Pathfinders

Andrew Montlake

The definition of a pathfinder, amongst many, is “one that discovers a way especially: one that explores untraversed regions to mark out a new route.” The Pathfinder Podcast is about the journeys we take in business and in our life. It’s about the fact that the destination is not the be-all and end-all, it’s the paths we take along the way that is the real journey. It is this that defines us and makes us who we are today. I am setting out to meet real people who have inspired me, both within the mortgage, property and finance industry and outside it, to hear their stories and learn from the paths they have taken. Their successes and failures that have led them to become who they are today. We all have a story to tell, and perhaps their story will resonate with yours and make you realise that you are never alone. We are all pathfinders finding our way in the world. This is the Pathfinder Podcast, may the path you take be the right one for you.

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Episodes

Pathfinders 5 - Stacy Penn & Rachel Edwards: Overcoming bullying, dropping out of university and doing what makes you happy. How two very different paths led to the Financial Services Industry.

Stacy Penn and Rachel Edwards are two of the mortgage industry's young, shining lights. Working in highly technical and important roles for the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, (AMI), much of what they do is generally not seen or understood by many they represent, though they are part of a new team who are changing this, and much more besides in an industry ready to embrace change. This episode is proof you never really know someone until you ask the questions and listen to the story. Sta...

May 30, 2023•52 min•Ep. 5

Pathfinders 4 - Esther Dijkstra: From a rural Dutch village to the City of London, lessons in management and creating your own path

Esther Dijkstra is a role model to many young women, showing a drive and determination to be the best, and becoming an outstanding manager and leader of people. From her early life growing up in a small rural village in the Netherlands and wanting to be a Prima Ballerina, Esther has worked her way up, traveling from Amsterdam to London, dealing with a different culture, and changing and learning along the way. Esther began her career in management consultancy with IBM in the Netherlands and move...

Apr 11, 2023•50 min•Ep. 4

Pathfinders 3 : Richard Rowntree: Council estate to the top table and why social mobility is so important

Richard Rowntree is a great example of someone who grabbed their opportunities with determination and a positive attitude. From his early life growing up in a Council Estate in Southend, Richard Rowntree has worked his way up in a range of jobs, from a development programme at Halifax in 1991, through branch management, to becoming Sales Director, and then National Director of Santander, MD of Bank of Ireland Mortgages and now sits as the MD of Mortgages at Paragon Banking Group as well as a UK ...

Feb 01, 2023•57 min•Ep. 3

Pathfinders 2 - Sarah Tucker: How Grief Of The Voice Gave Birth To A Movement

Sarah Tucker is so much more than just “The Voice”. She exudes two of the qualities I value most – authenticity and passion. Some may see her as something of an overnight sensation, such has been the meteoric rise of her company, The Mortgage Mum, in such a relatively short space of time, but as ever, the truth is always different. Sarah Tucker is not your average mortgage broker, having achieved the rarest of feats by getting not 1, but 4 chair turns on The Voice in 2019, and anyone who has hea...

Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 2

Pathfinders 1 - Ying Tan Entrepreneur On Starting A Business And Not Pushing Too Many Trolleys

Ying Tan is a self-made Entrepreneur who has worked hard to build and sell a successful business. After his father hitchhiked his way from Malaysia over to the UK in search of a better life, his path has taken him from humble beginnings through to Investment Banking and Accounting, building a buy-to-let portfolio that led him to start his own business, and is a forward-thinking, innovative and dynamic entrepreneur with a proven track record, who thrives in founding, scaling, and exiting business...

Nov 23, 2022•55 min•Ep. 1

Pathfinders - Podcast Trailer

I have had the idea of this podcast in my head for several years now, but never really thought the time was right until now. The definition of a pathfinder, amongst many, is “one that discovers a way especially: one that explores untraversed regions to mark out a new route .” Or “ a person or company that finds a new way of doing something”. We see people as pathfinders in various fields of history, charting new territory. I am however, also looking at a further definition of this term, that rel...

Oct 30, 2022•3 min•Ep. 1

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