“Anything can crop up in your day when you’re working with a team of 300 employees across Canada,” says Brian Leland, executive vice-president of Residential Lending at Home Trust Company. “You never know how you’ll be tested.”
As part of the leadership at one of Canada’s largest financial-services institutions, Leland manages two thirds of its $30-billion in total mortgage assets. That amounts to having serviced thousands of mortgage brokers and as many as 150,000 Canadians in the purchase or refinancing of their homes.
During his 23 years of experience in mortgage lending and banking, Leland has weathered many of the housing market’s greatest ups and downs. What keeps him going, however, is a passion for growth and driving profit — as well as a keen eye on the housing market’s future.
Looking ahead
“Canadian population growth will continue to drive housing demand, and the challenge for stakeholders and policymakers will be to find solutions so housing supply keeps pace. Without that, the supply and demand equation will remain tilted to favouring sellers over buyers, which doesn’t help affordability or access to housing.”
A recipe for success
“The ability to bounce back from mistakes and accept feedback and criticism, a balance of subject-matter expertise with the ability to build rapport with others, the propensity to earn trust, and the capacity to develop and maintain business and personal relationships.”
Inspiring professors
“One of the things that Concordia did during my time there that differentiated its business school from others was having younger professionals working in Montreal teaching my courses. I found them to be very relatable and helpful in connecting the coursework to more practical, everyday work applications.”
The Concordia factor
“Having been a big part of building two successful companies, I’m thankful and attribute much of my success and learning to Concordia. The breadth of the overall curriculum in my studies was instrumental in preparing me for broader problem-solving in practical and professional working environments. It’s a reputable and proven institution that builds future leaders and supports Canadian businesses.”