Podcast #154 - Mortgage Mentors: 80 Years of Mortgage Wisdom with Kevin Purvey & Roland McCormack

Added 30/09/26 - 2 min read

In episode #154 of the Growth Series podcast, Jeremy Duncombe, Managing Director at Accord Mortgages, is joined by Kevin Purvey, Director of Mortgage Distribution at Coventry Building Society, and Roland McCormack, Head of Intermediary Mortgages at Barclays, for a special Mortgage Mentors conversation drawing on more than 80 years of combined mortgage industry experience.

There’s plenty of shared history around the table. Jeremy, Kevin and Roland all worked at Bank of Ireland around 30 years ago, during a period that helped shape not only their own careers but those of a number of future mortgage industry leaders. Reuniting gives them the opportunity to look back at what made that environment distinctive and consider where the next generation of talent and leadership will come from.

Kevin and Roland share some of the pivotal moments that changed the direction of their careers, including opportunities that pushed them well outside their comfort zones. Their experiences raise an interesting question for anyone building a career today: how do you recognise the opportunities worth taking, particularly when you don't feel completely ready for them?

Mentoring is another important part of that development. But, as the conversation explores, valuable mentoring isn't necessarily about receiving encouragement or being given the answers you want to hear. Trust, constructive challenge and accountability can all play a role – and sometimes the most useful advice is the advice that's hardest to accept.

Having spent decades working with the intermediary market, Kevin and Roland also reflect on the remarkable resilience of mortgage advice. Brokers have faced repeated predictions of disruption over the years, yet the relationship between adviser and customer has endured. With AI and increasingly sophisticated technology now promising another period of change, the discussion considers what the industry needs to preserve while embracing faster and simpler ways of working.

The benefit of four decades in mortgages is also having experienced more than one period when the future looked uncertain. From the financial crisis to Covid and other periods of disruption, Kevin and Roland have seen the market tested repeatedly. They discuss what those experiences have taught them about leadership, decision-making and maintaining perspective when nobody can confidently predict what happens next.

Looking back also provides an opportunity to ask how far the mortgage industry has come. Today's market is very different from the one Kevin and Roland entered, and they consider both the progress that's been made and whether there are qualities from earlier in their careers that could still have a place today.

Finally, they turn their attention to the lessons they'd pass on to brokers, BDMs and others hoping to enjoy similarly long and successful careers. From finding the right culture and staying authentic to supporting the success of others, it's a conversation shaped by experience rather than theory.

More than 80 years in the mortgage industry inevitably creates plenty of stories, lessons and perspective. This episode brings three longstanding industry colleagues back together to explore what's changed, what hasn't and what the next generation might learn from those who've experienced both.

Listen to more podcasts in the Mortgage Mentors Series here.

The Growth Series is a dedicated and FREE resource for mortgage brokers, containing blogs, guides and podcasts to help you scale and grow your business. For more hints and tips on how to grow your business, access for free here.

05:25 - 31:40