At Berkadia, our success is built upon the talent and hard work of a broad and diversely skilled team. From graphic designers to loan closing specialists to product designers, each of our people brings a unique background, perspective and expertise to their work that empowers Berkadia to redefine the commercial real estate industry.
Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Sherrin Mathew, Senior Credit Expert, Global Production Operations, who sits in our Hyderabad office and works in partnership underwriters and the deal teams to help execute deals encompassing requirements from the pre-application stage through the loan closing. She shared with us how she came to Berkadia, what she enjoys most about her work and how she approaches career development.
Did you choose CRE or did CRE choose you? What drew you to Berkadia?
I chose CRE. I hail from a finance / accounting background. The knowledge I came with was limited to Indian Banking with specialization in bank audits. I was referred to Berkadia by a friend. I was in my early 20s and like most others at that age, I was keen to have a couple of years of professional experience under my belt. Over a period of time, I began to enjoy learning the industry. I relied and listened in on the great stories of experiences shared about working at Berkadia.
What part of your role are you most passionate about?
I am responsible for a range of tasks to effectively analyze all information on a deal, understanding and clarifying the impact of each piece of information on a deal to the underwriter and deal team. Findings and insights must be explained clearly and concisely as they move through each stage of the deal. In this work, I most enjoy the interactions I have with underwriters. The reinforcing of interdependencies to strike qualitative outputs throughout the process fascinates me.
What excites you most about CRE?
I am presented with an opportunity to learn something new every day!
What is the biggest current challenge (or sense of uncertainty) for CRE professionals in your sphere, and where are you seeing opportunities right now? What has surprised you recently?
Uncontrollable occurrences can make meeting targets difficult, however one would be surprised to see how much can be achieved together as a team.
Where do you envision your career going? What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself coming into the CRE industry?
I like to live one day at a time and seize the day. I do my best to learn something new every day. My advice to a younger version of myself would be –your career is your responsibility. Your experience is invaluable, and it teaches you more than any teacher or textbook could teach. The greatest asset one can have is knowledge. You can build it by gaining expertise in your field, working on understanding complex assignments and by dressing for accomplishment.