New South Wales

Congratulations to YCP finalists Stefanie Ross, James Hunt, Amela Adanafic, Colin Smith Chris Kiss and YCP winner James Msson.

Presidents Report

I am honoured to be writing my first President’s report after recently being elected to the role. It is very important for me to recognise the service of outgoing NSW President Theresa Brown for her contributions to the council and AICM more broadly. For many years Theresa has and continues to be both mentor and friend and I am very thankful for her decision to stay on in the role as Vice President.

My objective as President is to continue the good work of the experienced council that I have the privilege of working alongside. My focus will be to be transparent and, seek input from all members so that we can continue to shape the AICM for the benefit of all. I welcome new ideas on how we can help you advance your career and look forward to speaking with as many members as possible so that I can best represent your interests. Other key changes to the council include the addition of rising star Stefanie Ross who has now formerly joined at our recent AGM. I’d like to thank Stefanie for volunteering and hitting the ground running.

With the announcement of NSW YCP winner James Mason we have confidence that NSW is a strong contender to bring home the national prize. We wish James the best of luck with the next step on the journey and call on all members to reach out to James and provide support and guidance. James brings with him a robust, analytical and contemporary understanding of credit management which I am sure will impress the judges. The YCP programme means a lot to me having inspired me to join the NSW Council and contribute to the Institute where I have met colleagues, mentors, and most importantly lifelong friends.

Thank you to the council and members for your confidence in me, I look forward to continuing to work together and I am very excited by what 2023 will bring. – James Smith, NSW President

Congratulations to NSW YCP Winner James Mason with Thereasa Brown MICM CCE and David Jovanov MICM.

NSW Young Credit Professional Event

21 July 2022

The NSW Young Credit Professional of the Year Awards Night was at Kittyhawk in the Sydney CBD. A classy event with lots of friends, family and colleagues coming out to support their finalists, the atmosphere was great. There were many excited and nervous faces. After welcomes by the AICM CEO Nick Pilavidis and NSW President Theresa Brown, Rob Willoughby – NSW State Sales Manager at CreditorWatch introduced the finalists and provided the judges feedback on each. Certificates were presented on their achievement of being a finalist. There was time for networking and were honoured to hear from one of our Life Members, Greg Odlum who was interviewed by Nick Pilavidis. David Jovanov, National Sales Manager at ARMA – A Credit Clear company, shared his judging experience and commented on the high calibre of participants this year, which made the judging extremely difficult this year! David then had the wonderful pleasure of announcing the 2022 NSW YCPA winner going to: James Mason, Financial analyst from Wisr. James is a worthy winner, and we know he will represent NSW well in the upcoming National YCP round. GOOD LUCK!

Flo Matimati (Samsung Australia Pty Ltd) receiving her 10 year pin from Theresa Brown MICM CCE. Ian Smallan (Clarian Consulting) receiving his 25 year pin from Theresa Brown MICM CCE.

Professional Development

Thursday 11 August

The NSW Professional Development Seminar was an evening event at Rydges Parramatta on 11 August. Hosted by Theresa Brown our NSW President and Chaired by Dave Hunt, MICM, CCE.

Dave chaired a panel with three presenters and covered various topics that were top of mind for the audience. The background was the perfect storm the economic situation appears to be laying with issues around labour, the end of COVID financial assistance. Our presenters were Chris Williams, MICM CCE from Holcim, Mark Logue, MICM CCE from AMPAC Debt Recovery and Danny O’Neill from Creditorwatch.

There was a general consensus that the levels of insolvencies are likely to rise and Mark quoted one industry body forecast that predicts we would hit pre-COVID levels in the next 18-24 months. We were provided detail into how the ATOs disclosure of tax debts would interact with Credit Bureaus once businesses start engaging with them as well as many other tips, and advice. It was a fantastic learning opportunity for all.

It was also really good to host an event in the western suburbs, as it had been sometime, this was well received and we he had a great turnout! NSW AICM Annual General Meeting

9 September 2022

We held this year’s AGM on 9 September 2022. It was held online, and well attended by both NSW members and councillor. NSW President, Theresa Brown welcomed everyone, gave a (very detailed) overview of the year, she thanked the ongoing support of the National, Divisional and supporting sponsors, gave an update on NSW membership and event performance and publicly congratulated James Mason on the NSW YCP win. NSW PD Seminar in Parramatta Panel Chris WilliamS MICM CCE David Hunt MICM CCE Mark Logue MICM CCE and Danny O Neill. Another key agenda item was to elect and ratify roles within the 2023 council. Key changes were: l New President – James Smith l New Vice President – Theresa Brown l New Councillor – Stefania Ross NSW virtual coffee catch up

Wednesday 21 September

Held for the second consecutive year this event hosted by recently elected NSW AICM Council President James Smith and presented an opportunity for members to provide feedback and help to shape the 2023 calendar. Members were introduced to our NSW YCP winner James Mason who spoke about his role at Wisr and presented himself as a strong contender for the national prize. Recent changes to the council were also discussed including the new President, Vice President – Theresa Brown and councillor Stefanie Ross. Members are invited to provide any additional feedback to the National Office or Council directly. NSW YCP – sharing the feedback of our high runners-up The lead up to this years YCP has seen exceptional talent in our young credit professionals with James Mason as

our winner heading into the National round. In this edition we decided to share some of the achievements and judges comments of our other finalists.

2022 NSW YCPA Finalists are:

Arnela Adanalic

Arnela’s role is Credit Analyst at TAFE NSW. She has three degrees including a Movement Science degree, a Master of Developmental Disability and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education. In her interview it was clear that credit has become a significant passion for Arnela and it has opened great opportunities for professional development. Being part of the YCP program has motivated her to encourage and empower more young people, especially women to get involved in this industry. The judges commented that Arnela had a great bubbly and positive personality and presented really well. They were impressed by her customer-centric outlook and her broad knowledge of credit and the collection processes. Niranga De Silva (Holcim) , Ben Carrell (CreditorWatch), Mark Logue, Anthony Stevanja and Miral Sarvaiya (AMPAC Debt Recovery).

David Hunt (Fujifilm Australia), Peter Morgan (Byron Thomas Recruitment), Theresa Brown (Optus), Stefanie Ross (Assa Abloy Entrance Systems Monsoon Industries) and Gary Poslinsky (EDX).

James Hunt MICM

Our youngest finalist, James hunt works as a Credit Controller at Holcim. Recent achievements included a downward trend of DSO of 10 days on average, a 25% in overall disputes/credit claims raised as a result of early intervention and a big project to reduce of 120+ days debt that saw an 80% drop over the last 12 months. The judges all agreed that James displayed great energy and industry awareness. He answered the questions from the judges calmly and demonstrated a good understanding of his role. It was clear that James enjoys his job and has a bright future ahead in the industry.

Chris Kiss

Chris is the lead for the Customer Care Team at IPF Digital. He displayed a passion for technology and automation in his interview. A notable achievement included when working as Fraud and Complaints Specialist, he was the key stakeholder that helped resolve two major AFCA investigation cases in favour of the business. Then he went on to on to save the business potentially tens of thousands of dollars in fraud loss by identifying a procedure gap.

The judges were impressed with Chris’s very confident and knowledgeable responses to questions. He brings in positive changes to his organisation and the industry. Chris has achieved so much already within a short period of his credit tenure thus far.

Stefanie Ross MICM CCE

Stefanie is an Accounts Receivable Specialist at Assa Abloy Entrance Systems. Since starting she has lowered the overdue debt exposure by an average of 15-20% for the ledgers she manages. She has successfully helped to integrate acquisitions for a smoother transition for the credit functions/AR team and debtor communications.

The judges commented that Stefanie is a great credit manager who displayed a focus on people and getting the basics right. They were pleased with the examples Stefanie provided of how she has helped to achieve great outcomes for her customers and the business.

A passionate, wonderful advocate for the AICM and has a strong understanding of credit process and policies made her a worthy finalist.

Colin Smith MICM

Colins role is Accounts Receivable Billing Officer, Rentokil-Initial. Always learning, Colin has become a superuser for in-house programs as he manages over

1,000 customers. Within 10 months of taking over his ledger the aged debt 90+ was reduced by $300k.

It’s clear that Colin is extremely passionate about all things collections. The judges could see that that he knows his business and the products they use very well, he then harnesses his investigation skills to best produce results. He showed an understanding of the importance of dealing with your customers with an empathetic view which the judges highly valued.

Members in spotlight

Fiona Reynolds

Turks

Fiona has been an AICM member since 2011 and recently chaired the NSW risk Seminar with other Credit Professionals. Fiona is a Partner in the Commercial Disputes & Litigation Team at Turks, a National Partner of the AICM. In interviewing Fiona, I learnt a lot as she is such a smart and fun Solicitor. This makes for a worthwhile read. Fiona Reynolds

What has been your career journey and highlights?

I started at Turks straight out of Uni in the Graduate Program. An opportunity came in the litigation team and the Partners felt I would be a good fit. I trusted the partners and they have been proven right. I have been here ever since. I’m lucky to have a great team around me of mentors, friends and colleagues which is important as it is a challenging role.

One of my highlights was the insolvency of Retail Adventures. There were unfair preferences and what’s called a “Mothership Proceeding”. This is where instead of pursuing multiple unfair preference claims against each unfair preference, one umbrella proceeding is pursued. The economies of scale can mean a greater return for the creditors. It was logistically challenging as we went through a series of mediations, settlements of discreet claims and recoveries. It was very interesting and our legal costs were contained.

What advice do you have for other young insolvency professionals starting their career?

The universal advice is to get involved in organisations such as the AICM, ARITA and the Law Societies. At an early-stage network with your peers and others in the industry. Seek out mentors as it makes a big difference to have someone to look up to, who will give you frank guidance on how to achieve your goals.

What involvement have you had in the credit industry and AICM?

Some of our key clients such as trade credit insurers and work we did in the debt recovery space got me involved in the credit industry. I joined the AICM over 10 years ago. I have found that the conferences are always great. It is rewarding to contribute to events such as the Risk Seminar, breakfasts and the like. I enjoy meeting people at AICM events and find the membership very worthwhile.

What do you do outside of work?

I’m a huge fan of the arts so I enjoy spending time with family and friends at events. As a member of the Sydney Art Gallery, I am backing the industry and often attend the theatre or other shows.

The Australian Institute of Credit Management welcomes our Partners for 2022

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