Leading Global Teams in Credit & Collections
Chapters
Key Takeaways
- Empathy drives performance – Leading global teams across the US, Ireland, and India taught Mark that empathy is the most powerful leadership skill for building trust and alignment.
- Transformation is a journey, not an event – His biggest projects in credit & collections show that real change requires persistence, cross-team collaboration, and a focus on long-term outcomes.
- ERPs need work for Credit, Collections & AR - While critical to operations, most ERPs don’t adequately serve credit, collections, and AR needs — leaving room for innovation and specialized tools.
- AI is already reshaping credit decisions – From using ChatGPT to review financials in seconds to envisioning automation across AR, Mark sees AI as an enabler, not a threat.
- Policies + Technology + People = Full Value of A/R – Strong processes, the right tools, and a people-first mindset together unlock the maximum potential of accounts receivable.
Speakers
Guest Speaker
Mark Beaubouef
Senior Global Director of Credit, Collections & AR at Trellix
Hosted By
Amartya Singh
CEO & Cofounder, FinFloh
Episode Transcript
Amartya (Intro): "Welcome to Episode 18 of Inside the CFO Office — today we’re speaking with Mark on managing global teams across credit, collections and AR."
Amartya: "Mark has over two decades of experience leading credit, collections, and AR at firms like Evoque, IBM, NEC, Rexel, Samsung and more."
Amartya (Question): "Super pumped to dive deep into your journey across credit, collections, and AR."
Mark (Answer): "My journey wasn’t planned — I never thought I’d be in credit and collections, but I found my niche and loved it."
Amartya (Question): "At Trellix, you’ve seen both pre-COVID and post-COVID finance changes — how has that journey been for you?"
Mark (Answer): "At Trellix, the carve-out from McAfee was one of the most fast-paced, challenging times of my career."
Amartya (Question): "How has leading global teams across geographies worked out for you?"
Mark (Answer): "Leading global teams works best when you build trust through team-building, encouragement, and empathy."
Amartya (Question): "What has been your single biggest transformation project on the credit side and the collections side?"
Mark (Answer): "At Trellix, past dues were nearly 60%, but we reduced it to less than 10% within six months."
Mark (Answer): "At NEC, collections were 70% past due and cash flow was negative — within a year we turned it into +$40M free cash flow."
Amartya (Conclusion): "Collections is always a balancing act — push too hard and you hurt customer relationships, push too little and cash flow suffers."
Mark (Answer): "You have to get executive management support, otherwise sales will push back and you can’t enforce credit policy effectively."
Mark (Answer): "High-visibility customers need careful handling — sometimes you need executives to step in and collect."
Amartya (Question): "How do you see ERPs and AI shaping the future of credit, collections and AR?"
Mark (Answer): "ERPs have always lacked in credit and collections — it’s always been an afterthought, and I don’t understand why."
Mark (Answer on AI): "AI is going to disrupt everything — it makes decisions faster and removes repetitive work, freeing teams for higher-value tasks."
Mark (Closing Insight): "Transparency, empathy, and hiring smart have kept my turnover at Trellix to zero over the last three years."
Amartya (Closing): "Mark, your journey across industries and your ability to lead global teams with empathy while driving transformation is truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing such valuable insights with us today."
Mark (Closing): "I thoroughly enjoyed it, Amartya. It’s been great talking to you, and I look forward to seeing you in Bangalore in November."
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