BDM in the Spotlight: Corinna Galpin, Bankwest

'Brokers should be asking for honesty from their BDM and lenders'

BDM in the Spotlight: Corinna Galpin, Bankwest
  • Full name: Corinna Galpin
  • Job title: Strategic broker development manager
  • Company: Bankwest
  • Number of years in the industry: In banking for 16 years, in the third-party channel since 2012
  • Location: Perth, WA

What did you do before entering the industry?
I ran an espresso bar in Sydney.

A brief description of your role and how you support brokers:
In my role as a strategic broker relationship manager I oversee a portfolio of brokers, working with them and their businesses providing education and support. A seamless and successful collaboration between brokers and Bankwest contributes to the overall success of our partnerships and ensures brilliant customer outcomes.

Additionally, I support the WA broker business in many different change initiatives including policy change and broader implementation of some really exciting digital tools for our broker partners.

What’s a goal that you aim to achieve in your role?
My goal this year is to contribute to and support the business in our exciting journey to be the best broker bank and Australia’s favourite digital bank. It’s imperative that we step up and support our business partners through all our planned change, so I feel we have a real opportunity to step up this year and show brokers the value we bring.

What’s your favourite part of the job?
I love working with Bankwest. The culture is unlike any other organisation I have worked for. It’s a team of incredibly passionate and knowledgeable people that always have our brokers and customers at heart of what we do. I love change and the opportunity it brings so I could not be more excited to be part of the Bankwest organisation given the evolution we are in.

What sets successful brokers apart?
A successful broker has both a strong personal and business brand and understands their market or customer demographic. Secondly, they are SMEs of their lender panel and can appreciate that you can’t say yes to every deal – every bank has their niches and general risk appetite. Successful brokers appreciate that it’s not just a transaction but an ongoing mutual relationship, and Bankwest has always done an amazing job in honouring that as well.

What should brokers expect from their state manager or BDMs?
Brokers should be asking for honesty from their BDM and lenders. It may not always be the answer a broker is seeking but I’ve always said a quick confident ‘no’ is better than a long drawn out ‘no’ – and being able to explain the ‘why’ always helps a broker better understand Bankwest.

What do you provide to brokers that makes you valuable to them?
I have developed an in-depth understanding of Bankwest over my five-plus years, our credit policy, risk appetite, how we work and how Bankwest can provide great solutions and banking experiences for our mutual customers. I enjoy participating in different initiatives Bankwest may be working on, representing what is best for our brokers but also being able to share those insights with my portfolio. I have also worked with a myriad of different broker businesses over a long period of time. I can share those learnings to help them grow and improve their business.

Describe your ideal weekend.
My ideal weekend is simply spending time with my family. We love taking our daughter Goldie to swimming lessons, going out for lunch or enjoying something simple like a glass of wine after putting her down for the night.