Since its founding over 15 years ago, the Online Lenders Alliance (OLA) has led the charge to expand access to credit for all consumers – especially those with low or thin credit – to provide them with more tools to meet their unique financial needs and help strengthen their financial wellbeing. After 32 years working in and advocating on behalf of the consumer lending industry, including her time leading the Online Lenders Alliance OLA, Mary Jackson is retiring from OLA. We are grateful to Mary for being such a strong and respected advocate for OLA’s members and the consumers they serve over the past three years.
“I know that the work we do on behalf of non-prime consumers truly makes a difference in helping them access safe and regulated credit products when they are used to being denied far too often. I am immensely proud of the work that we have done to improve our Best Practices, focus on consumer protections and drive product change to help consumers build their credit. I thank our members for their support in making the organization successful during my tenure as its Chief Executive Officer,” said Mary Jackson
Andrew Duke comes to OLA with more than 22 years of experience in government with a decade in financial services policy – most recently leading the Consumer Education and External Affairs division at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). He has seen and heard firsthand the challenges that consumers face, and knows that the products and services our members provide to them are truly a lifeline when challenging circumstances arise.
“It has been a true honor to have spent more than two decades in public service – working for members of Congress and the CFPB – creating and implementing policies to protect consumers and their ability to access the products that best fit their needs,” said Andrew Duke.
“Americans use credit in their personal and business lives to move forward and create opportunities. Loans and other credit help consumers move forward with their financial goals and may help them avoid larger financial problems and consequences – especially among consumers with fewer assets, thin or low credit, and working class wages. FinTech companies providing online lending give consumers fair access to a powerful range of options to meet their needs and their financial situations, and the Online Lenders Alliance embraces that robust marketplace of offerings. The Online Lenders Alliance stands out for its commitment to high industry standards and its focus on protecting consumers through initiatives like the OLA seal, OLA Consumer Hotline, Best Practices, and industry policing efforts. These initiatives are critical to ensuring all consumers have reliable access to safe and trustworthy products, and they are among the many reasons I am proud to lead this organization.”
