Educational and professional background
Numbers always interested me at school which led me to a degree in Accounting & Computer Science in Dundee. I then trained for four years in Price Waterhouse (before the merger with Coopers) during which time I successfully completed my Chartered Accountancy qualification. My next move was to Progressive where I worked as a financial accountant for five years before spending five years as deputy Head of finance, then head of risk management and society secretary, before moving back into finance as finance director in 2011 and deputy CEO the following year.
What have you learned from the profession?
Excellent customer service is key to success. At Progressive, we believe in direct engagement with our members and potential customers through our branch network which we continue to invest in right across Northern Ireland. Although our ideals and principles haven’t changed we are very responsive to the needs of our members. We are currently developing a new website as we are constantly trying to come up with new ways to make it easier for savers and borrowers to do business with us.
What’s best about your job?
Without doubt it’s the people. Everyone understands how their role fits into the workings of Progressive and we work as a unit to provide an exemplary service to our members. It’s a pleasure to work with so many people who are willing to take on additional responsibilities and go the extra mile as we work towards being the leading savings and mortgage provider in Northern Ireland.
What’s next for you?
October is shaping up to be a very busy month as we have just completed the refurbishment of our Wellington Place branch office and will be launching our new and improved website. The financial sector is constantly evolving and consequently so is my post as Progressive’s deputy chief executive and finance director. Follow us on Twitter @ProgressiveBSoc