Coffee Catch-Up Meet Jackson Saunders
Read excerpts from our Q&A below:
Hi Jackson!
Thank you for having coffee with us!
We hope the Brisbane office is treating you well. We’re absolutely delighted to have you join us here.
Thank you! I’m delighted to be here as well. The Brisbane office has been wonderful, and I’ve enjoyed settling into our beautiful new space at 215 Adelaide Street, overlooking Post Office Square.
To start, could you share a bit about yourself and shed light on your current role at IAM?
I’m originally from Sydney but moved to Brisbane over ten years ago for my studies. After university, I began my career in the Adviser Services and Wealth Management Services divisions at Macquarie Bank, which I like to think of as an apprenticeship that allowed me to develop my skills and experience in financial services. I’ve always had a keen interest in bonds and fixed income investments, so when the opportunity arose to work at IAM, I jumped at it immediately.
Currently, I serve as the Client Services Manager – Capital Markets at IAM, a role I’ve held since Monday, December 20, 2021. That date sticks in my memory because the day before, I proposed to my wife at New Farm Park, where we first met in 2019. So, it was quite a memorable week for me — starting my dream job and getting engaged!
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Now, let’s dive into the professional side of things.
Could you share any recent projects or achievements that you or your team have been working on? What potential impact might these projects have on the company or its clients?
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt across many sectors. I often say that the pandemic was like a metaphorical sledgehammer that broke the status quo in financial services, and now our goal is to take advantage of this opportunity to retain what works while adopting new and improved methods.
One significant change has been the widespread adoption of remote work, which has become almost ubiquitous in financial services. At IAM, we’ve been rolling out new online systems such as Chelmer, JIRA, and LAB applications as part of several recent projects aimed at enhancing the customer experience in this post-pandemic world.
On the topic of professional growth, what are some of the key skills or areas of expertise you’re focusing on developing right now?
Recently, I’ve shifted my focus towards human-centred design approaches to innovation and problem-solving. While I had previously been researching the rise of artificial intelligence and transhumanist technologies, I’ve found that a more humanistic approach is critical for professional growth.
Human-centred design places people at the core of innovation and problem-solving, ensuring that solutions meet the practical needs of individuals. It helps me fully understand the nature of the problems we’re trying to solve by considering the context and individual users from the start. This approach is as much about understanding human experiences as it is about creating new products or services.
How do you stay current with industry trends and advancements in operations management? Are there any resources or methods you rely on?
When it comes to customer service and operations management, there’s no shortage of textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, and industry journals that I enjoy reading. However, in the fast-paced, post-pandemic world of financial services, I’ve found that real-world practice is evolving quicker than academic theories can keep up.
Interestingly, as I’ve embraced a human-centred design approach, I’ve also found myself adopting a sort of “Gonzo-journalism” method to learning. By immersing myself in the client journey and observing countless customer service interactions, I can identify industry trends and stay ahead of the curve.
This approach has made me acutely aware of the client service journey in every aspect of my life, from buying a morning coffee to checking my finances online. It’s a bit overwhelming at times, but it’s essential to stay focused on actively listening and observing what customers want. Qualitative and quantitative customer feedback data is invaluable in staying current with industry trends and delivering human-centred results.
Moving across to the personal side, we like to know more about the person behind the professional.
We hear you lived in Sydney before Brisbane. What led you to Queensland?
I’m not a big fan of cold weather! Brisbane’s sunny climate was a big draw for me. When I was deciding to move interstate, I had the option of studying in Melbourne or Brisbane, and while Melbourne has more AFL games to watch, I prefer wearing shorts and Hawaiian shirts most of the year in Brisbane.
We heard you make your own version of hot sauce and even entered a competition. Can you tell us more about this little side quest?
Like most good side quests, it started with a bet among friends but has since become a yearly ritual for me. I enter the Queensland State EKKA Cooking Competition each year with a new hot sauce I make using ingredients I grow in my backyard or source locally. This year, I made a Passionfruit Honey Hot Sauce and placed 4th, which I’m pretty proud of.
Another interesting tidbit is that you’re a musician and talented with your guitar. Are there any upcoming gigs we should know about?
I’m currently preparing a spring/summer recital program for Trinity College London. I’ll be performing pieces such as Sonata in C Major Op. 15 and Variations on a Theme by Handel, op. 107 by the Italian guitarist Mauro Giuliani. I’ll also include selected Etudes and Preludes by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, along with a compilation of programmatic works from Castillos de España by Spanish composer Federico Moreno Tórroba.
When you’re not playing tunes and experimenting with recipes, what are your favourite spots around sunny Brisbane?
I live near Moreton Bay, so you’ll often find me relaxing by the water at Sandgate, Shorncliffe, or Redcliffe with my wife and our little dog, Bear, on the weekends. I’m also a massive AFL & QAFL fan, so during footy season, you’ll either see me cheering the Brisbane Lions to victory.
