AI in Mortgage Networks. Connect IT: AI, Innovation and Smarter Support
“Have you tried turning it off and on again?”
It is the classic IT fix. It sits somewhere between punchline, survival tactic and universal truth. Most people know what IT does. It keeps systems running, cables untangled, and digital lights switched on. It helps teams work, communicate, save, search and solve. At Connect, though, IT means much more than fixing what breaks. It has become a place where support, service and innovation meet.
That matters because mortgage networks now move at high speed. Advisers need accurate information, quick answers and reliable systems every day. Staff need tools that help them work with confidence.
Members need support that feels smooth, responsive and human. This is where Connect’s IT department plays a vital role.
It keeps the business moving, but it also helps shape what comes next.
From IT Support to Intelligent Teamwork
For Liz Syms, technology has never been about novelty. Her interest in AI reflects a clear business purpose. She wants technology to support people, not replace them. She also wants it to help Connect serve members more effectively.
That vision now runs through the work taking place behind the scenes. Connect’s IT department no longer sits quietly in the background. It sits closer to the centre of progress.
The team continues to keep systems stable and secure. Yet it also looks for smarter ways to improve daily work.
That includes better access to information, faster internal support and smoother content processes.
It also means reducing repetitive admin, where technology can help.
The goal stays simple.
Give people better tools so they can better support advisers.
Mike Potts and the AI Engine Room
Every good control room needs someone calm at the centre. For Connect, that person is Mike Potts, Head of IT. Mike has served Connect for many years. That experience gives him a clear view of how the business works.
It also helps him spot where technology can make the biggest difference. Mike brings a calm, practical approach to innovation. You might even call it Jedi-like, given the timing.
He understands that AI only matters when it solves real problems. That approach keeps Connect focused on useful change.
The team looks at where staff lose time.
It also studies where systems can surface information sooner. Then it uses AI to make everyday work faster and clearer.
This can help staff find documents more quickly. It can also support more consistent content handling across the business. Most importantly, it can reduce friction for the people supporting advisers.
AI That Supports People First
AI often attracts noise, hype and dramatic predictions. Connect takes a more grounded view. The business sees AI as a practical tool for better service. It can help teams respond faster to member queries.
It can also help staff locate the right information with less effort. That matters in a mortgage network. Advisers often need support on complex cases, criteria and processes. When systems work better, people can focus on the conversation.
They can spend less time searching and more time helping. That creates a better experience for advisers and their clients.
It also protects the human touch that defines strong support.
Technology should not make service feel colder. It should give people more time to offer warmer, clearer support.
That is the real value of Connect’s AI work.
Brandon Bridges and the Next Chapter
Alongside Mike is Brandon Bridges. Brandon may have started out as the department’s young Skywalker. His command of the force now grows stronger by the day. He represents the next chapter of Connect’s technology journey.
That chapter feels practical, confident and outward-facing. It shows how new skills can build on trusted experience.
It also shows how technology teams can influence wider business progress. Brandon’s work helps turn ideas into useful tools.
It supports the bridge between people, platforms and better processes. That mix matters as AI becomes part of normal business life.
Technology teams now need more than technical knowledge.
They need curiosity, communication and a strong sense of purpose. Brandon brings that spirit into Connect’s evolving IT story.
Connect at BoxWorks London 2026
That story will gain a wider stage at BoxWorks London 2026. Brandon will represent Connect as a guest speaker at the event. It is a fitting moment for the business and its IT team.
BoxWorks focuses on intelligent content, AI and modern workflow thinking. Its agenda also explores how agents and AI can reduce manual effort.
That makes the event a natural fit for Connect’s direction. Connect’s work with AI sits firmly in that same space.
It focuses on content, process, information and collaboration. It also focuses on useful outcomes rather than fashionable language.
The point is not to talk about AI. The point is to use AI with purpose.
For Connect, that means smarter support and better everyday experiences. It also means helping the network grow without losing its human character.
Why Smarter Systems Matter to Advisers
Advisers may not always see the work behind the screens. Yet they often feel the benefits. When information moves faster, queries move faster too. When internal teams find answers sooner, advisers get clearer support.
When repetitive tasks shrink, people can focus on judgement. That can make a real difference in busy mortgage cases. It can also support better consistency across the network.
Advisers need confidence in the support they receive. They also need confidence in the systems behind that support. A strong IT department helps build that confidence.
A smart IT department helps it grow further. Connect’s approach brings those two ideas together.
The result is not technology for its own sake.
It is technology that helps people perform at their best.
More Than Systems That Run
The real story behind Connect’s IT department is not only technical.
It is also cultural.
It shows how a network can innovate without losing its personality. It shows how AI can support practical work, not just future thinking. It also shows how the right people make technology more meaningful. Mike brings experience, calm and operational understanding.
Brandon brings energy, growth and outward-facing confidence. Liz brings the vision for AI-led progress across the business. Together, they help Connect move from information technology to intelligent teamwork.
That phrase captures the direction perfectly. Connect needs systems that run.
It also needs systems that help people run better.
The IT team helps deliver both.
The Future Behind the Screens
There is plenty more happening behind the screens. Liz continues to work closely with the team on AI developments. Those developments aim to make Connect smarter, quicker and more responsive.
They also aim to strengthen support for members across the network. Of course, Connect cannot share every secret. Some of the best ideas need time, testing and a little mystery. That feels right for an IT team with a Jedi streak.
What matters most is the direction of travel. Connect wants technology that makes work easier for people. It wants AI that supports better decisions and faster service.
It wants systems that strengthen the network without replacing relationships.
That is the future taking shape inside Connect’s AI engine room. So yes, turning it off and on again still has its place.
But at Connect, IT has moved far beyond the classic fix. It now helps power smarter support, stronger teamwork and purposeful innovation.
And with that, may the force be with the IT team.
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