James MacMillan

Background

About James MacMillan

A career in the business mecca was my calling card. I'm a people person and a natural leader. I set my sights on the business and finance worlds, completing a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) in Finance and Economics at Otago University, it was challenging, engaging, and a bit of fun. The following 15 years I served as a relationship manager and partner, five of those years within the insolvency sector. I worked with business owners who found themselves on the flipside of the coin and learned a lot about why businesses fail. It was humbling to share in these journeys, and dig into the realities business owners were up against and how they faced up to such challenging situations.A turning point in my career was after the Royal Commission into the banking and financial services industry. I envisaged my role as a relationship manager becoming watered down, and I valued the close, trusted relationships I built with clients. So, I stepped out of banking into brokering, and as a senior business advisor at Rede I work exclusively with business owners and entrepreneurs at a hands-on level.We operate differently from the traditional business brokering model – no public marketing, utilizing extensive personal and professional networks, and only introducing fully qualified buyers to each sale. We engage on a deeper advisory level, undertaking due diligence, capturing a business’ value proposition, and aligning owner expectations with what we believe in our professional opinion is achievable in the prevailing market conditions. My ability to network and my commitment to nurturing meaningful relationships have afforded me fantastic career opportunities and built lasting friendships and connections. My leadership skill set allows me to serve strategic support, business development, and growth, and I’m often dubbed ‘Head of Peoples’.