Simon Dodd

Q. How did it feel winning an award recently?

It was an honour to pick up the award for Best Marketing – Mortgages. The team have come along way in the last few years, and put in so much work on a daily basis to communicate our proposition to our intermediary partners. To be able to take the time to celebrate all the fantastic marketing that happens in our industry, and connect with other people was really worthwhile.

Q. How did you end up with a career in marketing and how did you find yourself in the mortgage industry?

I kind of fell in to marketing , after initially studying Journalism at University. The creative side of marketing is what initially attracted me, but over the years you realise the breadth of skills that you get to use in a career in this discipline.

I’ve worked in a number of roles across the service and financial industry, and have been in the mortgages for the last 5 years, after cutting my teeth on the savings side of our business. I love how the market is always changing and there’s need for us to be incredibly agile when it comes to our marketing.

Q. Where do you live?

I currently live in Stourbridge, about 15 miles to the west of Birmingham, but I’m an exiled Devonian having been brought up in a seaside town called Teignmouth.

Q. Do you have any pets?

A guinea pig called Fluffy. Officially he is my daughter's, but based on who does the bulk of the cleaning out I think I can claim him as mine.

Q. Do you have a favourite saying?

No inspirational business quote I’m afraid. It’s more likely to be a lyric from The Smiths or The Wedding Present (showing my age and questionable music taste)

Q. What was the first (or last) concert/gig you went to?

It’s the same band for both my first and last. I saw a band called Pavement at Bristol Colston Hall when I was 13, and last October saw them again at Camden Roundhouse. I think they were even better 30 years later.

Q. What advice would you give to other marketers in the mortgage market?

Don’t jump straight into tactics. Think about your audience, their needs and how you can add value to their day to day lives through your product, proposition and communication. Then build a strategy around that.

Q. What is your favourite city you have ever been to?

I loved New York, but it’s probably Rome. The way you just stumble across fantastic historical artefacts as you are walking around is like few other cities in the world. Plus the foods not bad!

Q. If you were Prime Minister, what would you change?

I’d want to bring a bit more compassion and reasoned debate back into the way we do politics. I think we’d achieve a lot more that way.

Q. What is your favourite film?

I feel like I should say something really intellectual and art-house – but I really like Top Gun!