The Credit 500 for 2022 has been finalised

The finalisation marks the culmination of a lengthy research and nomination process over several months, and a closing stage where the index undergoes various iterations before a final list is settled.

From this week (starting January 19 2022), Credit 500 members will be informed via email (under embargo) that they’ve made the index, but the Credit 500 for 2022 will not be published online or announced publicly until the Parliamentary Reception, held during Credit Week, on 22 March. This means the Credit 500 currently listed online, is the existing index from 2021.

The process
After shortlisting the nominations that came flooding in for this year’s index, Credit Strategy’s intelligence unit also researched the individuals holding the roles with influence over regulation, risk policy, conduct and financial assistance, across financial services, utilities, telecoms and the public sector.

The team also researched the achievements of individuals described in hundreds of award entries submitted for Credit Strategy’s award programmes last year, along with our broadcasts they took part in as speakers, as well as cross-industry activity which reflected the agendas, activity and successes they’d led during the past year.

The team also undertook research with existing Credit 500 members, to check the individuals wielding the most influence and discover those worthy of recognition.

Once this process was completed, the intelligence unit matched these achievements to criteria for inclusion in the Credit 500 groups. For example, the criteria for the credit risk group of the index is:

• Ultimate or senior responsibility and oversight for credit risk policy (particularly with regard to SME and consumer lending);
• Senior or ultimate responsibility for conduct and compliance risk;
• Influence on the collections and recoveries/financial assistance function, through involvement in setting risk appetite, forbearance policies and arrears treatment;
• More direct senior or ultimate responsibility for collections and recoveries.

Diversity
Credit Strategy has also been leading a drive to ensure there’s more of a gender balance in the index, as well as across all of our content, from magazines to broadcasts and in-person events. The objective is to include a higher proportion of senior women - where their influence or achievements are clear - in the industry within each platform. 

Women now make up 25% of the index, an increase of more than 10% on 2019 and more than eight percent on the 2018 index.

The index groups
The executives and directors within the index are once again those who perform roles in several key areas; prudential and credit risk, collections and recoveries, lending, mortgage advice, debt advice, lobbying and compliance.

The people included all feature within specific groups related to their role – including credit risk, car finance, mortgages, alternative lending, credit cards, knowledge and professional services, and others.

The benefits
As a recognition of stature, Credit 500 members will receive complimentary Premium Membership of Credit Strategy for a year. That means they get all the benefits of Premium Membership which includes:

• Opportunities to raise their profile, or lead an agenda, by authoring content on Credit Strategy online and in the magazine;
• Invites to judging panels;
• Invites to present/speak at the industry’s largest broadcasts and in-person events;
• A complimentary invite to the Parliamentary Reception on March 22;
• A complimentary subscription to both the print and digital Credit Strategy magazine;
• Invites to private roundtables relevant to their role;
• Access to the Knowledge Hub, which includes best practice case studies (scroll down to see articles) – based on award-winning entries from lenders, creditors and credit services providers;
• 25% discount off a conference ticket and any half-day broadcast;
• 50% discount on award entries;
• Priority access to broadcast refresh content;
• Priority access to the Credit 500 Retreat (details coming soon).

Credit Strategy’s standard terms and conditions apply to the benefits listed.

Annual update
The Credit 500 is updated annually to ensure the index remains a current and accurate reflection of the most notable personalities. Those who are entered into the Credit 500 will also be recognised in a Hall of Fame, preserving their recognition.