Callcredit’s Melanie (Mel) Mitchley has recently been elected to CCTA’s Council.

After attending her first Council meeting, Mel enthused about the warm welcome she had received from CEO Chris Oakes and the other members. She added that it was an honour to serve on the Council and that she is looking forward to working closely with Chris, her colleagues and CCTA's staff and being a proactive contributor to CCTA's business.

CCTA's Council should be a beneficiary of Mel's in-depth operational experience and comprehensive knowledge of the lending industry which spans some 20 years with several of the UK's leading financial services businesses.

Mel joined Callcredit as Director Industry Relations in May 2004. Her diverse responsibilities include managing and developing Callcredit's relationships with relevant industry bodies, trade associations, government departments, regulators and consumer groups. This role demonstrates the importance of Callcredit's engagement with all stakeholders within, and associated with, the industry.

Mel is an active observer of, and participant in, developments affecting the industry and ensures that these are understood within Callcredit and, where necessary, that changes are appropriately implemented within the business.

Mel is responsible for ensuring that Callcredit's views are well represented externally. This includes being the company spokesperson on many issues such as identity fraud and over-indebtedness. Mel is a regular spokesperson in the media and is a member of various industry and wider policy groups and working parties, including SCOR (the Steering Committee on Reciprocity), Registry Trust Limited, CIFAS and the Home Office's ID Fraud Forum.

Callcredit is part of the Skipton Information Group and one of six core businesses, along with database management company EuroDirect; market analysis firm GMAP Consulting; on-line payment service provider Legatio; DecisionMetrics, a specialist in the development and implementation of scorecards and affordability assessment; and Broadsystem, a communications company, specialising in the creation, management and execution of marketing service programs

Callcredit is going from strength to strength and achieved substantial growth throughout 2006 and 2007. As Mel confirmed, there are "stretching" targets for this year to ensure future commercial success. These include continuing emphasis on being innovative, delivering on customer service and offering enhanced products.

Mel was born in Malta. As a Forces child, she moved to various locations at home and abroad before the family settled in Anglesey, which remains the family home base. Mel's first job was with Midland Bank in a local branch and, subsequently, in London. Her next employer was First Direct and a Leeds-based role. Mel spent seven very happy years with First Direct in its formative period undertaking a variety of roles that included judgemental lending, project management and embracing industry issues.

Whilst in Yorkshire, Mel met her future husband Martin. After just three weeks, they knew that they would marry, although they waited 18 months.

Prior to joining Callcredit, Mel worked at GE Consumer Finance as Head of Portfolio Risk and Decision Systems. Later, as Head of Fraud, she was responsible for setting up a centralised fraud team. She has also worked at Alliance & Leicester and Abbey. Yorkshire has been Mel's base for work as well as her home, near Leeds, for many years.

2008 looks set to be another interesting year of relentless change for the credit industry. Moreover, the year is unfolding on an uncertain note with the economic challenges and uncertainty besetting UK PLC.

Mel singled out four main credit issues - each one a "meaty" agenda item on its own of course - that will exercise the industry in the short term:
• Data access and data sharing.
• Over-indebtedness.
• Personal insolvency.
• Fraud and identity matters.

Mel and Martin enjoy walking with their two dogs and on their own. Holidays are important for Mel with her busy work schedule and the couple enjoy visiting new places, combining relaxation with exploration. The next trip - to Malaysia - is currently being planned. Mel is an avid Formula One enthusiast - a spectator, she hastened to qualify, not a participant. She also tries to find time for cookery and entertaining and, importantly, spending quality time with family and friends.

CCTA's Council will benefit from the knowledge and enthusiasm of this industry expert, whilst Mel will become known to those association members who are unfamiliar with the name Mel Mitchley.