RIP Shaun Green

Shaun Green had a major impact on my life and the lives of countless others. I will name just a few in this tributary blog.

He was one of the key people who helped us to build one of the most successful mortgage brokerages the UK has ever seen – The Money Centre (UK) Plc.

We are a similar age so I was shocked to learn via Facebook that he unexpectedly passed away in his sleep last night. At least he went peacefully and with no prior suffering.

Shaun was the man who put the “Fun into” The Money Centre. He was our personnel manager and was the first to start the trend of answering the telephone on 1st April every year as “The Funny Centre”. I met him long before he was an employee though.

In 2001 Shaun was a partner in a Recruitment Agency called Greenstone Recruitment with his father-in-law Geoff Stone, who also subsequently joined The Money Centre.

Shaun got me into all sorts of bother at times but I wouldn’t change a thing, not even the time he got me in trouble with a hotel manager for organising a drunken Rugby match in the hotel car park in the early hours of the morning during a staff training event.

The first six employment candidates Shaun referred me to were all decent quality. The best by far though were Hannah and Kaori, two of the original “bungalow people”. That’s what the original team at The Money Centre were affectionately known as, because the business started in a bungalow which we converted into an office.

As it happened, both Hannah and Kaori were both the same height, similar ages, both blondes and both a size eight. Our business was expanding quickly at the time we met Shaun so we were recruiting heavily. He got it into his head that I was only recruiting bright, size 8 attractive blondes and for quite a while every candidate he referred to me fitted that description. Kerry Rose, Kerry Hayden, Alison Edwards, Vicki Lake, Frances Young and Leigh-Ann are amongst many more of the lovely ladies that matched that criteria. My perceived recruitment policy didn’t go down too well my wife at the time! Nevertheless, it could be said that’s where the magic began, however unplanned it was. We soon had plenty of good looking ambitious young men wanting to join the team too (I wonder why?). Many of our employees got married to each other and went on to bring some beautiful Money Centre babies into the world. Off the top of my head these couples included Austin & Kerry Spence,  Steve & Leanne Dewey, Jonny & Kerry Miller and James & Keri Owen to name just a few. Apologies to those I’ve missed.

Needless to say, the team was bonding well and The Money Centre went from success to success, achieving #38 in The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 in 2008 as well as scooping many industry awards.

I can’t recall exactly when Shaun became an employee, perhaps because he was such an integral part of the team from the first time we met. However, I can remember what I thought when he applied to join us as our personnel manager. How could we say no? He had helped us to build the original team, he had an affinity with them all and besides all that he was built like a brick sh1t house!

Shaun was without doubt a gentle giant. He was well respected by all who knew him. A keen rugby player, a team player in the business sense, a loyal and dedicated father and the life and soul of every party, of which TMC had plenty!

He will be sadly missed and was taken from us all far to early.

With due respect to a great man who leaves behind him three lovely children whom I hope will one day get to read this blog.

Rest In Peace big guy.

From Mark Alexander and all your former colleagues at The Money Centre (UK) Plc.

PS – Shaun’s friends and family are all posting messages of condolence on THIS THREAD on his Facebook page as a legacy for his children. Feel free to contribute if you knew him

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