What does your role entail and how long have you been doing it?
I’m Vernon’s national business development manager, so I support brokers up and down the country, in person and over the phone.
I‘ve been in this position since August and my role is to oversee growth of the mortgage book and maintain and develop our relationships with brokers.
Before that, I was one of Vernon’s intermediary advisers on the mortgage desk supporting brokers.
What attracted you to working in the mortgage/property/finance sector?
I like the problem-solving element of the job. Because Vernon takes a human approach to underwriting, we have more flexibility than some larger lenders.
We look at every case, see the merits of the application and try to find a way to lend, even where it slips outside criteria.
I like how that makes every day different because of the diversity of borrowers’ needs and our ability to help those who couldn’t otherwise get a mortgage.
What were you doing in the five years before starting here?
I was working as a broker, which puts me in a good position as a BDM. I’ve been on the other end of the phone and I know what brokers want from a lender.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
It was my ability to think outside the box that got me this job. I’m good at making sure we have all the relevant information on a case and finding a way to make it work.
We are a small lender so, if I see that a case is strong but outside policy, I can speak to our head of mortgage and savings distribution, the director of operations or even take it to the chief executive. I never feel like I’m overstepping the mark.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
Technology is probably my Achilles’ heel. I’m only 31 but I’ve always been better at human communication.
I need to better understand and make use of technology more. I’ve probably willfully neglected it over the years as my roles have always included face-to-face contact with people, and I had administrators when I was a broker. I definitely need to brush up on my tech skills.
How has the pandemic changed the way you approach your job?
I was working unsociable hours in my last job and, during the pandemic, I got to spend more time at home with my family, which I really enjoyed. I decided I wanted more of that work/life balance.
Even though I travel in this job, most meetings are within a standard working day, meaning I have more freedom to structure my time and make sure I’m home when I need to be.
What is the most interesting/memorable property deal/case you’ve been involved in?
In one of my first cases at the Vernon, the deposit was coming from both savings and through the sale of a litter of puppies. It wasn’t easy to get the paper trail in place to show the source of funds, and the underwriter was a little surprised about where the money had come from.
We did it and got confirmation of each of the puppy sales. I’ve never had anything quite like that before or since.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
As an established BDM within the intermediary market, I’m new to this role and I need to get my name and the Vernon’s out there. We want to be a ‘go-to’ lender for cases that require flexible criteria and human underwriting.
If a broker has a case that doesn’t quite fit, we have the ability to see if it makes sense and if we can lend on it.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
I was once asked if a photo of an applicant holding cash was sufficient proof of deposit. Obviously not.
