meet Sophie – our “baby” officer

who are you, and what’s your role

Hi, my name is Sophie Stafford, and I’m Lead Settlement Officer at thornmoney.

My role is to liaise with brokers and other internal stakeholders by collecting and verifying transaction information for a deal prior to settlement.

I’m thornmoney’s youngest employee

When I joined the business, I was the youngest employee, at just 19. I’m 23 now but I am still the youngest person here, and I take every opportunity to brag about to my older coworkers.

I started at thornmoney in September 2019 when my Mum referred me to do HR work experience for a week. 

They must have liked me because I was asked to come back to do some casual work over my summer university holidays. I did this for about 6 months until COVID hit, and a lot of operational teams in our consumer product division were impacted.

COVID changed everything

At the start of COVID, I was redeployed to our equipment finance product, where I was responsible for contacting clients to provide assistance by either holding payments or creating payment plans.

By October 2020, I was the Team Coordinator of the COVID-impacted portfolio and took on the task of reporting data to senior leadership. Working in collections at this time wasn’t always easy. I was usually speaking to people who were at a really low point in their lives and were struggling to make ends meet. However, once the COVID Response Team disbanded, it was rewarding to know we had successfully assisted and processed hardship requests for hundreds of businesses.

tell a bit more about your role

After the financial difficulties the pandemic caused for our clients subsided, I transitioned to become Lead Settlement Officer. I now liaise with brokers and other internal stakeholders by collecting and verifying transaction information for a deal prior to settlement. 

It’s my job to deal with creating contract documents and deciding on settlement parameters, and I play a role in helping ensure the business is compliant with all relevant policies and procedures.

When I joined the business, there was a strong focus on consumer products and physical stores. Now we have shifted to a commercial focus that is led by a technological edge, and the business is completely online so I can work from anywhere.

my first real job

I’ve really grown up with thornmoney. It was my first real job and has helped me to grow into the person I am today. I have met amazing friends and overcome some incredible challenges. Thornmoney has always been there to help me develop as a professional.

I also love it here because I don’t take things too seriously and enjoy having a laugh. I think its important to understand we’re all human, and to keep the vibe light.

what advice would you give to someone who is considering a career in your field or industry?

I would probably encourage them to explore all areas of business to see what they’re most passionate about – Thorn has allowed me to explore different teams such as legal recoveries, human resources, credit, collections and settlements.