The Intermediary – February 2025 - Flipbook - Page 18
Meet The BDM
Harpenden
nden for Intermediaries
The Intermediary speaks with Chelsea Pordage, business
development manager (BDM) at Harpenden for Intermediaries
How and why did you
become a BDM?
My path to becoming a BDM started
when I landed my first job as a
cashier at my town’s local building
society branch at just 16. Ever
since joining the financial services
industry, I never looked back! At 17, I
was offered a role next door with our
high street bank, and this allowed
me to leave the tills behind and begin
consulting with customers on their
savings, investments and credit.
From there, I got a peek into the
world of mortgages and found both
the complexity of it all and the
genuine difference you could make
for people incredibly rewarding. I
knew there and then that this was
my next goal.
An opportunity became available
at the building society I had worked
as a cashier for previously, on their
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The Intermediary | February 2025
business development helpdesk, and
I leapt for it.
A short while there saw me go
from helpdesk team member to team
leader, and this enabled me to get
involved in a bunch of broker events
and work more closely with the
BDMs, giving me a full view of their
day-to-day and the chance to realise
that this was what I wanted to be.
So, when the time came to become
a BDM myself, it felt very natural
– it felt like this was what I’d been
building all of my experience for, and
I can definitely say it was worth it.
What brought you to
Harpenden Building
Society?
At the same time that I was exploring
BDM opportunities, the Harpenden
Building Society were in the midst
of a journey themselves, seeking
growth and development within the
specialist lending market.
After a few discussions with the
team, I knew it was a challenge I
wanted to accompany them on, and
now two years down the line, I’m
very glad I did.
We’ve accomplished a great deal
when it comes to policy and product
improvements as well as fine-tuning
our manual underwriting approach,
enabling us to provide bespoke
solutions to those who don’t tick all
the usual boxes.
What makes Harpenden
Building Society
stand out?
Here at the Harpenden Building
Society, there is no ‘one-size-fitsall’. We prefer to review cases
individually, with each being
assessed on their own merit.
