Industry-leading customer expert Michelle Hutchinson joins Perch Group in newly created role

Perch Group, one of the UK’s fastest growing debt purchase and resolution firms, has appointed Michelle Hutchinson into the newly created role of Head of Customer Experience & First Line Control.

Michelle brings 17 years’ experience in debt purchase and collections across a wide range of areas including most recently as FCA-certified Customer Journey Manager specialising in vulnerable customers at Lowell Group. She will report into Perch Group’s Chief Risk & Customer Officer Simon Unsworth, taking responsibility for training, quality assurance, and the customer experience team which includes specialist support, complaints and disputes. Her plan to build a comprehensive ‘first line of defence’ risk & control team will support the senior management team’s ambitious growth plans.

As an active participant in industry bodies including UK Finance and the Vulnerability Academy, Michelle is well networked in the credit and collections sector.

Michelle comments:

“This new role at a dynamic, rapidly evolving business in the debt resolution space is a fantastic opportunity for me to drive and embed a focus on good customer outcomes in the current regulatory environment. Perch Group, including its TrustPilot Excellent-rated collections agency ACI and litigation firm TM Legal, is a shining example of a data-driven, agile and future-fit firm that puts the ever-changing, complex needs of the customer first.”

Simon Unsworth adds:

“We have big ambitions and aim to set new standards, delivering exceptional value to our clients while positively impacting the financial well-being of individuals and empowering them to responsibly resolve their financial obligations. Bringing Michelle on board is a huge coup for us to ensure we are continuously driving improvements in customer experience as an industry leader.”

Perch Group comprises debt purchaser Perch Capital, FCA-regulated debt resolution agency ACI, SRA-regulated TM Legal Services, and field services business Verify, has offices in Blackpool, Skipton (North Yorkshire) and Manchester city centre. It has increased its workforce by a third in the last three years and recently completed on a £210 million funding package to facilitate the next stage of its growth.