A Brisbane mother of two has excelled in her first weeks as a finance and mortgage broker, showing the benefits of being personally mentored by her boss.
Sheena Briffa started last month as a broker with Borro™ at Loganholme in Brisbane and is under the wing of the firm’s owner Cara Giovinazzo.
Ms Giovinazzo said Ms Briffa had already submitted loan applications worth $2.9 million during her first month as a broker with another $2 million in the pipeline.
“Sheena is totally nailing it since she became a broker and has worked on loans worth almost $5 million in her first month which is an amazing accomplishment,” Ms Giovinazzo said.
“I am so proud of what she has achieved at all levels. Sheena joined CGIO as a client service manager but she wanted to be a mortgage broker and is passionate about the industry so it has been a huge pleasure to give her an opportunity.”
Ms Briffa, who previously worked as an administrator at a Ray White real estate office at Melton in Melbourne’s west before moving to Queensland, said she had long held ambitions to be a broker.
“I have two daughters aged eight and five and I have for many years mixed work with being a mother,” she said.
“I have wanted to be a broker for a long time. I think it’s an industry well suited to women despite the fact it has long had a reputation for being male dominated.
“Cara has been tremendously helpful in encouraging me and enabling me to try and achieve my ambitions. It’s only early days but I am looking forward to a long career as a broker.”
Ms Giovinazzo also has had Maddy Watt step up from being a credit analyst with CGIO to becoming a broker with the firm after undertaking its mentoring program.
“During the program we teach the basics about home lending, how to order and read valuations, completing income verification, learning to complete servicing and how to review client needs and review scenarios with lenders,” she said.
Ms Giovinazzo said she started the program as a way of giving back after benefitting herself from a Commonwealth Bank mentoring program when she was making her way in the finance industry.
“I know first-hand how challenging it is to be taken seriously as a young female and also how hard it can be for opportunities to be available,” she said.
“I am fortunate to have now amassed a considerable amount of experience and I want to pass this knowledge on to other young women and help them grow into amazing, confident finance brokers.”
ENDS
Further inquiries:
Cara Giovinazzo
Senior Finance Broker
Borro™
p: 1300 1 borro™ m: 0409 463 850
