Q&A with Rachael Raymond, Head of Broker at Funding Circle

1. What is your name and job title
   “Rachael Raymond, Head of Broker, Funding Circle”

2. What is your role at Funding Circle?

“I head up a team of talented circlers in our broker/introducer channel. Predominantly my focus is on the strategy, growth and long-term direction of the channel, but day-to-day I’m often getting into the weeds of our pipeline to ensure we’re driving towards our targets, working on projects across the company with internal stakeholders, and supporting the roll-out of wider incentives in order to create the best possible environment for our people to thrive in.”

3. What has been the highlight of your career to date?

“Coming from an M&A background, I have some high-profile tombstones in my locker, but I think the proudest moments in my career are when I see the impact of successfully delivering top quality services and products to customers, and how that can have such a far reaching impact. It makes me proud of what I do, and a big reason why Funding Circle felt like the right place for me.” 

4. What is the best piece of advice you have received in your career to date?

“A good leader is a good listener.”

5. What interested you about the world of Broker at Funding Circle?

“I’ve historically worked closely managing intermediary relationships in commercial teams, and so I believe I have a keen understanding of the importance and weight that these partnerships carry for our wider business success. Ultimately being able to provide small businesses with funding they need is the main goal, but being able to facilitate this more widely through growing relationships with introducers is such an exciting opportunity, and a big part of what drew me to this role at Funding Circle.”

6. What’s one thing that would surprise people about your role?

“Every day is completely different!”

7. What are you most looking forward to in 2024, at Funding Circle?

“We’ve got some really exciting projects in the pipeline for the coming year to help facilitate even more lending to businesses that need it! So I am most looking forward to being a part of bringing this vision to life.”

8. What do you think the biggest successes will be in 2024?

“We’re planning to grow the team here at Funding Circle, and in turn keep growing our footprint in the broker market. We have some exciting new developments on our product roadmap as well, centred around improving the broker experience, and ultimately the borrower experience. Watch this space!”

9. Similarly, what do you think the biggest challenges will be in 2024?

“I imagine our biggest challenges will come from market conditions, and whether these continue on the current trajectory. If this happens, it will of course be challenging to our borrowers as well as the wider economy. Although in spite of this, we know that small businesses can be very resilient, as we saw this through the pandemic, so we’re confident that we can weather any storm together.” 

10. To wrap up, what is your favourite part of your role so far?

“It would have to be working with a lot of incredibly talented people, which makes my job a lot easier!”