Influential Woman · Finance

Lolita Bucyana Irakoze

Vendor Relations Specialist, Midland Credit Management, an Encore Capital Group Company

Saint Cloud, MN

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Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Data Analytics Certificate Degree St. Cloud State Cert Data Analytics Certificate from St. Cloud State Member Black Association (company internal)

Her Story

About Lolita

I work as a Vendor Specialist on the finance team at Midland Credit Management, which is under Encore Capital Group. In my role, I have several key responsibilities that keep me engaged every day. My daily routine involves reviewing reports to see if consumers are due a refund, and then I send those to my managers for approval. I also work with another report to ensure that accounts have the right balance and to check if there's any fraud on the account. We place accounts with law firms so they can go to court and handle their part of the contract, and I have to make sure that the accounts we send them have the right balance. I verify that what they have as a balance with the law firms matches what we have, so we balance at the end of the day, basically. I've been working in finance for 3 years now, and what I love most about it is the challenges that come with it. Every day there's something new, which I like a lot because it's challenging my mind. I like to be like, okay, I can do this, and then at the end of the day, I figure out that I can do it with the help of my team and all the resources that the company offers to me. The variety keeps me from getting bored and helps me step out of my comfort zone instead of getting used to something. It makes me wake up thinking, okay, what's next? What's gonna be today's challenge? The 8 hours go by fast because I'm so engaged in the work.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Lolita

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to my mom, who always pushed me to be a better person. Even though some days we kind of fight, she pushes me to be a better person, be a better woman, and also probably be a better future mom if I ever have kids. The kind of opportunities that I had throughout my life till today, she never had them, so she kind of motivates me to be a better person and take advantage of what I have. My dad is also a big part of my success. He's strict, so we mostly talk about school and work. He'll be like, oh, did you save money? Did you do this or that? He doesn't show emotions much, but I can tell that he's proud of me, that I'm working at a nice company. Both of my parents have been instrumental in pushing me forward and supporting me in ways that matter.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say, find your place, find somewhere you feel like you're part of the team, you're not excluded. Look for a place where every decision that they make, they include you, and if you make mistakes, they're still motivated to be like, hey, it's okay, you made a mistake, it's not the end of the world, there's still tomorrow to correct your mistake. From where I come from, when you do a mistake, it's a huge deal, so I have that kind of trauma where I'm like, oh my god, what did I do? I'm gonna be fired. But no, it's okay, as long as it's a mistake that can be undone. Find somewhere where they recognize your work. That's one thing that I liked about working at my company. They recognize your work, even if it's a small step. They still recognize you, they still see you, they still consider your voice, which I really love. You have to build confidence, so use your voice. They should promote you to use your voice and continue to advocate for yourself and your expertise.

03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I value somebody who respects people's boundaries. I like having boundaries and people respecting that. I also really don't like when somebody's being misjudged or somebody being taken advantage of because of their vulnerability. My friends call me the mom of the group because I'm always like, hey, don't do this to my friends. I take a step back and analyze the situation and say, okay, does this need me to speak up or not? But I'm always ready to stand up for anybody who needs it. Respecting boundaries and protecting people from being taken advantage of are core values that guide both my work and personal life.

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