How do you plan for a productive day?
It really is about being organised! Planning and preparation have always come naturally to me, but I’ve definitely fine-tuned this through my career given the faced paced industry we operate in and all the changes that come with it. The dynamic nature of the finance industry plays to my natural strengths and I enjoy the need to be flexible in how we operate I also try and stay active and to do a swim or session in the gym before work at least three times a week, and this really helps me focus. I like to look a week ahead in my diary and start every working day knowing exactly when my calls are and what they will involve – it means I’m always prepared for anything that pops up last-minute.
What do you believe is the key to building a long and successful career?
Hard-work. It sounds like a cliché, but being flexible and open-minded has served me well in my career. To a certain extent I believe in going with the flow, but I also don’t think I’d be where I am today if I had sat back and expected success to be handed to me. You might get by on luck or hand-me-down success for a little while, but it will only get you so far. I define hard work as activism; you’ve got to put in the effort and if you do, I strongly believe that you’ll get the support, in whatever form, from others. As CEO at Time Finance, my motivation comes from having a clear purpose, mastering what I do and creating autonomy in order for everyone to make a difference in their roles.
How do you see the industry changing in the next 5 years?
In our business, I see change in terms of technological advancements and operational improvements so we can grow in a more efficient way. In the wider industry, I don’t see a huge amount of change on the horizon; it’s more of an evolving story; I think that we’ll see the big banks continue to move away from supporting small businesses, which is why our support is so vital; SMEs need somewhere to turn when traditional lenders let them down.
What is something that you think needs improving within the industry?
Something I hope changes in the next 5 years is real investment in training and development. I would like to see new talent being brought into the industry and a return to growing talent for the long term. That’s something I believe we should be focusing on here at Time Finance and we will be making progress with this in 2024. We have a really interesting business to develop a career in and a great culture that supports progress and ambition.
Who is your greatest role model and why?
My dad. He was a fireman for 30 years back in the days when they were allowed a second job, so also ran a haulage company and in what spare time he had, raced classic motorbikes! I think I learnt a lot of organisational skills from him because of how precious his time was. He was always busy and, on the go, and reaped the benefits of his hard work which really inspired me. I also have to mention my first boss in the Invoice Finance world, David Robertson. He created a fantastic environment for people to challenge themselves flourish and just being within proximity of David was motivating in itself; he was a great mentor whose values I still try to implement in my work today.
What advice would you give to the next generation of future leaders?
Work hard, be flexible, ask lots of questions and learn! Don’t expect to be handed anything, you have to generate opportunities for yourself… but others will support you if they see positivity in action. Make sure you build a solid network of people to look out for you and be humble and the rewards will follow.