Team Tuesday: Meet our Lending Manager, Michael Gavin

Where did you begin your career?

“I began my career in Pepper Asset Services as a relationship manager in the Commercial Real Estate Team in Shannon. I was extremely lucky to end up on that team as I had some great mentors and colleagues who helped me succeed and gave me the opportunities to move forward in my career.

Interestingly, I was supposed to interview for a different role that day but as luck would have it the Australian manager for The Commercial Real Estate Team was down in Shannon that day and he decided to take that interview and subsequently hired me.

My career could have been very different if it wasn’t due to that lucky timing!”

What is the best career advice you’ve ever been given?

“There is one piece of advice from my first boss that has really stuck with me:

’Don’t get too disappointed if something doesn’t go your way and don’t get too excited when something is going your way’

When I started out in my career, I lost out on a deal that I had thought was a certainty and I was given this advice.

I’ve learned that it’s important not to let things outside your control affect you too much. If you keep working hard eventually things will work out”

What tips would you give to someone starting in your profession?

“The most important thing you can do when you are starting in a business development role, or any role, is to network.

Over the past eight years I have built up strong personal and professional relationships. When someone asks me for help, I help however I can.

If you have a reputation as someone that will go above and beyond for people it makes the job that little bit easier”

What is your greatest professional achievement to date?

“I wouldn’t say that I have one achievement that stands out. I am very happy to be in the role that I am in today and to get to this position I set myself smaller targets that I have met along the way.

I have always wanted to get into property lending and I was lucky to have been given the opportunity to start my lending career with a great team in First Citizen who gave me the opportunity to learn, originate deals, and to build my network.

It is a really good work environment here at Onate with excellent colleagues who are always there to help with questions or to assist to get that urgent deal over the line”

Tell us something people may not know about you

“In Thailand a few years ago I competed (against my better judgement) in a Thai Boxing exhibition.

At the end of the short fight my hand was raised as the winner and although many around me weren’t convinced that I did enough to win I have claimed this as a victory and will retire undefeated like Floyd Mayweather and Tyson Fury!”