Back in business: an Emma Wright Q&A

Emma Wright is our Telephone Business Development Manager for the North of England. She’s recently returned to the BDM team after a 12 month secondment as a Mortgage Propositions Analyst.

So, we sat down with her to find out more about what she’s been up to in the last year.

Hi Emma! Tell us a bit about you first.

Can you tell us about your career before joining Atom?

I joined Atom in April 2021 as a TBDM after eight and a half years working as a Case Manager for broker firms. I started my financial services career at 19 by doing a Business Admin apprenticeship after going into work straight from school as a waitress and then a Graphic Designer for a local magazine.

During my time working for broker firms as a Case Manager, I helped set up a new broker firm from scratch. And, with new builds being my area of expertise, I also helped develop a new build department within an already established broker firm. But, I always found time to sit down with the visiting BDMs. After learning about their role, I instantly knew I was interested in becoming one myself!

I was (and still am) so proud of what I achieved during those eight and a half years but felt I was ready for a change. So, then my Atom Bank journey began!

Over the last 12 months, you were seconded to the Residential Proposition team. What was your role like there?

I found my time in the Residential Proposition team to be incredibly varied — no two days were ever the same!

As part of the role, I regularly carried out market research and analysis to support and change our mortgage proposition. I collaborated with a variety of stakeholders across the bank to create business strategies and plans.

I was also responsible for delivering our mortgage rate changes, which required a lot of coordination both internally and externally. We frequently maintain a dialogue with our brokers, so I spent a lot of time organising and assisting in the production of those communications.

There was also a lot of work that went into contributing to working groups and projects within the business, as well as the initiation and implementation of improvements to some of our internal processes.

And then there was the need to be readily available in between all of the above to assist with the weird and wonderful queries that come over to the Propositions team!

What has been your proudest moment during your time at Atom so far?

Being approached to be a workplace buddy to two of our newest members in the Commercial department. One was our Commercial Intern, who was then offered a permanent position on our Graduate Programme and the other is within our Brand & Experience team.

A buddy is someone who is approachable, empathetic and a good listener. I supported new starters when they were settling in and was available to answer any questions they had, offer friendly advice and share knowledge on how things work at Atom. To be approached and trusted with this as an additional responsibility is something I am particularly proud of.

What are the main things you’ve learnt that you can bring back to the BDM team?

I’ve really improved my knowledge of the nitty gritty as to how the bank operates and why we do things the way we do. This is a particularly useful skill to have when it comes to answering difficult or technical queries from our brokers. I have already put this hard-earned expertise to use and it’s been well received.

What did you miss most being away from the BDM team?

I missed speaking to our brokers everyday, whether that was on the phone for a new enquiry or via a video meeting talking about what we have to offer. I really enjoy hearing what our brokers have to say and helping them on a daily basis.

What are you most looking forward to now you’re back?

Getting back to having meetings with brokers — it could be a one to one or a full broker firm meeting, I love catching up and listening to their needs.

My focus is currently ensuring that all the brokers who have access to us are in the best position possible to get the most out of placing a case. I’m also making sure that everyone in the North who can register with us is registered.

What is the best piece of career-related advice you’ve ever been given? Who gave it to you?

‘Allow yourself to make mistakes, it’s how you live and learn’ - Maria Coulter BEM MRICS

(Maria happens to be one of my family relations and wrote me a fantastic ‘What would I tell my 18 year old self’ letter for my 18th birthday)

Once upon a time, the thought of getting something wrong and making a mistake would wreak havoc in my mind — so it did take me a little while to take on board this advice. But I’m happy to admit that I’ve gotten it wrong a few times and I realised that it doesn’t mean something catastrophic will happen… it just means you live and learn — and don’t make the same mistake again!

What has been the funniest moment for you at Atom?

When I announced to the team what I was using my All About Me fund for! I asked them to guess and no one was even close. They guessed pottery, crochet, pizza making and a lot of other things! While they are all great ideas (and I have noted them down as potentials for this year’s fund), their reaction when I told them it was for ice skating lessons was priceless. That’s because everyone knows how clumsy I can be, so Bambi on ice sprung to mind! We laughed about the thought of me trying to zoom around the ice doing jumps and spins.