Consultant Spotlight Series: Meet Heather Papows
SCA is proud to present our new Consultant Spotlight Series- where we get to know the team supporting the successes of our company and our Clients.
Interview conducted by Donna Thaxter – Training, Coaching, and Professional Development Consultant
Our first article in this interview series features Heather Papows, a Senior Consultant in Loan Servicing and the Secondary Market.
Donna: Welcome, Heather, and thanks for kicking off our new SCA Consultant Spotlight Series. Please tell our readers a little about how you came to join the team here at SCA.
Heather: Sure thing. Let’s see, I joined the SCA team a little over two years ago, and in that time, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside 15 or more institutions of varying shapes and sizes. My work has ranged from helping clients rectify out-of-balance GSE cash positions to addressing delinquency management and loss mitigation. I’ve also helped clients establish and improve formal written policies and procedures and automate operational workflows. Finally, I’ve partnered with large and small institutions on more strategic levels to align their servicing and secondary market teams with the organization’s strategic and business-critical goals. What I most enjoy about working with our clients is the wide range of tailored solutions I can provide. Then, to see each of our clients succeed, that’s the best reward!
Donna: Let’s delve a little further into your client’s successes. In your experience, what have you found to be the cornerstones of a successful operation?
Heather: Well, at the foundational level, building a cohesive team is the most critical ingredient for success in any operation. In my experience, team building is much more than just bringing people together. For a team to be effective, we need to identify the core competencies they need to drive individual and team success. This also means that we have to equip people with the proper knowledge and skills and then support them with easily accessible tools and resources. These resources might range from internal connections or mentors to technical job aids and more. When you focus on serving the needs of each individual, the team’s collective results can be astounding!
I’ve also found that leaders of successful teams set and communicate clear expectations that they continually reinforce through measurement and recognition that emphasizes team and individual contributor successes. These steps help you change course from unfavorable conditions sooner since you can monitor and re-adjust, maintaining that forward momentum.
Finally, I’d say that collaboration and tapping into different perspectives is another core value of mine. My role as a consultant has allowed me to acquire a wide range of “industry best practices” that I have been fortunate to experience and contribute to first-hand. The roles I’ve held throughout my career, each building on the next, allowed me to quickly acquire new skills and take on larger responsibilities, which in turn strengthened my ability to troubleshoot and fix problems. I can use these experiences to create solid and well-diversified solutions that can be catered to each institution’s individualized needs.
Donna: Heather, my final question. What would you like to share about your personal side of life, and what do you like to do when you’re not partnering with clients?
Heather: Well, I am married to my high school sweetheart, this year marking 20 years together (I think I just felt another grey hair popping out). We have two wonderful sons who love sports and generally just being active! I love being active with them, from the soccer field to the basketball court and beyond. Otherwise, in my (limited) spare time, I enjoy cooking, baking, nature walks, and escaping into a book.
If you would like to learn more about how Heather can help you with solutions to Loan Servicing or Secondary Market challenges or optimize opportunities for success, reach out to Heather via email at HPapows@scapartnering.com; or contact our Director, Bill Dolan. You can reach Bill via email (WDolan@scapartnering.com) or phone (617-694-2617).
