From Bank Manager to Business Builder: Jamie Savory's Regional Finance Revolution

In this captivating episode of Launch Spotlight, host Eddie the Chef sits down with Jamie Savory, the dynamic founder of Gippsland Financial Solutions, to explore an entrepreneurial journey that's redefining what's possible in regional Australian finance. What began as a modest dream of working three days a week has evolved into one of Victoria's fastest-growing mortgage broking firms, now employing 16 professionals and challenging the notion that meaningful careers require metropolitan life.

After 11 years with Commonwealth Bank, Jamie faced a breaking point in 2014. The banking industry was shifting toward impersonal digital service, pushing customers to ATMs and online platforms for life-changing financial decisions. Regional clients wanted face-to-face interaction—they wanted someone they could trust. When she quit on Thursday, the bank simply said to drop off her keys Friday. No thanks, no acknowledgment. The abruptness validated what she knew: it was time to build something different.

Jamie's initial vision was refreshingly modest—help some clients, contribute to household income. But life had other plans. She fell pregnant, had her third baby three months premature, and found herself bringing him in a car capsule to client meetings. That three-day-a-week dream lasted six months. The volume of clients following her from Commonwealth Bank was overwhelming, and within a year she was working full-time with three young children. Her biggest lesson? "If I had my time again, I would have put staff on sooner."

Operating in regional Victoria presents unique advantages. Since COVID, 26 branches have closed across Gippsland, leaving a void Gippsland Financial Solutions fills perfectly. "We still see 65% of our clients face-to-face," Jamie emphasizes—a statistic that distinguishes her business in an increasingly digital world. The remaining 35% get personalized phone service from real humans in Bairnsdale, Traralgon, or Warragul—never an overseas call center.

Perhaps most distinctive is Jamie's commitment to creating career opportunities for women in regional areas. Of 16 employees, 15 are women—including brokers, support staff, and her husband who quit his chef career to support the business. "I'm super passionate about giving working mums the opportunity to have a career in a regional location," she states. She provides flexibility mothers need—working from home when kids are sick, adjusting for school commitments, understanding that family doesn't disappear during business hours.

This attracts skepticism. "I always get, 'Have you ever tried to employ men?'" she says, frustrated by the double standard. But her philosophy isn't about exclusion—it's about breaking the myth that ambitious women must leave Gippsland to build substantial careers.

Jamie's expansion strategy defies convention—she doesn't select locations first. "It's all about finding the right people," she emphasizes. When she finds brokers with the right work ethic and shared values, she builds around them. A fourth office is opening because someone reached out wanting to join the team.

Looking ahead, Jamie envisions expanding toward a one-stop property transaction shop. But her deeper legacy transcends metrics: "I just hope I can provide financial freedom for all my staff to be a mum plus work, have career and social connections in a regional area."

Her journey proves you don't need Melbourne to build substantial careers. Regional Australia offers abundant opportunity for those serving communities with excellence, empathy, and unwavering commitment to people. 

Visit www.gippsfinance.com.au to experience the difference—real humans ready to help navigate your financial future with integrity, expertise, and genuine care.