Colleague Corner: Cabot Financial France
Welcome to the Encore Capital Group® (Encore) Colleague Corner. In this web series, we get a chance to learn from our colleagues across Encore about their careers and what our Mission to create pathways to economic freedom means to them, while touching on aspects of our culture.
For this edition of Colleague Corner, we spoke with Julien Boisivon, Country Manager of Cabot Financial France, along with two colleagues from the Cabot Financial France offices in Lyon and Marseille.
- Julien Boisivon is Country Manager of Cabot Financial France. He has served in the role since 2016, following Cabot Credit Management’s (Cabot) acquisition of 50.1% equity stake in Nemo Recouvrement S.A.S. (Nemo), a company that was founded by Julien. This acquisition marked the foundation for what is now Cabot Financial France. Cabot later fully acquired the remaining ownership stake in Nemo.
Q: How did your career interests lead you to the consumer credit industry? What attracted you to Cabot Financial France?
In 2006, I founded Nemo which was acquired by Cabot in 2016. I was attracted to the debt collection industry because it was very fragmented and there was a new market in debt purchase starting to emerge. I also knew of Cabot prior to the acquisition because Nemo had managed a portfolio they bought in 2007.
Q: How would you describe your leadership style? What are some ways you feel like it works well at Cabot Financial France?
I believe that only people who do nothing get nothing wrong. We aim to foster a culture that encourages improvement and change by being tolerant of mistakes, as long as we learn from them. Even though we’re part of a global organization—Encore—and Cabot Financial France has grown tenfold since 2016, our relatively small size still makes it easier for us to keep up with rapid changes. Plus, our management team has stayed consistent over the years, which really helps strengthen our team culture.
Q: What are some ways Cabot Financial France stands ready to help consumers in France create pathways to economic freedom?
Our approach is based on reconnecting consumers to their debt to encourage them to pay back, regardless of why they stopped paying back in the first place. We don’t judge; we want to help. In many cases, this means that people with past-due debt have a harder time accessing credit through the central bank. By repaying what they owe, consumers are able to regain access to credit.
Q: How would you describe Cabot Financial France’s role in keeping credit accessible to consumers?
Given the way usury rates are calculated in France, there is no subprime market as such, thereby preventing a large part of the population from having access to credit. For such individuals, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options are the entry point to the credit cycle. Because BNPL is a very difficult business model for the issuer, our effectiveness in collecting on such small balances is our way of ensuring the full credit cycle can operate efficiently and thus providing access to credit to more consumers.
Q: How would you describe the company culture at Cabot Financial France?
We strive to make the most out of two defining traits, on the one hand the “ownership / entrepreneurial” mentality we have managed to preserve from our past as a small, independent company, and on the other hand our belonging to the larger Encore family with the corporate discipline it entails. Together with the trust I place in my local managers and their teams, this translates, I think, into a culture that fosters innovation and performance.
We also invited Alexia de Monceau, a Compliance Officer, and Wilhelm Heidelberg, a Collection Agent—both of whom joined Cabot Financial France three years ago—to share their thoughts on helping people restore their financial health.
Q: What are your interests or career goals, and how did they lead you to join Cabot Financial France?
Alexia: My career goals are centered around working in dynamic environments where I can take initiative, grow skills across multiple areas, and contribute meaningfully to both the team and the overall business strategy. I’ve always been drawn to companies that work at a human scale, where collaboration is close-knit, and each person’s contribution truly matters. Cabot Financial France was the perfect fit for me.
Since joining the company, I’ve had the opportunity to work in a small, agile team, which has given me the autonomy and responsibility that I was looking for, while also allowing me to be involved in broader projects, working closely with various departments such as Quality Control, Operations and Human Resources.
Wilhelm: I’m someone who is deeply connected to music, the arts, and people. What really led me to join Cabot Financial France is the fact that I have always enjoyed human contact. Here, I get to connect with people every day and challenge myself to find ways of making those connections meaningful through words and by listening carefully to each person I speak with.
Q: Our Mission is to help create pathways to economic freedom. What does that mean to you? What do you think it means to our consumers?
Alexia: To me, creating pathways to economic freedom means offering tailored, respectful, and sustainable solutions that help individuals regain control over their financial lives. It is not only about recovering debt, but also about adapting our strategies to each unique situation, being attentive to our consumers’ needs, and supporting them through sometimes complex or unexpected circumstances.
In my role, our Mission translates into being proactive in consumer protection, especially when handling complaints or resolving unusual cases. It means listening actively, showing empathy, and working collaboratively to find fair and realistic outcomes.
For our consumers, I believe it means being considered, not just as debtors, but as individuals with challenges and goals. It’s about being advised, not judged, and having access to clear, supportive ways leading to real financial freedom.
Wilhelm: Regaining economic freedom means helping people feel more at ease, giving them the ability to better manage their financial situation, and allowing them to focus on their personal goals. For our consumers, it also means recovering a sense of autonomy and being able to move forward without being held back by debt and also restoring their self-confidence.
Q: Would you share a time when you experienced our Values in action – whether it be caring, finding a better way to achieve something, or being inclusive and collaborative at Cabot Financial France?
Alexia: One particularly meaningful experience at Cabot Financial France that exemplified inclusivity, collaboration, and a commitment to finding a better way was a project aimed at improving how we handle consumer complaints within the context of EU NPL regulation.
The goal was to ensure compliance while also enhancing the consumer’s experience. I worked with Operations and Quality Control to review our processes and identify points we could improve on.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, we focused on building a more personalized and caring response model, especially for consumers in vulnerable or complex situations. Everyone’s input was valued, from front-line agents to legal advisors. This led to the creation of new internal training modules and the setup of cross-functional follow-up committees to monitor complaint trends and share best practices.
This project not only demonstrated what’s possible through collaboration, but also highlighted how aligning regulatory requirements with a human-centred approach can lead to better ways of working. For me, it reinforced the importance of building strong internal relationships to drive sustainable improvements.
Wilhelm: Yes, there was one case that really stood out to me. A consumer was dealing with a difficult situation and instead of trying to handle it alone I discussed it with my colleagues. We shared ideas and found a more flexible solution for the consumer. By working together, we avoided a deadlock, and the consumer felt that he had been understood. That experience reinforced how important teamwork is to making a true difference.
Q: Helping people restore their financial health makes me feel ______.
Alexia: Useful.
Wilhelm: Purposeful.