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Anthony Zveglic, national learning and development manager at Finsure, emphasises the importance of good mentoring strategies, and shares his favourite annual learning and educational events for mortgage brokers
Q: You recently won the FBAA 2019 Mentor of the Year award. What do you think defines a good mentor?
A: I think a good mentor gives their mentees structure and practical resources to assist them on their learning journey. The practical resources I use include templates, process charts and guides. From my perspective, a good mentor cares about the mentee and their business and doesn’t hold back on asking challenging questions that encourage the mentee to think about options when it comes to problem-solving. Communication is also important. I would rather know what the person is thinking and feeling so that we are both on the same page.
Q: How important is it for new brokers entering the finance industry to have a mentor?
A: This is incredibly important. New-to-industry brokers have many questions and generally need a lot of guidance. They also don’t know what they don’t know, so I try to provide a framework for them to work within that teaches good behaviours from the very beginning. From an industry perspective, it’s a requirement that new-to-industry brokers have a formal mentor for their first 24 months. During this time I reinforce key learnings from the Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking and diploma, from a very functional perspective; for example the ‘7 C’s of credit’ when completing the lender cover sheet for a new loan scenario submission to a lender assessor.
Q: Who or what inspired you to become a mentor?
A: I was a lender for many years at two of the big five banks in Australia. I loved the lending role so much that I wanted to help others new to the finance industry find their feet and build themselves and their brand so they were then able to assist their own portfolio of customers.
Q: Is continuous development important for brokers throughout their careers?
A: Continuous development is very important for both brokers and mentors. My favourite learning and educational events for our brokers are our Finsure quarterly professional development days. At these events brokers receive a company update, a session on compliance, and a session on a relevant subject that’s topical in the industry at that point in time. Our brokers at these events also have the opportunity to meet with key lenders that attend, and to network with other Finsure brokers to build up their contacts in the industry and form friendships and alliances.
Q: What’s one thing, personal or professional, that you hope to achieve in 2020?
A: From a professional perspective, I want to grow the Finsure Broker Academy team to support more brokers who are entering the industry, as well as the existing Finsure brokers, with key areas of education as required. From a personal perspective, my eldest son is starting high school in January 2020, and I want to be on hand, present and available, to support him and make his transition as smooth as possible.
