PRMIA member profile - Michelle Allade
by Adam Lindquist PRMIA Director of Membership Interview with Michelle Allade, a very active PRMIA volunteer as well as a respected risk professional. Her insights in this issue of Intelligent Risk are helpful for risk managers across the globe. Adam
Tell us about your risk role?
Michelle I work as the Bank Model Risk Officer of Comenity Bank and Comenity Capital Banks (“the Banks”) which partner with more than 145 of the most respected retailers in the world, to provide credit cards to more than 50 million members. I am responsible for ensuring sound decision-making processes within the Banks by certifying that models used for decision making are reliable and well understood from the perspective of their assumptions and limitations. This leads to ongoing model improvements and ultimately the ability to react quickly to changes. My role is essential within the risk organization as models are leveraged across all facets of the Banks and are getting more complex with the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. In my current function, I lead a team that manages the risk inherent to the use of model within risk management functions such as market and liquidity, credit and counterparty, operational, portfolio, and financial risks (i.e. capital forecasting and stress testing) and compliance as well as other critical business functions such as Pricing, Finance, and Marketing. The breadth of exposure allows me to drive alignment in assumptions used across models and break down silos in the decision-making process. Adam
How did you get interested in risk?
Michelle I stumbled into risk management after getting a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics. I landed a job as a research analyst for an insurance company where my main duty was to identify clients that fit the company risk appetite within its agencies’ book of business. This piqued my interest, and I decided to get a masters within the field of risk management. Adam
How is your bank addressing COVID-19 virus concerns?
Michelle Employee safety and customers’ well-being are the primary concerns at our bank. As such, most of the associates are currently working remotely, and multiple measures have been taken to help customers who are experiencing financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Intelligent Risk - April 2020
