Best Business Development Managers in Australia |
5-Star BDMs 2023

“It’s important to clearly articulate the niche in which you are able to provide a solution for brokers”
Craig NicholasResimac

Ubank’s Joshua Duncan is another of 2023’s winning cohort.

“Joshua is very responsive and always helpful in terms of scenario questions, file escalation as per urgency, existing client pricing or any general question,” says a respondent broker. “He always replies.”

Duncan says he purposely:

• leverages responsiveness to build strong broker interactions
   

• uses transparent feedback and people skills to maintain genuine relationships  
   

• continually upskills and stays updated on processes and policies to deliver outstanding support  

Another winner is Tes Anderson of Bankwest.

“Tes is a superstar,” says the broker who nominated her. “Not only will she answer the phone, but she will also go into a fight with credit when they get it wrong. Tes asked me at the beginning of 2021 to give BW a deal and try them out. Now, two years later, BW is one of the top lenders, and it’s all down to the support of Tes.”

Anderson sets herself apart by:

• being an expert and reliable resource   
   

• offering constant knowledge on Bankwest and the mortgage industry  
   

• partnering with brokers to deliver excellent customer service   

How the 5-Star BDMs plan to gain more business

AB’s survey delved into what brokers thought BDMs could do to win more of their business over the next 12 months.

Some anonymous broker feedback for Nicholas includes:

• “Keep doing what Craig does best. No complaints here. He is the best in the game by far.”   
   

• “Be like Craig Nicholas from Resimac, and business will be running through the door.”  
   

• “Keep his existing operating rhythm. He is exceptional.”   

“My formula is simple: the more brokers you connect with, the more opportunity there is to win business”
Joshua Duncan Ubank

Meanwhile, Nicolas expressed his own ideas on how he could build more business.

“I just need to consistently deliver what I’m delivering at the moment,” he says. “I think it’s about providing certainty, whether it’s for a loan approval or following up on broker visits. This micro certainty translates into macro stability that you can present to your customers.”

Some broker feedback from Duncan’s nominators includes:

• “Pick up the phone. Work with the broker on deals and be upfront if it is a deal they will support.”   
   

• “Ubank rates are very competitive, and BDM is supportive, so I am very sure I will do more business with Ubank.”  
   

“Over the next 12 months, I plan to continue to network and connect with more brokers through industry events, coffee catchups, webinars, etc.,” says Duncan. “My formula is simple: the more brokers you connect with, the more opportunity there is to win business.”

And the brokers who nominated Anderson say the way for her and other BDMs to build business over the next year is to:

• “Be more like Tes.”  
   

• “Continue to support brokers with clear and honest communication about what they can and cannot do.”   

“I am essentially the face of Bankwest for my brokers,” says Anderson. “The number one thing I always do is sell my personal brand as well as the brand of Bankwest. And one of the other things I want to do is always work very closely with the decision-makers within Bankwest to influence change within the bank to improve our offerings.”

“The timing of our response, the way we communicate, the way we give advice, and what advice we give are all part of having a customer-centric service to brokers”
Tes AndersonBankwest

5-Star BDMs reflect on what’s most important
to brokers

As part of AB’s survey, brokers ranked various criteria, with the results displayed below.

Nicolas broadly agrees with the broker rankings.

“I would only have minuscule differences between the orders of priority because I see them all as being equal,” he says. “If you look at one in isolation, you diminish the value that a BDM provides.”

Duncan says, “The order of importance is very reminiscent of the service that brokers expect and what we as BDMs should be striving to maintain; however, I would also say that responsiveness and customer service go hand in hand.”

In light of the results, Anderson emphasises the importance of responsiveness.

“I’ve had conversations with brokers where they feel some BDMs do not even return calls or respond to emails, which is crazy,” she says. “The timing of our response, the way we communicate, the way we give advice, and what advice we give are all part of having a customer-centric service to brokers.”

How are 5-Star BDMs navigating the current
challenging market conditions?

AB’s winners reflect on the BDM landscape and going forward, following 11 interest rate rises in the year preceding May 2023.

“As a by-product of an easy market and low interest rates, it was very easy for lenders to acquire business without too much work,” says Nicholas. “Our role was more about smoothing the process operationally so that we could get to a settlement faster. Now, we’ve got a shift with interest rates going higher and affordability for borrowers becoming less and less with every rate rise. It’s important to clearly articulate the niche in which you are able to provide a solution for brokers.”

Meanwhile, Duncan says, “With the increasing transformation towards a more digital landscape, it’s vital that BDMs are knowledgeable and able to help educate brokers to navigate the changing environment, so that they can in turn educate their customers and provide a seamless approach to digital home loans.”

And Anderson says, “To see a broker and hand over marketing and brochures to them, it may be that in the past that’s how BDMs did work, but we need to be adding value to our brokers’ businesses.”

Best Business Development Managers in Australia | 5-Star BDMs 2023

• 
  Tony Harmey
  Earlypay
   
  
• 
  Craig Nicholas
  Resimac
   
  
• 
  Tristian Cunningham
  Beyond Bank
   
  

• Ali Hassan
  ANZ
• Andrew Collins
  Apricity Invoice Finance
• Andrey Tabachnikov
  Westpac
• Anil Keskin
  St.George Bank
• Brett Winzer
  Pepper Money ANZ
• Cassandra Vella
  RedZed
• Cassandra Woodyard
  Connective
• Chantelle Ball
  Connective
• Chris Patsouras
  Finsure
• Claire Watts
  St.George Bank
• Daisy Yu
  Finsure
• Danielle Esposito
  Commonwealth Bank
• David Tickle
  Pepper Money ANZ
• Drew Clegg
  Pepper Money ANZ
• Elyvin Maharaj
  Macquarie Group
• Felicity Wu
  Finsure
• Gabrielle Aoun
  ORDE Financial
• Giselle Stellenberg
  HSBC
• Grant James
  Commonwealth Bank
• Greg Durie
  Pepper Money ANZ
• Harry Stewart
  Pepper Money ANZ
• Helen Bozikis
  Bankwest
• Herry Tjandrasusilo
  Bank Australia
• Jaynesh Nair
  Connective
• Jenny Zeng
  NAB
• Jess Stevens
  National Mortgage Brokers
• Jodie Hanson
  Pepper Money ANZ
• Joshua Duncan
  Ubank
• Kelly Mullen
  Plenti
• Maddie Matthews
  Plenti
• Malcolm Elias
  Macquarie Group
• Mayank Nangia
  St.George Bank
• Natasha Paszyn
  Plenti
• Nicholas Brookes
  ING Australia
• Nicole Vladich
  Mortgage Choice
• Omar Ibrahim
  St.George Bank
• Pasquale Caia
  Pepper Money ANZ
• Rachael Tedesco
  Connective
• Rob Day
  Macquarie Group
• Roohi Kumar
  St.George Bank
• Sam Tang
  Westpac
• Samantha Kyriakidis
  Pepper Money ANZ
• Sanjay Chandiramani
  Mortgage Choice
• Simon Adam
  Finsure
• Sokun Tait
  Westpac
• Staci Karas
  RedZed
• Tes Anderson
  Bankwest
• Tim Bingham
  Homesec Business Finance
• Tremaine Pass
  Macquarie Group
• Van Vu
  Finsure
• Victor Sem
  St.George Bank
• Zack Raad
  Bankwest