Summa McCosker
Summa McCosker, Senior Operations Manager
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Provide a short summary of your background, affiliations, and experience as they pertain to the work of PBSA. Please include any leadership positions you have held on councils/committees/groups and the timeframe held.
- Founding member of the APAC Council
- Chair of the APAC Council, Global Taskforce, Global Learning Centre and Education Committee.
- PBSA’s Volunteer of the Month award (September 2017)
- PBSA conference and webinar speaker
- PBSA Board of Directors
- Board Liaison for the APAC Council
From your perspective, what are the three most important priorities that PBSA should pursue during the next two years?
- Educate markets and end users outside of the USA to the need of screening
- Grow volunteers within the PBSA across all councils to increase the footprint of the PBSA outside of the USA
- Invest in initiatives to combat threats to the industry, such as changing data protection regulations through collaborative government relations efforts
How do you see your contribution in a position of leadership for realizing these priorities?
I am passionate about growing the background checking industry locally (APAC) and globally and believe we can learn from the more established USA market to bring screening into less traditional industries globally. I feel this can be achieved by bringing together industry professionals in various global markets and the PBSA to educate markets.
Having been in the background screening industry within the APAC region for 25+ years, I feel my experience and contacts have a lot to offer to increase the growth and credibility of the PBSA outside of the USA. Volunteerism is key to the growth and sustainability of the PBSA as an organization and with my experience in the industry, I am ideally and uniquely placed to collaborate and bring together organisations of all sizes and regions.
Global screening markets will continue to evolve in coming years, and we will begin to see increasing threats. Working with and understanding more about established PBSA government relations efforts is an important area of interest to me and an opportunity for growth. Learning from more experienced colleagues to continue to develop the APAC government relations efforts is something I am keen to continue to be involved in.
What is your long-term vision for PBSA’s impact on the background screening industry?
I would like to see the PBSA recognised more readily in countries outside of the USA with the intent to bring credibility and professionalism to the background screening industry globally. One day, I would love to see a Bachelor of Background Screening!
Like the PBSA, I am passionate about working in a global industry that is: regulated with high standards; committed to educating the market and its participants; and supportive and respectful of its members. I am a proactive contributor and like to see the results of my actions and am keen to see outcomes of my contributions to the PBSA, should I be elected.
