2018-08-07
Kevin Tunnicliffe, from broker to CEO
Meet Kev, SortRefer’s CEO. SortRefer has been taking business since 2009, but before the portal came to life, Kev worked as a mortgage adviser. Now, in 2018 the portal is not just a broker portal, but a full proposition for mortgage intermediaries and estate agents. The journey hasn’t been easy, but with hard work and sheer grit there’s a really successful business many people are proud of. Anyway, back to Kev. He’s not only the face of the company, which is an award winning, market leading portal accommodating thousands of users, but a family man, a football fan and a keen fundraiser for charity.
Where it all began
After school finished, Kev started working for his dad’s timber business as well as working as a labourer. Next, Kev joined Nestle at their factory in Tutbury. He started out working on the production line before becoming the youngest ever forklift driver, passing that test 3 days before passing his driving test. As he progressed in the factory, he also had a part time job as a financial adviser.
The financial services industry
By the age of 23, Kev worked full time as a financial consultant with Legal & General. It was there he gained his FPC qualifications and CeMap bridging papers. With his new qualifications, he landed a job at Mortgage Advice Bureau looking after existing clients and two years later became an appointed representative at Sesame.
The birth of SortRefer
With a wealth of knowledge as a broker, Kevin was frustrated with the options available to him in the marketplace. He knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to stop until he’d perfected the idea. Along with three other mortgage brokers, he set to building SortRefer, and in 2009 it was born. It wasn’t always plain sailing, with two years of hard graft before they were given their first wage slips. But, Kev says it was all worth it.
Going through hard times
In 2013, Kev was diagnosed with stage four Cancer and started a strong chemotherapy regime at exactly the same time as his terminally ill father (there were only 3 days between their respective first treatments). Whilst having chemotherapy, and in between stays in hospital and 6 weeks of radiotherapy treatment, Kev continued to work at SortRefer.
Four years on from his final treatment, Kev is now fully recovered, but still draws inspiration from his late father, who loved watching the business grow and was so proud after picking up the first awards at both the Mortgage Strategy and Moneyfacts Awards in 2014.
Moving onwards and upwards
After success and years of continued growth, SortRefer outgrew it’s tiny offices in a village of Etwall, on the outskirts of Derby. Here marked a move to a self-contained office on the Derby Conference Centre site in March 2017. This was a huge milestone for the company and gave further opportunities to expand the brand further. As CEO, It’s Kev’s responsibility to pull everyone’s roles together, to ensure everyone is working towards the same goal. In 2017, Jessica Szczelkun was promoted to Sales & Relationship Director and Sort Legal finally starting taking instructions.
Kev’s USP is his honesty, integrity and passion for business. The passion he got from his dad, years ago. For the people at SortRefer, he wants happiness, a work-life balance and for results to come naturally from hard work and commitment.
It’s all about Kev
Here’s some things you may not know:
- He loves to cycle! His longest ride was from London to Paris raising money for Prostate Cancer in 2017
- He also loves running, and has just completed his 5th half marathon
- Previously, he managed local football teams and now plays for two teams in his spare time
- Golf is one of his passions. His first and only hole-in-one was two years ago after 25 years of trying
- Kev is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie. In 2017, he went to Orlando with his family and went on all of the rides
- The Colosseum in Rome is his favourite place and Guinness is his favourite drink
- Derby County is his favourite football team and he loves going to all home matches and most away games with his family
