"I wish brokers knew that if their first reaction to looking at a deal was that it can’t be done they should 100% call me to discuss it anyway."
FR: What area do you cover?
I cover North West and Midlands.
FR: If you had one ‘top tip’ for life as a BDM, what would it be?
I’m regularly in meetings throughout the day so I won’t answer my phone during those meetings. If I miss any calls during those times, I make sure to call every single person back as soon as I’m out of the meeting! It’s important to make sure you’re there to assist whenever you can.
FR: How do you pass the time on the road - books, podcasts, audiobooks?
If I’m being honest my day-to-day job keeps me that busy that I don’t have the time to do anything else in between. This may sound sad, but my job is my passion so I’m either on the phone discussing complex transactions (hands free if actually on the road of course!) or answering emails when I’m not driving.
FR: What’s one thing you wish all brokers knew?
I wish brokers knew that if their first reaction to looking at a deal was that it can’t be done they should 100% call me to discuss it anyway. At UTB we think outside the box when it comes to lending, and although we’re a bank, we consider ourselves far more flexible than many other lenders. We love finding creative solutions to difficult cases and will always try to say ‘yes’ if it all possible. We’ve got a lot of in-house knowledge and skills and are very accomplished at completing complex or challenging deals.
FR: A quick email on Monday or a phone call in the afternoons - how can brokers contact you?
When it comes to communicating, I suppose I’m a little bit old school. Maybe it was my banking days that taught me that it’s always better to pick up a phone to someone. When I first started working for RBS in 2004, we never really used email to communicate with each other. Access was only granted for very senior management. How times have changed!
Email has an important place of course, but I prefer speaking to someone. I do enjoy a good chat over the phone so leaving aside that I can be in meetings, in the first instance give me a call and if I don’t answer first time, leave me a message.
FR: And lastly - what’s your favourite place to stop for a coffee when you’re between meetings?
Costa, hands down. Skinny latte is my tipple of choice. I use my Costa card for the points and cash in on a freebie once in a while!
