Meet Business Development Team Leader Herbie.
So Herbie, how long have you worked for the Society?
I’ve been with the Monmouthshire Building Society since December 2019 and I’ve learned a lot in that time about myself, leadership and understanding the needs of others. I was lucky enough to join just before we went into lockdown, but it was still challenging learning the ropes during a pandemic. However, the Society made sure I had everything I needed to settle in, build our team and get out there to support the Broker community and their clients.
What does the Business Development Help Desk do?
We are responsible for managing and maintaining new and existing broker relationships. We try to offer the best support possible to enhance their journey when engaging with the Society. Every case is different, and we work with Brokers to understand the needs of their clients and work in partnership to find the best possible solution to meet their client’s needs.
What would you say to a Broker who had never worked with the Society before?
Don’t rule us out. We can lend across the whole of England and Wales. If you have a complex case, consider working with us. We are flexible with our lending criteria; we assess affordability with credit checks not credit scores and our maximum lending age is 85 years. I would say, talk to us. We’re here for you.
What do you enjoy about your role?
No two days are the same! I absolutely love developing new relationships alongside learning new skills. I always look to find the 'why' in everything we do to ensure we are doing it for the right reason and adding value. The Society has a strong values-based culture that lives and breathes the concept of mutuality in every sense, it believes in social purpose and supporting communities, which is something I am passionate about.
What does community mean to you?
For me, community is about coming together to achieve mutual goals where everyone can thrive, whether that’s our work community, with colleagues and clients, or supporting our wider community through giving our time and resources where they are needed, when we can. I recently supported the Society’s charity partner, Shelter Cymru at a week of events in Cardiff. I was able to give 2 nights to support and it was great to work alongside other colleagues, be out and about with people and feel like by giving our time we were making a difference.
How did your time make a difference?
Shelter Cymru are an organisation that work with families and individuals in Wales who are in housing crises, offering support and advice to help them stay in their homes. 1 in 3 people in Wales are facing homelessness, so if it’s not affecting you it could be affecting someone you know. Shelter rely on fundraising and events as a way to generate much needed income and raise awareness of the issues they are working to address. By volunteering our time, we were able to help them maximise their opportunity to be visible to raise both income and awareness.
How does that sense of community translate to your everyday role?
Quite simply, it’s about finding solutions to help our Broker community deliver the best solutions for their clients. Our dedicated Business Development team are on hand to offer support every step of the way, from enquiry to completion. We will review cases prior to submission, offering Brokers the benefit of our flexible underwriting approach. For us it is very much a broker community rather than a network because we are working to benefit everyone in the relationship, which is mutuality in practice.
