who is as comfortable diving into complex projects and day-to-day challenges as they are navigating the human side of leadership, but Isabela is exactly that.
Isabela is an elite, data-driven problem solver with a unique talent for translating complex metrics and business needs into clear, actionable strategies. Her ability to build sophisticated dashboards and identify operational gaps has been instrumental in driving measurable improvements across the Support team.
What truly sets her apart is her deep technical mastery of the company's products. In an environment of high product complexity and shifting company challenges, she remains incredibly close to the field. This technical depth allows her to truly understand the day-to-day struggles of clients and employees and provide practical, high-impact solutions rather than just abstract direction.
As a mentor, she is exceptional. She has a natural ability to guide the team through technical hurdles and evolving processes, empowering them to grow while ensuring the department remains agile and efficient. Whether she is architecting a new workflow or mentoring an IC through a difficult technical challenge, Isabela leads with a rare blend of analytical rigor, technical knowledge, and strategic vision. She would be a massive asset to any organization looking for a leader who truly understands the work they manage.
Hai Cohen
Director, Customer Support EMEA&APJI've had the pleasure to meet and collaborate with Isabela when we both worked at Hotjar. As a sales rep, I relied heavily on Isabela's technical acumen in getting help for my clients and I've always found her to be customer oriented and very knowledgeable both about our product but also the larger technical landscape.
When she led the support team, Isabela's contribution to the new product launch was instrumental and she worked through a lot of high impact issues to meet the go-live date. Isabela is a reliable and seasoned support leader with experience in high pressure environments and a great addition to any team!
Andreea-Ioana Balsan
Senior Account ExecutiveI have worked with Isabela for four years, and have been consistently impressed by her. Isabela combines strong technical expertise and deep Zendesk knowledge with exceptional management skills.
Her excellent reporting abilities, talent for mentoring colleagues, and ability to build strong cross-functional relationships while maintaining an unwavering customer focus makes her an invaluable asset to any organization.
Emma Partington
Support & CX ManagerLet's Talk Operations
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Location
Brasov, Romania (Transylvania)
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Free / 15 mins
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