In our latest ‘Five mins with…’ series, we meet Wayne Hall, Paragon SME Lending’s new Business Development Manager for the manufacturing team. Wayne has over a decade’s experience under his belt and we wanted to find out a bit more about who he is. To connect with Wayne on LinkedIn, visit his profile.                  

If you had your own SME, what would it be? No idea is too bizarre or quirky!

This is such a hard question to answer as I like so many things really, but I think it would have to be a little geeky, involve dealing with people and delivering either a product or service. I get a lot of satisfaction knowing I have managed to help somebody overcome a problem.

Prior to your current role, did you have another dream career when you were growing up?

Growing up and being surrounded by football was a big influence for me from an early age. I played football at a high level and there was a point where it was almost a reality. But being a professional footballer was just something that’s always on my mind, and I was never far away from a football!

What are you looking forward to most in your role, anything exciting you can reveal to us?

One thing that drew me to sales and relationship management is being out and meeting people, companies, and solution providers. I love the diversity that the role has given me, which makes my week so varied and it can really keep you on your toes. The resources we have available at Paragon mean I am able to do my job whilst away from my desk, which keeps efficiency high, as well as doing the important part, which is being with people.

My sector of expertise is manufacturing, and this is very exciting as the development and growth in machines and technology is so incredible to watch and to see what they make is really mind blowing! 

For the aspiring youth have you got any advice for breaking into the industry?

Work hard, ethics go a long way and don’t get too fixated on having the right qualifications. It’s about personality, attitude and finding the right employer that sees your potential.

Visit Paragon SME Lending to find out more about the services we can offer.