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Loan Market has recently announced Andrew Thompson as its new Queensland state director.
A 19-year CommBank veteran who held management roles, Thompson will draw on his track record with CBA, where he helped $30m writers break into the $70m threshold, to support the growth of Loan Market brokers.
Thompson, an advocate of the Kaizen principles, started using the methodology in Gladstone about seven years ago. According to him, the Kaizen practice of continuous improvement-mapping was highly effective in boosting productivity and avoiding wasteful pursuits in business.
“I've helped over 100 businesses transform their operations through Kaizen principles. I’ll sit with brokers for anywhere between a day and a week and explore their end-to-end process - from when the client makes their first enquiry right through to settlement,” Thompson said.
“We then look at the roadblocks, eliminate actions and processes that don’t add value, and sometimes even hinder value. We set up visual management boards so that when the team walks into the office, they know exactly what they have to do.”
Thompson has seen first-hand how Kaizen can deliver business growth, but for him, the cultural improvements it can provide are just as “evident and important.”
“I’m all about building businesses. Loan Market’s tech takes away a lot of the pain brokerages deal with. So, from my perspective, I’m going to be able to help businesses realise growth in loan volumes and profitability a lot faster,” he said.
Thompson’s Kaizen experience will be a “game-changer” for Queensland business owners, according to Loan Market executive chairman Sam White.
“Our brokers will reap the benefits of Andrew’s Kaizen approach,” White said.
“He’s a great addition to the Queensland network which, collectively, has built exceptionally strong ties and relationships with their customers and referral partners.”
