Experience

Australian Financial Complaints Authority

• Australia
• Financial Services
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Technical and Quality Manager - Superannuation

  • Mar 2020 - Present

  Lead the quality work across AFCA's superannuation area. Quality check written work, including assessments and recommendations. Mentor, train and coach new and existing team members. Work proactively with management to develop and implement continuous improvement strategies.Support colleagues to understand technical superannuation queries and explain complex legal and financial concepts in plain English. Identify performance issues and knowledge gaps to be addressed and work to resolve the issues in conjunction with colleagues and management.

• Case Manager

  • Sep 2018 - Mar 2020



Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

• Australia
• Telecommunications
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Dispute Resolution Officer - Systemic Investigations

  • Dec 2016 - Aug 2018

  For most of my time at the TIO, I was on an internal secondment with the Systemic Investigations team. The team consists of myself and a Dispute Resolution Specialist. We work closely together to identify possible systemic issues with telecoms providers. Systemic issues can be about a provider's systems, processes or practices that may or is impacting a significant number of particular type of consumer. This role requires an in depth knowledge of the law and excellent writing ability. I work closely with senior staff at service providers once a systemic issue has been identified to help them address the issue satisfactorily. The role is extremely rewarding and I have had a number of notable successes in influencing positive changes for providers and their customers. If we are unable to secure cooperation with a provider I then work with senior TIO staff to ensure the issue is reffered to the ACCC and/or ACMA (the industry regulators). Before starting my secondment I worked as a regular Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO). I conciliate and investigate complaints from consumers about their telecoms service providers. We apply the law, best industry practice and what is fair and reasonable to conciliate complaints to reach a mutually agreeable resolution. We only resort to formal investigation if conciliation fails. The role demands outstanding conciliation skills and a deep knowledge of the law and how telecoms services are supplied and work. It is a demanding job with large caseloads that requires the ability to work quickly under pressure. Written and verbal communication skills are an essential part of the role. My outcome letters and conversations need to be impartial but also accurately capture every aspect of my reasoning in order to be effective and persuasive. I have further developed my skills at handling challenging people as I have multiple daily difficult conversations. The position has also allowed me to utilise my excellent problem solving skills.



Yarra City Council

• Australia
• Government Administration
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Permits and Business Support Officer

  • Jun 2016 - Dec 2016

  I was employed in the busy Construction Management department at Yarra City Council on a temporary contract. I dealt with a wide range of construction enquiries, including permit applications, complaints and technical questions about construction. My enthusiasm and ability to learn quickly were rewarded as I was given additional roles and responsibilities, including liaising with the Mayor’s office to deal with construction complaints when they were escalated. My contract was extended numerous times, reflecting the value I added to the department.



House of Commons

• United Kingdom
• Political Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Political Advisor & Parliamentary Researcher

  • Jun 2015 - Jun 2016

  I worked for a prominent senior Member of Parliament in his busy Westminster office. Since starting there my role underwent a constant process of evolution and I experienced a rapid escalation in the responsibilities I was entrusted with. My position essentially saw me acting as a researcher, assistant, advisor, press officer and caseworker. The main focus of my position centred around my role as the lead researcher and coordinator of the British Infrastructure Group (BIG), where I was responsible for helping my MP direct the project and the areas on which it focuses. BIG is a group of MPs led by my MP who sign up to its latest report that examines the need for investment or policy innovation on a particular aspect of British infrastructure. Under my direction BIG released three major reports, the first was on the need for greater investment in the UK broadband network, 'Broadbad', the second focussed on the need for liberalising Sunday trading laws, 'Sunday Trading in the 21st Century', and the third examined road management policy reform, 'We're Jammin''. I was responsible for conducting the research and data gathering, authoring the reports, planning and executing the campaigns and leading the corresponding media and marketing strategies. I developed and ran a better broadband campaign which was then supported by the Daily Telegraph and Which?, a consumer affairs magazine. I gathered cross party support from MPs and generated press coverage, which resulted in me securing major broadcast and print interviews and articles. All the reports and campaigns were hugely successful in influencing policy debates and decisions. ‘Broadbad’ and the resulting campaign were directly responsible for forcing BT to promise billions of extra pounds of investment in their UK broadband network and forced the Government into including legislation on the issue in the 2016 Queen’s Speech.



Financial Ombudsman Service

• United Kingdom
• Financial Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Adjudicator

  • Aug 2013 - Jun 2015

  I assessed cases brought to the service by consumers unhappy with the way their complaint had been dealt with by a financial business. I was in frequent contact with businesses and their customers. I did this in an impartial way; listening to both sides of the story and making an evidence based logical assessment of the facts and decide what was most likely to have occurred. My experience and passion for the job was quickly recognised. I was put in charge of my team’s productivity and quality scores. I was the technical expert leading the rollout in my division of new IT case categorisation and workflow tools. These were demanding and pressured roles that I balanced on top of my day-to-day adjudicator work. I regularly achieved monthly quality scores of 100% and productivity levels in excess of 200%. I proactively sought additional roles and responsibilities. I was trained to work numerous other types of complaints and have a deep technical knowledge of multiple product areas, working the most complex cases. I was involved in a number of projects to analyse and spot trends in work we did as an organisation. I was later responsible for liaising with our most senior ombudsman when they put cases ‘on hold’ where we could not work them at that particular time due to missing evidence and/or guidance, ensuring we swiftly resolve issues and keep adjudicators up to date on the progress being made. Prior to leaving I was also working at a senior level planning how new European laws affect would impact our service levels.



Deloitte

• Business Consulting and Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Case Handler

  • Oct 2012 - Aug 2013

  I worked on a Deloitte project for Lloyds Banking Group in their PPI division as a case handler on their graduate scheme. I passed through the accreditation process rapidly and was working live cases on the full daily target within 6 weeks. The job required excellent planning skills, a keen eye for detail, the ability to work quickly and to a high quality with the minimum of supervision. Above all, the role demanded the ability to gather a range of evidence in order to logically assess the validity of a customer’s allegation of mis-selling. Customer contact was another essential function of the job. I was the most productive case handler of the first two quarters of 2013 and also had the highest possible quality score of 100%, a score I possessed when I left. This ensured that I was picked to form part of a small specialist team that was sent to Dublin to help set up the review project for the bank over there, as those chosen for the project had to be the best case handlers available. This was an exciting and valuable opportunity that required strong analytical skills as we had to analyse thousands of complaints to establish whether there was a business need to open up all PPI sales to potential mis-sale investigation. I filled in for my team leader on numerous occasions as well.



Primark

• Ireland
• Retail
• 700 & Above Employee

• Supervisor

  • Nov 2007 - Oct 2012

  The management team noticed my enthusiasm and responsibility and I was promoted to the cash office and then to supervisor within 12 months of joining the company from the basic retail operative position. I was the sole floor supervisor and this involved a range of responsibilities including the management and motivation of over 25 staff, interacting with customers and dealing with any complaints or issues. I was also responsible for ensuring the key stock lines were displayed prominently to increase sales, taking deliveries and the ordering of stock, stocking up the shop floor, monitoring the tills and maximising the levels of customer service. I was offered the opportunity of management training before leaving for university and returned to work at the store during breaks from university.