Seeing the impact of debt solutions

There is a lot of job satisfaction when you see exactly how much money is paid off people’s debt each month.

Our youngest crew member, Gianni Thapliyal is responsible for making monthly payments on behalf of Debtfix clients to the organisations they owe money to. He gets a genuine sense of achievement – helping reduce problem debt for everyday New Zealanders and thrives with the responsibility of keeping the creditors happy.

Gianni came aboard with Debtfix during his final year of studying a Bachelor of Business at AUT. The university co-ops students with businesses to give them real-world experience and Gianni’s placement with Debtfix in 2019 led to his fulltime employment in February 2020.

“I knew about debt and bankruptcy, but I didn’t know about other debt solutions. I’m learning a lot, seeing the results in action, and the practical steps the Navigators take to sort out debt and negotiate debt repayments,” he says.

Based in Auckland, Gianni’s role has grown as Debtfix helps more people pay their debts and although he does not have direct contact with clients – he does see the impact of his work.

“I interact with the creditors and deal with client information collected by the Navigators. I conduct anti-money laundering (AML) checks to ensure all funds are legitimate and the person is who they say they are,” says Gianni.

He took over this work from Debtfix co-founder Shaun Adams, freeing up Shaun for more governance work as the organisation rapidly grows.

During a recent visit to Debtfix’s Warkworth office, Gianni shared his knowledge of the payment systems with the Navigators to streamline operations. In return, the Navigators taught him what happens when a person first contacts Debtfix, how the crew supports the person and builds a picture of their financial situation.

During the 2020 March to May Covid-19 lockdown, Gianni engaged in professional development and studied online towards a financial mentor course.

“I learnt about budgeting and client interaction and now I’m keen to understand more about the customers and Navigator role within Debtfix.”

He was also supported by Debtfix to undertake courses on compliance and anti-money laundering.

“It was strange working through Covid-19 but Debtfix still had plenty to do and it is good that we can easily work from home. During lockdown there were so many emails and it affected my job because people couldn’t make the payments Debtfix had arranged for them. Most creditors were understanding of the situation.”

At a personal level, Gianni has learnt more about managing money, which he applies to his own lifestyle. In his free time, Gianni plays seven-a-side football and he is a big football fan – following Arsenal. He has his fingers crossed that the November 2020 lockdown in the UK doesn’t impact on the beautiful game.

Debtfix Bursar - Gianni Thapliyal