Catherine Kowalczyk

Catherine Kowalczyk has a diverse work experience spanning several industries. Catherine currently holds the position of Head of Conduct Compliance at Perenna, a digital mortgage bank. Prior to this, they worked as a Compliance Officer at the same company, where they were responsible for building and implementing the Compliance function.

Before joining Perenna, Catherine worked as a Compliance Manager at Close Brothers, where they provided compliance advisory services to various lending divisions of the bank. Catherine'srole involved handling ambiguous tasks, operating autonomously, and promoting the use of risk management principles in driving business. Catherine worked with a range of products offered to retail and small business customers, including asset finance, leasing, insurance, invoice finance, and property finance, among others.

Catherine also has experience as a Compliance Officer at Amicus Finance plc, where they developed and implemented conduct and core compliance frameworks. Catherine worked with products such as bridging finance, asset finance, invoice discounting, and commercial mortgages, targeting sole traders and SMEs.

Earlier in their career, Catherine worked at GE Capital as a Regulatory Compliance Officer, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Catherine also served as a Lead Analyst - Credit Review, responsible for overseeing commercial loan portfolios in the UK, Poland, and Italy.

Catherine began their career as a National Bank Examiner at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the US. During their time there, they progressed from an entry-level position to a commissioned examiner, gaining extensive knowledge of banking operations and risk management.

Additionally, Catherine has interned at Northrop Grumman Corporation as a Business Management Intern and at Ernst & Young as a Finance Intern.

Overall, Catherine Kowalczyk has a strong background in compliance and risk management, with experience in the mortgage banking, lending, and financial services sectors. Catherine has demonstrated the ability to operate autonomously and handle diverse responsibilities throughout their career.

Catherine Kowalczyk earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, where they studied from 2002 to 2005. In addition to their degree, they have obtained several certifications throughout their education and career. In 2017, they earned the ICA Diploma in Governance, Risk and Compliance from the International Compliance Association. Prior to that, in 2013, they obtained the Financial Savings Association Cross-Credential Certification from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. In 2011, they also obtained the Commissioned National Bank Examiner certification from the same institution.