Mortgage brokerage Just Mortgages has appointed Grant MacKay as its sales manager to cover Scotland and the North East of England.
MacKay will be based near Motherwell and work with 25 advisers under Just Mortgages’ self-employed division. There will be scope for his remit to expand as the division grows.
He has worked in the mortgage and financial services sector since 2010, when he started at HSBC working within its telephony division to handle customer queries.
MacKay then moved to the mortgages division as an assistant manager at HSBC, then later team manager. He completed his Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualification and became an adviser in 2014.
He then joined Carrington Mortgage Services as a mortgage and protection adviser, before moving to Firstmortgages.co.uk, where he was most recently sales quality manager.
Just Mortgages on expansion path
MacKay (pictured) said: “Just Mortgages has always been on my radar with its strong brand and presence in the market. When I saw this opportunity come up, it really ticked all the boxes for me. I’m excited to join the team and to use my expertise to support brokers across the region and help build the Just Mortgages brand further in Scotland.
“Everyone I have spoken to so far has been really switched on and I’ve been so impressed with the onboarding and training that is provided to all staff. Knowing how fast the division and business has grown, it’s exciting to see what the future holds – especially for a business that clearly has growth at the forefront of its plans. I look forward to playing my part.”
Ben Allkins, head of mortgages and protection at Just Mortgages, said MacKay’s appointment was Just Mortgages’ next step in increasing broker support and growing its presence in the North.
Alkins added: “He brings with him plenty of experience, which will be hugely valuable to our brokers as they look to improve service, increase skills and ultimately, grow their own businesses.
“Whether it’s a new or established self-employed adviser, or even a business principal working with their own team of advisers, we have invested considerable time, effort and resources to ensure we provide the right infrastructure around each and every person. In addition to a talented and experienced management team, this includes day-to-day support with sales, marketing and compliance, as well as ongoing training and mentoring.”
This recent hire is part of Just Mortgages’ plan to expand the self-employed division, which is nearing 500 advisers. Including its employed division, Just Mortgages has more than 650 advisers across the UK.
It recently appointed Zarah Gulfraz as area director for the North within its self-employed business.
Shekina is the deputy editor at Mortgage Solutions and commercial editor at Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions. She has nearly eight years of experience in the B2B publishing market, having previously covered the hospitality, retail, pet, accounting and jewellery sectors.
Shekina has worked for Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions for almost five years. Here, she covers the market’s breaking news stories, engages with professionals in the sector, and oversees any commercially agreed content in partnership with mortgage-related companies.
This includes presenting webinars and hosting roundtable discussions on developing themes in the mortgage sector.
She is an NCTJ-trained journalist and was nominated for the Headline Money Awards Mortgage Journalist of the Year in 2021.
In her spare time, Shekina likes to read, travel, listen to music and socialise with friends.
She currently reports on current events in the mortgage market and liaises with financial clients to produce sponsored content.
Follow her on Twitter at @ShekinaMS
