Today, Christina delves into the world of collections within the construction industry with guest Helen Leonard, Director of Accounts Receivable and Collections at Acco Engineered Systems. Helen brings over two decades of invaluable experience in billing and collections, making her a true expert in the field. Previously working at a small corporate piping company, she wore many hats, including billing, collections, and permits. It was a friend who saw her potential and convinced her to send in her resume to Acco Engineered Systems, where she's now been for almost 20 years. They explore the dynamic world of construction collections. Helen shares her experiences, emphasizing the importance of relationships in the industry. The conversation touches on various aspects, including the fast-paced nature of construction projects, the challenges of handling collections for subcontractors, and the critical role of technology in an industry that still relies heavily on manual processes.Helen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-leonard-3734642a/ 

In today’s episode, Christina talks to Carrie Coker Aivaliotis, Senior Director for Market Planning at LexisNexis Risk Solutions.Carrie is a multi-functional leader with a 25-year track record in consumer data services, developing and expanding industry access, partnerships, and strategies. Her specialties include extensive credit bureau experience in a resell environment, from back-office operations to executive negotiation. Today, they discuss the importance of meeting the customer where they are in terms of communication methods, the implications of the shared wallet, and how the next generation of student loan payees will change the way the collections space currently operates.Carrie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriec1/

On today’s episode, Christina chats with Austin Keate, a Senior Level Operations Manager at Texas Dealer Solutions and Business Development Professional in the collections space.Austin is an entrepreneurial, driven, results-oriented leader with extensive experience leading MM growth in both corporate and start-up environments. A founder of Texas Dealer Solutions, their goal is to provide BHPH Dealers a reliable and consistent source of origination capital and exceptional service, specializing in developing short and long-term cash flow solutions to help companies meet their growth and profit objectives.On the show today, they discuss Austin’s experience throughout his time in the collections space, the tools he uses to build lasting relationships, and his thoughts on an over-saturated technology culture in self-service.Connect with Austin Keate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinkeate/

Today on the show, Joe Witkowski, Work Team Lead at American Profit Recovery, joins Christina to discuss the ins and outs of debt collection how he sees it.With 14 years under his belt at APR, Joe has seen the changing landscape of space and how each element of technology, people and culture can affect it.Today, they discuss the effects mood and persona have on a call with a consumer, how technology has changed the space, and what Joe sees as the core values of the debt collection industry.Connect with Joe on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-witkowski-a9b06b9/

On this inaugural episode of Collecting Thoughts, Christina Fisher sits down with Carol Byrne, Vice President of Marketing at C&R Software, to discuss Carol’s experience in the debt collection world, and how imperative retaining loyal customers can be in the current world.Carol and Christina discuss how successful creditors use the right technology to make sure their customers are having a great customer experience, keeping brand loyalty as a top priority, and how all of this looks when put into action.To learn more about Carol, feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn.

On today’s episode of Collecting Thoughts, Lisa Tanner joins the show to discuss the challenges in the collection space she’s encountered in recent times.Lisa is the Director of Global Credit and Collection at Nidec Motor Corporation.  She began her career in the sales field, and after working in print and radio sales, she decided to try a different path. For more than 30 years, Lisa has enjoyed a successful career in credit that has brought her to companies such as Coleman and her current position with Nidec Motor Corporation.Today on the show, Christina chats to Lisa about the importance of the customer-facing relationship, the special tools and strategies she uses in collection, and the many challenges faced in recent years.Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisatanner 

Today on Collecting Thoughts, Christina sits down with Maria Douneva, a Behavioral Science Consultant and Corporate Trainer.With a Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences, Maria has spent her corporate life linking the dots between consumer behavior and various business models, seeking to understand how they interact in order to produce the best outcome for both the consumer and the business.Today, they discuss the world of consumer behavior in the collections space and how analyzing data and behaviors can drastically impact results when reaching out to clients in debt. Maria enlightens on the specific behaviors that may affect the rate of repayment, personalizing communication efforts, and experimental approaches that can help the process.To learn more or to connect with Maria, head to her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariadouneva/?originalSubdomain=de

On this episode of Collecting Thoughts, Christina is joined by Gene Clark, Director of Credit and Collections at OTR Wheel Engineering.With over 7 years of credit and collections management experience, Gene is a proven Credit Director who has been able to reduce past due customers year in and year out, seeing an overall reduction in those accounts by 40%.Today, they discuss pre-delinquency strategies, being the good guy versus the bad guy, the imperative nature of keeping lines of communication open, and how analyzing data on payment patterns can help predict an uncertain future.To learn more about Gene, connect with him on LinkedIn.

On this episode of Collecting Thoughts, Senior Director of Product Management at C&R Software, Chris Hopkins, joins the show.Chris has been knee-deep in the space for over 30 years and is an experienced product manager, leveraging technological advancements at the forefront of collections and recovery to deliver best-in-class solutions to organizations globally.Today, Chris and Christina discuss machine learning, chatbots, and audio analytics and how companies can best employ all three aspects to improve outcomes for both the consumer and the creditor.They also touch on the benefits of adapting their business to cloud computing and the advancements involved.Check out Chris Hopkins on LinkedIn