The Five Minute Interview with Dale Jannels, Managing Director, AToM

By Tony Sanchez 12th November 2012

All Types of Mortgages (AToM Ltd) is an award winning Mortgage Broker, Packager and Distributor, offering Mortgages, Bridging Finance, Secured Loans and Commercial Finance to all types of customers.

We speak to managing director Dale Jannels:

What is the best thing about being in the mortgage business?

It has to be the challenges we are presented with on a daily basis. No one wants to be an order taker. I love that we are able to place cases that others say ‘can’t be placed’.

The introducing Broker is likely to come back to us and most importantly, the customer’s needs are serviced.

What keeps you focussed?

Running a tight ship. We want to be the best of the best. With so much opportunity, and some great competitors, it really is a service and proposition driven market.

We have a great team at AToM and they work really hard to ensure we are at the top of our sector.

What qualities do you look for in your employees or colleagues?

They have to fit in to the AToM family values. Being an independent family run business has a certain uniqueness and we select colleagues who we feel will fit with our views and values.

We want them to feel that, whilst their individual role is important, we will listen to their thoughts and ideas and implement them where appropriate.

We have recently taken on four new team members as business volumes are increasing.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

Definitely an optimist. The next deal is always going to be a good one!

What did you want to be as a child?

Nothing specific, but I have always wanted to be on TV! Apart from the odd appearance in an audience (last week’s ‘A League of Their Own’) and as a passer by on Police 5. I’ve failed miserably on that one!

What will be the greatest challenge facing the bridging finance industry in the coming months?

Heavy handed regulation! I have no problem with regulation but I think, all too often ‘Baby and Bathwater’ comes to mind.

It is possible to over regulate and this may prove a disservice to the consumer who ends up picking up the bill.

We are all under immense pressure to write business as it is, simply to survive. Many are not on chunky salaries so every bit of business counts.

But that does not mean they will fail to do the job properly for their clients. The great danger is that we will continue to lose good people from the industry if the welter of paperwork and costs continue to increase. This is not a good thing.

Who or what makes you laugh?

I don’t watch much TV, but I do ‘Sky+’ Celebrity Juice. Some of the things they do and get away with has me in stitches.

I’m an avid Liverpool supporter, and before anyone else mentions it, yes you have to laugh at them in their current league form too!

Do you dread Monday mornings?

Not at all. Each week is an opportunity for AToM to reach out further and to continue punching above our weight. We have a great team and some superb product offerings (and more on the way!).

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

After 20+ years, I successfully became a non smoker. Having managed that, I think I can pretty much achieve most things now, so change as and when I need to.

With whom would you most like to have dinner?

Difficult question as there are a number of people who intrigue me in different ways. For the fame side, Michael Jackson due to the life he had.

Stephen Fry is a wealth of knowledge and would be highly entertaining. Cameron right now, just to gage the amount of pressure he’s under.

In our industry there are many who I look up to and have been working with since the late 90’s, even friendly competitors. But if I had to choose one for an enjoyable dining experience, then it would probably have to be the American Actress – Mila Kunis!