Employee Spotlight: Q&A with Deputy Chief Compliance Officer Maria Munley

Our mission at Vcheck Global is a significant one: to protect our clients by providing more information about the companies and people that they do business with. In the spirit of that mission, we have started an Employee Spotlight series, to feature more information about the ambitious, charming, and diligent team working to make Vcheck Global a success. 

Today we’re featuring one of our more recent hires, Maria Munley. Maria serves the company by ensuring our company’s business operations are consistent with the law and that our departments and employees operate within company policy. In this interview, we uncover the interesting path that took her working at the United Nations after college to eventually joining Vcheck, as well as her affinity for a specific Scranton-based pizzeria.

1. How long have you worked for Vcheck? I joined Vcheck in May 2019 as the first hire on the Legal & Compliance Team. It’s been really fun so far.
2. What is your role at the company? I am heading up Vcheck’s Legal & Compliance team, and am the company’s Counsel and Compliance Officer. In my role, I work to ensure that we are compliant with applicable laws and regulations, internal policies and procedures, and keep an eye on developing standards for our industry. Since we are an investigations and due diligence company, we operate within federal laws, like FCRA, and state and country-specific laws, including privacy laws. I work closely with our great team of investigators, managers, sales, and client relations teams, that in turn work closely with our clients to ensure that we are delivering the best product possible.
3. Where are you from? I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, popularly known as the fictional location of the TV show The Office. I love the show because it features real businesses, memorabilia, and places from Scranton. Team Alfredo’s pizza. 
4. Before working at Vcheck, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had? After I graduating from college, I worked at The United Nations Headquarters in New York. It was an enlightening experience–my coworkers were from all over the world, and I was able to attend meaningful and impactful events held at the UN. During law school, I had some equally beneficial learning experiences interning with Homeland Security and The Department of Justice. I’ve also had small jobs in high school as a pianist, and in a coffee shop.
5. How has Vcheck changed since you joined? Vcheck has grown leaps and bounds in the short time since I joined. The company headcount has grown by 25% and we have been increasing both revenue and production month over month. We were named for the second year in a row to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America, and as one of the fastest growing investigations companies. We’ve been featured in other publications for the work we are doing across multiple industries. We opened a new office in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, adding to our existing office footprint, which includes offices in Boston, New York, and our Headquarters in LA. Talented new hires with a diverse range of experience and skills have joined the the team in investigations, sales, management, finance, and tech. We have added high level new product offerings, and we are continuously on-boarding brand recognizable clients, including financial institutions, multinational firms, and tech companies. There are many other things in the works; it’s a very exciting time for the company and the momentum continues.
6. What do you enjoy most about your role? I love working with all of our teams and helping ensure that our employees are constantly growing in their knowledge, skills, and engagement. “Compliance” can sound intimidating, but increasing our knowledge about how we can effectively operate within constraints increases accuracy, while also increasing employee skills and client satisfaction. Learning new things is part of successful career growth.
7. What advice would you give to recent new hires? I would encourage all new hires to set up time with their coworkers to chat about their roles, responsibilities, and learn more about other teams and new areas of expertise. We have a great team of engaged and knowledgeable employees who are more than happy to share their personal stories, career paths, and skills gained from varied experience. There may be an area or work product that a new hire is not familiar with and will want to grow towards.
8. What is the best career lesson you have learned thus far? I had an inspiring female leader and supervisor during a position in college. The advice she gave her employees was: it’s OK not to know something, but it’s not OK to tell someone you do not know the answer to a question and end there. Your response should always be “I don’t know, but I will find out for you.” That advice, to find out, follow up, and follow through is one of the best pieces of advice I have received. To demonstrate care, empathy, willingness to help, and the importance of someone else’s concerns benefits both parties in their learning, growth, and relationships. It’s great customer service, whether your “customer” is a friend, a coworker, or a paying client.
9. What advice do you have for prospective Vcheck candidates?  I highly encourage prospective candidates to check out our social media pages, LinkedIn, Instagram, and our website. Research the profiles and experience of our existing employees, and reach out to current employees to ask them about their experience and express your interest! Everyone knows what it’s like to be a candidate interested in a new role, and our team is happy to speak with prospective hires about the work we do and company culture. Interested candidates should not be intimidated to apply – in our industry, an eager, go-getter attitude can outweigh tailored experience. If we do not have the exact position open, and a candidate loves the company and can offer a new idea, reach out and pitch it!  I would also mention our flex work, bonuses, benefits, generous PTO, nice office spaces, great managers, and company snacks, lunches, and team outings.