The “Getting to Know” series is sponsored by Applied Innovation. Applied Innovation is helping to shape the future of accounts receivable management. Product development is driven by customer feedback, agency profitability and compliance and includes platforms addressing client portal access, document management, payment negotiation, Regulation E focused electronic payment authorizations and TCPA communication authorization platforms. Partner with a company who understands your business challenges and evolves to provide cutting edge technology to overcome those challenges and achieve success.
Compliance flows through the blood of Trace Dillon. Even if he wasn’t working in the accounts receivable management industry, he still would likely be working to make sure someone wasn’t running afoul of any laws. Trace is also one of those rare compliance folks who don’t cringe or avoid talking to people on the operations side of the building. Read on to learn more about Trace, his love of hockey fights, and how he approaches his day in a systematic way.
Name: Trace Dillon
Job Title: Chief Compliance Officer
Company: Gulf Coast Collection Bureau, Inc.
Length of Time at Current Company: 11 months
Length of Time in Industry: 25 years
How did you get your start in the industry?
I started working for a collection law firm out of law school.
What is your career highlight so far?
Joining a growing, dynamic organization that has allowed me to make my mark on the organization.
When or how are you most productive?
Early morning, after a good night’s sleep.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
I listen, ask questions and seek input from every level.
What do you like most about this industry?
I enjoy the constant change in the operating rules that require swift innovative thinking to comply.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
I would like to change the perception that debt collectors and debt buyers seek to break laws and take advantage of individuals. In my experience, the overwhelming number of individuals not only seek to follow laws and regulations, but seek to do the “right” thing in each situation.
Describe a typical work day.
Is any day typical anymore? Generally, I create a list of overall projects the organization seeks to complete each year. Each quarter, pieces of the projects are identified to be completed and tasked to appropriate staff, as well as assigning routine tasks to specific individuals. Every day I touch base with these individuals to evaluate progress, discuss obstacles to accomplishing assignments and mapping out a plan for success. I review status of workflows daily and address any that raise an alarm. I try to set easy-to-achieve objectives each day so everyone feels success when tasks are accomplished and provide positive feedback. I spend a great deal of time speaking to operations folks at every level to find out what is causing them problems or to discern what may have caused a complaint and then seek ways to adjust policies and procedures to alleviate these issues. At the end of each day, I try to make a list of items to accomplish for the next day.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
Probably working in a similar industry ensuring compliance with laws.
The Getting to Know Series is Sponsored By:
What is your guilty pleasure?
Watching hockey fights on YouTube.
What are you currently reading?
The Phoenix Project.
The “Getting to Know” series is sponsored by Applied Innovation. Applied Innovation is helping to shape the future of accounts receivable management. Product development is driven by customer feedback, agency profitability and compliance and includes platforms addressing client portal access, document management, payment negotiation, Regulation E focused electronic payment authorizations and TCPA communication authorization platforms. Partner with a company who understands your business challenges and evolves to provide cutting edge technology to overcome those challenges and achieve success
