Hi there! I'm Nicki Mayes, an Investment Manager at Blackfinch. I joined the team back in May 2018, having previously worked for BP and UBS.
When I first heard about Blackfinch, I was working for a much larger organisation, BP. I had over 70,000 colleagues and was just one small cog in a giant machine, which often felt impersonal. I was looking for a change, something that would challenge me and give me a chance to really make an impact. That's when I found Blackfinch.
What drew me to Blackfinch was the company's growth ambitions and the opportunity to work on impactful projects. I was impressed by the team's drive to make a difference in the property sector. Joining a smaller company with less than 100 employees was a big change for me, but it has certainly helped me evolve my career by giving me access to a business where I can have direct impact.
With this, I've thrived at Blackfinch. I'm proud to have helped grow my team's portfolio of investments, originating deals across the property sector and managing an existing portfolio of opportunities. I've also had the opportunity to mentor and coach junior members of the team, becoming a people manager, and developing friendships from within Blackfinch that have extended outside of the workplace. I have even been on holiday with some colleagues-turned-friends and I am going to be a bridesmaid for an ex-Blackfinch colleague!
On a personal level, I started a family while working at Blackfinch. Balancing a new home life with work is a significant adjustment for any first-time parent, but the company is incredibly supportive. They provide flexible working options, and their parental leave policy provides full-time pay and 9 months leave.
From my personal experience, having a career with a family focus is appreciated at Blackfinch within the property team, I had a great management team that was understanding of my needs – this made maternity leave much more rewarding and has allowed me to balance my career with my personal life, allowing a smoother path to being a first time, and full time, mum. This included a smooth transition back into work, and hybrid working which has made nursery drop-offs convenient and wrap-around care less of a concern.
However, it’s not always been simple, there have been rewarding challenges too, and I've had to adapt to many changes during my time at Blackfinch. One of the most significant was during the Covid-19 pandemic; working from home was a big adjustment and being part of the property team meant that we had to rapidly adapt to changes in government restrictions relating to the property and construction industry. We had to be flexible with clients and ensure our investors' interests remained a top priority, which we managed to achieve despite the challenging circumstances.
I'm grateful to be part of a company that's making a difference in the world, and that I can make a difference on. I've been able to evolve my career, challenge myself, and make lifelong friendships along the way.
If this sounds like a team you’d thrive in, make sure to view our open vacancies at https://blackfinch.com/careers and evolve your career with Blackfinch.