Which locations do you cover in your role at Standard Life Home Finance?
I live in Hertfordshire, and in my role, I cover all of the UK.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
Listening is crucial. It’s only by truly listening that you can understand what others need, and how we can achieve our shared aims.
Presenting is also a big part of my job. I love getting out and about, meeting advisers and highlighting the opportunities that the later life market presents to them, as well as how Standard Life Home Finance can support its clients.
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What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
I think there’s always room for improvement with collaboration. When you’re heading up a division, it’s vital to ensure everyone is on the same page. Working effectively as a team always leads to better results.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
Juggling travel with the enquiries coming in can be challenging. If I’m in the car, or the phone reception on the train is poor, then it could mean a delayed response to an adviser. Having said that, I have a fabulous team in the head office who are always on point to support advisers, whatever the issue.
What do you love most about your job?
Showing advisers why later life lending solutions should be a fundamental part of their proposition. If advisers want to deliver a thorough, holistic service, then these products are essential.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given?
Surround yourself with great people. Doing so means you’ll continue to learn, improve and become a better all-round person.
How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?
I use a range of media channels, as well as working closely with advisers and the industry’s trade body.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
At Standard Life Home Finance, we have worked on all sorts of complex property enquiries, from properties with high-voltage power lines running overhead to those built through non-standard construction or those close to commercial premises. Even when you think you’ve seen it all, there will be a case that comes along with some unique element that surprises you.
Tell us about your trickiest case – what happened and how did you resolve the problem(s)?
We supported a particularly emotional case involving a woman who had lived in her home for many years. Following the loss of her husband and with no life assurance in place, she was unexpectedly left with a large mortgage and repayments she couldn’t afford. The lender began eviction proceedings, and she ended up spending a significant amount in fees just to try and keep her home.
The customer had a strong connection to the property and wanted to remain. Standard and retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgages weren’t an option, given her age and income. A lifetime mortgage was discussed and advised to the customer. She was able to redeem the existing mortgage and avoid eviction.
What was your motivation for choosing this career?
Times have changed; more and more customers are approaching, or are in, later life and require advice and guidance now more than ever. I want to be able to collaborate with brokers and add real value to what we’re doing in the industry. Let’s continue to evolve and adapt together as we unlock opportunities.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
I’d have been a surveyor. It’s an occupation that offers so much variety, where no two days are entirely alike. And it’s a job where you’re always learning, broadening your knowledge base.
What did you want to be growing up?
I wanted to be a chef. Who knows, perhaps I could have given Gordon Ramsey a run for his money.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Flying. That way I’d be able to get around much quicker. After all, who likes traffic?
What is your strategy for tackling challenges?
Analyse, plan and execute. Preparation is everything. But you also need to be able to pivot, to take a step back and rewrite the plan. That flexibility means you can find a solution, even when issues emerge.
What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?
I love cooking, and while in my teens, I was a county squash player.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
From my four-year-old daughter, who asked: “What are those lines on your head?”
