"In financial services we talk about KYC: Know Your Customer. I’ve always believed the same principle applies internally — you should also Know Your Colleague.

“When people understand their role, feel supported and know what is expected of them, you remove unnecessary pressure and allow them to perform at their best,” explained Irene.

From listening to execution

One of the most significant areas of progress has been around structure.

Over the past 30 days, Irene has introduced clearly defined job descriptions across the business, aligning them to industry-recognised roles and supporting them with role-specific KPIs, responsibilities and reporting lines.

The company-wide structure chart has also been updated, giving colleagues better visibility over how the organisation is structured.

Irene said: “When people are unsure of their role or responsibilities, it creates friction. By defining roles properly and aligning them with the market, we give colleagues the confidence and focus to do their job effectively.”

The process has also helped to identify key areas where additional resources are needed, with targeted recruitment now underway.

Improving the customer journey

A key development here has been the introduction of a day-one call, where underwriters now engage directly with customers at the outset of a case.

For Irene, “it is about establishing clarity from the beginning. When the customer understands who is handling their case, what is required and what the next steps look like, it creates a more efficient and positive experience for everyone involved.”

Mint has also undertaken a review of its relationships with valuers and legal partners in order to introduce a more structured and product-aligned approach.

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A more structured approach post-completion

Further work is now underway to enhance the customer experience after completion. This includes refining welcome communications, introducing a more relationship-led approach to loan servicing and assigning dedicated points of contact to support customers throughout the life of their loan.

At the same time, Mint is introducing a clearer separation between relationship management and collections activity.

“It is about having the right people focused on the right part of the journey. That creates a better experience for customers and a more sustainable way of working internally,” Irene explained.

Embedding a strong management rhythm

Mint has recently formalised its senior leadership structure, with a weekly management cadence now in place to support alignment and decision-making across the business.

This approach extends to closer collaboration with marketing and product teams.

Listening to colleagues and strengthening culture

Following a recent Voice of the Colleague survey, Mint has introduced colleague-led focus groups and quarterly Town Halls, creating more structured opportunities for feedback and open dialogue.

Irene highlighted the fact that April is Stress Awareness Month, which she felt served as “a timely reminder that creating the right environment for colleagues starts with listening. What matters is that people feel heard. That is how you build trust and reduce unnecessary pressure in the workplace.”

Irene is also committed to Mint’s continued support for colleagues through a range of wellbeing initiatives, including access to Medicash, mental health first aiders, use of a holiday home, free gym access on site and various social events.

Broker engagement and market perspective

During her first months at Mint, Irene has spent time meeting brokers directly in order to gain insight into their experiences.

“There is a strong sense of alignment across the market. Brokers, lenders and partners are all navigating similar conditions,” she commented.

Looking ahead

Irene said that the next phase of her leadership will centre on the customer, with her focus remaining on clarity, structure and continuous improvement. “The next 30 days are about going deeper into the detail,” she explained.

“Mint has a strong culture, experienced people and a great reputation in the market. My role is to build on that.”