My alarm goes off at… 

…I don’t set an alarm anymore. I have a toddler who wakes me at 5.40am, either singing or crying, depending on the mood.

On my days based at home, after spending some time with him and dropping him off at nursery for the day I’m usually at my desk just before 8am.

I work around the country so, if I’m travelling, I set off whenever needed to get where I’m going before the start of the day.

No day is the same as the next and I’m always learning

I wanted to work in the mortgage industry because… 

…I had my first taste of the intermediary mortgage market as a telephone business development manager many years ago, moving from the customer-facing call centre. I loved it and never looked back.

The people in this industry are so passionate and collaborative, it really is incredible what we can achieve. In my numerous roles within the businesses I’ve worked in, I’ve built some really strong relationships with our intermediary partners, many of whom I now class as friends.

Relationships are key in our types of role, and internal ones are equally as important as external ones

Something that surprised me about my job is…

…that, after 20 years in the industry, I still love it. No day is the same as the next and I’m always learning.

My typical day entails… 

…actually, two types of typical day.

I’ve built some really strong relationships with our intermediary partners

One is spent with my colleagues in various meetings and forums, using the feedback we’ve gained from our intermediaries to better shape our offering.

The other is spent out and about with our team, meeting intermediaries and gaining that valuable feedback.

A perk of the job is… 

…that I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by the most talented sales team I’ve ever worked with. It’s a pleasure to be among such dedicated and knowledgeable people each day.

The people in this industry are so passionate and collaborative, it really is incredible what we can achieve

I continue to learn from them and they continue to make me laugh on a daily basis. Relationships are key in our types of role, and internal ones are equally as important as external ones.

A misconception about my role is…

…it’s all long lunches and tuxedos!

My favourite work memory is… 

…hard to narrow down as I’ve got so many great memories in specialist lending.

After 20 years in the industry, I still love it

But if I had to pick one it would be being voted for by our intermediary partners to win a couple of prestigious industry awards.

To unwind after work, I… 

…I’m not sure it’s called ‘unwinding’ but my free time is spent laughing with my son.

Seeing the world through his eyes is incredible and really puts some of our ‘adult stresses’ into perspective sometimes.