A route less travelled: from car dealership to the head of Connective Asset Finance
A route less travelled: from car dealership to the head of Connective Asset Finance
2006: FINANCE CAREER REVS INTO GEAR
Starrenburg transitioned from being a car sales agent to a finance and insurance manager at a car dealership. His role involved marketing finance and insurance products to vehicle-buying customers. “It was an interesting transition, and the finance industry has certainly evolved since those beginnings.”
2009: JOINS BROKING INDUSTRY
A business relationship at the dealership led Starrenburg to Connective. As Connective’s Victorian sales manager, he had to recruit brokers and offer solutions to its broker network. He also conducted professional development training to equip brokers with the skills needed to become and remain successful. “It was a rapid learning experience because I wasn’t really across the mortgage industry, let alone the role of an aggregator.”
2010: FOCUSES ON COMPLIANCE
Starrenburg became Connective’s compliance manager just as the National Consumer Credit Protection Act was introduced. He was responsible for broker training and accreditation. His duties included visiting brokers to conduct file reviews, and providing feedback on processes that could be improved. “I educated brokers about what responsible lending is, and what it means to both client and broker.”
2013: ACCEPTS NEWLY FORMED POSITION
Connective offered Starrenburg a position focused on helping brokers grow the firm’s asset finance division. Being Connective’s national BDM for plant and equipment gave him an opportunity to take on responsibilities the aggregator hadn’t offered before. “Given my background in the motor dealer space, I was able to provide training and support to brokers. I taught them some of the typical dealer tactics, and that saw consistent year-on-year growth of 30–35% in settlements.”
2017: GROWS ASSET FINANCE TEAM
When Connective Asset Finance was launched, Starrenburg was appointed as its head, and he expanded his team to include two BDMs and an administration associate. A partnership with Positive Lending gave brokers access to BOLT, an online quoting and application portal connecting them with asset finance lenders. “The expansion [of the team] allowed me to concentrate on developing our lender panel offerings to the Connective network.”
2018: SEES BUSINESS VOLUME DOUBLE
The year has begun well for Starrenburg, with business volume increasing by approximately 116%. His team provides asset brokers with a clear, transparent aggregation model like the one they have in the mortgage space
