Hollis Cobb CFO, Ken Rubin, was selected to speak at the ACA (American Collectors’ Association) Annual Conference this week on “Predicting the Future with Collection Forecasting.” Ken’s breakout session, at the yearly conference in Nashville, Tennessee, addressed the importance of agency leaders forecasting in order to better understand their business. “The immediate benefit, if done right, is better predictability and control,” Ken noted. He went on to explain that forecasting benefits clients when their agencies are able to successfully educate them on current results and future expectations. Ken said that his goal in presenting the session was to highlight some of the complexities of modeling, and show conference attendees how to take a process that can be complex and simplify it into something manageable.
The Future of Collection Agencies
“The gap is widening between the traditional ‘mom and pop’ agencies of the 1980s and agencies that are focusing on data to run their business,” Ken explained. “The sophistication of the agencies must keep up with the sophistication of the markets they serve. There is not one market that has not gone through a transformation of sorts in the last 20 years, or even the last 10 years,” he said. Ken went on to stress that, “working smarter, with predictive analytics is a distinguishing factor among agencies, and that trend will continue for years to come. Agencies must keep pace with these changes in order to better serve their customers.” Hollis Cobb relies on a wide range of analytics to maximize revenue generation for our healthcare clients, and as available technology changes and improves, Hollis Cobb leverages that technology to, not only collect more dollars for our clients, but to educate our clients on their inventories and patient populations.
Ken said he was honored to be selected by officers of ACA International to present at the annual national conference. “I like talking about finances, operations and modeling, and some of the planners of this meeting knew I would be open to sharing my thoughts on these topics,” Ken said. He went on to say that, “it was a lot of fun, and I learned from the questions the audience had – and whenever I learn something new, that is a plus for me and for Hollis Cobb Associates.”
Supporting Member Agencies
ACA International’s goal is to provide its members with tools and resources for building success within their industries. Featuring expert speakers like Ken, along with peer-to-peer learning opportunities, provides vital information that member agencies can take back home and use to implement improvements for both their companies and their clients. Collections is a heavily regulated industry. While compliance concerns and information about operational risks are important topics, it is just as important to provide members with information about what they can do to run an effective, profitable and successful business. Ken’s session on forecasting was designed to meet that goal for attendees of the ACA annual conference.
About Ken Rubin
Ken received his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Iowa, later earning his CPA designation in Illinois. He went on to receive his Masters of Business Administration from Indiana University and his Masters of Jurisprudence from Loyola School of Law. He has worked for an accounting firm as well as in the finance area of a technology company on the west coast. 
In 2000, Ken became president of Bonded Collection Corporation in Chicago where he was instrumental in launching several successful endeavors such as an enterprise software program for the Accounts Receivable Management industry, a debt-buying fund and a near-shore customer contact center, Connect International. In 2012, Ken sold Bonded Collection Corporation to Hollis Cobb Associates, and stayed on as the corporation’s CFO. He resides in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife, Leslie, daughter Lucy and son, Peter, along with their dogs, Grommit and Carter.
