Open to opportunities

Susanne Matthews

@susannematthews

Message

Credit & Collections executive driving revenue growth, risk mitigation, and optimized AR.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a leadership role in credit, collections, and account management where I can improve DSO, reduce bad debt, strengthen client relationships, and drive revenue recovery with a high-performing team.

I’m a client-focused Credit, Collections, and Account Management Executive with 20+ years managing high-value portfolios across financial services, higher education, and energy. I excel at strengthening client relationships, driving revenue growth, mitigating financial risk, and optimizing account performance through clear strategy and disciplined execution.

I’m especially effective in portfolio strategy, AR optimization, and DSO & bad debt mitigation. Most recently, I executed strategic collections on 550–700 commercial accounts, reducing delinquency through outreach and follow-up using VitalEdge (e-Emphasys) and Baan ERP, and contributing to exceeding Q4 collection forecasts through high-dollar recoveries.

In energy, I directed multi-site credit and collections operations—leading 10 analysts managing 1,000+ accounts—and reduced DSO and bad debt through portfolio segmentation and executive reporting on $20K+ balances. I also exercised credit authority up to $1M for fuel delivery orders, managed multi-state Energy Assistance Programs, and presented weekly risk metrics to executive leadership while overseeing agency/attorney placements.

Earlier in higher education, I led billing and collections operations for major institutions, improving financial performance by $6.3M during the pandemic through redesigned outreach strategy. I also launched and led a Billing & Collections startup in Gdansk, Poland, partnering across stakeholders on agency/vendor performance and placement strategy while ensuring strong compliance and sound financial decision-making.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Commercial Collections Analyst

Trotter Workforce Agency

Jul 2025 - Dec 2025 (5 months)

Executed strategic collections on 550–700 commercial accounts, reducing delinquency through outreach and follow-up using VitalEdge and Baan ERP. Improved DSO and mitigated bad debt exposure, exceeding Q4 collection forecasts with $15M–$20M processed monthly at 99%+ accuracy.

Commercial Collections VitalEdge (E Emphasys)BaaN ERP DSO Management Bad Debt Processing Portfolio Outreach Collections Forecasting

Credit & Collections Manager

Griffith Energy Services, Inc.

Oct 2022 - May 2024 (1 year 7 months)

Directed multi-site credit and collections operations for 1,000+ accounts, reducing DSO and bad debt through portfolio segmentation and executive reporting on $20K+ balances. Exercised credit authority up to $1M, oversaw multi-state energy assistance program compliance, and presented weekly risk metrics to executive leadership.

Executive Reporting Credit Authority Risk Assessment DSO Management Compliance Management

Billing and Collections Operations

Adtalem Global Education

Jul 2010 - Oct 2022 (12 years 3 months)

Led domestic and international billing and collections operations for Walden University, University of Liverpool, Roehampton University, and Glion Institute of Higher Education, directing a Financial Account Management team of 25 FTE. Improved financial performance by $6.3M during the pandemic through redesigned outreach, while managing AR risk, forecasting, and bad debt mitigation across internat

Billing & Collections AR Risk Management Forecasting Outreach Financial Operations Stakeholder Management Executive Reporting

30-Day to Charge-Off Collections

Sallie Mae

Nov 2009 - Jul 2010 (8 months)

Managed private and federal student loan collections, leading a team of 15 representatives focused on recovery execution and performance against liquidation rate goals. Drove day-to-day operations to support portfolio performance in collections through charge-off.

Team Management Liquidation Rate Performance Private & Federal Portfolios Performance Metrics

Specialty Collections Team Manager

JP Morgan Chase

Apr 2009 - Nov 2009 (7 months)

Supervised a 30-member specialty collections team, overseeing exception approvals and Tier 2 escalations to ensure risk mitigation and policy compliance. Surpassed team performance goals during 85% of tenure.

Risk Mitigation & Compliance Team Leadership Performance Management Recovery Operations

Customer Care Operations Vice President

HSBC

Jan 2007 - Jan 2008 (1 year)

Directed enterprise customer care operations supporting 200+ employees across multi-functional teams, owning service delivery, revenue generation, and operational performance. Managed SLA accountability and led cross-sell initiatives while optimizing operational budgeting and capacity planning.

Customer Care Operations SLA Management Service Delivery Cross Sell Revenue Generation Budgeting Capacity Planning

Collections Call Center Sr Manager

HSBC

Jan 1999 - Jan 2007 (8 years)

Led 250+ employees across a full delinquency lifecycle through 150-Day Collections, overseeing recruitment, retention, and performance management. Optimized dialer strategy to improve roll rates, achieving the #1 national roll rate (Bucket One, 2005), and delivered executive-ready gap analysis across five sites.

150 Day Collections Workforce Optimization Roll Rate Optimization Performance Analytics Gap Analysis Executive Reporting

Collections/Skiptracing Trainer

HSBC

Jan 1997 - Jan 1999 (2 years)

Supervised collection units, managed quality monitoring, and coached teams while implementing formalized training and procedures. Facilitated new-hire training curriculum and received a President’s Award for leadership in supervision and training.

Collections Management Coaching And Training Training Programs New Hire Onboarding