Q&A with Jon Barrett, Sales Manager at Close Brothers Leasing, Specialist Finance
From tending A-list celebrities’ gardens to working as a Sales Manager at Close Brothers Leasing, Specialist Finance, we find out more about Jon Barrett’s journey…
Tell us about your role and your current responsibilities…
As part of Close Brothers Leasing, Specialist Finance, I seek new business, build long-term partnerships and collaborate with my colleagues at Close Brothers to ensure our customers receive the right solutions for their business.
Who is a ‘typical’ customer and how do you work with them?
There is no ‘typical’ customer. Each relationship and opportunity differs. We work on a consultative basis with our customers to deliver the best outcome for their long-term business needs.
What is your outlook for your sector?
It is undoubtedly a challenging environment with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, along with stubborn inflation and interest rate rises; however, there are many opportunities for Close Brothers Leasing, Specialist Finance to help businesses invest across multiple sectors.
We focus on the overall financial health of a business, its customer base, and the contracts they hold to make an informed decision on how best we can work together.
What is it about working for Close Brothers Leasing, Specialist Finance that is different to your previous roles?
The breadth and depth of our combined experiences has enabled me to increase my knowledge across multiple sectors and asset classes.
For example, I’ve collaborated with our Aviation and Marine division as well as Corporate Asset Solutions (CAS), a Close Brothers business, on stocking finance and block discounting.
What’s your favourite part of the role?
Collaborating with my colleagues and building new business. There is no one-size ‘fits all’ - each customer and opportunity is different with bespoke requirements.
Tell us one thing people may not know about you…
While I was at university I gardened for Paul McCartney.
