Tell us about your career so far and how you got into lending.
I began work at RBSI in 1995, having decided that a regular wage was preferable to spending the winter in the Canaries with my friends! The vast majority of my time at the Bank was spent in Corporate lending, some on the front line but the majority was spent running the execution team who were responsible for documenting and securing lending facilities across the offshore jurisdictions and the UK. Our business ranged from small overdrafts for local businesses to multi-million pound fund facilities and everything in between. I moved into the Alternative Finance market in 2015 and haven’t looked back.
You joined Tenn earlier this year with the transaction with Oaklands – how have you found the first few months?
The first few months has been interesting as the two businesses, whilst complimentary to each other, have very different types of deals but I feel that we have all worked together to ensure that the transition has been smooth.
What’s your favourite ever lending deal which you were involved in?
It’s very difficult to narrow it down after over 20 years of deals but I think it was the first one I completed at the alternative lender that I moved to as it was so much quicker and easier than the Bank with much less red tape and showed me how things could be done with a little flexibility.
What makes a great borrower?
One that repays! Whilst things don’t always go as planned, a Borrower that is open and honest and wants to repay, albeit possibly with some delay is always easier to work with than one that can repay but won’t!
What’s the Jersey market like at the moment?
The market is a little subdued along with the rest of the world but demand for housing remains high so there will continue to be development and bridging opportunities available to finance. It will be important for us to select the right ones with the right borrowers.
You work closely with our co-funders and deal execution.
My favourite part of my role is the interaction with our Co-Funders who form such an important part of the way we work and our communication with them is high on our list of priorities.
You have a lot of experience executing deals – what is the most important thing in delivering a speedy execution?
The most important thing in delivering a speedy execution is having the right team involved. I have built up great relationships with legal firms, some that I have used since my banking days and when they know our requirements it make things much simpler. It is important to note that the cheapest service does not always turn out to be the quickest.
How can Tenn add value to the local Jersey market?
With the experience within the team, we can offer innovative solutions and we work quickly with all decisions made in-house from people that know the local marketplace.
Is Tenn different to other places you have worked and if so, why?
Working within the alternative finance marketplace is much more creative and calls for innovative thinking as there is no one solution that fits all. Being part of a small team also means that everyone’s voice is heard and we all play a much bigger part in our success.
Tell us about your professional darts career.
I was lucky enough to take part in the very first ‘White Collar Darts’ competition on the Island back in February 2020. It was an amazing experience that pushed me so far out of my comfort zone having never really played darts and certainly not in front of 500 people on stage! I managed to win through to the second round when I was unfortunately knocked out by the eventual winner, but I remain the only female in 4 years of the competition to have made it past the first round!