Could you tell us a bit about your significant successes in your role?

A recent significant success would be upskilling myself (and then subsequently training the team) to be able to undertake work that was traditionally outsourced due to capability limitations such as key securitisation documents and warehouse funding facilities.

By assessing what work we had been outsourcing and working with the business on what could be brought back in-house, it not only saved the business money but also increased the value-add the legal team provides the business.

The legal team has received positive feedback for the work being undertaken in-house. In particular, the finance team is particularly impressed with the efficiency and output of the work done by myself and the team in relation to the setting up of a new settlement trust facility and also Plenti’s existing warehouse funding facilities – all work which had previously been outsourced. As the team continues to upskill, we hope to create a stronger and more efficient legal team that supports the business in a wide variety of matters beyond BAU.

What is the biggest risk to your industry or organisation and how are you contributing to prepare your organisation for this?

The biggest risk currently faced by the company is the current market volatility, and the increase in funding costs that impacts non-bank lenders like Plenti.

We have observed the impact of the increase in funding costs on other non-bank lenders and the associated press surrounding that. Plenti’s operation performance remains very positive, and we work to ensure that the market is informed of Plenti’s operational performance and avoid any contagion risk.

I work closely with the business to ensure that we can overcome the impact of any increase in funding, including advising the business on passing on the increased costs in an appropriate manner. I also work with the business to ensure that the market is informed about our diverse portfolio of products to differentiate ourselves from our peers. This includes the exclusive partnerships Plenti has with large energy retailers offering bundled energy and finance, a product which none of our peers currently offer. I worked closely with the business to draft, negotiate, and sign bespoke partnership arrangements for those transactions.

What challenges have you overcome to get to the position you are in today?

The main challenge I have had to face (and still face!) is overcoming imposter syndrome. Particularly when starting a new role or undertaking a new type of work which I have little or no prior experience in. I always have to remind myself that we all have to start somewhere and as long as I manage the expectations of the relevant stakeholders appropriately, and I am in team that supports me doing something new, I can do it and overcome the fear of not being enough or being seen as incompetent.