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.
It’s the end of the day. People are winding down after another day in the trenches. But Kelly Feoli is just warming up. Loving the quiet that follows another hard day in the office, it allows her to focus and strategize what to tackle tomorrow. Read on to learn more about Kelly and how growing up on a farm has helped her climb the corporate ladder in the collection industry.
Name: Kelly Feoli
Job Title: Executive Vice President, Operations
Company: MRS
Length of Time at Current Company: 10 years.
Length of Time in Industry: 10 years.
How did you get your start in the industry?
I started as an agent without any prior experience. Collecting sounded interesting to me.
What is your career highlight so far?
Starting a new department with an out of the box idea and watching it grow into a huge moneymaker.
When or how are you most productive?
I am the most productive at the end of the day when the office starts to clear out. During the day it is a collection battlefield with all eyes on the money. I enjoy being on the front line and battling but the most productive hours are the after-hours when I can start strategizing.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
There is not one professional that I admire the most. I seem to gain the most knowledge from the MRS Executive Team. They all seem to bring something unique to the table and I have learned so much from them individually. This knowledge has been a huge part of my success.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
I am able to negotiate without the audience realizing that I am negotiating.
What do you like most about this industry?
I really like that it is constantly changing especially in the world of digital communications. This is an industry in which if you stay stagnant you will be left behind but if you think far enough ahead and take action you will be able to grow and stay ahead of your competitors.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
The negative stigma that is attached to collection agencies. We have made great progress but we still have some work to do.
Describe a typical work day.
In the collection industry, I am not sure there is actually a typical day. There always seems to be a different fire to put out depending on the day. For the most part, I like to start my day communicating with my team with any pertinent updates and/or changes. I then look over collection numbers from the agents, portal, and our AI. The day usually takes the direction of meetings, client calls, and strategizing. At the end of my day, I always prepare for the next day knowing what I have on the calendar and tasks that need to be completed. It is never groundhog day in the collection world, something new always pops up.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
This was the easiest question of all. I would no doubt be in the field of medical research. Being able to give back or help others is at the top of my list. Who knows I still have time to make that change.
What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is a glass of wine at the end of the day.
The Getting to Know Series is Sponsored By:
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice that I have ever received is to be careful with email exchanges. I continuously use the 24-hour response time if I feel that I may be firing back at something that I disagree with.
What are you currently reading?
“When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi.
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you
One fact that I would want everyone to know is that I am a farm girl at heart. Born and raised on a farm has taught me so many valuable life lessons that has paved my way to success in this industry.
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.
