Overcoming Challenges to Support Continuous Learning in Sales - Chris Powell's Novuna Story

Our second 'My Novuna Story' feature comes from Deputy Head of Sales Business Finance, Chris Powell. He explores the opportunities to learn and the challenges he faced so far in his time at Novuna which have helped shape his personal development.

Get to Know Chris Powell - Deputy Head of Sales, Business Finance

Over his five-year career at Novuna Business Finance, Chris has continuously embraced new challenges and opportunities for growth. With over a decade of experience in finance operations, risk and sales, Chris brought a solid foundation when he joined Novuna. 

"From the moment I sat down for my interview, I thought to myself ‘I want to work here’. Hearing the strategy and where Business Finance was heading was refreshing and sold it for me."

Taking a step into the unknown

Chris highlights taking on the role of Sales Manager for the Manufacturer & Dealer channel as a pivotal moment in his career, requiring him to learn new aspects of the business. Though difficult at first, Chris succeeded by leaning on his team for support and taking part in Novuna's Aspire Leadership Program.

"Having spent the majority of my career at that point in distribution finance it was a step into the unknown. I was fortunate to have a solid team that has grown and evolved in the last three years. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is something I believe is key for furthering any career."

In reflecting on his biggest lessons, Chris emphasises the importance of viewing challenges and setbacks as chances to learn rather than failures. He draws inspiration from the idea of "using the difficulty" to foster growth, explaining:

"Michael Caine interviewed Michael Parkinson where he talks about 'using the difficulty'. I am showing my age now! I recommend watching the interview section on YouTube, as it is centred around your mindset when challenges arise."

Always ready to learn

Novuna's collaborative culture has enabled Chris to adopt this growth mindset and continuously develop. As Chris says:

"There will be challenges every day. My mindset is there hasn't been anything we haven't overcome to date and taking a moment to reflect that includes significant headwinds such as COVID, Consumer Duty, rapid interest rate hikes and the current cost of living crisis. 

"The challenges are always difficult, but the learnings we take and experiences of overcoming them are the part I find most rewarding."

Setting up for success

Now, Deputy Head of Sales, Chris is eager to take on new challenges by expanding Novuna's proposition across all sales channels. He relishes the "steep learning curve" these responsibilities will provide after years of professional growth at Novuna. 

Chris encourages newcomers to the sales team to stay open to the idea of continuous learning:

"My advice would be to be yourself and trust your instinct. it is important to be self-aware and aware of others. Developing the practice of active listening will also anchor any development you have with us." 

If you are interested in a career in Sales or any other business area, take a look at our current roles. You can read more about what life in our sales teams is like here.

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