The Mortgage Strategy Awards, held last month, offered many insights into the state of the sector. And one thing that jumped out at this year’s event was that the future of this industry was in good hands.
Smart, ambitious and highly energetic — the next generation coming through right now is an impressive bunch that has managers excited. We thought we’d spread the good cheer by profiling four up-and-comers.
Barbara Santangelo, business analyst, Knowledge Bank
When asked her opinion of the new batch of workers entering the industry, Knowledge Bank founder and chief executive Nicola Firth says: “I’ve seen a shift where more is expected to be done through digital channels.
“It’s been a given to embrace digital channels as opposed to an acceptance and sometimes a reticence to adopt with the older generation. Proactively seeking out what new technology can do and how it can help in the workplace is something I’ve really seen in the new generation.”
And, according to Firth, new business analyst Barbara Santangelo is the embodiment of this — “a breath of fresh air”.
Barbara has a constant drive to get better, to go back and review existing work
Firth says: “Barbara has a strong appetite to find things that can be improved or streamlined. While we’re working on new processes to help the end user, she continues to challenge us on processes that have existed for a while.
“Barbara has shown that being new to a company doesn’t mean you won’t be challenged from day one, which we’ve loved. She has a constant drive to get better, to go back and review existing work to improve process, function or features, while understanding the existing demands on the business.
“She is tenacious but respectful and gets the best out of people by being this way.”
Barbara has a strong appetite to find things that can be improved or streamlined
Santangelo says she was very keen to work in fintech because “it’s an area where I’ve seen people developing themselves in a very successful and motivated way”.
She continues: “I’ve always liked working with internal processes; understanding how companies work and should operate, what challenges the industry can present to businesses, how to communicate well internally; and translating this communication to build something like a feature or a new product for users and customers.”
What has Santangelo learned so far at Knowledge Bank?
“I’ve learned, and I’m still learning, the difference between being a leader and being a boss,” she says. “When you have leaders instead of bosses, you feel you are not alone and all the fear and insecurities [of starting in a new industry] go away.”
Jack Oliver, administrator, Tamed Support Solutions
Tamed director Edd Stokes has found the ambition of the new generation of workers “refreshing”. He names Jack Oliver as a perfect example of this.
“Jack has impressed us from day one with his desire to learn and the way he takes feedback on board,” says Stokes.
“Although Jack may not have the experience, he employs a lot of common sense and looks to eliminate or cut back on unnecessary stages within any process. We can always rely on him to question where common sense rather than experience may result in us taking a different approach.”
Having employed Jack, our recruitment strategy will now include school leavers
And this is something Stokes has noted generally. He says: “Most people Jack’s age are keen to challenge where they don’t agree with an outcome, and this has led us to take a more considered approach. We involve Jack and his peers in business strategy sessions regularly.”
Ambition is a key theme in this discussion. Stokes says he’s surprised at how somebody can be “so motivated and driven at such an early age”.
He continues: “Instead of going to university after leaving school, Jack started working for us, quickly progressed to studying CeMap and, this not being enough, has started taking flying lessons! That’s a set of ethics we can all aspire to.”
The second-order effects cannot be ignored.
Most people Jack’s age are keen to challenge where they don’t agree with an outcome, and this has led us to take a more considered approach
“On the basis of employing Jack, our recruitment strategy will now include school leavers and we’re also investigating apprenticeship schemes,” says Stokes.
Oliver himself observes: “One key attraction to the career I am in now has been my love of maths. Throughout my time at school it was always my favourite subject and a career in financial services suits this well.
“The other attraction has been my interest in property. During Dress Up As Your Career day in school, I remember being surrounded by doctors and footballers while I wanted to be a property developer.”
Sonya Matharu, senior mortgage broker, The Mortgage Mum
According to The Mortgage Mum managing director Sarah Tucker: “The new generation bring a completely different online presence and energy. The interaction they get from their followers is super-engaging and inspiring, and completely different from what we’ve been used to.”
She continues: “Sonya communicates in a way that her peers appreciate. [She] makes mortgages trendy and somehow fashionable — a word I never thought I’d say in relation to a mortgage. When I look at her Instagram page, she personifies what is coming next in our industry, and people love it.”
Sonya makes mortgages trendy and somehow fashionable. People love her vibe
Tucker can’t stop listing ways Matharu has brought new ways of thinking to the business. She has created guides for clients, she co-hosts The Mortgage Mum podcasts, and “she networks in a modern way, with magazines and women’s groups, and brings a completely fresh vibe to the business”.
The compliments pile on.
“Sonya is a real demonstration to me of the new confidence of young women. Her mindset is far more mature than mine was at her age, and this excites me. It shows me things have evolved considerably since I was a woman in my 20s.
“She has made the role trendy and has shown these young ladies that working in the mortgage industry is an exciting place to be!”
Sonya networks in a modern way, with magazines and women’s groups
Matharu says she was inspired by her glimpse of the industry when working as a personal assistant to a broker. It was like “stepping into this secret club of important information that we all needed to know, yet nobody was sharing. I decided to become that person.”
When asked how her education prepared her for this role, Matharu says: “Aside from learning numeracy and literacy, I don’t know how they would have showcased the role of a mortgage broker because I believe it requires something more personal than just these skills.
“I also think it would be difficult to showcase this job to an audience that didn’t know what a mortgage really was. It would be great if we learned about mortgages and personal finance while at high school.”
Aidan Broom, broker, Heron Financial
Heron Financial director and principal Matt Coulson says the new-generation adviser has “a focus on multi-channel engagement and a much less formal approach”.
He adds: “This open, approachable stance has been embodied by Aidan, who has delivered success for his clients while simultaneously improving the whole experience.”
That key theme of digital comes up again.
“As well as embracing modern communication tools such as Zoom, Teams and WhatsApp, Aidan contributes regularly to podcasts,” explains Coulson.
“These podcasts have been a novel and effective means of reaching a larger audience and have been really well received across the board. [Aidan] has covered key topics such as the housebuying journey and the importance of understanding different types of scheme.”
Aidan has brought a much less formal approach: freshness plus dedication
And it is in using different channels that Broom has cemented his reputation.
“Aidan has shown the value in seeking out the most effective communication platform for his clients. Many colleagues within the business have followed suit,” Coulson says.
“Aidan has brought a freshness and dedication, which leave no doubt the needs of his client will always be at the top of his agenda. He has proved that a continual focus on good customer outcomes will result not only in happy clients but also in a growing list of potential clients, all of whom are keen to experience the same fantastic service.”
Broom says the main reason he chose to work in mortgages was “the impact you’re able to have on clients and the change you can bestow in their lives, especially when they didn’t believe they’d be able to proceed”. He adds: “Working with difficult cases and getting solutions that others wouldn’t have necessarily been able to find is also a part I enjoy.”
Echoing Matharu, Broom highlights the lack of general financial education in the nation’s school system.
Aidan has shown the value in seeking out the most effective communication platform for his clients
“I had no prep from school. What was missed out was the importance of understanding finances and the impact they would have in the short and long term on future plans, and the best way to go about ensuring you were in a strong position.
“Also,” he concludes, “[there should be] some emphasis on the fact that going to university isn’t the be-all and end-all and there are good careers to follow without this option being explored.”
