There is a common thread among all of the answers given below by Edward Forbes. All of the answers fit the description of what makes Forbes most productive — under pressure to close a deal. Forbes was a platoon leader in the Army, loves to play tournament poker, and said he would be a chef if he wasn’t in the ARM industry — all jobs and professions that require grace under pressure. Read on to learn more about Forbes and his interesting family tree.
Name: Edward Forbes
Company: CMAX Finance
Length of time at current company: I was an original founding member of Creditmax in 2004. I left the company and started the brokerage and advisory firm Stirling Capital Management LLC in 2008. I then formed a strategic alliance with CMAX in 2013 and was named executive vice president of business development in 2017.
Length of time in industry: 25 years
How did you get your start in the industry?
After serving in the Army as an infantry platoon leader, I worked as a collector in the 90’s for Capital Recovery Service out of Fairfax Virginia.
What is your career highlight so far?
Managing Outsourcing and Asset Sales for JPMorgan Chase.
When or how are you most productive?
Early in the morning and when I am under extreme pressure to close a deal.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
Bob Rey from PRA who gave me my first opportunity working for an issuer.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
Being straightforward.
What do you like most about this industry?
There is no such thing as a typical day.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
We need to do a better job of policing ourselves.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
I would be a restaurant owner or a chef.
Describe a typical work day.
I have never had one!
What is your guilty pleasure?
Tournament poker.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Integrity is non-negotiable.
What are you currently reading?
“Against The Gods – The Remarkable Story of Risk” by Peter Bernstein.
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you?
I am a direct descendent of James Otis, the patriot who famously said “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Bruce Gray from Mercantile Adjustment Bureau and John Lodmell from Emergent Business Group
