BDM in the spotlight: Suvodip De

The Suncorp business development manager channels his strategic thinking skills to keep brokers at the top of their game.

By MPA

03 Mar 2018

BDM in the spotlight asks a different BDM the same questions – giving you a weekly insight into the lives of some of the top BDMs in the country.

What you did before entering the industry:
My career journey in banking can be classified as “the road less travelled”. I started out in events management, working with the likes of National Geographic, Pepsi and Suzuki, to name a few. I was also part of the Bollywood scene back in India, organising movie launches. I’ve been in the world of banking for 14 years now and I love being a BDM.
How often do you see brokers in a week?
For me it’s not about numbers. The key is finding the right type of activity and to deliver the right outcomes. A combination of face-to-face meetings and phone calls and emails is how I effectively connect with my broker partners. Another invaluable activity for me to get my brand and name out there is attending aggregator PD days and networking events.

What do brokers want most from you?
My brokers want someone who supports their customer value proposition and adds value to their business. As someone who knows the specialised nature of SME and commercial transactions, I‘m well-versed with credit policies, banking regulations, deal structuring, and financial analysis. I share my knowledge to my brokers on a daily basis.

If I’ve made my brokers’ job easier by being there when they needed me most – either by phone or in person – I’ve done my bit.

What is your favourite part of the job?
Assisting brokers with lending scenarios – whether it’s simple or complex. I also like the education part of my job, which involves teaching brokers to diversify. I show them a more holistic approach in servicing their customers, while capitalising on small businesses and commercial opportunities.

At Suncorp, we’re really at the top of the game when it comes to education. We provide tailored workshops to assist brokers in transacting and structuring SME and commercial lending.

What distinguishes the best brokers you deal with?
The best brokers ask a lot of questions. You can see in their submissions that they really know their clients’ business intimately. The devil is in the details when it comes to a well-presented commercial transaction.

Describe your ideal weekend:
I love to spend a relaxing, quiet weekend with friends and family after a busy week. I’m also a shutterbug, so photography can take up quite a bit of my weekend.

What’s the strangest lending scenario you’ve ever encountered?
I have been very fortunate to have worked in various locations in Australia, and each location presented some unique lending scenarios.

I wrote a credit memo to fund a crocodile jumping tour start-up operation in Darwin. It was the most challenging transaction I have worked on. But when it was presented to credit, it was snapped up without any major issues.

The hot air balloon event at the Gold Coast is another that comes to mind. I had to make sure the deal was not full of hot air and would fly with our credit team.

What's your top time-saving tip and how much time does it save you?
Strange as it might sound, sometimes slowing down can actually save time. I always have a “To Do” list, and I tackle the hardest tasks first. Others become a breeze to deal with later on.

What’s your favourite meal?
I can’t go past a chef-cooked steak, medium rare with lots of green peppercorn sauce. However, my all-time favourite meals are the street foods of my hometown, Calcutta.