What is the main purpose of your role at Foundation Home Loans?

My role straddles a number of areas.

Clearly, I have some responsibility along with the rest of the commercial management team around opportunities to grow and enhance our proposition.

But I am also responsible for how we onboard and manage our intermediary partners, and how we communicate with them throughout their journey from marketing through sales, and ultimately getting a case offered and completed.

We have started a rolling programme of education on diversity and inclusion

My early career with a high-street bank has ensured I’ve always kept the customer at the heart of everything I do. My role enables me to look at how we do this, and continually seek ways to make it easy to carry out business with Foundation.

What are some of the lender’s ambitions for this year? Might you enter any new areas?

We had a very successful year in 2021 and the main theme is to build on this while also working across the business to embed the ethos around being easy to do business with.

The largest area of growth in the year ahead will be the proliferation of ‘green’ options for both BTL and residential mortgages

We have been well known in the market for our comprehensive buy-to-let (BTL) proposition but have started to build a reputation for our residential offering as well. I believe this will be a key growth area both for this year and for the years ahead.

We are always looking at ways to expand our offering to intermediaries and will continue to launch initiatives throughout the year.

Is the specialist market growing? If so, which areas in particular?

The specialist market is clearly growing, which can be evidenced by the number of new players in the past few years and those that we already know have plans to join in the year ahead.

BTL has always been the most common area for new entrants to establish themselves as there are fewer barriers to entry. We are seeing a little more diversity in offerings, with a number of entrants looking at propositions that seek to challenge the ‘normal’ two- and five-year fixed market and introduce a shift in thinking among buyers for longer-term fixed rates more common across Europe.

I’ve always kept the customer at the heart of everything I do

However, I believe the largest area of growth we will see in the year ahead is the proliferation of ‘green’ options for both BTL and residential mortgages. While proposed government legislation is driving homeowners and landlords to more energy-efficient homes, the mortgage market is supporting the initiatives by developing a range of more innovative mortgage products.

What are your views on diversity in the mortgage market?

There is, quite rightly, more focus on diversity and inclusion than ever in the industry and we support the work being undertaken through Ami and Imla on bringing further insight on these important matters.

We are continually looking at ways to expand our offering to intermediaries

We have started a rolling programme of education on diversity and inclusion across the whole business to ensure this is embedded in the way we work with each other.

What has been the biggest challenge of your career to date?

That moment when I first had responsibility for the management and development of a team.

I suspect many of us have felt we could do a better job than our boss at points in our career, but I believe, until you actually become responsible for others’ aspirations as well as your own, it can be a very challenging experience. It is one that I am still learning from every day.

I continually seek ways to make it easy to carry out business with Foundation

If you didn’t work in the finance sector, what other jobs would interest you?

It’s hard to imagine doing anything other than finance as it is all I have known since the age of 16 when I took my first tentative steps into the world of work with NatWest.

However, I have two passions that I would have loved to pursue on a more professional level: rugby coaching and a career as a chef. I grew up in a pub that had a 90-cover restaurant and I just love to spend time in the kitchen, cooking proper food.

What is the best advice you have received?

To channel my inherent passion and use it at appropriate times.