Former Australian Rugby Sevens Captain, Nick Reily, has joined OnDeck as Business Development Manager NSW/ACT, and the former footy ace is chomping at the bit to support brokers and their SME clients.
Nick notably steered the Australian Sevens Rugby team to a semi-final against New Zealand at the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games team included rugby superstar Matt Giteau and dual international Lote Tiquri.
The appointment of Nick not only strengthens OnDeck’s broker-facing team, it also gives brokers in NSW and the ACT the support of a true team player, who has focused his off-field career on SME lending to develop a thorough understanding of the needs of small business.
Nick said, “The majority of small business owners that I speak with through our broker partners are people who have taken a real gamble to open their business, and then taken steps to grow it. With my sporting background, I understand what it means to see an opportunity and then go for it, so I’m looking forward to supporting brokers help their clients reach that next phase of business growth.”
The new Business Development Manager’s perspective on his role in SME financing is shaped by his background as a team player. He noted, “I believe that if people genuinely know that you’re there to help them, there’s a much better chance of establishing and maintaining a future relationship.”
OnDeck’s approach to sustainable growth sealed the deal
Nick said his new role with OnDeck provides rewarding interaction with both brokers and their clients. “I can visit a mum of two kids, who has started up a home business that’s grown within two years to become an enterprise turning over $100,000 each month. My role is to assist brokers help their SME clients achieve the next growth phase of their business. I have a family myself, so I can really appreciate how difficult it is from the SME owner’s point of view to achieve business growth.”
Nick explained his decision to move to OnDeck saying, “OnDeck has an impressive moral compass. Rather than focusing on growing individual transactions, OnDeck looks at ways to support long term, sustainable relationships among brokers and their SME clients.”
Record growth in OnDeck’s broker channel
The former rugby union star’s appointment comes as OnDeck records 70% year-on-year volume growth across the broker channel. This was driven partly by a restructure that saw OnDeck triple its broker-facing Business Development team in 2019.
Robbie Fidler, National Broker Channel Manager at OnDeck Australia said, “We are delighted to have Nick join the OnDeck team. We are committed to building our presence across the national market, and Nick is the first in a series of additional BDM appointments that will be announced throughout 2020 in order to service our growing portfolio of brokers and their SME clients.”
Robbie added, “Nick brings extensive knowledge of SME lending, having worked in the field for almost four years. His experience spans multiple facets of the business including the broker channel.
“Importantly, Nick is very comfortable in group settings, and he is fantastic at networking through the broker community. One of the biggest strengths Nick brings to our team is his face-to-face presence, where he can play a lead role in the market.”
Robbie concluded, “Nick is an extremely personable guy, and people will very quickly warm to him and want to work with him. And it’s always an opportunity to re-live the glory days of Rugby Sevens with someone who was at the frontline.”