We sat down with recently appointed Managing Director, Ken McKeating, to discuss his new role, navigating challenges and what makes Premier Asset Finance’s thriving community what it is.

What drew you to this role as Managing Director of Premier Asset Finance? Were there any particular challenges or opportunities that piqued your interest?

It was really as simple as me being able to see the potential of the business and then the challenge of taking an already great business and leading it through the next stage of its evolution.

How do you see PAF standing out in the market? What sets the company apart from competitors?

It’s not so much the products, asset finance products are reasonably generic, it’s the people and relationships with the customers that set us apart.

We know that providing great customer service is key to retaining clients. How do you ensure that we are meeting our clients’ needs? 

It’s our job to identify the opportunity and then match our offer to the customer’s specific needs. We achieve this by keeping things simple and ensuring that the customer is kept informed throughout the process.  If you look after the customer the rest will happen naturally.

How do you plan to navigate any challenges that come your way and keep the business on track? 

We benefit from being part of the wider Paragon Banking Group, which provides great support, whether around the regulatory framework or by supporting the business with investment in new IT and a new CRM system, all designed to help us grow the business.

Customer service and teamwork are big values at Premier. How do you foster a culture of innovation and creativity among employees to keep growing and thriving?

People are at the heart of what we do, and I have already introduced more regular team meetings to share best practice and discuss our strategy. The whole team is encouraged to contribute ideas that will improve the customer experience. We also want to benefit from some planned recruitment which will bring in new talent and different ideas and mindsets, in my experience this always produces a boost to the existing team.

Thank you Ken for taking the time to talk to us today. Before we finish, in your free time, what do you enjoy doing? Any favourite hobbies or pastimes? 

I’m a keen, and frustrated, golfer.  I also enjoy watching sports, travelling and socialising with friends and family (being able to combine all three together would be even better!)