Meet Luke Matthews, Senior Business Development Manager – QLD
What do you do at CreditorWatch and why do you love it?
I’m a Senior Business Development Manager. It’s an assortment of words, however, from a sales point of view I get the opportunity to engage with people from all walks of life in relation to our service, and that’s what I love. Our credit checking and monitoring features reduce risk for businesses.
Therefore, through the use of our platform we are able to leave our customers in a genuinely better position than when we first found them. That’s another part of the role that I love.
What does your average workday look like?
Initially it looks like a dusty old race car, but once I get started and hit the accelerator, it’s difficult to stop me.
Whether I’m prospecting, calling or meeting new or existing customers, my favourite part of my days are when I get the opportunity to present and demonstrate our platform to people. That’s where I’m most comfortable.
Your role probably exists at other companies. What makes CreditorWatch special?
The astonishing number of customers who mistakenly think we’re calling from “PredatorWatch” never fails to bring a smile to my face, and I’m always able to have a few chuckles with my teammates about that and many other small insignificant things. The teammates whom I’m lucky to work with in QLD and across the country are all genuinely good people, and that’s what makes this place special.
Furthermore, it’s a hard-working organisation that promotes a healthy work/life/fitness balance (lead by Matt (GM) and Pat (CEO)) and knows how to celebrate harder than most! Needless to say the culture is under lock and key.
What’s the biggest career lesson you’ve learnt so far?
My mother always advised me to take my opportunities as a young kid, and that anything is possible under the sun. In business or life, I’ve learnt the value of sticking to my word and to take my opportunities big or small.
One thing leads to something and that something could be huge. I’ve learnt that every time you miss gets closer to the time that you hit, so keep having a crack. And to quote from one of my favourite movies, “Anything can happen. Anything happens all the time”. Remember that!
What’s been your biggest achievement in your role?
In the winter of 2019, one of the Senior Managers from Sydney visited our offices in QLD. Prior to his arrival there were growing whispers that he was remarkable with a table tennis bat, and at the time he was known as the King Kong of ping pong in the NSW office. Being a lover of table tennis myself, I was keen to engage in battle. I proceeded in asking him for a game.
We later entered the arena, not before a barrage of smack talk by the Kiwi man from the big smoke. Naturally I was nervous, but on the surface I looked calm and ready. Little did he know he was coming up against the Brick Wall of Brisbane!!
What was the result? He was left grasping at thin air by the fourth set and shortly after, the white towel glided towards me like a graceful dove. His glasses must have fogged up as I defeated him by 4 sets to nothing in a complete boilover. We both look back on what was touted as the ‘Battle of Brisbane’ and have had a good healthy laugh about how he brought an oyster knife to a gun fight.
Arguably the more overshadowing achievements include being accepted into the CreditorWatch family and nailing by biggest ever third for the most recent third!
What’s your biggest achievement outside of the office?
Once upon a time I played rugby in Asia for a team called the “Volcanoes” and I was lucky enough to appear in a Head & Shoulders TV commercial. I was the guy getting palmed in the face. However, dandruff is now a thing of the past for me!
We went on to play in the Hong Kong 7’s for the first time ever and that was a huge achievement for me to play on that stage.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you eat?
Chocolate Paddle Pops. Similar to an embrace with an old friend, they evoke great nostalgia. They’re easy on the stomach at any time of the day and the remaining paddle pop stick is also a handy tool for general household and arts and crafts usage.
What do your parents think you do?
My parents are from an era when the Bee Gees were booming and baby blue flares were the fashion. Technology was far less advanced or perhaps the world was a little simpler back then. So I wouldn’t imagine that by even mentioning that I work for a ‘fintech’, Raymond Matthews would know what that means! He knows I work in sales though.
My mother on the other hand actually knows what I do! She works in government and currently uses a competitor’s credit checking platform so we’re no longer on talking terms. Jooookes, love you mother.
What was your first ever job?
First ever job was jumping off the back of a truck delivering milk to the unassuming residents of Macarthur in the nation’s capital. Cash was paid in a sandwich bag every couple of shifts, including the odd freebie chocolate milk that was about to go out of date. At the time, it was the life.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who should play your character?
I love the movie Alice In Wonderland (the Johnny Depp version) and I believe it’s a representation of the world we live in today! Weird and wonderful characters, so you could just about pick any in that movie that I would happily use to represent me.
I’ll go with the Mad Hatter, he could play me with ease. But I’m probably a slightly more watered down version without the hat.
