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ILSE JONKER

@ilsejonker

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Legal operations and compliance specialist optimizing credit risk and debt recovery for regulated organizations.

South Africa

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for fully remote consulting or contract/salaried work where I can lead legal operations and compliance—optimizing credit risk and debt recovery workflows, strengthening GDPR/POPIA/NCA compliance, and delivering clear reporting and settlement outcomes for UK/EU/international teams.

I’m a legal operations and compliance specialist with 19+ years of experience in credit risk management, debt recovery, and regulatory compliance. I combine legal expertise with commercial awareness to build structured recovery workflows that are measurable, compliant, and resilient in high-pressure environments.

As Legal Operations & Compliance Lead | Director at Jonker Attorneys Incorporated (February 2006–Present), I established a full-scale debt recovery operation across five geographical locations and led multi-location teams of 20+ staff. I’ve managed high-volume debtor portfolios using multi-stage communication strategies (email, SMS, and telephony) and consistently ranked number one on the Vericred Collections attorney panel for performance and productivity.

I’m known for implementing compliance frameworks aligned with GDPR, POPIA, NCA, CPA, FICA, and AML/KYC practices across staff and client portfolios. I conduct end-to-end data privacy compliance, including data mapping, privacy impact assessments, and drafting privacy notices and data security SOPs—while maintaining practical risk mitigation and contingency plans.

Alongside operational execution, I strengthen stakeholder outcomes through settlement negotiation, reporting, and clear governance across complex disputes. I’m also an accredited civil mediator (commercial and dispute resolution) and I leverage AI-assisted workflow optimization (Claude, ChatGPT) to improve drafting, communication workflows, and day-to-day efficiency.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Accredited Civil Mediator

Current

Eden Mediation

Jan 2026 - Present (5 months)

Practise accredited civil mediation for commercial, financial and civil disputes, facilitating negotiated settlements and reducing reliance on costly litigation. Deliver pre-litigation dispute resolution and structured mediation across multiple matter types, including remote sessions for geographically diverse parties.

Dispute Resolution Pre Litigation Disputes Remote Mediation Cross Party Negotiation

Current

Legal Operations & Compliance Lead

Current

Jonker Attorneys Incorporated

Feb 2006 - Present (20 years 4 months)

Established and managed a legal operations and debt recovery business across 5 locations, running a three-phase recovery operation with a call centre team of 20+ staff. Implemented NCA/CPA/FICA and GDPR/POPIA-compliant processes (incl. KYC/AML), managed high-volume debtor portfolios, negotiated complex settlements, and led trust/business account reconciliations and reporting.

Legal Operations FICA And CPA Compliance Legal Negotiation Account Reconciliation

Partner | Attorney & Compliance Officer

Marnewick & Greyling Attorneys

Jan 2005 - Jan 2014 (9 years)

Served as a partner and senior attorney managing debt collection, civil litigation, and compliance across two branches. Built foundational recovery workflows, handled trust and business bookkeeping to trial balance and VAT/audit preparation, drafted commercial contracts, and supported employment law matters including CCMA processes.

Debt Collection Contract Drafting

Candidate Attorney

Robert Schoeman Attorneys

Jan 2004 - Jan 2006 (2 years)

Completed articles of clerkship providing hands-on support for civil litigation, debt collection, and contract enforcement. Drafted and filed pleadings and applications, conducted legal research across civil/commercial/financial legislation, supported client consultations and legal correspondence, and managed invoicing and follow-ups for outstanding payments.

And Legal Correspondence Civil Litigation Support Debt Collection Legal Research Contract Enforcement Assistance