Case Studies
Issue No. 46 - April/May 2009
You can’t sit back and watch
Home loans entrepreneur Gary Williams looks back two decades to a time when he was “broke, down on his luck and looking for an opportunity to transform his fortunes” with some nostalgia.
The CEO of the Assured Group, one of SA’s largest mortgage broking businesses, is at another milestone, embarking on an expansion plan that seems audacious given the conditions. Gary established the Assured Group in 1989 with three staff. He now employs more than 40 people in the Adelaide head office.
In the early days he relied on referrals from builders and real estate agents to grow his client base.
“I was on the road all day, meeting with people and offered a very personalised service that very few were delivering in the market place,” Gary says.
“I worked very hard and it paid off – people want that level of service and we have been able to maintain it.
“You can’t sit back and watch, you need to be a part of it and ensure your business remains relevant and highly successful by offering the right products, employing the best people and implementing the most effective business strategies.”
Pivotal to success has been several key moves:
• Expanding the Assured empire with the establishment of national online mortgage business Ratebusters in 2002 and Crows Home Loans in 2006, which have significantly increased market share
• ‘Duplicating’ himself by rewarding and promoting two key staff members, Fred Rasheed and A...
