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Joanne Pope
I moved to Manchester shortly after joining Bridging Finance Limited and living within the centre I enjoy all the perks of city life and experiences that Manchester has to offer. There are some fantastic venues for networking and the Spinningfields area in particular is a really stimulating place for young professionals such as myself. Living in Manchester has definitely assisted in my advancement and allowed me to seize business opportunities. I believe the lifestyle I have suits the fast paced nature of business, innovation and development we have observed in recent years. Undeniably, speed and flexibility are the very essence of Bridging Finance Limited as it serves the professional sector by offering fast and effective funding solutions. The company has effectively worked alongside professional sector partners lending over £150M in the last five years.

I joined Bridging Finance Limited last year on their Graduate Management Trainee programme and currently work within their commercial lending department. My daily tasks range from analytics reporting, liaising with clients and reviewing cases prior to funding. I’d describe Bridging Finance as a fast-paced, supportive and rewarding place to work, where a culture of going above and beyond your role is very much the norm. Having come straight from completing a Masters degree at Lancaster University I was relatively inexperienced, but the company has already invested so much in my development. With formal training in project management and process improvement I’ve been able to make some worthwhile changes knowing that I’m adding real value to the business. I’m currently undertaking challenging and exciting Six Sigma training that looks at process improvements and this qualification is also BSI & ISO accredited. I have also actively explored the different avenues for business development, one of which by getting involved with numerous networking opportunities, and pro.manchester has been the most enjoyable and lucrative way of doing this. I believe the forum is crucial to fostering quality growth in the F&P sector for Manchester’s economy.

I feel privileged that I get to work very closely with the Managing Director of Bridging Finance Limited, Chris Baguley, who has also been the Chairman of pro.manchester during 2010-2011. Moving forwards in my career, I would like to know more about the financial marketplace, how our products are distributed and how we devise new products for the market. Over the next few years I aim to increase my understanding of the F&P sector in order to progress through the business, and long term my aspirations lie with business development and relationship building by expanding a dynamic network of contacts.

You can contact Jo on the below:
Joanne Pope
Graduate Management Trainee (Lancashire Mortgage Corporation)
Blemain Group

t: 0844 873 4153 ext 1713
f: 0844 873 6123
e: Joanne.Pope@blemaingroup.co.uk
w: www.blemaingroup.co.uk

If you'd like to feature in this section please contact the office on Sam.Booth@pro-manchester.co.uk, or call us on 0161 833 0964.