My alarm goes off at…
…5.30am. The early bird gets the worm!
I’ve always been an early riser and I find that those first couple of hours in the morning, while the world is sleeping, offer the best opportunity to focus and get ahead of the game.
I wanted to work in the mortgage industry because…
…it is one of the few areas of financial services that offers the opportunity to make a real difference in customers’ lives.
I’m constantly working with a range of people, which is something I am really passionate about
Like many colleagues I fell into it early in my career, but I continued wanting to work in this industry because seeing customers buy their first home or meet their other financial goals makes it all worth it.
Something that surprised me about my job is…
…just how universal the broker-led mortgage market is.
I joined Pepper Money in 2019 after relocating from Australia. While there were some minor differences, particularly around terminology, I have found that mortgage brokers have the same needs and expectations of a lender regardless of which continent you are on.
That is particularly true when it comes to business partnerships, and the importance of a high-quality, human-led service that puts the broker and customer first.
My typical day entails…
…variety is the spice of life and my typical day is extra spicy!
Looking after sales operations means I get involved in the whole origination process, from dealing with customers and brokers on individual applications through to designing and executing our service delivery strategy.
It was amazing to be part of a team that pulled together during lockdown and came out the other side stronger than ever
The day always starts with a sales ops team meeting to look at what we need to achieve that day and how we can best deliver for our brokers.
The remainder of my day would likely comprise a range of activities, including coaching, recruitment, process design, and working with key internal and external stakeholders to constantly evolve our proposition.
A perk of the job is…
…people. The number-one perk of my job is that it is very people focused.
Whether it be supporting my team, working with individual brokers and customers, or collaborating with our strategic business partners, I’m constantly working with a range of people, which is something I am really passionate about.
A misconception about my role is…
…that it is purely back-office focused. While I do spend a fair bit of time looking at our processes and procedures, it’s always to maximise the quality of service we provide to our customers.
Seeing customers buy their first home or meet their other financial goals makes it all worth it
My role is all about enhancing and delivering on our service proposition to achieve the best outcomes for the end-customer, so it’s very much on the frontline of what we do.
My favourite work memory is…
…the way in which the Pepper Money team mobilised in response to Covid-19.
In a time of great uncertainty, I am proud to have been part of a business that had a clear strategy throughout 2020 that not only showed a high level of care for staff but also found a way to continue offering solutions to brokers and customers.
Mortgage brokers have the same needs and expectations of a lender regardless of which continent you are on
The pace and extent of change required in order to adapt to a constantly shifting landscape were of an extent I haven’t seen in my career, and it was amazing to be part of a team that pulled together to come out the other side stronger than ever.
To unwind after work, I…
…take any chance I get to go out and socialise. After many a lockdown, I’ve learned that you need to seize every opportunity available to spend quality time with your nearest and dearest.
