How many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
I currently cover around 100 firms in Scotland, with the number rising by the day.
How do you successfully organise and deal with business on a daily basis?
I often make plans weeks in advance, but always ensure there’s enough flexibility in my schedule to be pragmatic when I need to be. I’m not one to be stuck behind my desk either and make a point each day to ensure I’m getting out and about, meeting new people and catching-up with contacts.
What issues come up time and time again?
A lot of the enquiries I receive tend to relate to a customer’s income or employment, whether they’re contractors, freelancers or receive a significant part of their remuneration through bonuses.
What do you wish brokers understood about your job?
That their case is as important to me as it is to them.
What do you think is the most important attribute of a good BDM?
Two-fold. Being able to judge the situation or case when it crops up and then having sufficient influence to make a difference.
When you’re unavailable to be contacted by telephone, what’s the second-best way for brokers to get in touch?
Text or email. I can often provide quick responses while on the go. We also have a great broker helpdesk in our head office.
If you were head of the FCA for the day, what would you change about regulation in the mortgage industry?
I’d look at how regulation can best support the changing demographic of the UK population.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
People and environment. Being a BDM brings me into contact with different types of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, which is great. What’s more, it’s fast-paced – which means there’s never a dull moment.
How do you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers?
I take an interest in the broker, not just the business, plus I think I’m pretty approachable, which means brokers know they can contact me whenever they need any help.
And how do you establish and maintain good relationships internally?
Metro Bank has a really open culture encouraging sharing stories and best practice. And I always make sure I schedule in time to chat with colleagues whether that’s face-to-face on the phone or through our internal social media network, Yammer.
What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
If we’d lend on a boat.
And finally, what did you want to be growing up?
Your local friendly GP. Dr McLeod… I still think it’s got quite a nice ring to it.
