There was then a panel on how to thrive in an uncertain and changing market, where Michael Brown, head of business development at April Mortgages, said the changes seen in the market over the last few years were enough to cover decades. 

Panel chair and BMPAN co-founder, Atlyn Forde, asked what skills and qualities would become invaluable as markets evolved. 

Nationwide’s director of mortgage intermediaries and partnerships, Damian Thompson, said it would not be any new skills or qualities, but what would come to the fore is “your ability to be relevant in the marketplace”. 

Thompson added: “You’ve got to start to challenge yourself and ask, ‘Am I relevant in my role? To my employer? To my kids? To my partner?’ 

“I don’t go to work and think: ‘I wonder what the CEO can do for me?’ Wrong question. It should be: ‘What things is the CEO working on or worried about that I can help her to fix?’ I start there.” 

Cherrington said adaptability was important, and thinking of constantly changing and growing. She said when she met Goppy, what impressed her was his ability to constantly want to “change, adapt and stay relevant, that’s what really made him so employable to me”. 

Goppy brought new perspectives and made her team more relatable, she said. 

Responding to the question of how technology would change the mortgage market, Brown said customers were more knowledgeable and acted as though they all had CeMAPs. 

He said access to knowledge and the advice process had changed because “before, no one was an expert, now you’re dealing with clients who think they’re all experts. That’s a huge challenge and it’s about dealing with that without having any internal conflict and educating yourself to know that you will come across”, because correcting clients on incorrect information could potentially be antagonising or patronising. 

Brown said it was also worth asking “how can you be more productive within your organisation?”, saying artificial intelligence (AI) could help with this. 

He said those who embraced AI early would be the ones to propel and survive. 

Separating the wheat from the chaff 

The panel was then asked what separated people who managed to overcome career challenges and those who did not. 

Goppy, who previously hired and worked with Brown, said what made Brown stand out as a candidate was his strong mindset. 

He noted: “What I saw in him was that he was really consistent in how he actually started doing things for me. At the beginning, it was tough; there were certain challenges going on, but Michael ensured that he asked questions every time I set him a challenge… he stayed curious.”

“His thing was to keep learning,” Goppy said, adding that Brown sought a diversity of thought by asking many people for their opinions. 

Brown also saw the value of networking, remaining positive and considering the commercial aspect of his role, Goppy added. Brown said it was also key that he was in an environment that allowed him to develop and thrive. 

Thompson said businesses that thrived during hard times always considered what could go wrong and potential resolutions. 

These businesses also “stay close to customers and do not have flaky relationships”, Thompson said, built on trust and transparency. Businesses that survive challenges take notice of what customers are doing and invest in providing what they want, and encourage new ideas from employees. 

No straight path to success 

BMPAN co-founder Jeffrey Krampah-Williams then sat down with Trevor Williams, chief economist at Lloyds Bank, for a fireside discussion. 

Williams said the sector had gone through a lot of “flux”, with many events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts and inflationary pressures. 

On a positive note, however, Williams said it did not seem that these events would stop the economy from growing. 

He said with youth unemployment rising, people should consider taking jobs they may not prefer, gain technical skills, then “shift into what you really want to do later on”. 

“It’s a hard lesson; there isn’t a shortage of work for those with the right skills and getting the right technical skills is really important,” Williams said, adding that people should keep their goals in mind but accept they may have to deviate to get to where they want to be. 

In uncertain times, Williams advised that people “stay calm, think long term and communicate clearly”, while ensuring they understand the challenges they are up against.