Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic
Vaila Hughson

Vaila Hughson

Dunfermline,Fife

Summary

Senior Collections & Recoveries leader with 20+ years’ experience delivering large-scale transformation, operational leadership, and regulatory remediation across UK retail banking.

Proven track record of stabilising complex operations, leading multi-million-pound portfolio migrations, and embedding robust risk & control frameworks in highly regulated environments. Recognised for driving customer-centric outcomes, improving operational performance, and leading high-performing teams through significant organisational change.

Overview

21
21
years of professional experience

Work history

Head of Collections & Recoveries

Sainsbury’s Bank
Edinburgh
2023.09 - Current
  • Led Collections & Recoveries through full bank wind-down, ensuring continuity of service and no customer detriment
  • Delivered C&R components of major portfolio migrations:
    Cards & Loans → NatWest
    Argos Financial Services → NewDay
  • Stabilised outsourced operations, improving performance, governance, and customer outcomes
  • Implemented robust risk & control framework, resolving multiple historic incidents and strengthening compliance
  • Led data cleansing and remediation activity, significantly improving data integrity ahead of migration
  • Ensured full adherence to FCA regulations, including CONC and Consumer Duty expectations
  • Managed BAU performance alongside transformation, maintaining operational KPIs throughout
  • Acted as senior stakeholder across COO, CRO, and external partners

Project Lead for Financial Difficulties

Tesco Bank
Edinburgh
2022.01 - 2023.01
  • Led £22m transformation and migration of £880m Cards and Loans portfolios.
  • Conducted regular review meetings to assess progress against planned activities and timelines.
  • Conducted diagnostics and designed future-state processes.
  • Delegated tasks efficiently; enhanced overall team productivity.
  • Identified potential challenges with strategic planning and proactive problem-solving approaches.
  • Encouraged innovative thinking amongst team members resulting in unique solutions for complex problems.
  • Drove successful project implementation by liaising with other department heads.

Project Manager & C&R Systems Manager

Sainsbury’s Bank
Edinburgh
2020.01 - 2022.01
  • Designed strategies, segmentation and operational processes.
  • C&R migration - Cards and Loans products from Lloyds Banking Group to an outsourced supplier.

Virgin Money, Lloyds, RBS

Earlier Career
Edinburgh
2005.03 - 2014.05
  • Developed credit risk strategies, models and collections performance improvements.

Education

BSc - Mathematics with Financial Studies

Napier University
Edinburgh

PGDip - Actuarial Science

Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh

Skills

    Expert in:

  • Collections & Recoveries transformation
  • Portfolio migrations (Cards, Loans, Store Cards)
  • Outsourced operations (DCA oversight & optimisation)
  • FCA regulatory frameworks (CONC, Consumer Duty)
  • Risk, control, and remediation programmes
  • Vulnerability & customer support strategies

Timeline

Head of Collections & Recoveries

Sainsbury’s Bank
2023.09 - Current

Project Lead for Financial Difficulties

Tesco Bank
2022.01 - 2023.01

Project Manager & C&R Systems Manager

Sainsbury’s Bank
2020.01 - 2022.01

Virgin Money, Lloyds, RBS

Earlier Career
2005.03 - 2014.05

BSc - Mathematics with Financial Studies

Napier University

PGDip - Actuarial Science

Heriot-Watt University
Vaila Hughson