10 Questions with Liz Locke of Omni Capital
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Fresh from The Apprentice and keen to do a bit of spying...
Katie-Jill Rowland speaks to Liz Locke, Development Director at Omni Capital...
1.How does it feel being a woman in such a male dominated industry?
I don’t really pay much attention to the fact that the property industry is predominately male. I think that is because I have only ever worked in masculine environments having spent my career prior to Omni in Investment banking.
I really think it is about the job you do and what you contribute to your team – gender shouldn’t come into it.
2.When did you start working in bridging and where you working before?
I started working in Bridging only a month ago. Omni Capital is a new company founded by CPC, the private equity company headed by Christian Candy and MCIFA founded by Paul Munford.
Prior to joining Omni I worked in two Investment banks; UBS trading High Yield Bonds and Deutsche Bank in Private Wealth Management.
3.What would you be doing now if you weren’t working in the financial industry?
That is a tricky question. On the back of my time on the Apprentice I received many interesting job opportunities from TV to fashion to banking. If I hadn’t accepted my job as Development Director at Omni I would probably have followed one of the other start up opportunities.
4.What did you want to be when you were a kid?
When I was a little girl, like most young girls, I always wanted to be a pop star like Kylie Minogue! If not a pop star I wanted to be a nurse.
5.What is the best and worst thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is the interaction with people; my fantastic team, the clients and intermediary market. The most successful businesses are developed through a good, reliable product and strong relationships internally and externally.
B&C: And the worst?
...it's too early to say!
6.What is your favourite book and film and why?
My favourite book is the Kite Runner. It is so well written you immediately lose yourself in the story. The story is gripping and feels so real; you get a real mix of emotions throughout.
My favourite film more recently has been The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The book was amazing and unlike many stories made into films this one was outstanding. The depth of storyline coupled with the twist at the end left me wanting more!
7.Do you feel that your time spent on The Apprentice has given you an advantage in this industry compared to people who have not experienced such fame?
The apprentice was a fantastic experience which opened my eyes to the business world and enabled me to really understand who I am and what I want from life. I left the process feeling refreshed and ready to build a successful career for myself.
What I think I bring to the property market is a fresh pair of eyes and the drive and commitment to build Omni Capital to become a leader in the bridging market.
The only advantage I believe the Apprentice has given me is the ‘familiar, friendly face’ making meeting new people often a lot easier and the confidence to go out and work hard to make a name for myself in the property finance industry.
8.If you could have a super power for one day, what would it be and why?
I would love to be invisible! Like most women – whether they admit it or not – I am a little nosey so would love the opportunity to ‘spy’ on people for the day!
9.What is the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
This is a difficult one! I think people would be surprised that I am a fierce boxer….or at least I like to think so!
10.What trends do you predict will be seen in the next 12 months in the bridging world?
Bridging is a fast growing market. What was once quite a ‘cottage industry’ is now moving towards being more institutional. I think the next twelve months will see a continued expansion in the market as mainstream lending continues to be constrained. With increasing competition, borrowers will have more choice and lenders’ success will not purely be based on pricing but more on the knowledge and experience of the team to enable a more innovative approach when structuring funding agreements.
Omni Capital is well placed to become one of the top bridging lenders in the next six to 12 months as not only do we have a well experienced team but we have reliable and substantial funds. We offer efficient decisions and an innovative approach with no hidden charges.
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