‘You can be an outstanding mortgage professional and a volcano of jocular energy at the same time, but people need to feel enabled to be that’
In the latest edition of MPA’s popular BDM in the Spotlight series, Samuel Flood gives the lowdown on being a commercial business development manager at non-bank lender Thinktank.
Flood is an advocate for the sharing of knowledge between the many outstanding professionals in the broking industry – but he reckons you can have fun at the same time.
This series is dedicated to shining a light on the best and brightest BDMs and relationships managers in Australia’s vibrant mortgage finance space.
When and how did you join the finance industry?
I started my lending journey at La Trobe Financial as a credit analyst in Sydney. It was me and just two others. We essentially just processed renewals for short term loans, but there were a lot. Back then it was still paper files. You had to print everything and label them into sections like “income” and “valuation” and they gto wet signatures from the DLA. Crazy to think of doing that now.
What does your current role involve?
I visit my broker partners wherever I can and learn about their business and their strengths and potential development areas so I can help educate them on opportunities in non-bank lending, using the great products we provide to the market. Problem solving for current deals where hiccups might occur. Meetings with our amazing aggregator partners to learn about our brokers and targets. It’s good fun!
How do you assist brokers to grow their business?
I focus on empowering brokers through targeted education. By deepening their understanding of our products, policies, and market opportunities, I help them identify more solutions for their clients.
When brokers are equipped with stronger knowledge, they can confidently service a wider range of scenarios, convert more leads, and ultimately expand their customer base. I try to always be available for call scenarios or learning sessions. No exposure to SMSF and want to learn? I’m there with a pen and some party poppers.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I genuinely enjoy the opportunity to meet a wide range of people and learn from their experiences. The broking industry is full of highly knowledgeable professionals, and engaging with them allows me to continually expand my own understanding of the market. I value the insights they share, and the relationships built through those interactions.
What makes the role even more rewarding is when I’m able to provide something in return – whether that’s a new piece of knowledge, a fresh perspective, or a solution they hadn’t considered. Being able to contribute to their growth while learning from them creates a meaningful, two‑way partnership that I find very fulfilling.
What’s the most important advice you can offer to a new-to-industry broker?
Always be kind and always be learning. It’s a relatively small industry, old faces always come back around the merry-go-round.
How important is broker feedback in ensuring you provide the best service?
Broker feedback is absolutely critical. In a competitive lending environment, a single negative experience can be enough for a broker to disengage from a lender entirely – potentially impacting both their clients’ outcomes and our ability to support them.
Constructive feedback provides valuable insight into what’s working well and where we need to improve. It helps me understand the broker’s real‑world experience, adjust my approach, refine processes, and reinforce behaviours that deliver strong outcomes.
What makes a great BDM or state manager?
I believe trust and accountability are fundamental. In this industry, you won’t always get the outcome you expect, and mistakes are inevitable. What truly defines a great BDM or state manager is how they respond in those moments – being transparent, owning the situation, and proactively working toward a solution.
When brokers and internal stakeholders know they can rely on you to follow through, communicate honestly, and take responsibility, it builds credibility and long‑term confidence. Consistency in behaviour, especially during challenges, is what ultimately cements your character and sets strong performers apart in these roles.
If there’s one thing you could change about the industry, what would it be?
I think there has been a bit of an erosion in silly goose-ness. There are some great characters around, but I feel like there used to be a lot more. You can be an outstanding mortgage professional and a volcano of jocular energy at the same time, but people need to feel enabled to be that. We should all be encouraging each other to make sure fun is involved in all appropriate aspects of our operations. The majority of our lives we are working, let’s not waste that time boring each other. Also stamp duty, lets rub that out.
Describe your ideal weekend:
Saturday: Sleep in a little bit. Take the dog out for a walk, preferably near some water/good vistas. Have a late breakfast somewhere with good vibes and good coffee. Read a book and have a snooze in the afternoon and then go out somewhere fun for dinner with friends that has great food and wine. We like to take out time getting ready at home, have a few drinks with some music going and dance around the house a bit.
Sunday: Repeat of Saturday morning, then go for a drive and find somewhere new to explore.
