Owlin Solution Talks: Stefan Peekel on Consumer Reviews and Adverse Media in Risk

In this interview series, we speak with Owlin’s leadership to explore how our innovative solutions are shaping the future of third-party risk management. Today Stefan Peekel, Owlin’s Chief Growth Officer, shares insights into how integrating consumer reviews with adverse media has enhanced our AI-driven risk monitoring solution. From combating chargeback risks for payment service providers (PSPs) to navigating regulatory requirements, Stefan explains how Owlin helps businesses stay ahead with more intelligent, actionable insights.

Early in 2024, Owlin introduced consumer reviews as part of its risk monitoring solution. What motivated this decision?

“Adding consumer reviews to our monitoring capabilities was a natural evolution driven by client needs. One of our key customer groups, PSPs, faces significant chargeback risks when their merchants struggle financially. Consumer reviews provide them with direct and immediate feedback about how well their merchants are doing regarding product satisfaction, service quality, and overall reputation—critical indicators of a company’s health.

Consumers are roughly 20% more likely to leave negative feedback than positive*. This makes consumer reviews a valuable early warning system. Since launching this feature, we’ve seen significant adoption among PSPs. Additionally, there are increasing regulatory pressures. There’s been a growing need for companies to deeply understand their merchants—not just for bankruptcy risk but for compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. By adding consumer reviews to adverse media monitoring, Owlin enables another source of information for risk management”

How have customers responded to the integration of consumer reviews and adverse media monitoring?

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and when we expanded our consumer review feature to include trendlines, more granular categories, and comprehensive summaries, adoption soared. These improvements transformed how our clients use the solution, especially PSPs. They now rely heavily on combining consumer review insights and adverse media to detect potential risks.”

Managing dual monitoring systems sounds complex. How does Owlin minimize false positives across consumer reviews and adverse media?

“False positives are a challenge in any risk monitoring system, and we’re well-versed in tackling them. Our experience with adverse media has taught us how to filter out noise. For instance, media outlets can sometimes flood the news with positive press releases that don’t provide any real risk insights. Consumer reviews present similar issues—think of companies artificially inflating ratings by buying reviews.

Our expertise lies in pinpointing meaningful signals. A sudden drop in average review scores or recurring mentions of specific risks, like payment delays or order cancellations, can have a huge impact. We filter out irrelevant data to ensure our clients see only what truly matters.”

What challenges has Owlin faced in creating a unified monitoring solution, and how has the team addressed them?

“There’s a practical limitation on the number of reviews we can access from platforms like Google, Amazon, or Trustpilot. Adding multiple sources and processing large volumes of data is both resource-intensive and technically challenging. However, we have always focused on providing high-quality insights rather than chasing volume.”

What future innovations can customers expect from Owlin’s monitoring solution?

“With every development we make, we aim to increase the speed to insights, and therefore reducing the time our customers spend analyzing reviews or news. In the last year, we have developed features like instant scoring and summary explanations of consumer reviews, which are proving invaluable for our customers.

Looking ahead, what role do you expect consumer reviews and adverse media play to play in risk monitoring?

“Consumer reviews and adverse media aren’t just additional data points—they’re game-changers for companies aiming to stay ahead,” Stefan asserts. “With solutions like Owlin, businesses can move beyond waiting for traditional financial reports and instead rely on real-time signals. It’s the difference between reacting to risks and proactively managing them.”

Owlin’s focus on innovation and client needs continues to position its solutions as indispensable in the ever-evolving world of risk management. By combining consumer reviews and adverse media with AI-driven insights, Owlin empowers its clients to act swiftly, confidently, and strategically in a fast-paced global market.

Thank you Stefan!

*https://localiq.com/blog/online-review-stats/