Quint Group Interviewed on MoneyGuru Success

Mike Ransom, Managing Director of Quint Group and the MoneyGuru brand, is interviewed by BQ Live, shedding some light on the serious side of his job, and the Group’s plans for global expansion.

Describe your role in no more than 100 words:

My role is varied as we have quite a complex group. I have joint responsibility with Greg Cox, CEO, and the Board for the Group's strategy and take operational responsibility for making sure our business plan is understood by all the teams and that we are all aligned with expectation and delivery. One day I'll be reviewing our sales strategy and the next I may be going through our risk matrix with our Compliance Director.

We've got a great team so, although we set challenging targets, as long as everyone's focus is where it should be, we will continue to succeed.

What is it the company does?

Quint is a leading international and highly innovative fintech company operating in the consumer finance market. Quint owns and operates a portfolio of four mutually beneficial and strategically aligned financial technology business channels in the consumer credit sector. These are all powered by the Group's market-leading proprietary technologies and infrastructure. It uses this proprietary technology infrastructure to link consumers and lenders in an otherwise highly-fragmented online marketplace.

Our newest offering is MoneyGuru, an innovative credit focused price comparison brand which offers customers whole-of-market services for a full suite of loan and credit products. MoneyGuru is much more than just a standard comparison site, it brings together cutting-edge technology, tools and mobile experience alongside a huge number of credit providers.

The Money Guru, the funky face of our new brand, offers his words of wisdom on our website and leads consumers to financial enlightenment.

Give us a brief timeline of your career so far - where did you start, how did you move on?

I joined ICL Financial Services, after finishing university, in a temporary position just to generate some cash to support me as I travelled the world. I was then asked to join ICL's graduate training scheme so put the travel on hold!

I moved into consumer finance when I was approached to join a friend's brokerage business, Prestbury Financial Services, as Broker Liaison Manager. I progressed to Sales Director and then moved to Freedom Finance in 2002. My last role at Freedom was as Head of Loans Division which was a Board Level position, however I took redundancy and six months' gardening leave following the financial crisis which tied in with the birth of my second son so the timing worked well.

I joined Mitchell Farrar Group in 2008 as Business Development Director for 18 months, before being appointed Managing Director of one of the Group's companies that specialised in financial claims. I joined Quint Group in 2011 as Group Managing Director and have loved every minute of it!

What do you believe makes a great leader?

I think a clear vision is essential, as is the ability to translate the vision into reality.

What has been your biggest challenge in your current position?

The FCA taking over regulation of consumer credit could have been seen as a huge challenge, and to some companies it has been. We saw it more as an opportunity for the market to improve its ways and have embraced the change.

How do you alleviate the stress that comes with your job?

I have a wife, three sons and a Labradoodle puppy, so I come to work to alleviate the stress! Clearly that's a joke and I actually do a lot of sports coaching with the boys so I think getting the balance between working hard and doing sport certainly helps.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

The first job I remember wanting was to be a train driver, which was inspired by Ivor the Engine and shows my age. I then wanted to be a footballer, which was inspired by Captain Marvel, Brian Robson. I actually went on to play a decent standard of rugby, but stopped just as the sport went professional.

Any pet hates in the workplace? What do you do about them?

I can't stand negativity. Life throws up challenges and it's how you approach them and handle them that counts.

I also like tidiness - I'm not quite at the Ron Dennis level of expectation, but I fully agree with his quote:

“Great facilities attract great people. People can only thrive if you provide them with an environment in which they can aspire to be the best.”

Where do you see the company in five years' time?

The company has grown significantly in the past few years and we expect this to continue in the next five years. Having just launched MoneyGuru.com, we see this as a big area for growth and we expect to be the market leader within the consumer credit comparison market.

We currently operate in the UK, USA, Poland and Australia, and the plan moving forward, is to rollout to additional countries in the near future.

What advice would you give to an aspiring business leader?

Lead by example, work harder than anyone else and always remain positive.