First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at OMS?
From the outset of my career, I've been drawn to opportunities that combine creativity and strategy, which led me to pursue a degree in Marketing. After earning my degree, I began my professional journey at an architecture firm, where I was responsible for their marketing. This role provided me with valuable experience and an opportunity to further hone my analytical and creative thinking skills, laying a strong foundation for my future career path.
I then transitioned to Spicerhaart, where I was appointed Marketing Manager of Financial Services. This role not only deepened my understanding of the mortgage sector but also solidified my passion for the financial services industry. The experience was invaluable, allowing me to work with exceptional professionals while developing both soft and hard skills that further enhanced my expertise.
In 2023, I made the decision to join One Mortgage System. While leaving Spicerhaart was a significant step, the opportunity presented by One Mortgage System was too compelling to pass up.
Since joining as Head of Marketing, I am now responsible for managing all our integration partnerships, as well as managing the marketing team at OMS which covers both the CRM and Origination systems.
You have recently been shortlisted for Marketer of the Year in the 2024 Women's Recognition Awards, what does it mean to you to be recognised by your peers and why is it important that marketing in general is championed?
Being shortlisted for this award is incredibly rewarding. I am honoured to be recognised alongside an incredible group of women who are also finalists in my category, who have a wealth of experience in the industry.
To be recognised by my peers, people I admire and respect in the industry, means a lot because it’s a validation of the hard work, commitment, and passion I pour into my work every day. Marketing can often be a behind-the-scenes effort, so seeing the impact acknowledged on a larger stage is empowering.
As for the importance of championing marketing, I believe marketing is the voice of any business. It’s not just about promoting services, it’s about storytelling, building relationships, and connecting with people. Effective marketing can drive change and by championing marketing, we highlight the strategic value it brings to businesses.
Recognising the importance of marketing also encourages innovation and sets a higher standard for the industry, which benefits everyone, consumers, businesses, and marketers alike.
OMS is widely recognised as one of the leading CRM systems for brokers, but you also now offer an originations system for lenders. How are you facing the challenge to market this to the lender community and how important for example are certain parts of the marketing mix in your strategic approach?
Expanding into the lender market with our originations system has been an exciting challenge. We’re entering a well-established market with specific and complex needs, so our holistic approach to working with the lenders to build a system they require, has proven invaluable.
One of the key strategies we’re employing is leveraging our existing reputation in the broker community. OMS is already a trusted name, and we’re using that credibility as a foundation to introduce our originations platform. However, we recognise that lenders have different pain points and priorities, so our messaging has been tailored to address those specific needs, such as efficiency, compliance, and scalability.
In terms of the marketing mix, certain elements are crucial. For instance, our product positioning and differentiation are at the core of our strategy. We need to clearly communicate how our originations system stands out from competitors, not just in terms of features, but in how it integrates seamlessly with existing workflows and enhances operational efficiency.
Digital marketing is another critical component, especially targeted campaigns that reach decision-makers in the lending community. We’re investing our time and resource into becoming educators in the financial tech space, hosting Tech Talks, webinars, and generally offering forums for lenders to communicate with us on their sticking points.
Additionally, direct engagement through events and webinars allows us to connect with lenders more personally. Public relations and strategic partnerships also play a role, helping to build trust and credibility, working with already well-established third-party partners to build valuable relationships that enhance our system.
Ultimately, it’s about balancing all these elements to create a cohesive strategy that resonates with lenders and positions our originations system as a must-have tool in their operations.
You are also now responsible for the various partnerships that OMS has, how important are these to OMS and its customers and how do you work with partners to promote them to users and what have you planned for the rest of 2024?
Partnerships are critical to OMS, both for our business growth and for delivering value to our customers. These collaborations with industry-leading platforms allow us to enhance our offering, provide seamless integrations, and ensure our clients have access to a comprehensive ecosystem that meets their needs.
For our customers, these partnerships mean they can rely on OMS not just as a CRM or originations system but as a central hub that connects them to a range of tools and services, making their operations more efficient and streamlined.
Working with partners involves a lot of coordination and mutual understanding. To promote these partnerships to our users, we focus on clear communication and education. This includes joint webinars, joint content, and constant communication and collaboration to ensure we are getting a full range of feedback from the market. We want our users to see how these integrations can directly improve their workflows and outcomes.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2024, we have some really exciting plans. We’re enhancing our existing partnerships by expanding the integrations and features available to our users. Additionally, we have some amazing new partnerships and offerings in to OMS and planning a series of virtual and in person events to showcase how these partnerships can be leveraged by OMS users. We can never stand still and will endeavour to make the customer/broker/packager/network/lender journey as simple and as seamless as possible.
Finally, if you had one wish, what would it be in terms of where OMS stand at the end of 2025 and what will your role in fulfilling this wish be?
If I had one wish for where OMS stands at the end of 2025, it would be for us to be recognised as the go-to platform, not only in CRM, but also the preferred choice for lenders and building societies across the industry for originations. I’d love to see OMS as the backbone of a fully integrated financial services ecosystem.
My role in fulfilling this wish is about continuing to drive our strategic vision, ensuring that our strategic relationships, marketing messages, and brand, aligns with the evolving needs of both brokers and lenders. I’ll be focused on expanding partnerships that add real value to our users, ensuring that we’re not just keeping up with industry changes but continually setting the pace.
Additionally, I’ll play a key role in strengthening our brand and communication strategies, making sure that our message resonates with potential clients. I’ll also be working closely with our internal teams to ensure that we maintain a customer-first approach, continually gathering feedback and making improvements that keep OMS way ahead of the curve.
