Loanworks appoint new GM, Customer Engagement

One of Australia’s leading providers of software solutions to financial institutions, Loanworks, has appointed Greg Phillips to the newly created position of General Manager, Customer Engagement.

With over two decades of banking experience, Greg Phillips has built a reputation as a supportive and highly motivated leader who challenges and coaches others to reach their full potential, and embodies a strong customer and strategic partnership focus.

Phillips has spent his 22 years in the industry (split between the UK and Australia) in roles either working in, or with, the banks, which provides him with a unique lens. It’s allowed him to have a clear understanding of the challenges that lender partners face, from having been on ‘that side of the fence’ and experiencing pain-points in the loan origination process, first hand. Greg has also previously held positions responsible for leading strategic partnerships in tech and data analytics businesses operating in the banking sphere.

His role at Loanworks is newly created, as the company moves into the next phase of its journey, looking to grow strategic partnerships through leveraging its strong industry reputation and with a focus on innovation and investment in its platform.

“Loanworks was seeking to move away from having technical-led interactions with partners to more of a commercial and strategic-led engagement, while maintaining technical prowess,” explains Greg Phillips. “There was an alignment in values – integrity, dependability, and also a performance focus which resonated strongly with me. The business has strong and clear ambitions and this was also a key influencing factor in my decision to take the role and join the team.”

He is excited by the opportunity to make a difference, both internally through coaching, supporting and developing Loanworks people, as well as broadening the company’s lender partnerships – domestically and overseas. “We also have a great opportunity to build on our reputation as being customer-focussed and having a ‘can do’ mindset,” says Phillips. “We have a very experienced team of technical experts and solutions professionals that I can (and do!) rely upon, who have strong industry tenure and credibility.”

Q. How do you think Loanworks adds value to the banking sector?

A. “We’re driven by automating manual processes for our lender partners, reducing friction points in their workflow process and, again, driving efficiencies” says Greg Phillips. “These are still key challenges and an ongoing focus for the industry and so are areas not only where we can support our lender partners, but also where we’ve great experience through our people, platform expertise and industry tenure. Strategically, one of our priorities is to harness this knowledge to improve profitability for our customers.”

Greg has extensive experience in sales and business leadership roles in banking – third party, business and private – and banking tech roles. He also has professional certifications and expertise in data analytics, technology, cyber risk, governance, and strategy and is a graduate of the AICD.

Over the past few months, Greg has helped steer the business across some simple internal process changes which have made an immediate difference. “As with our lender partners, if we can do things more efficiently and/or more simply, it allows us to be more nimble and implement change quicker for our customers,” he says. “Some of these changes have required my colleagues to trust my approach and rationale, but they’ve bought into it and have supported my suggestions which I’ve greatly appreciated.”

“It’s been rewarding to be part of a business with a strong people and values focus,” says Greg Phillips. “It’s an observation of Loanworks that I’m proud to say our lender partners have echoed.”

Q. What are some of the successes you are most proud of… in business, and in your personal life?

A. “In life, having three amazing children and being their father reminds me on a daily basis of the importance of being the best version of yourself and setting an example. Being a good role model for my children is a non-negotiable – winning at all costs but not being a present father would represent failure.”

“In business, I’m driven to making a difference – internally, by ensuring an environment exists where people don’t fear failure, feel empowered to make decisions, take accountability, and work as a team (consistent with my time as an elite swimmer). Externally, creating customer advocates who tell our Loanworks story when we’re not in the room, and building strategic partnerships where the customer wins and our business wins.”

“I’ve always sought to transition my learnings and experiences as an international athlete into my business career, and so in some ways, that’s been one of my best achievements. It's important for me to achieve business success whilst still maintaining peak physical and mental health – and hence why swimming, and football (playing and coaching), are still important components of my life.”

Since commencement, Greg has had a major influence on ensuring the company’s customer engagement team and its activities are visible across the broader business, and that their focus and activities – not just outcomes – are transparent to all.

So where does he see the company in five years’ time? “Short term, I want to continue to expand our lender footprint and leverage recent wins which demonstrate our expertise, reliability and capability,” he says. “Medium term, I’d like to solidify ourselves as the benchmark provider of software solutions for our customers.”