No reward without the risk - Marc Blake

Sometimes, we don’t know where our interests lie until we attempt something completely new. Challenging ourselves can be an excellent way of discovering our skills and strengths. For Marc Blake, Credit Manager at high-end automotive finance provider JBR Capital, it took a step into the sphere of credit to realise his passion for underwriting. Here, Marc explains how he has developed and honed his skills and knowledge throughout his time at JBR Capital. 

You’ve been with JBR Capital for just over a year now. How has your first year with the business been? 

“The first year just flew by, but the real highlight has been discovering the true nature of JBR Capital. I previously worked in big companies where it’s very easy to get lost within the expansive structure, but as JBR Capital is a smaller business, you get to know everyone really well, as you are interacting with the whole team. It quickly made me thoroughly enjoy coming to work.”  

What prompted you to pursue a career in the world of high-end automotive finance?   

“I studied accounting and finance at university, but I soon realised that I didn’t want to be an accountant. I had an interest in cars already, so I thought I’d try and combine that with the skills and knowledge I had learned from studying accounting and finance, which made me look towards the car finance industry.  

“It sounds crazy now, but before I started working in credit, I didn’t even know what underwriting was! However, once I started underwriting, I instantly enjoyed the process – which comes in handy for my job!” 

Tell us a bit more about your role here at JBR Capital… 

“My role mainly consists of underwriting our clients’ credit agreements, making sure that they can afford the loan and that it fits into JBR Capital’s criteria for accepted levels of risk. This involves working quite closely with some of the other teams within the business, particularly Client Services, who provide us with all of the documentation and files we need to make a balanced and informed decision.  

“We also work closely with the compliance team, as we always need to make sure that our agreements comply with the latest industry policies and standards, which protects both us as a business, and the clients we serve.” 

What challenges have you faced in your role, and how have you overcome them? 

“For me, the big challenge when I started at JBR Capital was adjusting to the higher risk appetite of the business. With my previous roles in credit, the vehicle values were far lower, which was reflected in the value of our agreements and the level of risk we could take on.   

“At JBR Capital, however, as we are dealing with high-value, high-end vehicles, the value and risk of our agreements are higher. And this is by no means a bad thing, we just have to prove that the risk is worth taking on, as you would with a smaller-scale agreement. Working with experienced underwriters has helped me deal with this, and I feel like I’ve got a far stronger understanding of the company’s risk appetite thanks to the exposure I’ve had to these credit agreements.”  

And outside of work, how do you like to switch off? 

“I mainly spend my time playing sport, although I’ll be the first to admit I’m very fair weather when it comes to this. I love playing football and golf with my mates, but admittedly it’s more for the social aspect of it nowadays – but I do enjoy going to the gym as well!” 

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