In the Loop

lo p in the

September 2021

Oplo People Magazine

There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’!

Page 8

Page 6

An interview with Nnenna Stevenson

Page 11

The ESG Committee on Tour

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Contents New starters............................................. 04 An interview with................................... 06 It’s the little things in life.................... 07 There’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team........................... 08 Oplo Impact............................................. 10 The ESG Committee on tour............ 11 Getting involved at................................12

We’re reaching out to recruit people for our In the Loop editorial support committee.

We’re looking for roving reporters who can keep their ear to the ground and feed back great Oplo news stories from within the business.

To find out more email marketing@myoplo.co.uk

Monthly stats........................................... 13 Introducing The Green Deal.............. 15 Volunteering Days.................................. 16 What’s to come....................................... 17 Plant it forward........................................18 15 Years Service........................................19 Your Extra Mile........................................ 20

New starters

Welcome!

to the new starters who have joined in September!

Liam Hartnett Underwriter Adam Gamaz Customer Relationship Manager Rebecca Heatley Customer Relationship Manager Penny Andonegui Customer Relationship Manager Louise Bowery Complaints Officer Christopher Whittaker Videographer Ade Adewusi Senior Business Analyst Nnenna Stevenson Senior Business Analyst Jack Mansell Broker Support Executive Lewis Grisenthwaite Junior Systems Engineer

We’re

hiring!

If you w inform ould like an y atio availab n on the rol es le, plea s e e m recrui ail tment @ myopl o.co.u k

Alix Nunn Administrator Andrew Hurst Educational Facilitator

! s n o i t a l u t Congra Congratulations to Dean Perkins on completing his Level 3 Compliance Risk Officer Apprenticeship.

Meghali Gaikwad Senior Business Analyst Robby Booker Senior Developer Nicola Maxwell Customer Relationship Manager Jordan Green Junior Test Analyst Rueben Cumberbatch Senior Developer Ellie Turrell Customer Relationship Manager Tina Heckman Completions Assistant Amber Fordham Receptionist

c i t s a t n a f a t Wha ! n a e D t n e m e v e i ach

An interview with

Nnenna Stevenson Senior Business Analyst

Tell us a little bit about your background and where you have come from?

I’m a computing graduate who has been in the software environment for more than a decade. My roles have included Developer, Information Manager, Product Owner and Business Analyst. My core skills lie around building technology solutions. I've never cared about the titles I've had, as long as it's given me the opportunity to build software. I’ve come from the Civil Service where I worked as a Product Manager and Business Analyst on Universal Credit and the AI Systems for fraud detection.

Three words to best describe you?

Astute, Passionate, Empowering.

If you could travel to one destination right now, where would it be?

Bora Bora (tell me you would pay for this trip Holly!). Anyway, as I can’t afford a trip to the French Polynesia, I’ve settled for Greece - it’s the same blue coloured water!

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A medical doctor like my Dad, haha.

Apparently, I had a passion for computers, so he dissuaded me from studying medicine. Now that I think about it, I honestly couldn’t have survived in a non-tech field.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

I’d be like Superman and get rid of all the “bad guys” in the world because they hurt good people and turn them in to wounded/traumatised people for silly gains - it’s unnecessary!

e l tt i l It’s thinegs in life! th Last week was #InternationalHappinessatWorkWeek so we asked you to tell us what makes you happy at work.

“I’m happiest when I can help my team solve a problem, or when I can remove an obstacle from their way.”

Richard Asbridge

Thank you to all our Oplo People who responded with their one-liners about what makes them smile at work. Here is what our happy-go-lucky people had to say…

“Hearing on a Monday morning what all my colleagues have been up to over the weekend.”

Adam Gamaz

“When a customer is really thankful for my help.”

“When I gain an understanding of something and can then work that through, understand it well and test it thoroughly. It might sound a small thing, but it’s very useful to get a grasp of something new and helps my confidence. Also, someone saying I’ve done a good job for the team makes me happy.”

Jonothan Mylroie

“Knowing that no matter how I’m feeling when I get into the office, there will always be one person that will turn my frown upside down.”

Billy Wharton

Peter Cunningham

“What makes me happy at work is when I’ve helped a customer and can just hear the relief in their voice that things are moving forward for them, it makes my day, especially when customers tell me this.”

“I love being able to make a customer’s day and I love talking to customers on a daily basis.”

Claire Wilkinson

“Watching my guys smiling as they’re dialling.”

Sally Starks

Steve Catterall

“When Steve Beard opens the bar!”

“I love working with my fantastic team!”

Michelle Mills

Salma Ahmed

There's no 'I' in 'Team'!

Complaints and QA go Team Building at Leighton Hall Estate

What did you think of Leighton Hall Estate?

Jess - The place is very beautiful, open and peaceful. I would definitely go back again.

Gina - Really beautiful setting and would be great for events.

What type of activities did you get up to on the day?

Jess - We went for a walk, did some team building and wellness exercises and finished the day with a coffee or tea before setting off back.

Gina - Plenty of walking and we had a challenge where we had to make a little fire to boil a kettle for a cup of tea. The Complaints team lost.

What was your favourite part of the day?

If we were to host more team building days at various venues would you be keen to sign up again?

Jess - Yes definitely, it was great to see everyone and be in a different environment.

Gina - Yes, I think the fresh air did me good in all honesty.

How did it feel to finally be able to be out with your team mates?

Jess - The walk, the views and catching up with everyone.

Jess - It was really nice to catch up with everyone and meet new members of the team.

Gina - Seeing the views when we reached the top.

Gina - It was nice to see the team in person and meet our new team member, Louise.

“What a fantastic day! It was great to get most of the team together, especially considering we had a few new faces that we had only properly met over Teams. A really pleasant setting and nice to get out in the open air - very informative hosts too. Enjoyed by all, thanks.”

Rick

Ready to make an Impact Everything you need to know about our environmental initiative

The ESG Committee

on tour!

This month our ESG Committee had their monthly meeting at Leighton Hall. It was their very first face-to-face meeting, which led to some great discussions and ideas.

They were introduced to Lucy, who runs most of the day-to-day activities at the hall, and also lives there (we’re all very jealous!). We had a tour of the beautiful grounds to find out just how the volunteering days would work.

A big thank you to Debbie Waterman for organising this off-site meeting, everyone had a great time and can’t wait to get back up there for a volunteering day!

Getting involved at

Estate!

Oplo Volunteering Day Stage 1 | Preparing for Pollinators Date: 18th October 2021 Purpose of the Day: For Oplo People to step away from the stresses of working life and explore pollinators and their importance to achieving a balanced sustainable environment. Exploring what we can do to support them and prevent their declining numbers.

Action what we have learnt by preparing woodland sites ready for bulb planting to support pollinator early food

Oplo People Volunteer Day Stage 2 | Planting for Pollinators

Activities such as: • Introduction to pollinators, reasons for their decline and their importance

• Identify actions that can be taken to prevent their continued decline

• Trip to the apiary with a Beekeeper (weather permitting)

• Site clearance and preparation for bulb planting

• Reflect on the day at the log circle and fire pit – hot chocolate and marshmallows!

Activities such as: • Introduction to pollinators, reasons for their decline and their importance

An opportunity for Oplo People to to learn about Pollinators and then plant bulbs.

• Identify actions that can be taken to

Date: 25th October 2021

• Trip to the apiary with a Beekeeper

Purpose of the Day: stresses of working life and volunteer their time to explore pollinators and their importance. Looking at the role of pollinators and the impact they have on the environment and communities. Exploring what we can do to support them and prevent their declining numbers. Go to the prepared woodland sites to plant bulbs to support pollinator early food sources e.g. woodland daffodils and snowdrops.

• Bulb planting

prevent their continued decline (weather permitting)

• Reflect on the day at the log circle and fire pit – hot chocolate and marshmallows!

Book here!

Monthly stats

! s e v i t a i t i n i ll a ss o r ac August Figure

Total trees purchased

7,284 trees

Number of staff donated

15

Number of staff direct debits

13

Total raised for charity

£27,220

Staff signed up to Pawprint

204

Staff signed up to EV scheme

9

Staff signed up to Giveall

11

Kick starting our Oplo

! s y a D g n i r fi t n u Vol

At the end of August, Tiff, Lucy and Nigel kick started our Oplo Volunteering days by heading over to the BHY summer camp in Chorley to dismantle a whole lotta tents!

The guys did an amazing job working with the other businesses and getting their hands dirty, earning a well deserved rest after.

A huge congrats and thank you from us. We can’t wait for more of you to take your volunteering days.

Don’t forget you can book these on HR access!

During

After

What’s to come for

Oplo Impact:

The Opl o Swap Shop wi ll b going liv e e in Octobe r

Swap shop is a way for Oplo people to give unwanted items a second home. By donating your items, you are keeping them out of landfill, reducing the demand for manufacturing new clothes and helping make fashion more sustainable.

How does it work?

•

Oplo people will email Facilities to let them know what they are donating along with the weight, category, and number of items.

•

Facilities will upload this information onto the HR Access for Oplo people to see.

•

Items will be given on a first come first serve basis where Oplo people will email Facilities to say they want a listed item.

•

Facilities will then give that member of Oplo people the donor’s email address and collection will be arranged between those two parties.

•

Facilities will keep a track of all the appropriate information (no personal info).

•

Items will be listed on the HR system for 2 weeks; if no one has requested the donated goods then these items can be taken to Trinity Hospice donation centre here in Blackpool, it is just 15 mins from the office or to a local Mind charity shop.

Collections: •

Collection of items is to be arranged between the donor and recipient at a suitable time and location outside of office premises and hours.

•

As collections will be organised between Oplo people, you need to ensure that the items you are willing to donate are easily packaged and transportable in the average size car.

•

If you do have larger items that you would like to donate you can still do so, your donation will just go straight to Trinity Hospice.

•

Trinity Hospice operate a van collection service across Fylde Coast for bigger and bulky items.

Note: When donating please ensure they are in good condition, clothes should be clean, and furniture of any kind should not be damaged or unusable.

Plant it forward We've got a new planting project coming to HQ! With your help, we want to plant fruit trees and bulbs on a free space of land in the car park at Head Office creating our own mini, on site, Oplo Grove!

This will create a wonderful area for pollinator trees and oodles of carbon catcher bulbs which will contribute to our green project.

In addition, we want to encourage you all to get planting at home no matter how small the space, whether it’s a window basket or a nice space in your garden, bulbs can be planted anywhere!

Oplo will be providing bulb packets at each of the sites for you to grab on your way home - all we ask is that you leave a small donation we can donate to our chosen charities. Please take some snaps of you and your family having a fabulous time planting the winter bulbs ready for bloom in spring, so that we can share your hard work on our social platforms.

Please email ESG@myoplo.co.uk to get involved in the on-site planting project!

Set up your very own 'nectar café' by planting flowers for pollinating insects like bees and butterflies.

Many of our most important insects feed on nectar, so need flowering plants for their survival. Butterflies, moths, bees and hoverflies all need sources of nectar and pollen to thrive. As they travel from flower to flower, they pollinate them, enabling them to set seed or bear fruit.

So, setting up a nectar café benefits both your plants and you, allowing you to enjoy the flitting and fluttering of beautiful butterflies.

Most bulbs should go in the ground between October and December.

You can plant daffodils, crocus, tulips, fritillaries and grape hyacinths and you’ll find your garden comes alive in the spring.

15 Years Service for Katy Heaps

our Head of Consumer Lending!

What's kept you at Oplo for all these years?

In the early days, I was really keen to get stuck in and learn as much as I could as I had very little knowledge of the finance world. I developed a real passion for what we do and the business has always been innovative and exciting to work for which I enjoy. I also work with a great team of people which helps make every day as enjoyable as possible!

What are the main differences in Oplo from 2006 to now?

When I joined Oplo (1st Stop), there was about 15 people working here and we were in a small office above Alex’s dads business. I have this vivid memory of walking in on my first day and seeing files and paperwork stacked high on desks… none of that nowadays! That’s when everything was done via post and we would get people’s actual payslips, bank statements and ID and we would have to post them back to customers.

It seems silly now but that was the norm back then. 1st Stop was a brokerage so we used to sell loans and package them up on behalf of other lenders rather than lending the money ourselves.

What part of your role as Head of Lending do you enjoy the most?

I really like being a part of key strategies and decision making. I also really enjoy developing people within the team and hopefully imparting some of my wisdom.

What advice would you give to new starters?

If you are passionate, have a good work ethic and the desire to learn, you will go far!

What’s been your proudest achievement at Oplo?

I think I would have to say when I was promoted to Head of Lending approx 4 years ago. Over the last 15 years I have worked my way up through the ranks from admin, underwriting and all the way through to senior management. I worked under a couple of different Heads of Lending before I got the opportunity to take on the position myself and was very proud when I was given the opportunity to do so.

YourExtra Mile Understanding At Oplo we take time to get to know you and understand your situation. We look for the possibilities, not the problems. Want to thank someone for showing a unique level of understanding or compassion?

Fair We believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to better themselves. We’re always open minded and even handed with our customers and with one another. Has your colleague gone above and beyond to help you better yourself by being open minded and accepting?

Enabling We give hard working people the tools to help themselves. We’re always helpful and practical in our approach. Has a team member supported you in powering your potential, enabling you to achieve a goal?

Enterprising We’re entrepreneurial and authentic. We genuinely believe that when you fulfil your potential everyone succeeds. Why not congratulate one of your colleagues on showing great initiative within the team or towards a customer!

“Understanding” “I’d like to nominate Claire Wilkinson, Carla McShane and Molly Walsh from Home Loans. It could fit into any of the values but in summary the 3 lovely ladies pulled together in the face of adversity to ensure the admin cogs within Home Loans kept turning.

We had 50% of the team off and they were flexible, positive and worked extra hours whilst keeping a smile on their faces.”

“Adam Bill has enhanced our exceptions reporting through the creation of the Collections exceptions Power BI report. Adam has consistently engaged with various stakeholders/users throughout the process to ensure that what was created was reflective of our needs. Adam has also added a guidance view explaining each section, how to use and what the data is pulled from, this was not something requested but something Adam has thought of that would help us in using it. Thanks for your engagement and support in delivering a report that has exceeded expectations.”

Christine Duggan

Mel Wilson

“Fair” “I would like to nominate Matt Hastings and Holly Wadeson for the patience they displayed during my onboarding at Oplo. These two were professional when I kept making mistakes with my forms, kept me informed of all I needed to know, and treated me like an individual, even though they were onboarding loads of other staff. Kudos to them.”

Nnenna Stevenson

“Kosh Podder - For being a constant presence of encouragement and improvement, an all-round force for good.”

Richard Asbridge

Your Extra Mile

“PL collections team. Thanks for all your hard work during the month of August despite the challenges we faced you all pulled together as a team and remained positive throughout. Thanks for all your hard work guys!”

Fran Chadwick & Mark Hardman

“I’d like to recognise Holly Wadeson and Debbie Waterman, and the wider business for really having its finger on the pulse in terms of work: life balance.

The partnership we have with Leighton Hall is part of our overall ESG/wellbeing approach and the use of their facilities and expertise on the recent team building day was fantastic.

The QA and Complaints Teams both have several new starters in 2020/21 and it was great to be able meet and speak face to face rather than over Teams.

This demonstrates after the global pandemic that the business is really understanding of Oplo People’s needs – thank you. I’d also highly recommend the venue/activity for other teams to utilise, a beautiful part of the country too.”

Rick Keeble

“Enabling”

“I would like to nominate Sarah Winn and Matt Gargett for enabling the team to run smoothly whilst I was on annual leave. And another big thank you Sarah Winn for supporting with the new starter training.”

Michelle Mills

“I would like to nominate Debbie Fitzgerald for all her support with the training of the Sales team, enabling a fully competent sales team.”

“Phillip Eastham - Phil has been working on developing a coaching log that could be used to streamline the number of documents that currently require updating, that will also make it easier and less time consuming to pull team data for analysis of trends and individual agent data. Phil has done this by self learning excel skills and then putting them into practice to develop something that will save time for all collections managers once trials have been completed. Thanks for this Phil, it looks great already and look forward to using in practice.”

Mel Wilson

“Bruce Reynolds - A massive thank you to Bruce for all his help with the covid tray movements. Bruce gave up his spare time to ensure this was completed in a reasonable timeframe. Thanks Bruce you’re asset to the team!”

Mark Hardman

Michelle Mills

“Catherine Dunbar and Jenna Wilkinson - For their continued support in my new job role, they are always happy to help whenever I need additional support. Thanks to both of you.”

Mark Hardman

“Mel Wilson - For being supportive and helpful during my transition into a new role, thanks for your support Mel!” Mark Hardman

“Matt Howard - For always being a positive influence on the team and having a smile on his face.”

Fran Chadwick

Your Extra Mile

“Enterprising” “Sarah Winn is an absolute asset to the home loans lending team. We started on our Oplo journey together and she has been a great support to me since day one. She is an absolute superstar in all that she does.

“Sarah Chieffo - For stepping outside her comfort zone while training new starters and always having a positive influence on other members of the team. Thank you for being such a fantastic member of the team.”

Fran Chadwick

“Scott Edwards - For going above and beyond, and always having a smile when he does.”

Richard Asbridge

Always the first to pick up work if another team member is on annual leave. Always willing and takes on other tasks out of her normal role.

She loves learning, coaching, training and sharing her knowledge with the team. She always puts others first before herself which could affect her own targets but she does it because she cares and enjoys it so much! She still manages to hit all her targets and overachieve which is amazing! Always leads by example and is a true team player in all that she does - she is an absolute smasher.”

Islay Horton

“Debs Fitzgerald - Always there to provide coaching and development for both the Sales and the Lending department, always makes time no matter how busy she is.”

‘Chris Ryan - Chris joined the Collections management team at the end of June and has really got stuck in, looking at better and more effective ways to operate. Chris has also brought a wealth of experience and sharing that has supported the completion of one of our Car Finance thematic review actions regarding specific training for termination options and CCA knowledge. Thanks Chris and look forward to seeing the other areas you are working on in practice in the future.”

“Martin Bachvarov and Sujatha Chandrabose For all the late nights and effort they put in.”

Mel Wilson

Richard Asbridge

Sara Evans

“Well done Norma and Alice for sorting the finance extracts. Great collaboration between finance and MI. Well done guys.”

Nathan Kenny

“Tyler Eckersley - Always keen to help and share his knowledge - hugely positive in his approach.”

Your Extra Mile

Mark Robson