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Troubleshooter & Catalyst
As of 1 February 2010 the CSA has a new chief executive officer in the shape of Peter Wallwork.
A popular figure in the industry, Peter is assured and positive and brings with him more than 25 years of vital experience in the financial services sector. He has held senior posts at NCO and iQor and was most recently sales and marketing director at Gothia.
Peter explained: "I really want to open up a debate with the members and so, over the next three months, have committed to go and see as many of them as I can.
"I think this personal touch is very important. I want to make sure that we are looking at the issues that they want us to focus on. Obviously this is a role that I will be taking forward along with the CSA board and DBSG committee, who inform the association's policy.
"I am confident that there are not a lot of things going on that need to be 'sorted out', rather it is a case of getting the message across about all the good things that are being done for any by the members."
He role is vital to the success of the association, providing an essential link and helping members to express their views.
The major issues facing the industry are also key. From the OFT's Debt Collections Guidance review to the changing nature of collections – there is plenty to consider.
And of course all these are set against a background of economic turmoil, with recession and unemployment looming and debtors questioning their moral obligation to pay.
Peter understands these and is particularly keen on defending self-regulation from government.
He said: "The CSA is a trade association, but it has some unique qualities – the majority of its members have to be licensed by a government body and, while the CSA exists for the members individually, through the application of a code of practice, it also regulates and metes out punishment, in effect, protecting and upholding the professionalism of the membership as a whole."
Peter knows there will be challenges along the way, but he believes the team and structure are there to get the right results and that the mix of personalities and opinions of staff and elected members is a key strength of the association. He views himself as a both a troubleshooter and a catalyst for others.
"I want to build on the work that has gone on before and I am fortunate to have Kurt Obermaier work alongside me for the first two months to help ease the transition into my new role and responsibility.
"I am very lucky to have inherited a highly talented and professional team of people in Newcastle and I am enjoying a very gracious, detailed and very helpful handover from Kurt."
But he promises to continue striving and driving the CSA forward: "Not enough people know what the CSA is doing on a day-to-day basis. Possibly it was because of my own ignorance, but I did not know half of what the association did before I became a non-executive director. I did not realise just how many issues the association has been actively lobbying on. So I want to make sure that members are very aware of what we are doing – I want to share the news."
And this new role certainly will help to keep Peter – and his board – busy over the coming months.
"I was surprised when I stepped up to be a non-executive director of the CSA at how much more was involved – it is not just a question of attending four board meetings a year and a couple of conferences.
"We are looking at some ideas like regional meetings for smaller members, because I do not think that people always realise that a considerable number of our members are quite small businesses which might not have the capacity to send someone to a national conference.
"Being a member of an association like the CSA will always result in a mixture of hard and soft benefits, some of which will be more applicable to different types of member.
"The hardest thing for any association is to keep the members on board with, and aware of, the work we do and encourage them to understand that we all get benefits by working together for the good of everyone, as opposed, for example, to acting individually out of self interest.
"Whatever we do, we need to talk and project ourselves as a single, focused voice to government and regulators and, of course, not forget that that is what a trade association is all about."
From a personal viewpoint, Peter is still coming to terms with the scale of his decision to take up his new role. However, it was just an opportunity too good to miss – one that could help him help the industry as a whole for the future.
Original article courtesy of CCR.
