Bridging the Gap: Empathy, Intelligence, and Impact in Asset Recovery with Chris Norman

Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity

In this episode, Andrew Pace welcomes Chris Norman, ACS’s Client Support Manager, for an in-depth conversation on the human side of collections, strategic lender support, and navigating complex borrower situations with empathy and professionalism. With more than 30 years in the recovery space and a reputation for transforming distressed accounts into proactive recoveries, Chris shares firsthand stories and strategies that combine operational insight with a deep respect for the borrower experience.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The evolution of recovery from a back-office operation to a frontline risk management tool
• How client expectations have shifted toward professionalism, transparency, and trust
• The rise of reputation risk and why recovery needs to be handled with precision
• Best practices in borrower communication and de-escalation
• Balancing client mandates with borrower realities in high-stress situations
• The role of empathy in asset recovery and how it leads to better outcomes
• Insights from ACS’s proactive outreach efforts to identify at-risk assets before default
• Real-time market trends and what early signs lenders should watch for in distressed portfolios

Notable Takeaways:
"Every client doesn’t define success the same way. Relationship management means understanding what matters most to each one—and delivering on that."
"Being kind doesn’t cost you anything. In collections, it often gets you further than pressure ever could."
"Proactively identifying accounts at risk before they become problems is the future of portfolio protection."

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For more information, visit Asset Compliant Solutions.