What is the best thing about being in the bridging and development finance business?

"Every day is different – yes, very clichéd, but it’s the truth! Underwriting can become very repetitive if you just deal with ‘vanilla’ cases, but we deal with such a vast range of cases and clients. I can’t name two cases that I’ve worked on that were the same, which keeps my job incredibly interesting. The learning never stops."

What keeps you focused?

"Music. I’m a sucker for a strong Spotify playlist and we always have Alexa playing in the office. A good remix keeps the motivation high… although if James Blunt comes on, my productivity will no longer be Beautiful."

What qualities do you look for in your employees or colleagues?

"A warm personality. Funding 365 only hires recent graduates, so being smart and motivated to learn is a given. It’s a hard one to judge at interview, but a friendly personality can’t be trained and we’re a close knit and happy company. I would also say good taste in music, but that’s already questionable amongst the team!"

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

"Underwriters can’t be too optimistic at work… You can be exposed to risky transactions and over-optimistic clients, so being aware of all that could go wrong helps you to underwrite a deal properly. However, ask me for general life advice and my optimism will shine though!"

What will be the greatest challenge facing the bridging and development finance industry in the coming months?

"Our industry feels quite positive at the moment. The main concern for lenders is staying competitive, as we’re seeing considerably more shopping around from brokers and borrowers than we did before the pandemic. So fit-for-purpose products and compelling interest rates are essential. Borrowers also want reliable lenders who won’t mess them around. Luckily, rates and reliability are areas that Funding 365 has always excelled at."

Who or what makes you laugh?

"I love a meme and Tamil comedy is always top tier!"

Do you dread Monday mornings?

"No-one loves a Monday, but no. It’s nothing but fun vibes and great banter in our office, so I’m very lucky."

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

"My height. It’s such a mission getting outfits because I’m 5’ 10 and I feel like I’m being penalised for something out of my control."

With whom would you most like to have dinner?

"Kendrick Lamar – a genius musician!"