This week's Commonwealth Bank BDM has spent 27 years in lending, with 15 years in the third party business.
Commonwealth Bank BDM for NSW/ACT, James Shacallis previously worked as a branch manager and small business lender.
BDM in the spotlight asks a different BDM the same seven questions – giving you a weekly insight into the lives of some of the top BDM’s in the country.
How often do you see brokers in a week?
I am on the road four days a week and spend one administration day per week working with the CommBank Credit and Processing teams to ensure that my brokers and our customers have the best possible outcomes.
What do brokers want most from you?
Brokers usually seek my advice on structuring, submitting and processing the tight deals they might have on their books. They also want to learn from my experience on how to grow their book year on year and build a long term client base.
What is your favourite part of the job?
I really enjoy meeting new people and inspiring them to be the best they can be every day. Better understanding why they are in their business and what their future plans are is imperative to assisting them grow.
What distinguishes the best brokers you deal with?
The best brokers are the ones who have passion and commitment for delivering consistently good service to their clients. They take ownership and simplify their client’s process from enquiry all the way through to settlement, 100% of the time.
Describe your ideal weekend.
Spending quality time with my family and chilling out with friends.
What’s the strangest lending scenario you’ve ever encountered?
I was once asked if we could assist with funding a farm in Greece. The broker thought because I’m Greek I could get the deal done. Lucky I said no to that one! That broker is now retired of course.
How do you like your steak done?
Medium to well done and smothered in mushroom sauce.
Every Wednesday we’ll feature a different BDM from across Australia. If you’d like to be included, please email the editor.
Related articles:
BDM in the spotlight: Natalie Sheehan
BDM in the spotlight: Melanie Davis
BDM in the spotlight: Kelvin Tan
BDM in the spotlight asks a different BDM the same seven questions – giving you a weekly insight into the lives of some of the top BDM’s in the country.
How often do you see brokers in a week?
I am on the road four days a week and spend one administration day per week working with the CommBank Credit and Processing teams to ensure that my brokers and our customers have the best possible outcomes.
What do brokers want most from you?
Brokers usually seek my advice on structuring, submitting and processing the tight deals they might have on their books. They also want to learn from my experience on how to grow their book year on year and build a long term client base.
What is your favourite part of the job?
I really enjoy meeting new people and inspiring them to be the best they can be every day. Better understanding why they are in their business and what their future plans are is imperative to assisting them grow.
What distinguishes the best brokers you deal with?
The best brokers are the ones who have passion and commitment for delivering consistently good service to their clients. They take ownership and simplify their client’s process from enquiry all the way through to settlement, 100% of the time.
Describe your ideal weekend.
Spending quality time with my family and chilling out with friends.
What’s the strangest lending scenario you’ve ever encountered?
I was once asked if we could assist with funding a farm in Greece. The broker thought because I’m Greek I could get the deal done. Lucky I said no to that one! That broker is now retired of course.
How do you like your steak done?
Medium to well done and smothered in mushroom sauce.
Every Wednesday we’ll feature a different BDM from across Australia. If you’d like to be included, please email the editor.
Related articles:
BDM in the spotlight: Natalie Sheehan
BDM in the spotlight: Melanie Davis
BDM in the spotlight: Kelvin Tan
