Great Southern Bank

What's one of the most important bridges between a bank and its customers? Our bank is connected to our customers by relationships. One of the most important? The one between our Broker Development Managers (BDM) and our network of brokers. Like that of Senior Broker Development Manager Simon Naidu and broker Pratyush Bhandoria from Kian Solutions who have built an exceptional relationship with customer experience at the centre of their interactions. Celebrating a 2024 Australian Broker 5-Star BDM award and a recent nomination for AFG's non-major bank BDM of the year, it's clear Simon's approach to building broker knowledge and confidence is having an impact. When we asked Pratyush, he said Simon's expertise and ability to navigate complex situations have been crucial in securing the best outcomes for his clients, who in turn become Great Southern Bank customers. "Working with Simon and the Great Southern Bank team has been an outstanding experience. Simon's expertise, accessibility, and commitment to excellence have consistently added value to my business. His proactive approach and reliable support have made a significant positive impact on my clients and their mortgage needs," Pratyush says. Simon says Pratyush’s passion for helping his clients navigate their journey to homeownership is a big reason for their successful outcomes for customers. “Pratyush is passionate about what he does. He seeks to be efficient and provide outcomes in a timely manner while working within the responsible lending framework, so that's always front of mind for how we work together. One of the things I really enjoy about working with Pratyush is that he is genuinely aligned to our purpose of helping all Australians own their own home. We often talk about how we can make processes easier and help more people in their homeownership journey,” says Simon. Pratyush’s client Alok said his recent property purchase experience with our bank has been memorable for all the right reasons. "Pratyush included Great Southern Bank in my shortlist, and I experienced why. The interest rates were competitive, and it was an effortless process. I really appreciated a welcome call from the branch team too. It was nice to connect to a real (and very polite) human and be offered help with managing my home loan and the different products available to me." Congratulations on your recent award acknowledgements Simon, and thank you for sharing your experience with us Pratyush! With more than 70% of home loans coming from brokers, we know the relationship and support between BDMs and brokers is critical - do you agree? #Brokers #MortgageBroker #HomeOwnership #CustomerOwned #CustomerObsession

"Every call is an opportunity to make a positive impact" What drives this month's CX Superstar? Making a difference in someone's day, even if it's small. Contact Centre Specialist Melinda Win has an appreciation for the diversity of conversations she has each day, and loves the chance to connect with people from all walks of life. Not surprisingly that appreciation is regularly reflected back in outstanding compliments from her customers. "Each customer brings their own unique perspective and needs, and I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to best assist them. Everyone wants to feel heard and understood, so taking the time to really listen can make a big difference. Patience is also crucial—sometimes the solution isn’t immediate, but showing that you’re committed to helping them find it goes a long way," Melinda says. Melinda is known for walking customers through their challenges with simple and effective explanations and tips. Recently she supported a new customer who was feeling overwhelmed regarding their banking. "I walked the customer through all of our products, explained how to use our online banking services, and answered every question they had. By the end of the conversation, they felt confident and well-informed. They expressed how much they appreciated the comprehensive support, and I could tell that it left them with a great impression of our bank. It was incredibly satisfying to know that I played a role in creating a positive start to their relationship with Great Southern Bank.” When it comes to small but meaningful impact, we think that's a fantastic example – especially as we know how important it is to share knowledge to enhance financial literacy. Thank you for the positivity and customer obsession you bring to the team everyday Melinda! #CXSuperstar #CustomerObsession #Banking #Finance  Peter Jasmine Annie

Using compliance powers to protect. Senior Manager of Process and Business Controls Andrew Barnes used his intellect, care, passion and drive to do something extraordinary. That's what our Chief Operation Officer Naushad Ahmed shared as he acknowledged Andrew for his 2024 Values Award win recently. That extraordinary thing? Coordinating a Power Of Attorney (PoA) uplift to better protect our most vulnerable customers - and it quickly led to saving one customer nearly $250,000 of their life savings. Orchestrating, managing and delivering the uplift, including developing training sessions and extensive support materials, meant Andrew collaborated across divisions and translated technical compliance information into easily digestible formats. He did it with his distinctly genuine professionalism and respect that is sought-after by leaders and his peers across our bank. He says knowing his work has an impact on our customers is one of his favourite things about his role. "I love having the opportunity to ensure we deliver the best customer experience while meeting our commitments and obligations. It's a complex and evolving landscape, and knowing that our efforts significantly impact our customers' journeys keeps me motivated and passionate about my work," says Andrew. Andrew's passion for being part of a journey extends to his role as a father. "I'm a dad to a wild and curious 17-month old. The adventures are never ending so our weekends are usually filled with parks, animal encounters and time with friends. I also love sneaking in a nice dinner with my partner here and there." Congratulations and thank you for being part of how we deliver on our promises to our customers Andrew! #Recognition #CustomerObsession #ValuesAwards #Genuine Samantha

Big news from our bank's Board We’re pleased to welcome Deborah O’Toole into her newest role on our Board – Chair!   #BoardGovernance #ExecutiveLeadership #WomenInLeadership #BankingLeadership Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) Customer Owned Banking Association

Are you seeing more messages about scams from your bank? It’s Scams Awareness Week so it’s likely you’ve seen more messages than usual. But outside of this dedicated week that raises important awareness, much of the banking industry has proactively taken steps to embed scams awareness and education into their everyday customer engagement. Our bank’s ‘business as usual’ digital activities are helping to increase awareness around scams. Like pop-up prompts on our online and mobile banking that remind our customers to remain vigilant for scam activity, particularly after major incidents like the recent global IT outage. Head of Digital Joe Bemelmans, GAICD says that in times of digital disruption, safety is a priority and critical to our customer experience. "When there are digital disruptions, proactive prompts can help our customers stay safe and avoid being caught in fraudulent activity," Joe says. “Additional layers of scam messaging like a pop-up message in mobile banking or a digital sign in a branch reminds customers to stop and think, and supports them to make more scam conscious banking decisions.” Has your bank proactively prompted you about scams recently? Read our previous post on preventative checks you can do to protect your money here: https://lnkd.in/e9CK3nxM and see four of our digital activities that support greater scam awareness in the images below 🔽 #ScamsAwarenessWeek #ScamsWeek24 #ScamEducation #DigitalBanking #CustomerObsession #CustomerOwned Katherine Aaron Greg Klaus Jeremy

We took more than 2.2 million steps towards safe homes Earlier this month, we shared our teams were participating in Mission Australia's Steps for Safe Homes Challenge. We’re pleased to report that we have taken over 2.2 million steps to collectively raise $21,403! Thank you to all who generously donated and our teams who “stepped up” to the challenge.    So, where will the funds go? Our purpose is for all Australians to own their own home, but we know not everyone is fortunate enough to have a place to call their own. We’re pleased to say the funds will go towards transitional accommodation services for families that are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. These include Douglas House (Cairns) and Fairfax House (Sydney).     Over a 6-month period, each facility can see as many as 130 families find care and assistance. Alongside safe accommodation, Mission Australia offers wrap around support including ongoing case management, counselling, medical support, and training to help people on their journey to independence.    A special shout out and thank you to all team members who participated in the challenge, getting up early or walking into the night to complete your step goals. We walked our dogs, spotted some Australian wildlife, strolled to the coffee shop and enjoyed the views of Sydney Harbour and beyond. Check out the photos below 👇 Laura Watson Tiffany Hemberg Rob Hampton Joel Cooney Zarese K. Linda Henry Estelle McCabe Laurel-Lee Blain Tom McGuire Renee DeVisser AGIA Katherine Lowe Julie Jones Rebecca Hendry #StepsForSafeHomes24 #MissionAustralia #ResponsibleBanking

Preventative checks can protect your money. When it comes to scam prevention, due diligence and transaction monitoring are key to stopping large sums of money going to scammers. Recently the combined due diligence efforts of our operations and fraud teams detected two separate scams, preventing our customers from losing over $1 million. In a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scam for a land purchase, the team’s cross-checks identified an anomaly in the account details provided, resulting in the payment being stopped and safeguarding the customer from losing over $200,000. An Investment Scam was also interrupted after the team discovered several irregularities with the business’ registration and the account the funds were going to. After a conversation with the customer who then made further checks, the payment was cancelled, preventing the customer from losing over $850,000. Head of Financial Crime Joy Hamilton says while it is important for banks to have targeted transaction friction to protect their customers from scammers it’s also important for customers to conduct their own due diligence. “We encourage customers to seek out the appropriate information to check on the legitimacy of an investment, business or account before a transfer takes place - and we provide information on how to do that,” Joy says. “It’s imperative that education on scams, including steps everyone should take to protect their money, continues to be shared widely.” When it comes to preventing scams, vigilance and cross-checks are key – do you really know who you are paying prior to hitting the ‘pay now’ button? It’s Scams Awareness Week and this year’s theme is ‘Share a scam story, stop a scam.’ We’re sharing stories on our social channels - and read our tips on preventative checks you can take to protect your money in the slides below.  #ScamsWeek24 #ScamsAwarenessWeek #ResponsibleBanking #ShareAScamStory

A bit of Friday fun in branch! Our branch teams are a fun bunch. The Browns Plains team (in Queensland) in particular enjoy building team morale before their doors are opened to customers, as shared in this video 📽 Branch Manager Karen says the team take it in turns each week to find a game that energises them for the day. “Each Friday one of the team bring something different to do. It sets us up for an awesome day – we have a good laugh, and it really lifts our energy. Having fun at work is always on our to-do list, it’s part of our team culture now – we never skip Fun Fridays!” Karen says. We agree, fun at work and connecting with colleagues is important, and watching this video brightened our day! How does your team come together for some fun at work? #EmployeeExperience #FunFridays #GreatPlaceToWork

How do you engage your hybrid team members?   It was a question posed by keynote speaker Marie-Lou Almeida at the recent Brisbane Strengths Network (BSN) event, co-hosted by our People and Culture team and Gallup in our Brisbane Hub. Referencing research and insights, Marie-Lou delved into the shifts businesses made during COVID and continue to adjust and embed in a post-COVID hybrid working world, while highlighting the power of a strengths-based development approach^.   Key takeaways for our team included: 🌟 The importance of creating points of difference and value for hybrid team members in their office-based time (office-based working increases connection, culture, creativity, and team rituals and collaboration are key) 💬 Ensuring genuine connection through meaningful conversations (do you know what's important to your team members outside of work?).   Our Chief People Officer Tracey Lake joined Marie-Lou to share our team's engagement journey to achieving the prestigious Gallup Global Exceptional Workplace recognition, and our Gallup Manager of the Year nominee Emily Pierce, CFE was acknowledged for her strengths-based leadership approach.   Thank you to Alicia Corsar from Gallup, and Erin Searle and Dave Fox from BSN for collaborating on this fantastic knowledge sharing event.    How do you engage your hybrid team members and make work meaningful?   #StrengthsBasedDevelopment #CliftonStrengths #Learning #Networking #Gallup   ^A strengths-based development approach focuses on the positive attributes of a person and what they do well. By emphasising and building on strengths, team members are enabled to contribute to a team in ways more meaningful to them.

Taking initiative for impactful risk resilience.   It was a thoughtfully constructed response to an information request that earned Senior Manager for Market and Financial Risk Assurance Ashika Dheda one of our Values Awards for 2024.   Our Chief Risk Officer Rolf shared with the team that Ashika coordinated and collaborated between multiple teams to pull together over 300 documents and more than 130 presentation slides. As a relatively new team member, Ashika's initiative resulted in the successful, on-time delivery of an important information request to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Not to mention, a note of appreciation from APRA on the constructive approach and communication in delivery of the request.   Ashika is humble about her contributions though and says she simply loves learning about the various risks in the banking industry.   "I enjoy the multifaceted aspect of my role as it covers different types of treasury-related financial risks impacting Great Southern Bank," Ashika says.   We think Ashika's skill in coordinating so much information while checking in with key stakeholders might have something to do with her favourite quote on being authentic.   “Brene Brown says, 'What we know matters, but who we are matters more'. It's my favourite quote because it is a reminder to myself to be authentic," she says.   Who you are to us is a thoughtful and impactful team player Ashika. Thank you for the hard work you complete behind the scenes to ensure ongoing risk resilience for our bank.   #ValuesAwards #Impact #Risk #Banking #Finance