2024 Arca Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2024 Arca Award finalists and winners!

Respect

The Respect Award is given to an individual who leads by example when it comes to respect. They show respect in how they act, what they say, and in their relationships with others. They value diverse perspectives in their role as well as in Member workgroups. They work towards common goals with respect for all.

The winner is Darren Tran, MoneyPlace Australia.

Darren’s open and relaxed style brings a touch of levity to even the driest workgroup. This, along with his respectful approach, and keen efforts to attend as many industry events as possible, building his network and knowledge base, have earned him the respect of the Arca team and the wider industry.

Darren is a ubiquitous figure in the credit industry. Through his style, knowledge, and engagement, he continually adds significant value to his peers and the industry as a whole. Darren makes an extraordinary effort to attend as many industry events as possible, expanding his own knowledge, increasing his industry network, and ensuring he stands out amongst his peers, gaining the respect of those he meets. This nomination recognises Darren's consistent contributions to the industry by always providing opinions that balance the concerns of all industry participants and insights that draw on his knowledge and experience. He is also always generous in sharing statistics and data and not only earn

The finalists for the Respect award were:

John Karalouka, Suncorp

John is an approachable and respectful member of the Arca community who encourages others to share their views and treats everyone he encounters with kindness and respect. Both his Suncorp colleagues and the Arca team noted his important contributions to workgroups and the high esteem he is held in by others

Melissa Stratton, American Express Australia

Melissa is a long term member of the Arca community and is valued for her kind and respectful style. She gives space to industry colleagues to share their views, shows appreciation for the input of others and demonstrates her respect for the industry but always working to add value.

Collaboration

The Collaboration Award celebrates outstanding teamwork. This award acknowledges an individual who has made the most significant contribution to teamwork in the past year, championing progress of one of Arca’s key deliverables within the workgroups or for their own business. This person is someone who actively encourages working together, helping the workgroup achieve its goals.

The winner is Shaun D'Monte, Bank of Queensland

Shaun goes above and beyond to collaborate with the Arca team and the industry, taking a keen interest in all issues not just those that directly affect BoQ. With a focus on working together to achieve better outcomes, he is always willing to contribute his ideas and expertise. Shaun proactively reaches out to the Arca team to raise issues and work on collaborative industry-wide solutions rather than simply resolving for BoQ. Shaun’s colleagues report that he has delivered exceptional work to prepare BOQ for CCR.

Shaun's collaborative approach was to bring the BOQ team together with the three bureaus to discuss and work through requirements and implementation together. Shaun's deep regulatory knowledge and his dedication to aligning BOQ with industry standards have been invaluable. He’s very focussed on providing input, increasing understanding – and thinking through how he can work with Arca/ the workgroup to promote positive outcomes.

The finalists for the Collaboration award are:

Craig Allen Ankins, Equifax

It can be difficult to put forward a CRB perspective in a virtual room full of CPs. Craig does this with aplomb. In a respectful and knowledgeable manner, he considers the input of all and helps educate the industry on the perspective of CRBs. Industry discussions and outcomes are far richer for his input, leading to better outcomes for all.

Susanna MacDonald, Pepper Money

Some of Arca’s most valuable collaborators are those who speak up when others don’t. Susanna is just such a person. Always generous with her time, expertise and data, she can be relied upon to provide feedback with a strong focus on improving the broader industry.

Knowledge Excellence Award

The Knowledge Excellence Award champions learning and growth. This award recognises an individual dedicated to learning and sharing knowledge. They not only benefit their own organisation but also contribute to drive value for all Members. They are open to sharing what they know to help everyone grow.

The winner is Kasia Sassine, ANZ Banking Group

From Arca’s perspective, Kasia is the quintessential quiet achiever, driven by a desire to promote data quality and consistency, and always ensuring knowledge gained in Arca forums is disseminated effectively in her organisation. Her colleagues report her dedication to building collective expertise and a strong ability to translate complex requirements into actionable knowledge has empowered her team and strengthened ANZ's CCR compliance framework.

As Product Owner of the CCR Corrections squad in ANZ's Retail Risk Infrastructure team, Kasia exemplifies the Arca Knowledge Excellence Award through her commitment to continuous learning and sharing expertise. By fostering a culture of transparency and learning, she has enabled her team (and her stakeholders) to make informed, compliant decisions, which significantly benefits ANZ customers and aligns with Arca's standards. Her ability to translate complex requirements into actionable knowledge has empowered her team and strengthened ANZ's CCR compliance framework. Kasia embodies the values of the Knowledge Excellence Award through her dedication to building collective expertise, promoting transparency, and driving compliance excellence.

The finalists for the Knowledge Excellence award were:

Brad Lynch, formerly at People First Bank

Brad has been a mainstay in Arca Workgroups and can be relied upon to share legal perspectives that improve the quality of these discussions. Brad’s reasoned voice and willingness to share his knowledge and understanding make him a worthy finalis

Michael Sheppard, Experian Australia

Michael "Migs" Sheppard has worked tirelessly behind the scenes. He has a highly technical knowledge, but also the patience and ability to translate that into easily digestible explanations. He unfailingly uses his knowledge and experience to improve the system and make it more accessible for others.

Leng Kay pictured above, accepting the award on Kasia’s behalf)

CreditSmart Recognition (organisation) Award

The CreditSmart Recognition Award recognises a Member organisation that exemplifies CreditSmart's dedication to making credit health information visible, accessible, and easily understood. This Member actively promotes CreditSmart's educational content and messaging, demonstrating a commitment to continuous collaboration and sharing of improvements to benefit consumers.

The winner is Westpac

Westpac goes above and beyond to educate its customers on credit health. Their multi-channel approach includes comprehensive website articles and printed materials. Westpac provides a two-page, consumer-friendly financial hardship leaflet, clearly explaining available assistance and arrangements, when entering an arrangement. By offering these resources at key moments, they ensure customers have access to valuable, practical guidance on credit reporting and credit health - supported by CreditSmart information and links to learn more. Westpac were integral in the development of the CreditSmart Financial Hardship Assistance and Credit Reporting brochure, bringing together a team with a breadth of experience across credit reporting (supply and correction), collections, customer disputes, communication, and legal. The team worked together over a number of months, finetuning the content until the outcome was reached - being a brochure that was both informative and easily understood by customers, and fit for purpose for use by any Arca Member.

The finalists for the CreditSmart Recognition Award were:

Experian Australia

Experian Australia has an unwavering dedication to making credit health information visible, accessible and easily understood. A cornerstone of all Experian's direct-to-consumer messaging is its alignment with CreditSmart educational content, ensuring consistent messaging that benefits both consumers and the broader credit industry. As a result, more individuals have accessed their credit reports than ever before, significantly expanding the reach and impact of CreditSmart's resources.

Queensland Country Bank

Queensland Country Bank demonstrates a strong commitment to educating its customers on credit health by providing clear, consistent messages and detailed infographics aligned with CreditSmart on comprehensive credit reporting and financial hardship assistance. They offer practical guidance for those facing unexpected financial difficulties, including links to each of the CreditSmart infographics and multiple links back to the CreditSmart website for more information.

2024 Arca Community Partner Award - WiCRC Leadership

The 2024 Arca Community Partner Award - Women in Credit Risk and Collections (WiCRC) Leadership. This award celebrates a woman or person who identifies as female in a way that is significant to them, who is not only a leader but a true architect of the future in the credit risk and collections industry. Through her actions, she demonstrates the power of connection, collaboration, and innovation - values that resonate deeply with WiCRC’s Three Pillars: Engage, Elevate, and Spark. Through these three pillars she leaves a permanent mark on credit risk and collections, fostering a future built on collaboration, progress, and innovation.

The winner is Stephanie Ooi, Toyota Finance Australia

Stephanie has been instrumental in driving forward-thinking strategies in the credit risk and collections space, and she embodies the values of WiCRC's Three Pillars—Engage, Elevate, and Spark. Stephanie’s approach fosters a risk culture where every individual takes ownership, embracing the principle that "Risk is Everyone's Business. Stephanie's thoughtful leadership and mentorship continues to create growth opportunities for those around her.

As a mentor, Stephanie has dedicated her time to guiding and supporting women aspiring to leadership positions. She has helped her mentees set career goals, develop key skills, and navigate professional challenges, ensuring that the next generation of women leaders is well-equipped to succeed. Stephanie's leadership is defined by her proactive and forward-thinking approach to staying informed about industry best practices. She remains actively engaged with the latest updates from Arca, the PRDE framework, and other compliance regulations. This deep involvement ensures that TFA not only stays compliant but consistently exceeds industry standards by integrating these guidelines into the company's core business strategies. Her ability to seamlessly align evolving industry practices with TFA's operations has fostered a culture of regulatory excellence.

The finalists for the 2024 Arca Community Partner Award - WiCRC Leadership were:

Jacqui Kelleher, Athena Home Loans

Jacqui fosters a future built on collaboration, progress and innovation through her actions. She actively engages in Arca workgroups, sharing knowledge and insights to address industry challenges. She works towards better outcomes for all, and her dedication to keeping customers at the forefront inspires others to do the same. Her passion for innovation and drive to make a difference is contagious!

Lucy Riggall, Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Lucy Riggall has always been ahead of the curve in the world of financial services, particularly in SME lending and customer care. CBA report that she was the first leader from the big banks to attend financial counsellor conferences, driving real and meaningful financial hardship solutions for customers. Lucy's commitment to putting customers first has been nothing short of groundbreaking. Lucy's leadership style is direct, honest, and always focused on real solutions.

We are thrilled to share the finalists and winners of the 2024 Arca Awards who were announced during the Arca Credit Summit Celebration Dinner.

Winners received a ticket to next year’s Arca Credit Summit and were presented with a beautifully sculptured award by renowned indigenous artist Wayne “Liwingu” McGinness. Wayne has handcrafted each award from Australian marine grade stainless steel in a stunning river design created for last year’s awards, but this time using colours of the beach, symbolising The Gold Coast shore being lapped by waves at the bottom, moving up and leading out to sea.